Potstickers

I got out of work two hours early on Saturday, so Seth and I decided to try something new for dinner. Not only a new recipe, but a new technique as well :) Potstickers were definitely something we have never made before! We had actually only eaten them a few times before, but it was something different that we both liked, so we thought we'd try it.

Normally, potstickers are made with pork or shrimp. But each of those cost more than chicken ;) So, we substituted! This recipe would probably work for both of those though if you had some to use. 

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 tbsp chopped green onion

1 tsp minced garlic

1/4 C sugar

1/4 C water

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp rice wine

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/8 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp hot mustard

1-2 tsp chili garlic sauce

pkg wonton wrappers

1 egg, beaten

canola oil for pan

Put the chicken in a pot and top with water. Boil until cooked through. Drain the pot and let the chicken cool. 

Once it is cool to the touch, shred the chicken and put it into the bowl of a food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients up until wonton wrappers. Pulse until the mixture resembles a chicken salad-esque paste (I know this sounds kind of gross, but it tastes good and it keeps all the mixture in the wrapper after you've taken the first bite).

Put a spoonful of mixture in the middle of a single wonton wrapper. Brush beaten egg around the edges of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper and pinch the edges together to form a pocket. Seth was a little better at this than me. I always put too much in, and my wrapper would split when I tried to close it. You don't want this! All the chicken will fall out when you boil it :) Repeat until you've used up all of the chicken mixture.

Place the potstickers gently into a large boiling pot of water. Let them cook for about one minute or until the purses float to the top. 

Sear the outside of the wrapper in a hot canola-coated pan until brown.

Serve!

I like them dipped in the following sauce:

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp rice wine

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Come autumn, there are always tons of recipes popping up everywhere whose main ingredient is pumpkin. Pumpkin bread. Pumpkin pie. Pumpkin cookies. It's all good fun for those who love pumpkin, but I've never been a fan of the taste :/ Don't get me wrong! Coming home from school the day before Thanksgiving to the smell of fresh-baked pumpkin pies will always be one of the strongest holiday memories from my childhood. I love the smell, just not the taste. So, I thought I'd give the others like me an alternative for a hearty bread :) Chocolate Chip Banana!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 C sugar

1/2 C butter

2 eggs

1/2 C milk

3-4 mashed bananas

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 C flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 or 1 1/2 C chocolate chips (depending on how much you like chocolate)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Cream butter and sugar in a mixer. Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. 

Mix in milk, mashed bananas and vanilla.

Mix in dry ingredients.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Pour into a greased loaf pan.

Now, the baking time can get iffy. I usually set it for an hour, and then check it. It always takes different times. I think it may have something to do with how many bananas you use and how ripe they are. Anyway, the center is usually rather uncooked once the hour is up, and I just set the timer for small increments until it's more solid :)

Enjoy!!