Friday night is here and Wilson and I are looking forward to a relaxing evening at home.  We were out to dinner with friends last night and have dinner plans with friends Saturday and Wednesday I had a girls night out at a favorite wine bar.  With all that eating and drinking going on I thought a nice, healthy low calorie meal at home was in order.

A Day at the Beach

Friday night cocktail hour is a staple in our home.  Tonight's cocktail was centered around a fresh pineapple I had purchased.  I pureed some of the pineapple and mixed it with coconut rum, amaretto and a bit of pomegranate molasses.  Whenever I drink rum, out come the tiki glasses!  Aren't these glasses great!  There is a different facial expression on each side of the glass.  We aware that I like them strong!

Potstickers

Potstickers are a vegetarian delight!  The filling potential is infinite and when served with a couple of different dipping sauces, each tasty bite is full of different flavors, which is very satisfying.

This evening I made two different fillings, one based on broccoli, carrot, green onions and ginger and the other mushrooms, bok choy, green onions and garlic. 

What I appreciate about potstickers is that you get the satisfaction of eating something that is crispy and "fried" but is actually healthy and very low in calories.  Each of these potstickers calculates to about 25 calories, you can't beat that!  The reason the calories stay so low is that the potstickers are cooked in a saute pan that has been literally just wiped with peanut oil.  The intent is to quickly sear the bottom of the potsticker resulting in a nice crispy yet chewy charred bottom, then water or broth is added and the potstickers are steamed until cooked through. 

Tofu Balls

While we were nibbling on potstickers I had two different tofu balls baking in the oven.  Half of the tofu balls were seasoned with peanut butter and soy sauce and the other half red curry seasoning and coconut.  I also make a couple of different peanut sauces for dipping. 

The original recipe called for the tofu balls to be pan fried which would add to their texture and give them a nice crispy shell.  I opted to bake them to keep them nice and healthy as well as low in calorie.  After all, I was serving them with peanut sauce!  Not counting the peanut dipping sauce, the tofu balls calculated to about 35 calories each. 

The baked balls had nice flavor and made my vegetarian-self very happy but I don't imagine they would go over with a non-veg, at least not in their baked state.  I plan to experiment with them a bit by freezing them for a couple of days before baking them, as freezing tofu greatly changes it's consistency. 

A little something on the side

As a compliment to the potstickers and tofu balls, I served a side of brown jasmine rice with grilled pineapple.  Excellent with a drizzle of peanut sauce!

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Potstickers

Broccoli, Carrot & Ginger

½ cup broccoli, grated
½ cup carrot, grated
¼ cup green onion, chopped
¼ cup water chestnuts, chopped
¼ cup bamboo shoots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T ginger, grated
1 T soy sauce
½ tsp sesame oil

Gyoza wrappers

Mushroom, Bok Choy & Garlic

1 ¼ cup shitake mushrooms, finely chopped
1 cup baby bok choy, chopped
¼ cup green onion, chopped
¼ cup water chestnuts, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T rice wine vinegar

1 T soy sauce

Gyoza wrappers

Keep in mind how small gyoza are and chop your vegetables accordingly.  Combine the prepared ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight to blend flavors as well as let the liquid from the vegetables separate out.  This is important because you don't want to use an overly moist filling.

When it comes time to shape your potstickers, drain any accumulated liquid from the mixtures.  Place a wrapper on a dry work surface and dip your finger in a little bowl of water and lightly run it around the border of the gyoza.  Place 1 tsp of filling in the center and fold in half, pinching in the center.  Pleat the gyoza about 4 times to form a flat side and a pleated, fuller side, the flat side is the bottom. 

Place the shaped gyoza on a parchment lined baking sheet and cover with a clean cloth or plastic wrap to keep from drying out.

When all your gyoza are formed, you can refrigerate them covered for up to a few hours, depending on how wet your filling is.  If you have a very wet filling the gyoza will become a wet doughy mess over time and make it much more difficult to properly cook. 

You can freeze the gyoza at this point by placing on a baking sheet in the freezer.  Don't allow the gyoza to touch or they will be permanently stuck together.  Once completely frozen you can stack them in freezer bags.

To cook:

Heat a saute pan over medium heat. When hot, brush a small amount of peanut oil on the bottom of the pan using a paper towel. Place 8-10  potstickers in the pan, but don't crowd them. Let them cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. You want them to stick to the bottom of the pan. After 2 minutes add 1/3 cup water, cover and reduce heat to low. Wait until all the water is absorbed, about 3-5 minutes, uncover and gently remove them from the pan. Serve them burnt side up with a soy based dipping sauce.

Note: Gyoza can also be steamed in a steamer basket.

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Tofu Balls - adapted from the PPK

I cut the original recipe in half to make two different flavored tofu balls.

Peanut Butter & Soy Balls

½ pound firm tofu, pressed

½ cup onion, minced

¼ cup panko bread crumbs

1 ½ T. peanut butter, unsalted

1 ½ T. soy sauce

2 T. cilantro, chopped
¼  tsp salt

Small bowl of flour

Red Curry Coconut Balls

½ pound firm tofu, pressed

½ cup onion, minced
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp coriander

pinch tumeric

½ tsp freshly grated ginger

1 small garlic clove, minced

2 T. coconut, unsweetened
2 T. cilantro, chopped
1 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp lime juice
zest of ½ a lime

Small bowl of flour

Press the tofu for at least 30 minutes to remove most of the liquid.  Simply crumble the tofu into a large bowl and mix in the other ingredients.  Adjust your seasoning and shape into balls (I uses a cookie scoop).  Roll each ball in the flour to coat.

Place the balls on an oiled baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. 

Alternately fry in a skillet until medium brown on all sides.

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I rarely make the same sauce twice or follow a specific recipe.  Use these as a guide and make them your own.

Coconut Peanut Sauce

1 can light coconut milk
½ cup peanut butter, unsalted and unsweetened
2 T soy sauce
2 T lime juice
2 tsp ginger, grated
2 small garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp brown sugar
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp coriander

Combine whisking well and bring to a simmer.  Adjust seasoning to taste and serve warm or room temperature.

Honey Soy Sesame Sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon sesame oil

6 T peanut butter - or to taste.

Fresh rated ginger and/or garlic to taste.

Water for thinning.

Whisk together the first 4 ingredients and gradually whisk in (or use a food processor) the peanut butter until you reach your desired consistency.  Taste often and adjust accordingly.  If the mixture is too thick add water to thin it.

For potsticker dipping sauce, combine the first 4 ingredients only and serve with a garnish of toasted sesame seeds.

Enjoy!