For me it’s been home-made pot stickers.
The first time I cooked them I discovered they are pretty easy to make. The second time I tried cooking them I found out that they are hard to ruin. Even if you cook them wrong they’re still edible.
So, I’ve been experimenting a bit with ingredients to see what I like the best.
Some Past Experiments
Tried adding less shredded Ginger (mistake, the Ginger adds texture and smell).
Tried adding chopped up Lemon Grass (pleasant surprise to the nose & tongue when you bite into one).
Tried different sauces to dip them into (Sweet & Sour just seems to hit the spot the best).
The ingredients are readily available at a market.
Pot sticker Ingredients:
Pot sticker wrappers
1 Carrot
1/2 Cup Cabbage
1 Egg
1/2 pound Ground Pork
Tablespoon Shredded Ginger Root
Vegetable Oil
Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce
Fry Then Boil
I fry the pork. Chop the cabbage. Shred half the carrot, and a bit of Ginger root. Toss it all together, break the egg over it and stir. That is the filling for the Pot stickers.
I put about a spoonful in the center of a Pot sticker wrap. Dip my finger in some water and wet the rim of the wrapper, then fold the wrapper so it makes a sort of envelope around the filling.
It’s time consuming. Filling each little Pot sticker. While the recipe is easy, it can get dull.
Once I have enough, I put a coating of vegetable oil in a frying pan. Turn on the heat so the oil is hot, and place the Pot stickers in to fry the bottoms of them.When the bottoms become golden brown, I take about a cup of water and slowly pour it into the pan. Then I cover the pan and usually turn the heat down a smidge.
It takes about ten to fifteen minutes for the water to boil and evaporate in the pan.
Make A Lot, They Can Be Reheated Later
There is a reason they are called Pot stickers. They can be little devils to scrape out of the pan! But worth it.
The methodical nature of cooking makes it feel like the best way to unwind sometimes. The wafting aromas and flavors help too.