Chinese Dumplings

1. Ingredients: Two cups shredded veggies. Mixture of: mostly cabbage or bok choy, with carrots, mushrooms, onion, whatever to taste. Pre-packaged coleslaw mix works surprisingly well.) Soy sauce Water Vinegar (white or rice) 2 dozen wonton/dumpling skins Garlic (fresh, chopped fine, or powdered) Ginger (fresh, chopped fine, or powdered) Small bowl with water for dipping optional Tbsp Hunan chili paste Tbsp plum sauce or maybe tsp black bean sauce Tsp five spice powder or other flavoring (use *one*) Directions: Make the dipping sauce first and let it sit. Mix equal parts soy sauce and vinegar, about 1/8 cup per person. Mix equal parts garlic and ginger, about a clove's worth per person. Stir-fry vegetable mix in a small bit of water and soy sauce. If you have it, add your favorite optional flavoring. I like chili paste. Stir until translucent. Mix will taste sort of raw. To make the dumplings, scoop about 1.5 teaspoons onto a dumpling skin (Experiment until you find the right amount.) Crunch the dumpling into a nice shape and dip the end into the small bowl to seal it. Dumplings may be boiled for 3-5 minutes or steamed 5-10 minutes. They are finished when they crinkle up and turn translucent. Dip dumplings in sauce. Chinese Dumplings

2. Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, chopped or sliced 2cloves minced or separated garlic 2pounds collard greens, chopped or sliced ¼ teaspoon crushed red peppers (or to taste) 1teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning 1teaspoon Mrs. Dash 1teaspoon Emeril's original ½ lb. smoked turkey necks or wingettes 2 cups chicken stock or 3 cups water Directions: Soak greens in cold salt water. While greens are soaking, put broth or water and turkey in heavy-duty stew pot. Sprinkle with ½ seasonings. Use 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Let simmer. While turkey is simmering, prepare greens as above. Pick off any dead or yellow leaves before chopping. Stuff greens into pot. They will cook down. After the greens have cooked down enough to stir in pot, add remaining seasonings and olive oil. Stir. Cook until tender. Serve as side dish with corn bread for sopping. Collard Greens

3. Ingredients: 2 1/2 pounds cut up chicken, which has been soaked in salt water 1 tablespoon mild Hungarian paprika 3 tablespoons shortening salt and pepper to taste 1 cup onions, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups chicken broth 1/2 cup sour cream 2 tablespoons flour Directions: To Soak Chicken in Brine: Rinse chicken thoroughly. Dissolve 1/4 cup kosher salt in 1 quart water. Place chicken in a resealable plastic bag. Add salted water, reseal and refrigerate about 30 minutes. Melt shortening in a large skillet over medium heat and saute onions until translucent. Add garlic, cook one minute more. Remove pan from heat, add paprika, being careful not to burn this spice. Remove chicken from brine, rinse thoroughly in clear water and pat dry with paper towels. Season chicken with salt and pepper, add to skillet. Mix to combine paprika-onions with chicken. Return skillet to stove, adding just enough broth to prevent chicken from burning. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 30 minutes on top of stove, or roast in oven at 350 degrees, until meat is tender. Remove chicken from skillet. Add remaining broth if desired. Scrape brown bits from bottom of the pan. In a small bowl, mix the sour cream and flour together until smooth; add some of the warm gravy from skillet. Whisk sour cream-flour mixture into skillet to create a thickened gravy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return meat to skillet and heat through, but do not boil. Serve with dumplings, wide egg noodles, or rice. Chicken Paprikash

4. Ingredients: 3 Tbsp vegetable oil ¾ cup sugar (granulated or brown) 1 chicken (2 ½ to 3 lb.) cut up, or goat meat, or beef 1 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 ½ cups pigeon peas or black-eyed peas, soaked overnight 2 cups rice (not instant) 3 cups water 1 cup coconut milk 2 cups cubed hubbard squash 2 carrots, chopped ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 bunch green onions, including green tops, chopped ¼ cup ketchup 3 tablespoons butter Note: If meat other than chicken is used, parboil for 45 minutes, then proceed as above. Directions: The process of caramelizing meat is an African practice that became a part of the Creole culinary tradition. The process gives the pelan its dark brown color. The brown layer that forms on the bottom is called “bun bun”. This recipe comes from Johnny’s Food Haven: Season meat with garlic, thyme, onion, salt, pepper and parsley and marinate overnight, or at least for one hour. In iron pot heat up oil, add sugar and brown until the sugar has turned into a rich brown syrup. Add meat to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes until meat is brown on all sides. Add a small portion of water and cook meat for about 20 minutes. Add drained can of pigeon peas or black-eyed peas, soaked overnight. Add cleaned rice, coconut milk, 2 cups hubbard squash, chopped carrots and butter and stir well. Cover and simmer on slow fire until rice is cooked (you may have to add a little water from time to time) and stir in between. Water has to evaporate completely, but rice has to be cooked. Pelau