Happy Wednesday everyone!!  I’ve been planning on making these Fried/Steamed Mushroom Dumplings all month long and finally got around to it!  I’m so glad I did because they were so yummy!  I made these along with a chicken stir-fry and vegetables.  I wanted to put these in the Sit, Stay, Eat cookbook but decided that I would save them for the blog.  My egg rolls made it in the book instead.  I’ve been making those for years and knew that recipe had been tested over and over again.  This recipe had only been tried a few times but let me tell you this is a good one!  If you are inviting your vegetarian friends over for dinner, then this will surely satisfy them!  Made with mushrooms, spinach, garlic, and ginger and no meat this is a crowd pleaser.

If you are not a spinach or mushroom lover, try replacing spinach with Bok Choy and mushrooms with ToFu.  Want some color, throw in slivers of carrots!  Looking for more tried and true recipes, check out my previous posts here:

Juicy Onion Burger On A Butter Bun

Chocolate Glazed Pumpkin Donuts

Prosciutto Pizza

Fried Pork Chops

Lay the wonton wrapper flat, fill the middle with a tablespoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper, wet the outer perimeter of the wrapper, pull the edges up, and twist.  There is no need to make them look perfect.  This recipe calls for lightly wetting the bottom of the wonton, coating the bottom in sesame seeds and frying them in sesame oil until brown but I chose to skip this step this time and fry them directly in the oil for 5 minutes before steaming them in water.  Dipping the wonton in sesame seeds keeps the bottom from falling through but I’m not a huge fan of sesame seeds.  It’s all in what you prefer but be careful in picking up your dumpling as it will be a bit softer without the sesame seeds.

A tray of steamed dumplings can look a little bland.  Try making a few different dipping sauces.  It provides different colors and flavors to your table.  These dumplings look like little pillows with flowers on top.  Try making different shapes like triangles, Chinese cookies, these pillows, or half moons!  Use different ceramic dishes in different colors to make your table come alive!  Create a fun centerpiece using cherry blossoms and votive candles.

Enjoy!