I love dumplings of all sorts, but I’m particularly fond of pork dumplings that you can order in Thai or Chinese restaurants. Now I have a pitch-perfect recipe to make them at home that is relatively easy, healthy, and most importantly of all, delicious!

I made these for a special Saturday night dinner, and they were so good, we almost ate the entire batch! I’ll admit, dumpling making is tedious and time-consuming, so pour yourself a glass of wine, because you’re going to be standing and folding for a while (unless you grab some help), but the end result is so worth it! The filling tastes like what you’d find in a restaurant, and the sauce has just the right amount of heat. I cooked the mushrooms and onions in a spicy sesame oil to add even more spiciness and it was so good!

I buy my dumpling or wonton wrappers frozen (Twin Marquis, a company out of New York) from the Asian market, but because I get there only about twice a year, I keep them in the freezer and defrost a package when I need them. Works perfectly!

I decided to make another batch of these to freeze. Guess what’s for dinner tonight?

Pork and Shiitake Pot Stickers

This recipe originally appeared in the March 2014 issue of Cooking Light magazine.

2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
3/4 cup thinly sliced green onions, divided
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
4 ounces thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps
5 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce, divided
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
14 ounces lean ground pork
40 gyoza skins or round wonton wrappers
Cornstarch
1/4 cup hot water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)

1. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add 1/2 cup onions, garlic, ginger, and mushrooms; stir-fry 3 minutes. Remove from pan; cool slightly. Combine mushroom mixture, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, hoisin sauce, pepper, and pork in a medium bowl.

2. Arrange 8 gyoza skins on a clean work surface; cover remaining skins with a damp towel to keep them from drying. Spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons pork mixture in the center of each skin. Moisten edges of skin with water. Fold in half; press edges together with fingertips to seal. Place on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornstarch; cover to prevent drying. Repeat procedure with remaining gyoza skins and pork mixture.

3. Combine 1/4 cup hot water and brown sugar in a small bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add remaining 1/4 cup green onions, remaining 1/4 cup soy sauce, vinegar, and sambal, stirring with a whisk until well combined.

4. Heat a large heavy skillet over high heat. Generously coat pan with cooking spray. Add 10 pot stickers to pan; cook 30 seconds or until browned on one side. Turn pot stickers over; carefully add 1/3 cup water to pan. Cover tightly; steam 4 minutes. Repeat procedure in batches with remaining pot stickers and more water, or follow freezing instructions. After cooking, serve pot stickers immediately with dipping sauce.

TO FREEZE: Freeze dumplings flat on a baking sheet sprinkled with corn­starch 10 minutes or until firm. Place in a large zip-top plastic freezer bag with 1 teaspoon cornstarch; toss. Freeze sauce in a small zip-top plastic freezer bag. Freeze up to 2 months.

TO THAW: Thaw sauce in the microwave at HIGH in 30-second increments. No need to thaw pot stickers.

TO REHEAT: Follow recipe instructions for cooking, placing frozen dumplings in pan and increasing steaming time by 2 minutes.

MVK’s Endorsement of the Week: Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day With a Feast!
I don’t have a speck of Irish blood in me, but I always like to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day because 1. The month of March is halfway over, one step closer to April and springtime; and 2. Who doesn’t want a big dinner of corned beef and cabbage? Cooking Light has created a special menu of healthy Irish recipes just in time for the holiday! You can check them out here. I think the Ploughman’s Lunch Platter sounds divine!