Dinner on the Cheap

Chinese takeaway is impossible for us with allergies, but I've learned the basics, and can now turn out halfway decent potstickers. I mean, if you can make kreplach, or pirogi, you can make potstickers-dumplings is dumplings, ya know?

I'd guess that this dinner, with sesame tofu, ginger carrots, rice, dumplings and a killer homemade plum sauce (I used the recipe in the Ball Blue Book) would have been upwards of thirty dollars. Mine cost about five. Most of it was made ahead leaving steaming and frying the dumplings as the only real, "cooking" come mealtime.

Here's a good hint-when you are pressing tofu, cut a few slices to wrap and store in the freezer. Do this each time, and you'll always have "just enough" on hand for a dinner like this. Frozen tofu is great for baking as it takes on a denser texture after freezing.

The dough for the potstickers is 2 cups plain flour, 1/2 cup warm water (you may require more-you thought I'd say need (knead) didn't you?). Mix together until you have a smooth dough. Cover with a damp towel, let rest 30 minutes, then divide into a dozen balls. Roll them out, fill, pinch closed and set on a sheet covered with flour. Let rest in fridge until ready to steam. There, wasn't that easier than buying won-ton wrappers? I mean, except for the rolling out, but you'll get better at that with practise.

So what are you waiting for? Go practise!