Today

Eaten: Delicata squash with rosemary, sage, and olive oil.

now I am going to the grocery store and have grand plans for salmon dish with pasta, a tabbuleh, and a beet salad. trying to decide if I want to make a salmon dish with pasta and a cream sauce that self.com swears is "healthy" which sounds pretty decadent... Most of all I'm glad the sun is out and I just want to get to the grocery store and back so I can get out in the sun.

Anyways, it's nice sitting here looking out the window at the sunny day and at Jack sitting in a sun spot.

I'm going to Salsa Rueda dancing later and I think I am going to cook some Salmon.

Cheers.

Checking in

Hi,

I haven't posted in a long time and since Facebook is losing its appeal but I still want to spend time on the internet I thought I would check back in with my blog. And what better thing to talk about than thyme? Or time? This reminds me, I should plant some thyme in my garden. My last plant died :(

Rebecca, if you read this, I saw on Facebook that you are going to Costa Rica, my mom just got back from there and I hope you have fun!

Anyways, my garden is doing pretty well I have heavily pruned the roses and they are starting to come back but the lavender is not and I am not sure if I did not prune it hard enough. The ceanothus is growing like gang busters though.

In terms of cooking, I am loving the Self.com website food section as every day it seems to have new healthy recipes. I have lost around 30 lbs recently from changing my eating habits and exercising more (despite a set back in February due to overconsumption of Ben and Jerry's - what can I say Ben and Jerry were my Valentines dates).

Anyways healthy is where it's at these days. More sleep, more greens, more garden, more walks. Speaking of walks, I'm about to go for one now. Have a nice day and hope all is well.

PS Maria if you read this I am going to try and make your sashimi bowl which I have not made yet but I have to ask at New Leaf if they have sashimi grade tuna?

D.

simple quiche

something I've made a few times in the last few months. I enjoy it a lot, but it's quite heavy, so it's best combined with a salad.

crust: I use the better homes and gardens recipe so far. or you can use a packaged crust.

then I put swiss cheese in the bottom of the pan (or gruyere) 3/4 cup. then about 4-7 pieces bacon chopped and cooked on top of the cheese. next, chopped raw green onions. next, i have tried fresh dill and enjoy the taste. maybe 2 Tbs fresh snipped dill (optional). top with as much fresh spinach as you can squeeze in.

Mix together 4 eggs, 1 cup cream (or milk) a sprinkle of nugmeg and salt and pepper to taste. combine and pour over mixture in crust.

cover the crust with tin foil and bake for 325 for 45 min (this depends on your oven...) mine runs hot so i lower the temp and also the time.

if this is your first time making quiche i would not bother with a homemade crust, but if you've made it before put in the extra effort as it makes it look so much more appealing and the taste is much more authentic. you can use a wine bottle or a large cup as a rolling pin.

"Healthier-than-thou" Tuna Sashimi Bowl

So if one day you feel particularly lazy and particularly health-conscious you can try this quick and, as the name suggests, healthy meal!!! The preparation couldn't be easier - the only downside is that you'll need to find a place that sells sashimi-grade tuna and other Japanese ingredients.

So here it is in no particular order and without any measurements:

Fresh Sashimi-grade Tuna
Uncooked Soba noodles (that's buckwheat)
Seaweed salad (pre-made)
Lemon
Miso paste (any kind)
oil (something light)
Sesame seeds (optional)
Soy sauce and wasabi for dipping

The only thing that needs to be cooked is the noodles. Follow the instructions on the package - I believe 4 min at rapid boil is just right. Drain them under cold water as soon as the 4 min is up!!! Transfer some of the noodles (or all) into a nice bowl.

Then cut your beautiful tuna into sashimi slices - any size you like - and arrange it on one side of the bowl on top of the noodles. Put some seaweed salad next to the Tuna for contrast!

Now comes the experimentation part - making some sort of sauce to "dress" your bowl. I dissolved about half a teaspoon of Miso paste in some freshly squeezed lemon juice and then added some vegetable oil and water to dilute it. Keep trying the sauce until you like how it tastes. When you're satisfied with it just pour it on top of the tuna (but not so much on the seaweed) and VOILA you have just created one of the HEALTHIEST dishes on this blog!

Oh of course, you will need some soy sauce and wasabi to dip your sashimi in! Also, if you have sesame seeds you can sprinkle them on top, as well.

