Curried Pumpkin Gyoza - Not Your Typical Veggie Gyoza

It’s pumpkin time! Here’s one of my favorite ways to use pumpkin – curried pumpkin gyoza.

Curried Pumpkin Gyoza

Makes about 25

• 1 cup pumpkin puree (about 1/2 can)
• 3 oz firm tofu (about 1/2 block), mashed
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (leaves only)
• 1 block Japanese curry, dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1/4 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
• gyoza wrappers
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoons water

1. Make the filling by mixing together the pumpkin puree, tofu, scallions, garlic, cilantro leaves, dissolved curry, soy sauce and panko. If the mixture is a little lumpy, you can use a spoon to “chop” things up a bit more.

Be sure to leave room to seal the edges.

2. Lay out a few gyoza wrappers on your work surface. Keep the rest covered with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out. Place a teaspoon or so mound of the filling in the center of each wrapper. Dip your finger in the cornstarch water mixture and paint the outer edges of each wrapper.

Pinch the edges tightly to seal.

3. Fold the wrappers toward the center until the outer edges meet. Crimp the edges tightly with your fingers. Repeat the steps for filling and creating the gyoza.

Letting the bottoms brown in oil adds a pleasant crunch to the finished gyoza.

4. To cook, heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a heavy bottom frying pan. Place a few gyoza in the pan and cook until they begin to get nicely golden on the bottom. Grab a top that fits the pan. Using the top as a shield, add 1/4 cup of water to the pan and cover the pan with the lid. Cook until the water is dissolved and the gyoza wrappers are sufficiently steamed, about 3 minutes. Use a spatula to remove the gyoza from the pan.

5. Wipe the pan clean before cooking each batch.

Just a little light sodium soy sauce is perfect for dipping.

6. Serve the Curried Pumpkin Gyoza warm with light soy sauce for dipping.

Curry pan, or fried bread filled with savory Japanese style curry, has always fascinated me, except for one minor thing. The frying. I know that as a Southerner I’m supposed to love all things fried and crispy. And I do adore fried things. But sometimes you just have to get away from the grease, especially when you’ve invested the time and energy in wiping down all the oil spattered cabinets.
A baked version of the treat can be just as lovely. An abundance of panko (Japanese bread crumbs) layered on top of the buns just before baking adds plenty of crunch without having to drag out a deep pan and frying oil.

Be sure to use Japanese curry. Thai style curry will yield a very different result. Blocks of the Japanese variety can be found in most supermarkets.

Curry Filling – Make this ahead and allow it to cool completely for best results. I make mine the day before and keep in the fridge. Just be sure to wrap it well so that you don’t eat it all before it’s time to make the buns.

• 1 lb ground lamb
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 blocks Japanese curry
• 1 carrot, diced and boiled
• 1/2 potato, diced and boiled
• 2 tablespoons frozen peas
• good handful minced green onions

1. Heat enough oil in a skillet to coat the bottom. Add the onions and cook them until they begin to turn translucent. Add the ground lamb and cook until it is no longer pink. Drain away the oil and set the lamb onion mix aside.

2. Bring the water to a near boil. Add the curry blocks and stir to dissolve. You can add a couple of splashes of water if necessary. The goal is to end up with a ketchup consistency paste. Stir in the carrot, potato, peas and green onions. Add the lamb onion mix and stir well. Allow the curry mix to cool completely.

Buns

• 1 cup water (about 110 degrees F)
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/3 cup honey or molasses
• 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
• about 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
• 1 egg white + 1 teaspoon water

1. Place the water, oil, honey and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Attach the dough hook and mix for a couple of seconds. Allow the mixture to set for about 5 minutes or until the yeast gets foamy.

Mixed dough

2. Add 2 cups of the flour, the salt and 1 egg to the bowl. Mix well. Add more flour, about 1/4 cup at a time allowing each to mix well. You want the add enough flour to make a dough. Not too stiff, not too wet.

Risen Dough

3. Mix the dough for 5 minutes. Cover the bowl with a towel and place in a warm spot. Allow the dough to rise until doubled in size. This may take 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours.

Roll it out and cut

4. Generously flour a work surface. turn the dough onto the surface and flatten. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a thickness of about 1/4 inch. With a circle cookie cutter (about 3 in), cut dough into circles. You may re roll the dough once and cut more circles.

Fill with Lamb Curry

5. Flatten the circle. Place a generous helping of the lamb curry filling in the center of each circle. Pinch the edge of the dough up and around the filling tightly. You should have little oblong parcels. Place each parcel 1 inch apart seam side down on a sheet tray covered with parchment paper. Let the buns rise again for 30 minutes.

Brush with Egg Whites and Cover with Panko

6. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush each bun with the egg white water mix. Cover each bun with a generous amount of panko. Bake the buns until golden, about 20-25 minutes.

