Monday, March 26, 2012

Mom's Handmade Wontons

My Mom is the most AMAZING cook that I know!  She spends weekend afternoons simmering her broths until they are flavoured to perfection and puts only the freshest ingredients in all of her cooking. 

As I'm trying to become a better cook and eating more healthy, I am aspiring to learn as much as I can from her tricks of the trade.  Unfortunately, my Mom never uses recipes or measurements.  Of course she doesn't need to - she knows it all by sight and smell!  So here is my attempt at trying to pen up her authentic recipes!

A few weekends ago, I made some of her hand-wrapped wontons.  They were incredibly delicious and surprisingly easy to do!  I have them frozen so whenever it gets cold, I can just make a broth, throw in some veggies and a few of these wontons.  A quick, easy and delicious dinner for a snowy day (like today!)


Mom's Wontons (makes about 50 pcs)

1 lb lean ground pork
5-6 pieces of raw shrimp, cut into small pieces
1 egg
Double Happiness wonton wraps

1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tsp salt
pepper

In a large bowl, mix the pork, shrimp, egg, and all spices together with the water.  Ensure the mixture is moist and a bit sticky.  At this point, you can wrap up the bowl with saran and leave it to marinade overnight.  (I have made this recipe and wrapped right away and it was still tasty).

Take about a tsp of the meat mixture and put it in the middle of your wonton wrapper.  Fold it over into a triangle, taking the pointy ends and bringing them together.  If you let the wrapper touch the meat, it will bind better.  Then do one more fold on each end to completely seal.  It takes me about 1/2 an hour to complete all the wrapping - call on a friend to help!  Makes it go that much faster (and more FUN!!) :)

When you are ready to eat, boil the wontons in water first to remove the flour coating from the wonton wrappers.  Once the wontons float to the top of the water, they are done!

Then cook up your broth, add whatever veggies you like (I enjoy shanghai bokchoy and green onions) and throw your wontons in too!  You've got a healthy and delicious soup for any meal of the day :)

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