Enjoy!

Cardamon pasta

I had to make something for lunch tomorrow, and I'm obsessed with the cardamon that I bought recently at costplus world market. love it.

so:
whole wheat pasta
red onion
carrots
mushrooms
red onions
green beans (yum so fresh from new leaf!)
tomato
(basically i used the veggies that were in my veggie drawer and hadn't gotten moldy)
cardamon
garam masala
cayanne pepper
salt
honey
olive oil
(peanuts or mint might be good additions)
leftover feta burger

sauted the onions and carrots with the spices and honey in olive oil. when they are a little soft, add the green beans and mushrooms. continue to add spices until there is a strong flavor to your taste. once the veggies are cooked but still firm (al dente) add them to the cooked pasta and cook the meat, and add it. You can serve with a salad or eat plain.

BBQ: lemonade, potato salad, burgers

I used some recipes from epicurious. Apparently I had no idea how to BBQ, it's harder than it sounds. You have to pile the coals in a pyramid, put paper underneath them, and open the lil holes while it's burning. wait for them to get grey before you cook the food.

I made a lemonade, and I added mint leaves, and frozen berries. I think frozen berries are a great addition. They look really beautiful and turn the lemonade a pretty color.

I made a potato salad, recipe follows. I used balsamic vinegar, frozen peas and garlic. It wasn't super flavorful, and might benefit from a flavored oil or extra herbs... i'm not sure. it looked pretty though.

potato salad with mint and peas Gourmet | July 2004 Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 25 min

Makes 6 side-dish servings.

The Last Touch

2 lb small red potatoes
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup thawed frozen or cooked fresh baby peas (5 oz)
1/3 cup chopped or torn fresh mint leaves

Cover potatoes with cold salted water in a 3-quart saucepan, then simmer, covered, until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

While potatoes are cooking, whisk together vinegar, shallot, salt, and pepper in a large serving bowl.

Drain potatoes and halve or quarter if desired. Add to vinegar mixture while warm and toss to coat. Add oil, peas, and mint and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm or at room temperature.

Epicurious.com © CondéNet, Inc. All rights reserved.

I also made hamburgers. I saw lots of recipes for feta burgers so i decided to make these. they came out really big so i think you could make more than 8 servings, and they are really poufy. definitely the indentation is important, i didn't bother to do it. the garlic sauce (i think it's an aioli) is really good, and i might start keeping it on hand to serve with other things... and to ward off vampires. but unfortunately it might also ward off cute boys who want to kiss me so it's a trade off.

feta burgers with grilled red onions Bon Appétit | July 2007 These newfangled burgers are stuffed with feta cheese. Pressing the center of the raw hamburger to form a slight indentation prevents the burger from puffing up in the center when cooking.

Makes 8 servings.

Pam Anderson

3 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup (packed) crumbled feta cheese
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
8 large garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 medium red onions, peeled, each cut crosswise into 4 slices
8 hamburger buns
2 large tomatoes, each cut crosswise into 4 slices

Break up beef in large bowl. Sprinkle feta, oregano, salt, and pepper over; toss. Divide into 8 portions; form each into 41/2-inch patty, pressing in center to form slight indentation. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.

Puree garlic in processor. With machine running, gradually add 1/2 cup oil; process 30 seconds. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.

Spray grill rack with nonstick spray. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush onion with 1 tablespoon oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place burgers and onions on grill. Cover; cook 5 minutes. Turn; cook until onions are charred in spots and burgers are medium-well, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer to plate. Brush cut sides of buns with garlic oil. Place buns, cut side down, on grill; toast about 1 minute. Turn; cook until heated, about 1 minute.

Place burgers on bun bottoms. Top each with onion, tomato, and bun top.

Epicurious.com © CondéNet, Inc. All rights reserved.

I also made the fruit salad again, but I didn't bother with the ginger sauce. I served beer too, but nobody drank it... we went to the beach and met some guys there and they gave us some cheapy beer... ah labor day! It was a lovely day.

Strawberry Shortcake

Krustez baking mix (you'll find it in the pancake section) is so good. I'm like one of Pavlov's dogs. I drool whenever I hear the name. I always see on the back a recipe for Strawberry shortcake and I finally tried it out. Turns out it's really good.

