Making Homemade Pork and Shrimp Wontons

Wonton noodle soup is a budget-friendly dish to make especially in this tight economy.  Growing up, my sisters and I would gather around the table and help my mom wrap wontons.  It was a very bonding experience.

Making wontons can be time consuming but it's super easy to make.  I like to make a lot and freeze the rest for a quick meal whenever I feel like adding wontons to my soup noodles.  You can eliminate the shrimp and just use pork or vice versa if you feel like splurging.  I like my wontons with shrimp so I use 50/50 pork to shrimp ratio.  The size of the shrimp does not really matter since you have to chop it up anyway.  If you are unsure of how to wrap the wontons, there are tons of videos available online.

Pork and Shrimp Wonton Recipe
Makes about 40-50 wontons

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 lb. shrimp, shelled, deveined, and chopped
2 stalks green onions, finely chopped
1 tsp ginger, minced
1 T soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp Xiao Hsing wine or rice cooking wine
1 tsp ground white pepper
1/4 tsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch

1 package wonton wrappers
green onions, chopped
Chicken broth

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.  Assemble wontons one at a time by placing a teaspoon of filling in the middle of the wonton wrapper.  Moisten the edges with water and fold to form a triangle.  Press firmly to secure edges.  Brush one tip of the triangle with water and bring the two corners together to finish off the wonton.  Repeat until all wrappers are used.

Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Add the wontons making sure not to overcrowd them.  Let the wontons boil for about 4-6 minutes until they float to the top and are cooked through.  Remove wontons with a sieve or slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl.  Ladle hot broth over wontons and garnish with green onions.

Optional:  Serve with Hong Kong-style egg noodles and bok choy or any type of Chinese greens for wonton mien (noodle soup).

To freeze:  Put wontons in a single layer on a cookie sheet or baking dish, making sure they do not touch.  When frozen, gather them up and put in a freezer bag.