Dumplings, Dumplings Who Wants Dumplings?

My crohn's has been something that I have learned to live with for the last 20 years. Although for the most part that has not been too difficult. The only time it seems to really bother me is when it affects some of my favorite things...Like Chocolate Quick Powder Mix...now that was a hard one to give up at the age of 17. I use to dump so much powder into the bottom of my glass that I had to scoop out the remaining after the milk was long gone. Later on when I got old enough to have an adult drink; Kahlua became an issue at that time because of its coffee content and for most with crohn's caffeine is a No No!...although sometimes I will still have half a glass of a brown cow just because I want to. In more recent years I came to love pot stickers,dumpling or gyoza's...whatever your name for them is the common cabbage content kept me from either eating too many or any at all. This was something I was determined to fix for myself because I LOVE those tasty little fried pockets of yumminess. I have finally succeeded...

I present to you MamaBear Gyoza's...

Wonton Wrappers
1/2 Pound Ground Pork (you could also use ground chicken for those of you that don't eat pork) 
Carrots Chopped
1 Onion Diced ( I use these sometimes and sometimes without)
Green Onions Chopped
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil (Or add to taste)
Vegetable Oil


Start by heating a skillet with your oil and to that add in your pork...and brown.

While that is browning chop and dice your veggies and toss them into their own pan with some EVOO to caramelize.

Once the meat is fully browned and veggies are soft and sweet add in your chopped green onions. Heat through just until the green onions begin to wilt a little....and combine well with the meat.

Remove from the heat and stir in your Sesame oil to taste using a minimum of 1 Tablespoon.

Now you are ready to build your pockets. With a small bowl of water at your side and a pastry brush in hand,

lay out your wrappers in front of you and 4-6 at a time brush water over their entire surface.

Then taking 1 Teaspoon of your filling lay it on one half of the wrap.

Fold the open half up over top of the filled half, creating a half moon pocket. Then taking a fork press down on the wrapper all the way around the half moon shape until sealed up. Continue with this until you either run out of filling or wrappers.

Once you have everything filled you can now heat up a pan to medium heat with some EVOO in the bottom and to that add however many you can fit of your gyoza's. Covering them with a lid allow them to brown for 1 minute before turning them over to repeat on the other side. At this point you will add in just enough water to cover the space underneath your wraps, cover with a lid and allow them to steam until the water is gone.

Remove from the heat...repeat until you've cooked all the wraps you can eat and...

ENJOY! 

These also freeze very well so feel free to save some...place them on a cookie sheet in a single layer, freeze and then toss them all in a ziploc bag to put back in the freezer. When you are ready to use them again just remove, thaw and follow the same cooking instructions.

If you have some of the filling leftover it is great tossed in to an asian noodle recipe or just with some fried rice...DELICIOUS!

Now Go Be Brave...and cook up some gyoza's the way you like them right in your own kitchen.