Spicy Cabbage Wontons

You may find yourself making a meal of these bite-sized morsels; luckily, the recipe makes enough to do just that. Steam the dumplings in three batches, rolling the next batch as the first is steaming. They can be wrapped in a damp towel and stored in a plastic bag in the fridge until ready to steam.

Ingredients

2 tsp (10mL) olive oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 red jalapeño peppers, stems and seeds discarded, minced

1/4 tsp (0.5g) minced ginger

2 cups shredded green cabbage

8 ounces (230g) seitan, minced (a wheat meat substitute)

1 to 2 tsp (2 to 5g) ginger, grated and squeezed for juice

1 tsp (5mL) tamari

1 Tbsp (15mL) nonfat or lowfat rice milk

1 Tbsp (10g) minced scallions

3 large cabbage or bok choy leaves

1 package (50 wrappers) wonton wrappers

Directions

Heat oil in the wok until sizzling. Add garlic, chile peppers, and ginger; fry 30 seconds, stirring to prevent sticking. Add cabbage and cook 1 minute. Add seitan and ginger juice; cook 1 minute. Then add tamari and rice milk. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in scallions and set aside.

Fill wok with water to just below the level of the bamboo steamer. Arrange cabbage leaves to cover the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil.

Meanwhile, place the wonton wrapper diagonally on a cutting board or plate in front of you. Fill with 1 tsp (5mL) of cabbage mixture. Wet your index finger and run it along the top two sides of the wonton; fold wrapper in half, bringing the bottom half up to meet the top. Press sides together to seal. Bring the two folded corners to the back of the wrapper, overlap and seal with water.

When water is boiling and the leaves have wilted, place the first 1/3 of the dumplings in a single layer on top of the cabbage. Cover and steam for 10 minutes.

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The information presented in Foodnotes is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of U.S. registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires March 2005.