Good Luck Dumplings

We've got a new year coming and in celebration here we usually fix something a little out of the ordinary--the last few years we've got in the habit of fixing raclette for New Year's Eve--but it's a great time to do something a little different, maybe fix something together as a family. Cooking can be a great family activity and these are easy for adult to start and kids to finish and who doesn't like noodles I ask??

You can get an assembly line going--once the filling is ready someone spoons it out, the next folds it and seals it.

It works best to steam them if you have a steamer but as it happened my steamer died so I ended up having to boil them which worked fine--though when you boil them you're pretty much guaranteed that at least two or three will pop open and give you dumpling soup.

1 pound ground pork
4 green onions, finely chopped
½ teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon soy sauce
¼ teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
dash of freshly ground black pepper
1 egg white, beaten
1 package (about 50) dumpling wrappers

Dipping Sauce
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 ½ teaspoons toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Fry up ground pork until browned. Drain and add ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Mix and drop 1/2 teaspoon-1 teaspoon on each wrapper, fold in half and by rubbing a bit of water on one edge seal thoroughly.

Steam for 8-10 minutes or boil 2-3 minutes. For sauce combine all the ingredients, sprinkling sesame seeds on top. Dip dumplings in sauce and have a great new year!

Sponsored by Beau-Coup for unique baby shower favors.