Days alone: Potstickers

Some days I just want to be alone.

Don’t get me wrong, I love to spend time with friends and family. I’ll throw parties and talk your ear off if you’d let me.

But I also like to be quiet. To ride my bike, pick flowers, do laundry, get coffee, and notice different shades of lip prints on other people’s cups.

I like to sit beneath lemon trees.

I savor these days. They are not extraordinary or spectacular, they are small and laced with stray thoughts and dreams.

On a day like that I made some potstickers.

I could fold all 40 without a hungry belly watching and waiting.

Kale and Smoked Tofu Potstickers
I used a tea-smoked tofu from a local company called TofuYu. Any drained and smoked tofu would be fine.

2 TBS cooking oil (I used grapeseed)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBS minced ginger
2 cups kale, stems removed and chopped
1 medium carrot, finely shredded
3 TBS soy sauce
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 cup smoked and drained tofu, finely cubed
1 lightly beaten egg
1 package of wanton wrappers (you need around 40)
small amount of oil for cooking

Heat oil and garlic in a skillet until garlic is softened. Add kale and ginger and wilt for about 3 minute. Cool

In a large bowl, fold together kale, carrot, soy sauce, cilantro, chives, and tofu. Fold in beaten egg.

set out a large workspace to fill the dumplings. You will need two damp kitchen towels to cover the wrappers  and the filled potstickers to keep them from drying out while working.
Lay one wonton wrapper out and wet all edges with your finger. fill with a teaspoon-ish of filling and pull all sides together as shown above. Push all the air out you can.

Repeat until all wrappers are filled.*

To cook, heat a sticky pan** with just a tiny amount of oil brushed on the bottom. Heat until water dances when it hits the pan and then add 8-10 potstickers.

Cook for 2 minutes without touching the dumplings. Add 1/3 cup of water and quickly lid. Cook for another 3 mintues with the lid off.

Remove and serve imminently.

* You can also freeze them beautifully at this point. Lay the dumplings out on a cookie sheet and, when frozen, put in a ziplock bag.

**as in the opposite of a non-stick pan. You need the stick for potSTICKERS