Chinese fried dumplings ♬ 焼き餃子（手作りの皮）

This is maybe my favourite dish in the whole world! I know Marcia loves it too :)
There are many recipe versions for chinese dumplings, but this one is my mother Setsuko's original recipe.
She was experimenting with all different combinations of ingredients and this is the golden combination!

Ingredients: (serves 2-3)
DUMPLINGS
- plain flour 100g
- strong flour 200g
- salt 1 tea spoon
- pepper 1/3 tea spoon
- minced pork 200g
- chinese cabbage (or plain cabbage) 400g
- spring onion 1stick
- grated ginger 1 tea spoon
- sugar 1/2 tea spoon
- white wine (or if you have 紹興酒 - Shaoxing chinese wine) 1 table spoon
- soy sauce 1 tea spoon
- oil 2 1/2 table spoon

SAUCE
- finely chopped garlic 1 clove (or more if you like)
- chopped fresh chilli 1 piece
- paprika power 1/2 tea spoon
- soy sauce 2 table spoons
- vinegar 2 table spoons
- sesame oil (1 table spoon)

Directions:

1. Create the dumpling dough from plain and strong flour with 150ml of cold or warm water. Add 1/3 tea spoon of salt and one tea spoon of oil. Mix all the ingredients until you get a smooth dough.
2. While you are mixing, hit the dough from around 50cm height to hit the cutting board - in order to get all the air out. Cover the dough with a wet towel and leave it for about an hour.
3. Mix the minced meat, finely chopped spring onion, pepper, grated ginger, sugar, white wine (or chinese wine), soy sauce and a little oil. Then add finely chopped (chinese) cabbage which was previously left with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and drained all the excess water from it.
4. Cut the dough into 4 pieces and create a long oval from it, 2-3cm thick. Cut the oval into pieces 2cm long and on the floured surface spread the dough into circles about 7-8cm.
5. Place the meat mixture (1.5 teaspoon) in the middle of the circle and create this shape:

6. Fry the dumplings in the saucepan with some oil, add 1 teaspoon of water at the beginning), and fry until it turns a beautiful golden colour.
7. Serve with some special sauce!

You can also boil the dumplings, or steam them if you have a steamer!! :)
If you go to China Town, or Japan Centre, you can buy dumpling wrappers - but homemade is the best!

Enjoy!

Irena

head-over-heels ♥ chicken

This recipe is one of my favourites.
Ana Reljin, my childhood friend and I created it while we were living together in Belgrade.
The yogurt makes the chicken soft like a cloud, and it makes you feel so happy :)

I illustrated the recipe for They Draw and Cook, and it will be published in a book in spring 2011! Yay!

Ingredients:

CHICKEN
- chicken thighs (or breasts) cut into little pieces
- yogurt
- olive oil
- garlic
- ginger
- soy sauce
- garam masala
- salt and pepper

DRESSING
- olive oil
- lemon juice
- soy sauce
- finely chopped spring onion
- finely chopped garlic
- finely chopped parsley and coriander (lots of it!!)
- salt + pepper
- a little bit of cayenne pepper (if you like it hot)
- little honey (half of teaspoon)

Directions:

1. Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and all other ingredients.
2. Use your hands to massage in all the spices and yoghurt to make the chicken soft.
3. Leave the chicken like that at least for 10-20 minutes (if you are leaving it for a few hours, cover it with cling film and place it in the fridge)
4. Heat the sauce pan and some olive oil and add the chicken, stir fry it until it turns a bit gold.
5. Place it on a plate with some dressing. You can also add some rocket salad or ruccola!!

It is called the head-over-heels chicken because once you make this dish, you fall in love with it, and how soft the chicken becomes :)

Enjoy!!!

Irena

shepherd's pie

this is our first recipe on our blog!

i learned how to make this shepherd's pie when i lived in london.

my favorite winter food. so easy to cook as well.

ingredients (serves four)

- 5 potatoes (medium)200-250g of minced beef
- 1 carrot (medium)
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- 3 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 2 cups of beef stock
- a bit of cinnamon and thyme

directions

1. preheat oven at 200C

top

2. peel potatos, cut in good size, boil them until soft

3. drain water and mash the potatos with a bit of butter

bottom

4. cook one medium onion in a large frying pan, cook until brown

5. add minced beef

6. when cooked, add a small tin of peas and diced carrots

7. cook until carrots are soft-ish

8. add 2 tbsp of flour

9. straight away, add tomato paste and beef stock

10. the sauce should get a little thick

11. add a bit of cinnamon and thyme for added flavour

read to combine now!

12. in a gratin plate, add the meat mixture

13. put the mashed potatos on top - dont worry if its not "even",

a rough touch makes it rustic-looking!

14. cook in preheated oven (200c) for 15-20mins until surface is golden brown

enjoy this lovely winter recipe with a glass of red wine!
you can also accompany the meal with a fresh salad.
hmm yummy yum yum! enjoy!

marcia