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.

Vietnamese Steamed Meatloaf

My mom used to cook a lot for us when were growing up.  One of the things she made was this Vietnamese pork dish that resembled a meatloaf but even better.  I always looked forward to eating this with pan fried pork chops served over broken rice.  I never realized how simple it was to make this until I started making it myself.

Vietnamese Steamed Meatloaf (Cha Trung Hap)
Adapted from Wandering Chopsticks

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground pork
1 bundle bean thread vermicelli noodles
1/3 cup dried wood ear fungus
1 carrot, grated
3 large eggs (reserve 2 egg yolks and beat the remaining eggs and egg whites)
1 T fish sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
sugar
cilantro for garnishing

Directions:

Soak vermicelli noodles and wood ear fungus together or in separate bowls for 15 minutes in hot water until softened. Drain and roughly chop them up on cutting board.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, add ground pork, vermicelli noodles, wood ear fungus, grated carrots, 1 egg and 2 egg whites, fish sauce, salt, pepper and a dash of sugar.  Mix until ingredients are evenly distributed.

Put the pork mixture into a loaf pan or heatproof bowl.  Beat the reserved egg yolks and pour it evenly over the meat mixture.

Cover and steam for 25-30 minutes on medium heat until firm and cooked through.  Remove the meatloaf from the steamer and cut into slices.  Serve on top of white rice and garnish with cilantro and nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce).

Shanghai-style rice cakes

The first time I had Shanghai-style rice cakes I was instantly hooked and I knew I had to recreate this at home.   This is a great alternative to dukbokki (Korean spicy rice cakes) if you are not in the mood for something spicy.  Rice cakes can be very filling so for me this was more like a snack or appetizer.  First time I made this using shiitake mushrooms and my husband didn't like it.  This recipe just called for napa cabbage.  You can add any vegetables you desire.  I've seen bean sprouts, chives, and yu choi in some recipes I've searched.  This one is Henry approved so it's a keeper!

Shanghai-style rice cakes
From Use Real Butter

Ingredients:

1 lb. oval rice cakes, thawed
1 medium napa cabbage, washed
5 green onions, julienned (I chopped mine)
3 T ginger, finely julienned
vegetable oil
salt to taste
1/2 lb. pork loin, cut into strips
3 T soy sauce
1 T sesame oil
1-2 T cornstarch
1/2 cup chicken broth

Method:

Soak the rice cakes in cold water for 30 minutes.  Cut the cabbage into 1-inch segments.  In a medium bowl, mix the pork, soy sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch together until the pork in evenly coated.  In a large pan, heat oil, half of the ginger and green onions over high heat.  When the onions and ginger begin to sizzle, add the cabbage and saute.  Sprinkle a little salt to taste.  When the cabbage is almost cooked, remove it to a bowl.  Heat on high the remaining oil in the same pan and add the remaining ginger and green onions for a few seconds, add the pork and saute until the meat is nearly cooked through.  Pour the cabbage back into the pan and stir the pork and cabbage together.  Drain the rice cakes and add them to the pan along with  1/2 cup chicken broth.  Add more broth as needed or desired. Stir the contents of the pan around to prevent sticking.  When the rice cakes are soft and chewy, remove from heat immediately.  Serve hot.