I made the Krusteaz shortcakes, make sure you combine all the dry ingredients first, and then add the liquid to the dry. Use parchment paper so the bottoms won't burn and so they won't stick to your baking sheet.

For the topping, cut strawberries into pieces and coat with sugar.

Top everything with whipped cream, either whip your own until it forms soft peaks but not until stiff, or buy the stuff in the can. (I made it with sweetened yoghurt, which was ok... but it's definitely better with whipped cream)

Yum!!!

From the Box Falafals

Thank you Cost Plus World Market! I bought a box of Al Fez "Lebanese style falafel chickpea onion, & herb snack" there. All you do is follow the directions, which is basically pour the mix in a bowl with some water. Then, the hard part is the frying, but that's not even that hard. I ate them in a sandwich with some pita bread, tomatoes, lettuce, and Al Fez Tahini dressing. Yum!!! This is a really easy way to make an impressive and healthy meal. (If you serve it with salad and whole wheat pita)

Lentil Dal

Again, I made this awhile ago, so the recipe will be unfortunately even more vague than usual. This is a Deirdre-ized version of the Eastern food Dal, which is, according to my friend Danny, "any type of legume dish" at least I think that's what he said...

I couldn't find much clear information on how to cook lentils, pretty much all I got from the web was, "cover them with water" which is about as vague as you can get. So, I covered them with water, but ended up having to add much more water as I went along. I would say maybe a 3-1 ratio is about right, especially if you want it a little soupy.

1 cup lentils
3 cups water
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
6 slices salami
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garam masala
1 bay leaf
yoghurt
1 cup rice
salt, pepper

Add the lentils and rice to a pot, simmer on low heat, covered. Add a bay leaf while it is cooking, and cut the salami into 1/2 inch squares and add that as well. Once the lentils have absorbed most of the water, test them and see if they are soft enough. Make sure they don't absorb all the water or they will burn. Once they are soft add the cherry tomatoes and the spices and cook until the tomatoes have softened. Serve over the cooked rice, and drizzle the yoghurt on top. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Velveted chicken with goat cheese, served over salad

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I've been really busy. Hopefully I'll remember at least sort of how I made this, it was a while ago. Things have been really hectic with a new job (which I am not going to stay at... could not stand the hours) and my cat getting hit by a car. I hope he is going to be ok. The vet bill was crazy, and he is walking kind of funny. The vet was trying to determine if he had suffered any mental damage... It's not really that funny, but I wasn't sure what to say when he asked if Jack was completely normal mentally before the accident.

Chicken Salad:
1 Tbs Cornstarch
1 tbs water
1 chicken breast
olive oil
1/3 generous cup goat cheese
1/2 tsp thyme
Salt, pepper

Dissolve the cornstarch in the water so it makes a thin paste. cut the chicken breast into chunks and marinade it in the paste for 10 -15 min. This will help make the chicken be a soft texture. Stir fry the chicken in olive oil for 10 min or until it is cooked through but not dry. Remove the chicken from the pan and put it immediately into a bowl containing the crumbled goat cheese and thyme, with salt and pepper. Stir until the cheese is melted and coats the chicken.

Serving suggestion: prepare a green salad with tomatoes and potatoes, and top in the center with the chicken.

Jessica Biel's Gourmet Whole Wheat Pizza

Ingredients:

1 package "almost whole wheat" dough from Trader Joe's

For the sauce:

1 can crushed tomatoes (works best with fire-roasted variety)

1-2 Tbsp Olive oil

A tad of white wine if you have it

Toppings:

Shredded skim Mozarella (enough to cover pizza)
8-9 slices Dry Italian Salame (lite)
Goat cheese crumbles
Fresh Campari tomatoes
Thinly Sliced sweet onion (optional)
4-5 button mushrooms (sliced)
Olives (of course)


Preparation:

Follow instructions on dough package (needs to be out of fridge for at least 20 min). While dough is chilling (as in "I'm just chillin' here for 20 min" ) on your counter, you can start preparing the sauce. Empty the contents of the crushed tomatoes can into a small saucepan. Add the olive oil and the white wine (easy there) and bring to a boil. Let it simmer on medium heat, while stirring occasionally. It should take around 20-30 minutes to achieve the right consistency - somewhat thick and creamy (you can always add water or cook it for longer if it doesn't look quite right). Make sure you are prepared for how messy this sauce will make your stove...try using a lid, but don't cover the pan completely or it will slow down the cooking time).