7. Eat hot off the pan. Store leftover buns in the fridge. Reheat in the oven before serving. These buns also freeze well.

Savory Goodness

Sushi Style Shooters - Fresh Seafood, Sake, Ponzu and Quail Eggs

Oysters have always been a natural for shooters – their fresh ocean-y liquid is like a complementary soup when taken on the half shell. This, of course is elevated when topped with mignonette and all the lovely sauces that can top them. But they aren’t the only seafood suited for this privileged treatment. Sushi style shooters made with scallops, chunks of yellowfin tuna, salmon, and fresh tilapia make tasty shooters. And oh what fun for cocktail parties! For parties, fill a serving tray with crushed ice or rock salt. (If using rock salt, keep the prepared shooters in the fridge and replenish the tray as needed.) Nestle the shooters into the tray and watch everyone have a good time.

Here’s how I build a basic sushi shooter:

Pick your seafood. Start with small chunks of your favorite sashimi seafood. For my shooters, I used sea scallops. Add a couple of manageable bites to shot or sake glasses. Don’t add too much. Less is more.

Top with good quality sake.  A good chilled sake subtly picks up the flavor of the seafood added and gives it a little punch. After all, you’re “drinking” seafood. I think that justifies a little punch. Sparkling sake is an interesting choice if you prefer a sweeter flavor. If you’re feeling frivolous, skip the sake and top the seafood with hefty dose of high quality bubbly.

Ponzu. Just a splash of ponzu adds a salty note and a hint of citrus. If using champagne, omit the ponzu. A squeeze of citrus such as grapefruit, blood orange or Meyer lemon is a better option.

Aromatics. Minced green onions, cilantro and finely grated ginger are my favorite additions to shooters. It’s best to pick one aromatic per shot, otherwise they can overpower the other flavors.

Extras. I like to serve quail egg yolks with my sushi shooters. You can drop them right in the shot or sake glass or serve them on the side as a build your own shooter. Keeping them in the shells makes a snazzy presentation. Other good extras include salmon roe, masago, serrano pepper slices, and dabs of sriracha.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spiced Sake - Tastes Like Fall in a Mug

I was strolling through The Fresh Market a few weeks ago, trying desperately not to get caught up in the displays of holiday cuteness made to throw me off budget. Why do I even keep trying? I get “got” every time. This particular time it was a bottle of limited edition Pumpkin Spiced Cider. Cute bottle, super cute label…why not? I thought the nieces and nephews might enjoy a few swigs for Halloween.

The longer the bottle sat on my counter, the more curious I became. And a couple of days ago I opened it..and tasted a little….and added a little hot sake to it…..and added a more generous amount of hot sake to it….and added a little splash of honey liqueur…then decided that it was pretty darn good with a shaving of fresh nutmeg.

Usually, I stick with premium chilled sake. But if you’re looking for something festive for Halloween, give this a try. And for my nieces and nephews? Aunt Marisa is making some festive zombie cake pops – the pumpkin spiked spiced cider is mine.

If you can’t find the Pumpkin Spiced Cider, substitute apple cider. Or try this recipe for Homemade Pumpkin Spiced Cider. (Just omit the whiskey – or not!- and proceed with the sake.)

Hot Pumpkin Spiced Sake

You’ll need:

Sake

Honey Liqueur

Pumpkin Spiced Cider

Garnishes Ideas (pick one): freshly ground nutmeg, a cinnamon stick, orange slice, honey spoon or rock candy stirrer

To heat the sake, fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil. Remove from the heat. Pour your desired amount  of sake into a tokkuri (cute little ceramic sake bottle) and place the tokkuri in the hot water. Allow the heat from the hot water to warm the bottle for about 3 minutes. The sake will begin to fill warm. (You can of course have”hot” hot sake by filling a mug and heating it in the microwave.)

For each serving, fill a mug half full of hot sake. Add a splash, shot or whatever tickles your fancy of honey liqueur, then add enough pumpkin spiced cider to fill the mug. Give it a stir and top with your desired garnish.

Anchovy Fillet Nigiri with Assorted Toppings

Not only are anchovies delicious, but they are nutritious, too.  These silver fleshed beauties are plentiful in heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids.  And if you’re looking for seafood with low mercury levels, anchovies are a great solution.

If you need a fresh way to experience anchovies, try nigiri zushi with various toppings. With a little creativity, you can swing the flavor of the nigiri in any way you like. From spicy to clean and fresh, here are a few suggestions for topping your anchovy nigiri zushi.

For an excellent source of sustainable anchovies, check out i love blue sea. They sell whole anchovies as well as marinated anchovy fillets.

