Tempeh & Kale Steamed Gyoza

Whew! Sorry for the neglect 'round these parts. We were having a little tussle with the internet. Never fear though, we're back up!

Can I just say...while the entire rest of the continental US is apparently having some sort of "snowpocalypse" (I get it Al Roker, okay? I get it!), in Alaska, we have not even a single flake of snow to our name.

I'm terribly upset about it. 

I had a real hankering for gyoza (more than usual) the other night, so I whipped up these little guys. Gyoza, or potstickers, or dumplings (they go by many names) are really very easy. If you've never made them before, don't be frightened. It's basically just a minced stir-fry that's wrapped in dough and steamed. Super easy. Pinky promise. 

“Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it. ”

— Eckhart Tolle

Bob. Always giving me that, "Hey, when you get those done...you know...in my belly. I'll just wait here."

Have you ever thought about who your dog would be if he/she was a human? Bailey would 100% be an aloof, bossy and dramatic, gay accountant. We decided this years ago. 

Tempeh & Kale Steamed Gyoza

Tender kale and meaty tempeh fill a silky, steamed gyoza for a healthy and impressive meal. NOTES: Use a food processor for speedy mincing. Square wrappers, instead of round can be used. I like my gyoza steamed, but these can be pan-fried too. This recipe uses all the wrappers and filling, any leftover, cooked gyoza can be frozen.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Total time: 60 minutes

Yield: 40 gyoza

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 1/2 small red onion, minced
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3 oz. crimini mushrooms, minced
• 2 large celery stalks, minced
• 8 oz. block of tempeh, minced
• 4 large kale leaves and stems, minced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 2/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. agave nectar
• 1 package of 40 circular wonton/gyoza/pot sticker wrappers
• -- Dipping Sauce --
• 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. agave nectar
• 1/2 Tbsp. sweet chili sauce
• dash of sesame seeds

Cooking Directions

1. In a large rimmed frying pan, heat the sesame oil over low.
2. In a food processor, pulse the onion, garlic, and mushrooms until minced. Add to the sesame oil and sauté for a few minutes.
3. Now, add the celery, tempeh, and kale to the food processor and pulse until minced. Add to the sesame oil and sauté for a few minutes.
4. Mince the fresh ginger by hand and add it to the frying pan.
5. Add the soy sauce and agave nectar to the frying pan and continue to sauté, stirring often, for about 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, whisk all the dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Fill a seperate small bowl with water for making the gyoza.
7. When making the gyoza, I like to do them in batches. Make as many as will fit in the steamer without touching and while they’re steaming, assemble more. To assemble the gyoza, place about ½ Tbsp. of the filling in the center of the wrapper. Dip your fingers in the small bowl of water to wet the edges of the circle. Fold in half, and crimp along the edges, pressing very firmly to close the wrapper edges.
8. Place as many gyoza as will fit on a parchment paper lined steamer basket. Steam for about 5 minutes. Remove and repeat with remaining gyoza. This recipe should use all the wrappers and filling.
9. Serve hot with the dipping sauce.

Good Deed of The Day

The University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers are poised to begin lethal experiments that will take baby monkeys away from their mothers and inflict anxiety on them. I had heard about this being done in the past on a podcast I listened to last week and apparently it's still being carried out. Please sign this petition to urge Chancellor Rebecca M. Blank to intervene and prohibit these experiments from moving forward.

Dutch Word of The Day

Dumpling --> knoedel (kah-noodle) ... I'm going to start calling Todd knoedel, muah haha.