Back to the dough. Roll it on a slightly flowered surface into a shape, size and thickness of your liking (I make it very thin and rectangular, but maybe you want something else...like a heart-shape for example if you are in a lovey-dovey mood). Place the rolled dough on a lightly oiled baking sheet and start applying the sauce (which u hopefully have mastered by now) evenly.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

TOPPINGS! This is the fun part. Figuring out your own way to arrange this may take awhile, so I suggest this: 1. layer mozarella cheese all-over 2. sprinkle onions lightly (if you're using them) 3. Place Salami slices strategically (not overlapping with each other) 4. put some some goat cheese crumbles ON EACH piece of Salami 4. put mushrooms, olives and slices of campari tomatoes wherever you find room! The trick is to avoid covering the toppings with each other too much so that everything can get its chance in life to get nicely baked!

If your oven is ready, put your beautiful pizza inside and cook until perfection (that is a subjective state, by the way). It took me roughly 12-15 minutes because I like it well-done.

ENJOY! Serve with white wine, or if you don't drink, with some Ginger Ale :)

Love,

Jessica

Keith's Egg and Bacon Ice-cream

Ugh...lets not go there :)

Leah's Steamed Fish

1 Small Whole Fish (such as trout) that measures 6-8 inches, or part of a whole fish (skin on!)
3 cloves garlic
1 Tbs sesame oil
2 inches Ginger
3 Tbs Soy Sauce

Take a cook pot that has a fitted lit, place a steamer inside, fill with water to the level of the steamer, place a plate on top of the steamer. Wash the fish, put it on top of the plate. Chop the garlic and put it on top of the fish. Julienne the ginger and put it on top of the fish. Pour oil and soy sauce on top as well. (remove skin from ginger) Steam the fish for 15 minutes or so until it smells done. You can check doneness by slicing into with a sharp knife. Serve with rice and pour the sauce on top. Remove bones before serving.

Broiled Salmon

I am always looking for new fish recipes. This one is very simple, and my mom always cooks salmon this way (in fact I think it's the only way she cooked it when I was living at home...)

Take a salmon fillet (fillets are easy to find in the grocery store, however, as I hear from my friends who grew up outside America, fish is much more flavorful if you get it with the skin still on.)

Anyways, take a salmon fillet. Wash it off, and place it on a prepared broiling pan.

A broiling pan is a very useful piece of equipment, consisting of a top piece which has holes in it, and a lower part as well, which catches the juices while the meat is cooking. You will want to cover the top part with aluminum foil, and cut through so the holes are still there. Then spray the foil with pam or olive oil.

Then put the fillet on, skin down. You can put some olive oil or butter on top of the fish, although it's not really necessary, because it's such an oily fish.

Turn the oven up as high as it will go (to the "broil" setting") and leave the door open a little bit. your oven may not need the door open to broil, but for some ovens you need to do this. once it is really hot, put the fish in. Cook it for about 10 minutes or until it starts to smell cooked. Then take it out and check the inside with a sharp knife to see if it is cooked. Allow 10 min for each inch of thickness. The smell test is key though... Do not overcook!!! Once it is almost done only allow another minute or so as it cooks quickly.

Take it out and squirt some lemon on and salt and pepper. This is good with a salad or with bread or anything else. You can even eat it all on it's own. Salmon is so good. If there are leftovers you can break them apart and scramble them with eggs, or put them with lettuce in a salad. You can also mix with mayonnaise to make a salmon salad sandwich.

Maria's Bulgarian Open Faced Sandwiches

Delicious!! [measurements are guesstimations... cut enough to cover the bread without overwhelming, slice thinly, and arrange artfully, placing the olive in the center, as is traditional in bulgarian cooking]

1 piece of break
2 Tbs goat cheese
5 slices salami
6 slices cucumber
1 olive

Toast the bread, and smear with goat cheese. Cover with salami slices, then cucumber. Place olive in center. Serve. Yum!! :)

Tomatoes can be substituted for salami.