To prepare the nigiri:

About 2 cups prepared sushi rice

10-12 anchovy fillets

1 sheet (4 x 7in) nori, cut into thin strips

Start making rice “balls”. To do this, wet your fingertips and palms lightly with water. Grab a walnut sized amount of prepared sushi rice (about 2 tablespoons) and mold it into a flat rectangular mound. The bottom should be flat. Repeat this with the remaining rice to form 10 –12 rice balls.

Pat the bottom of each anchovy fillet dry. Place each anchovy fillet on top of each of the rice balls. Use a thin strip of nori to secure the anchovies to the rice balls. Before serving, top each nigiri with the topping(s) of your choice, Serve with Ponzu Dipping Sauce if desired

Grated daikon radish

Grated ginger root

Toasted Seeds

Thin slice of jalapeno

Cilantro + generous dot of Sriracha chili paste

Dollop of  Spicy Mayo

Quail Egg Yolk

Masago Roe

Paper thin lemon or lime slice

Minced green onion

Chives

Sesame Apple Nigiri with Grated Ginger and Grated Daikon Radish

Crisp apples are one of my favorite secret sushi ingredients. Inside sushi rolls, they add exquisite texture and taste. Their sweet tart nature pairs particularly well with tangy sushi rice. So why not feature them as a sushi topping? Here the traditional nigiri duo of grated daikon and grated ginger play a flavorful role. Each bite contains a hit of spicy and earthy combined with the sweet tart of crisp apple.

Let the available varieties be your muse when making this flavorful, yet simple sushi. Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and Honey Crisp apples all have a pleasing, yet very different effect when used in this application. Select your favorite apple, or use a variety for a tasty nigiri sampler. And while soy sauce always a welcome dip, try mixing your own flavorful dip by stirring rice vinegar into peanut butter, ground sesame seeds or even miso paste.

Sesame Apple Nigiri

About 2 cups prepared sushi rice

1 medium apple, variety of choice

1 cup water, with 2 generous splashes of rice vinegar added

Toasted sesame seeds to taste

1 teaspoon grated daikon radish

1 teaspoon grated ginger root

1 sheet (4 x 7in) nori, cut into thin strips

Start making rice “balls”. To do this, wet your fingertips and palms lightly with water. Grab a walnut sized amount of prepared sushi rice (about 2 tablespoons) and mold it into a flat rectangular mound. The bottom should be flat. Repeat this with the remaining rice to form as many as you desire.

Cut the apple into thin slices. You’ll want to leave the skin intact, but remove the core.  Place the apple slices into the water and vinegar mixture. Working with 2-3 thin slices of apple at a time, dry the slices on a clean dishcloth or paper towel. Use a strip of nori to secure the apple slices on top of a rice “ball”. Repeat with remaining apple slices. Top each piece of sushi with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds followed by a small bit of grated daikon and grated ginger.

Crunchy Buddha's Delight - Delightful for Vegans and Meat Eaters!

Crunchy Buddha’s Delight

There is enough going on in this roll to delight vegans and meat eaters! Be sure make plenty.

Vegan Tempura Crispies

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup ice water

Oil for frying

Heat enough oil (to 350 degrees F) in a skillet to form a depth of about 1/2 inch. Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and ice water. The batter should be thin and lumpy. Pour the batter over the tines of a fork into the hot oil. Fry the tempura bits until they become golden. Spoon them onto a plate covered with paper towels to cool.

For Each Roll

1 sheet nori (4 x 7in)

About 1/2 cup prepared sushi rice

2 heaping tablespoons Spicy Tofu Mix

1 large shiitake mushroom, sliced

Pinch of carrot matchsticks

1 teaspoon roughly chopped peanuts

1 small Romaine lettuce leaf, cut into thin shreds

1/4 cup or so of Tempura Crispies (recipe above)

about 1 tablespoon (or more to taste) Eel-Free Eel Sauce, optional

Place nori, rough side up horizontally on work surface. With fingers dipped lightly in water, spread the prepared sushi rice evenly over the entire surface of the nori. Flip the nori over. Spread the 2 tablespoons of Spicy Tofu Mix across the center of the nori. Top it with the shiitake mushroom slices, carrot matchsticks, peanuts, and Romaine shreds.  Roll according to the method for rolling inside out sushi rolls.

Before cutting the roll, roll it in the Tempura Crispies, being sure to coat the entire sushi roll. Use a bamboo rolling mat covered in plastic wrap to gently press the crispies to the roll. Place the roll seam side down on your cutting board and cut it into 8 pieces.

Arrange the pieces on a plate and drizzle with Eel-Free Eel Sauce.

Crunchy & Refreshing - Cucumber Peanut Gunkan with Aromatic Toppings

Peanut and Cucumber Gunkan Maki

Peanuts and cucumber make excellent little “sushi boats” or gunkan maki. The use of a mandoline is key as the cucumber needs to be sliced very thin. Sliced properly, the cucumber will hang on to itself like a slap bracelet. If your cucumber is too thick, you may have to use a green onion or chive length to “tie” it into place.

