Thankfully last quarter ended a few weeks ago. This means no more 20 hours of work a week of biostats! This also means that we had spring break.
Instead of relaxing on the beach which most people do on spring break, I decided to go to Indiana. That's new. Why Indiana? One of my best friends, Bethany, goes to school out there in Indiana Wesleyan University. Chelsea (chocolate girl) flew from Nebraska and we had a great time catching up and hearing about what God was doing in each other's lives. It was such a needed time with old friends.
Spring quarter has officially started; I'm especially excited about two of my new classes that I'm taking this term. BIEB 176: Conservation and the Human predicament is a biology class that focuses on wildlife conservation. VIS 121B: Cities, Castles, and Cathedrals is an art history class that has a lecture on the city Canterbury, England (where I studied in the Fall).
Also, I started to volunteer in the Nieh Lab where they are studying honeybee and bumble bee behavior. The topic of bees is becoming increasingly popular in the media due to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). CCD is a new phenomenon where bee workers across the globes are disappearing. Bees play a crucial role as pollinators for our fruits. So unless we want to eat rice, wheat, and corn for the rest of humanity's time on earth, we should help our six legged friends.
To balance out this new quarter, I decided to pull out an old recipe.
This recipe for wonton (Chinese dumplings) was created by my dad and me. When I was 3 years old, I was at a babysitter's house who made amazing Chinese food - my love of food comes partly from them. My dad would make huge batches of wonton and give them to my babysitter to cook for me for lunch. Apparently, my babysitter would ask me if they were too salty, needed more mushrooms, etc and my dad changed the recipe accordingly. What a great dad! So this recipe was created before I could even write. Every time I eat them, it brings me back to my childhood and reminds me of my dad. I've updated the recipe since and its still my favorite wonton recipe.
The Ingredients
Filling:
1lb ground pork
1/2 pound shrimp
10-12 dried shiitake mushrooms
1/4 cup water chesnuts
5 stalks green onions
3 tablespoons soy sauce
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
The Makings of:
wonton wrappers
1 egg
chicken broth
green onions for garnish
The Method
Soak the mushrooms in warm water until soft and then dice. Peel and devein the shrimp. That black intestinal track is about as tasty as it sounds. Then chop the shrimp up. Mince the water chestnuts which can be found in cans in an Asian grocery store. Thinly slice the green onions.
In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, the shrimp, the mushrooms, the water chestnuts, and the green onions.
Then add the soy, salt, cornstarch, and sesame oil.
Mix to combine. Don't tell anyone but its easiest to use your hands. Let the mixture chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes. This lets all the flavors combine and makes it easier to work with. Ground meat doesn't make a great picture I know.
When the mixture is chilled, it's folding time! There are many ways to fold them, this is the way I learned. Crack the egg into a bowl and add some water to make an egg wash for folding. First, take a wrapper out and lay it with one of the corners pointing towards you.
Then put a teaspoon of filling in the middle and moisten the top two edges with the egg wash.
Then fold the bottom triangle up. Press out the air going from the center outwards and press the edges to seal tightly.
Then moisten one corn with the egg wash and tuck the other corner on top. Press firmly.
All Done! One down, many more to go.
Folding the wonton is easier than you think. It may take some practice but after a dozen or so, you'll be a wonton making machine. Another great idea is to invite friends over and have them help out or have your kids help out. I helped my dad when I was little. Lay the wonton on cookie trays and freeze them. Once frozen, place them in plastic bags for storage.
Now what did I do with all of these wonton? My favorite way to cook them is to boil them. Place them in boiling water and reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 5-6 min for fresh and 7-8min for frozen. Ladle some hot chicken broth over them and sprinkle some more green onions on top.
One of my favorite things about food is when it can bring back old memories. I hope you can make these wonton with your friends and family to create even more fun times. What are some of your favorite childhood eats?
Also, I started to volunteer in the Nieh Lab where they are studying honeybee and bumble bee behavior. The topic of bees is becoming increasingly popular in the media due to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). CCD is a new phenomenon where bee workers across the globes are disappearing. Bees play a crucial role as pollinators for our fruits. So unless we want to eat rice, wheat, and corn for the rest of humanity's time on earth, we should help our six legged friends.
To balance out this new quarter, I decided to pull out an old recipe.
The Ingredients
Filling:
1lb ground pork
1/2 pound shrimp
10-12 dried shiitake mushrooms
1/4 cup water chesnuts
5 stalks green onions
3 tablespoons soy sauce
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
The Makings of:
wonton wrappers
1 egg
chicken broth
green onions for garnish
The Method
Soak the mushrooms in warm water until soft and then dice. Peel and devein the shrimp. That black intestinal track is about as tasty as it sounds. Then chop the shrimp up. Mince the water chestnuts which can be found in cans in an Asian grocery store. Thinly slice the green onions.
