Thai Curry Chicken Dumplings and Our Family’s Legacy of Healthy Cooking Modeling…

Hi everyone and please click on the title of this post to read more. I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. I had a great time at my brother and sister-in-law’s baby shower in Brooklyn this weekend. One of the highlights was the surprise visit by my mother’s brother, Irwin (in the featured photo on the subway)and his wife, Susan, who live in North Carolina. Catching up with them was not only fun but shed some light on my family’s cooking tree.

I may have mentioned that my mother was a true model of healthy-meal-consistency throughout our lives as well as a model of eating what you want but always in moderation. Well, something I had never thought about was from where she got her modeling.

What I learned yesterday was that my grandfather was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at the age of 30. Believe it or not, over 70 years ago, way ahead of his time, he decided to try to control his diabetes with diet and exercise. He began lifting weights and watching what he ate and was able to control his sugar levels until he turned 60 which is when he began his insulin regimen. ( BTW, I had always heard about the weightlifting as a bonding experience my mother shared with her dad but did not know the origins).

With the support of my grandmother, becoming very interested and informed about nutrition by listening to nutrition radio shows, she altered the family’s diet and became the model of healthy cooking. Who knew?

All to say that cooking modeling , like many other family behaviors both good and bad, can be passed down through the generations, all the way to my grandmother’s great-granddaughter who is cooking up some healthy and delicious dumplings in the video below (although you will see how hers differ from mine-she is using turkey meatballs and brown rice noodles).

Keep up the good work everyone-you are really planting a seed when you show your family that healthy cooking and feeding can be a daily reality. P.S. The best part about this recipe is that you can salvage TOTALLY dried out chicken and morph it into a delicious dish.

Thai Curry Chicken Dumplings:

3/4 of a cooked chicken breast (steamed or baked is fine)
2 cups cooked chick peas
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1-2 tsp red curry paste (Whole Foods or and Asian market)
2 tsp oyster sauce (Whole Foods or any Asian market)
1/2 tsp fish sauce (Whole Foods or any Asian supermarket)

wonton wrappers (most supermarkets)

On a baking sheet lined with wax paper or a large cutting board, lay out as many wonton wrappers that will fit. Leave aside.

In a food processor, shred the chicken breast. Add the chick peas and process until fully pulverized. Add cilantro and the rest of the ingredients, up to but not including the wonton wrappers, until all ingredients are fully processed and combined. Remove from processor and form into balls the size of a tsp. If the balls are too dry, add a few drops of water to make them more moist so that you can form them into balls.

Place the balls in the center of the wonton wrapper, place a tiny bit of water along 2 sides of the wonton square and fold over to make a triangle. Press down on the moistened sides and pinch the dough together a bit to keep together like an empanada.

When all the dumplings are prepared, place dumplings in a steamer or boil until the wonton wrappers become a bit translucent. Can serve as is or, as I prefer, browned in a non-stick pan with a little bit of canola oil. Heat a tsp of oil in a pan over med. heat. When oil is hot, cook dumplings for a few minutes on each side until browned. Serve immediately with a small bowl of the sauce below or a Thai chili sauce that you like.

Dipping sauce:

1 TBS fish sauce
2 TBS lime juice
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 clove minced garlic
1 tiny, minced Thai chili pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until combined

This recipe is enough for an entree of dumplings for about 4 people . i served with a big kale and beet salad from the last post.

http://www.youtube.com/get_player