Marinara Pasta with Veggies

2 cloves garlic
olive oil
1/2 onion
1 carrot
1 bell pepper
2 zucchini
1 box cherry tomatoes
thyme
basil
rosemary
1 bottle marinara sauce
3-4 cups dried pasta

Saute the garlic in the olive oil, then add the onion, bell pepper, carrot, and zucchini, waiting a little time in between, allowing the more tuberous veggies a chance to soften before cooking the softer veggies. Once they are all cooked but not soft, add the cherry tomatoes so they have a chance to deflate a little. Add the spices. Meanwhile, cook the pasta. Add the pasta, veggies, and marinara sauce to a big bowl and mix together. The veggies and pasta should warm the sauce sufficiently. Err on the side of extravagance for veggie and spice amount.

FARMERS' MARKET SALAD WITH SPICED GOAT CHEESE ROUNDS

This is funny... I cooked a farmers market salad for my friend neola, and then I ordered a farmers market salad when we went out for dinner a few days later. The one I got at the restaurant was different though (we went to malabar and they made it with frisee, strawberries, pistachios... it was good. the berries were a little bitter though, and they would need to be sweet to offset the frisee.) pistachios in salad are amazing.

here's the recipe for the salad i made, courtesy of epicurious:

[again, i didn't have dijon mustard (it's on the list! don't make that face at me!), and the goat cheese is hard to cut... i tried freezing it a little bit, but i don't know that that helped much. i didn't have fresh thyme so i used dried. i think fresh would have been much better, but dried was ok in a pinch. i am going to try to get a thyme plant to grow in the garden.

i didn't have a shallot so i just used garlic, and regular salt, and balsamic vinegar, and plain mustard. the salad dressing came out fine. i love potatoes in a salad.. and olives make a yummy addition as well :) i used the rest of the tomatoes in the next recipe.

Why you'll make it: Because it's everything that's good at the market right now in one good-for-you salad.

Goat cheese rounds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 teaspoons ground cumin
11/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
16 (1/3-inch-thick) rounds chilled soft fresh goat cheese (from one 11-ounce log)

Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 shallot, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse kosher salt

Salad
1 pound baby new potatoes (such as Dutch yellow baby potatoes), halved
1 pound green beans (or mix of green and yellow), trimmed
8 cups (loosely packed) mixed salad greens
1/3 cup (packed) small fresh basil leaves
12 ounces assorted small tomatoes (such as cherry, grape, and teardrop; preferably mix of red and yellow)
1/2 cup black olives (such as Niçoise)

For goat cheese rounds:
Line baking sheet with waxed paper or parchment paper. Mix first 6 ingredients in shallow bowl. Dip cut sides of goat cheese rounds into spice mixture to coat. Place on prepared baking sheet. Chill until ready to serve. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.

For vinaigrette:
Whisk first 4 ingredients in small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season with coarse salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewhisk before using.

For salad:
Steam potatoes until just tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to plate; cool. Steam green beans until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Rinse under cold water; drain. Pat dry with paper towels. DO AHEAD Potatoes and green beans can be made 6 hours ahead. Wrap separately in paper towels. Place in resealable plastic bag; chill.

Combine greens and basil in large bowl. Add enough vinaigrette to coat lightly; toss. Arrange on large platter. Add potatoes and green beans to same large bowl; add remaining dressing and toss. Arrange potatoes and beans atop greens. Scatter tomatoes and olives over. Surround with goat cheese rounds.

Chicken Tacos

This is my version of a taco sauce based on what I read off the back of a taco sauce label in... guess where?



Tortillas
1/2 White onion, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
2 chicken breasts, chopped
1 cup rice
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup cilantro
1 lime
tapatio to taste
half hablespoon of butter
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tsp honey
2 tbs vinegar
cayenne pepper
salt

First, put the butter and 1 tbs oil (you don't have to measure, just pour some liberally in the pan with the butter) and wait till the butter melts. Next, add the rice and 2 cups water to a pan (or follow the directions on the rice container). Add the garlic to the oil, and saute, with the onion and bell pepper. While they are cooking, season with 3/4 of a tsp each of cumin and turmeric (to taste), and salt and cayenne pepper to taste. After they are done, remove from pan, add some more oil, and add the chicken, turn to med low. Splash some tapatio on, and add the vinegar. Add 1/2 tsp of cumin and turmeric (to taste), and 1 tsp honey. Add a tsp of garlic powder. Add the tomato paste. cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, then turn off heat.

