in my belly: wonton noodle soup

shrimp, pork, & chive wontons

i found an official recipe, but pretty much if you have the pre-made store-bought wonton skins you can stick whatever you want in there and it will turn out pretty tasty.

Hong Kong-Style Wonton Noodle Soup

Broth Ingredients

1 pound pork bones
2 oz dried shrimp (i didn't have any... and didn't use them, and still tasted good!)
1 piece ginger, peeled and sliced
1 large chicken thigh, or 2 quarts chicken broth

Wonton Ingredients

1 pound ground pork
1 pound shrimp, deveined and finely chopped (or 1 pound frozen shrimp, brought to room temperature and finely chopped)
5 to 6 strands yellow (or normal green) chives, chopped
1 piece ginger, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper

1 to 2 eggs 
Flour for dusting
1 package wonton skins, about 50, thawed if frozen
8 ounces egg noodles
Another 5 to 6 strands yellow chives, chopped, for garnish

The Soup

Simmer pork bones, a chicken thigh, and ginger in a large pot of water for 1 hour, adding dried shrimp in the last 20 minutes. Alternatively, simmer pork bones and ginger in pre-made chicken broth for 1 hour, adding dried shrimp in the last 20 minutes.

The Wontons

Place 2 to 3 large plates near you (for when, later on, your hands are so sticky with egg wash and you’re on such a roll with the folding that you’ll appreciate not having to dig around for another plate.)

In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly mix the pork, shrimp, and scallions. Add soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, salt and pepper. Repeat thorough mixing. Filling should be sticky and slightly wet.

Crack open eggs and beat with a fork. Lightly dust your work surface with flour and keep some extra flour within hand’s reach.

Angle a wonton wrapper so that it faces you like a diamond. With your fingertips or a spoon, spread a thin layer of egg wash along the top two edges of the wrapper. Place a quarter-size spoonful of filling in the center of the skin.

• One super-easy way to wrap is to form a triangle by folding the bottom tip to the top tip and pinch out as much air as possible.
• For the “boat” version, start by making the triangle wonton. Add a dab of egg wash to either of the two side tips and fold them together, overlapping one on top of the other. The end result should look boat-like, with two tips cradling a puff of filling in the middle.
• This page shows 8 different ways of folding wontons.

Place the finished wonton on a plate. Keep wontons covered with a damp towel to prevent the wrappers from drying out. Repeat folding until filling or wrappers are used up.

The Wonton Soup

You can cook the wontons in the soup itself, but I prefer to cook them separately so any excess flour on the wrapper doesn’t get into the soup. Set aside about 6 wontons per person. Freeze extras.

For noodles, bring soup to boil. Add noodles and cook until al dente, about 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the noodles.

Meanwhile, in a separate pot, bring 2 liters (2 quarts) water to boil. Add wontons and simmer uncovered, stirring gently, for about 4 to 7 minutes until done. (Trick of the trade: When dumplings float to the top, that usually means they’re done. Unless there is too much air inside the wontons due to bad folding.) Cut one open to check for doneness.

Divide soup and noodles into separate bowls. Add 5 to 6 wontons per bowl. Garnish with chives and serve immediately.

source

in my belly: roasted carrot & avocado salad

ABC Kitchen' Roasted Carrot & Avocado Salad

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Serves 4

• 2pounds small carrots (3 to 4 inches, ½ inch thick), or large carrots quartered and cut into 3-inch segments, peeled (about 4 cups)
• Kosher salt
• 1orange
• 1lemon
• 1teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2medium garlic cloves
• 1tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (dried works fine too)
•    1/2cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1tablespoon sugar
• 1avocado, cut into 12 wedges
• 2cups mixed baby sprouts, herbs, and microgreens
• 4tablespoons crème fraiche (can use greek yogurt instead)
• 2tablespoons toasted sunflower seeds
• 2teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

1. Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the carrots in a saucepan and cover them with cold water. Season with salt, set over high heat, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the carrots are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the carrots and transfer them to a medium bowl.
2. Cut the orange and lemon in half and juice half of each one, reserving the juice and the unjuiced halves, and discarding the juiced halves. Combine the cumin, garlic, thyme, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the red wine vinegar, red pepper, 1 teaspoon of the orange juice, and 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice in a blender and blend until smooth. Season the marinade to taste with salt and pepper. Add the marinade and the unjuiced citrus halves to the carrots and toss to combine. Spread the carrots and citrus halves on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the carrots are slightly shriveled with a few brown spots, about 20 minutes. Allow the carrots to cool to room temperature.
3. Meanwhile squeeze the juice from the roasted citrus halves into a small bowl. Add the remaining fresh orange juice, lemon juice, remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil, and the sugar. Season the dressing to taste with salt and pepper, and whisk to combine.
4. Divide the carrots and avocado slices onto four plates. Divide the greens among the plates on top of the carrots and avocado. Add a tablespoon of crème fraiche to each salad. Sprinkle sunflower seeds and sesame seeds over each plate.
5. Drizzle several tablespoons of dressing over and around each salad (reserve any remaining dressing for another use), and serve immediately.

Source: food52.com