Leftovers and Chinese Dumplings

I hate throwing food away. It goes against everything I believe in.

Because of my aversion to tossing away any little bit of food that is leftover I often find my freezer full of little packages of "ingredients"; packages or plastic cups with a bit of ricotta cheese left from the container that I only needed a 1/2 cup from. A cup of gravy left from a roasted turkey. A half a cup of sauteed mushrooms or a half of roasted duck left from my trip to China Town.

A few times a month I find myself foraging in the depths of my freezer, trying to come up with a meal plan that will incorporate all of my saved ingredients.

Did I mention I had a half of a roast duck in there? You may not have a duck, but you might have a chicken breast, a bit of pork roast or maybe just a few too many eggs in your fridge. This recipe will use that bit of leftover without making you or your family feel like you're eating leftovers.

Give it a try - Homemade Chinese Dumplings in under an hour.

Chinese Dumplings: makes 24 dumplings (and they freeze beautifully)

Dough:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup cold water

Put the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Pour the water into the well. Using a wooden spoon stir the center well, gradually adding flour from the sides of the bowl. Keep stirring until a soft dough forms. If the dough is too dry or stringy, add more cold water a teaspoon at a time until you have a soft, somewhat sticky dough. Turn the dough out on a floured work surfaced and knead for 5 minutes. The dough is ready when you press a finger into it and it springs back.

Cut the dough in half, roll into two 6 inch logs and cover with a kitchen towel. Let rest for 30 minutes or longer.

While dough is resting, prepare the filling(s):

Duck (chicken, shrimp* or pork)

*peel, cook and chop shrimp

About 1 1/2 cups shredded duck, chicken or pork.

2 scallions (some green included) sliced thinly

1/4 cup water chestnuts, minced

1/2 cup steamed spinach, squeezed dry and minced*

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced*

1 teaspoon corn starch

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon sugar

* You an substitute raw cabbage for the spinach. If you don't have fresh ginger, use 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered ginger.

Mix all the above ingredients together and set aside.

Uncover the dough. Cut each 6 inch log in half. Cut each half into 6 1 inch pieces for a total of 24 pieces. Toss lightly with flour and cover with a kitchen towel. Take one piece at a time and roll into a 3 inch disc. Place about 2 teaspoons of filling in the center, fold over and seal, crimping the edges tightly. Lay on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper and continue rolling, filling and crimping until all the dough is used. Don't lay dumplings on top of each other - they will stick.

* If you have a drink muddler, this will work great as a mini-rolling pin, it is not as heavy and easier to handle for rolling out little discs.

Place 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a 12 to 14 inch skillet. Heat over medium-high. Add dumplings, being careful not to crowd. You may have to use 2 pans or work in batches.

Cook the dumplings for about 2 minutes or until the underside is just browned. Add 1/2 cup water to skillet and cover, cook for another 2 to 3 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Remove from pan and place on warmed plate, browned side up. Serve immediately with a variety of dipping sauces, such as plum, duck or the soy dips, below:

Soy Dipping Sauce with scallions (about 1/4 cup)

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil or hot chile oil

1 small scallion, thinly sliced

Combine all the ingredients and serve at room temperature.

Soy and Ginger Dipping Sauce

4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

Combine all ingredients, stirring to dissolve sugar. Serve at room temperature.

A Cook's Notes: Do you have a favorite recipe utilizing leftovers? Tell me what you do with that last bit of roast chicken or pot roast...

These dumplings have about 40 calories each. A bargain meal!! Six dumplings with a side salad make a hearty meal - for under 300 calories!!!