Guacamole:
Combine the chopped tomatoes with the avocado, and smush the avocado. Squeeze in half of the lime juice. Add the cilantro.

Serve in tortillas (you may warm in the microwave or on burners) with the rice and guacamole.

Serves 3-4

Cookies

I made cookies this week to bring in to work (unfortunately a large percentage of them ended up in my belly... on my thighs... etc) Ah, well, the sacrifices we make for a delicious cookie! I used the Tollhouse recipe as seen below, but instead of using the Tollhouse chips I used ghiradelli bittersweet. I love using ghiradelli chips in cookies. I think they taste the best, plus I love the shiny gold bags (all right, I'm a sucker for a pretty bag!) I noticed there's a new chip on the market, I think it was nestle, but it's a dark chocolate chip. Dark chocolate has become really popular since scientists have found out its health benefits. I thought about using it, but I thought I would prefer something sweeter. Next time I might try the dark chocolate though, to balance out the sweetness from the coconut.

Substitutions: I used about 3/4 cup less flour, and added 1 cup oats (I had the instant oats, which are cut into smaller pieces, which I think worked well for this recipe)

I added about 3/4 cup coconut
I added about 1 cup chopped almonds

The cookies came out tasty, although they were definitely cooked at 9 minutes, and I ended up turning the oven down and cooking them a little less for the later batches. I'm not sure if my oven heats up more than it says it's at or what... I need to get a thermometer for it.

They also tasted a little buttery and kinda salty, so I might use a little less salt next time, and maybe substitute something else for some of the butter, I'm not sure what... maybe oil. Or just use a little less butter. I accidentally melted the butter before I creamed it, maybe this affected the flavor. I'll post some photos soon, as well as some photos of the wonton soup that I made.

Wonton Soup

I used the following recipe, with modifications: used canned chicken broth (combined with bottled condensed &water) instead of making my own, and used the remaining cabbage instead of bok choy. added some ginger to the soup. I didn't use shrimp. I used a 1 1/4 lb of pork. The onion and cabbage tasted really good in the soup, you can't go wrong w/ swanson's broth. I think i could have added even more spices to the wontons... i added garlic as well... maybe more onion would have been good, or more soy sauce... still they taste great, and so pretty! the pieces of green onion in the soup add a great touch. yum.


Wonton Soup Wonton Soup

by the Editors of Easy Home Cooking Magazine

Wonton Soup

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

1/2

cup finely chopped cabbage

8

ounces lean ground pork

4

ounces deveined shelled shrimp, finely chopped

3

green onions with tops, finely chopped

1

egg, lightly beaten

1-1/2

tablespoons cornstarch

2

teaspoons soy sauce

1

teaspoon oyster sauce

2

teaspoons sesame oil, divided

48

wonton wrappers (about 1 pound)

1

egg white, lightly beaten

3/4

pound bok choy or napa cabbage

6

cups chicken broth

1

cup thinly sliced Barbecued Pork (recipe follows)

3

green onions with tops, thinly sliced

Edible flowers for garnish

Preparation:

1.

For filling, squeeze cabbage to remove as much moisture as possible. Place cabbage in large bowl. Add pork, shrimp, chopped onions, whole egg, cornstarch, soy sauce, oyster sauce and 1-1/2 teaspoons sesame oil; mix well.

2.

For wontons, work with about twelve wrappers at a time, keeping remaining wrappers covered with plastic wrap. Place one wonton wrapper on work surface with one point facing you. Place 1 teaspoon filling in bottom corner; fold bottom corner over filling.

3.

Moisten side corners of wonton wrapper with egg white. Bring side corners together, overlapping slightly; pinch together firmly to seal. Cover finished wontons with plastic wrap while filling remaining wontons. (Cook immediately, refrigerate up to 8 hours or freeze in resealable bag.)

4.

Cut bok choy stems into 1-inch slices; cut leaves in half crosswise. Set aside.

5.

Add wontons to large pot of boiling water; cook until filling is no longer pink, about 4 minutes (6 minutes if frozen); drain. Place in bowl of cold water to prevent wontons from sticking together.

6.

Bring chicken broth to a boil in large saucepan. Add bok choy and remaining 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil; simmer 2 minutes. Drain wontons; add to hot broth. Add slices of Barbecued Pork and sliced onions. Ladle into soup bowls. Serve immediately. Garnish, if desired.