Who Needs To Travel When You Can Cook?

Seriously, think about the last amazing vacation you had... now what do you remember? The way the sunshine felt on your face? The way the breeze carried the smell of the ocean? Or, if you are anything like me, you remember the freshly sliced lime in your beer and creamy, freshly mashed guacamole that made your husband's eyes light up when it was brought to our table. We love food and we love to travel - it's no secret. The last couple of trips we've taken have pretty much centered around food. The last time we went out of town was with a group of wonderful friends in Savannah, Georgia for Thanksgiving. We were in southern cooking/soul food heaven! Before that was our amazing honeymoon in Cancun, Mexico where every meal was a feast.

As a newly married couple, we share so many dreams and traveling the world together is at the top of our list! But again, we are a newly married couple still paying off our wedding and honeymoon, attempting to renovate our new home, organizing finances and time - so unfortunately those dreams of travel have to wait until later.

Or so you would think...

I truly believe a great meal and a wonderful atmosphere can transport you away from the troubles of every day life. Lately I've noticed that Mondays are a real kick in the teeth for Dawson and I. For those of you who don't know, we work together - same business, same office and schedule. When one of us is stressed, we both feel it and fight it together. We've begun a bit of a "unwinding ritual" of sorts on Monday evenings. We prepare a meal together, talk and even get a fire going in the backyard to enjoy while grilling or sipping a glass of wine. It has actually become one of my favorite nights of the week. Hopefully if time permits, I'd love to do this a few more times a week.

So this past week I actually got to leave the office earlier then Dawson and really wanted to surprise him with a delicious dinner! Anyone who knows him, knows Dawson really enjoys Japanese and Chinese food (just like my dad). Mention sushi and he will be waiting in the car ready to go - it's pretty funny. A couple of weeks ago we had gone to a new Oriental Market close to home and bought a few things that you can't readily find in your neighborhood grocery store including Shanghai style dumpling wrappers. You could just imagine how excited I was to get my hands on these! I order dumplings EVERYWHERE we go... they are one of my favorite things ever... and of course Dawson just tends to agree with me when I say they are little pillows of absolute delight! So... guess what I made for dinner... home made dumplings!!! They were beyond amazing and believe it or not, the filling was made in the crockpot! Just the other day I picked up a great new cook book called Rival Crock-Pot: Best Loved Slow Cooker Recipes. This recipe came out of thier "Crowd Pleasers" section and was called "Spicy Asian Pork Filling". I made a few changes and actually used boneless, skinless chicken breast instead of the pork roast. It was a bit dry at first, but I made some extra sauce to balance it out. The recipe is as follows and I've noted where I made changes. You've got to try this!


Spicy Asian Pork Filling

1 boneless pork sirloin roast (about 3 lbs) * I used an 8oz boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup tamari or other soy sauce * I used 1/4 of a cup since I did not have as much meat to season
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce or chili paste * I used a tablespoon of chili oil
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons seasame oil

1. Cut up the meat into bite size chunks (I left the chicken breast whole) and combine with soy sauce, chili paste, and ginger in crock pot. Mix well. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or until meat is fork tender.

2. Remove meat from slow cooker and allow it to cool slightly. Trim and discard excess fat. Shred meat using two forks. Let the cooking liquid sit for about five minutes and allow any fat to rise. Skim off the the fat and discard.

3. Blend water, cornstarch, and sesame oil until smooth. Stir the mixture into the liquid in the slow cooker. Cook uncovered on high until the liquid thickens. Add the shredded meat to the crock pot and mix well. Cover and cook for another 15 minutes.

This is what the filling will look like if you use chicken:

At this point you can use it in delicious lettuce wraps or as I did, in dumplings!  Here are a few pictures of the filling process and the finished product!

Thanks to Kim who let me know to use a bit of water to seal the little dumpling pouches. I just dipped my finger in a small bowl of water and traced the outside of half the wrapper. I then folded it over into the traditional purse shape.

As soon as I had folded up enough for dinner (about 12 of these) I heated up my wok with a couple teaspoons of sesame oil and a tablespoon of butter (for that yummy browned crust) at medium heat. Once it was heated, I added all the dumplings to the wok and let them sizzle for about two minutes. I shook the wok around so the dumplings would not stick and flipped them and let them sit for another two minutes. Once I saw the crust starting to form, I added about a half cup of water which instantly began to steam. I then covered the wok and let the dumplings finish cooking thanks to the steam. And here is your finished product!

I served these along with a mixed greens salad and a simple dipping sauce made of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar, and red chili flakes. I didn't really measure any of it, I just kept tasting it until it was right.

Hopefully this meal will transport you to a more tranquil place! Enjoy!

- Edith