Makes about 8-10 gunkan maki

1 teaspoon natural peanut butter

1/4 teaspoon rice vinegar

Pinch of salt

About 1 1/2 cups prepared sushi rice (Please note that the sushi rice dressing can be made with raw,  unprocessed sugar.)

1/2 English cucumber, end sliced away

1/2 cup roasted peanuts (whole or roughly chopped)

8-10 cilantro leaves

1/2 teaspoon finely grated daikon radish

1/2 teaspoon finely grated ginger root

1/2 teaspoon minced green onion

Make the sauce by stirring together the natural peanut butter, rice vinegar and pinch of salt. Set it aside.

Form 8-10 rice “balls”. To do this, wet your fingertips and palms lightly with water. Grab a walnut sized amount of prepared sushi rice (about 2 tablespoons) and mold it into a flat rectangular mound. The bottom should be flat. Repeat this with the remaining rice to form more “balls”.

Use a mandoline to make very thin slices down the length of the cucumber. Eat the first slice or two as they will most likely not be tall enough. You’re looking for cucumber slices that will extend beyond the height of rice “balls”. You may be able to get 4-5 slices on one side of the cucumber. Avoid using the middle slices that are full of seeds. Flip the cucumber over to get more slices from the other side.

Wrap the cucumber slices snugly around the rice “balls”. The ends should stick to each other rather than the rice. Place a dab or two of the sauce on top of the rice. Spoon some peanuts into each little boat. Top the middle of each with a single cilantro leaf. Add a tiny dab of grated daikon radish and a tiny dab of grated ginger root on top of the cilantro. Top with a little (or more to taste) green onion.

To serve, dip the bottoms of the little boats in soy sauce or spicy hot paste.

Step 1: Make the Rice Balls & Slice the Cucumber Thin

Step 2: Wrap the cucumber Around

Step 3: Add the Peanut Sauce

Step 4: Mmm! Enjoy! (Be sure to dip from the bottom or your peanuts will fall off the top!)

Unagi, or broiled freshwater eel, is a very popular sushi topping and filing for sushi rolls. But that’s a problem. Freshwater eel is not a sustainable seafood choice. When dining out, you want to avoid all sushi that includes freshwater eel as an ingredient. And unfortunately, that also means abstaining from the sweet eel sauce that is often drizzled over the tops of sushi. As the name suggests, eel sauce is made with, well eel.

Staying sustainable doesn’t have to mean the end of eating your favorite sushi. Instead, finding creative new toppings, fillings and sauces offers sushi lovers a great opportunity to experiment with new ingredients.

Here, catfish is used in lieu of broiled bbq eel. It has a similar texture and best of all, it is readily available.

“Cat”erpillar Sushi Rolls

Makes 4 Sushi Rolls (32 pieces)

1 large catfish fillet, boneless and skinless

1/4 cup Eel-free Eel Sauce, and more for drizzling

Four 4 x 7 inch sheets nori

2-3 cups prepared sushi rice

4 inch section of cucumber, cut into matchsticks

1/2 carrot, cut into matchsticks

1 avocado

Sesame seeds

Bring a large pan of water to a low boil. Add the catfish fillet and boil for 2 minutes. Remove catfish from the water immediately and place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Brush both sides of the catfish with Eel-free Eel Sauce. Place under a broiler for about 5 minutes or until catfish is just done. Allow the catfish to cool to room temperature.

Cut the catifish into thin strips. Place 1 sheet of nori horizontally on the work surface, being sure that the rough side is facing upwards. Cover the entire surface with an even, thin layer of prepared sushi rice, about 1/2 –3/4 cups. Flip nori over so that rice in facing down.

Place about 3 strips of catfish in the middle of the nori, being sure that it extends to both edges of the nori. Add 1/4 of the cucumber matchsticks and 1/4 of the carrot matchsticks.

Roll according to the technique for making inside out rolls, but do not cut the roll. Repeat the steps with the remaining nori, rice and filings to make 3 more rolls. Peel the avocado and cut it in half. Slice each half into several thin slices. Cover the top of each roll with avocado slices. Place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of each roll. Use a bamboo rolling mat to gently press the avocado to each roll. Dip the blade of a sharp knife in water before cutting each roll into 8 pieces. (But don’t take the plastic wrap off just yet!) Use the bamboo rolling mat to press the avocado to the roll once more. Carefully remove the plastic wrap. Arrange the pieces on a serving tray. Drizzle some of the Eel-free Eel Sauce to taste over the pieces. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Serve with wasabi and pickled ginger if desired.

Sauces for sushi

Eel-free Eel Sauce

The sweet eel sauce used in sushi bars can be easily made at home. Making it yourself allows you to customize the sauce into one that can be enjoyed by both vegans and those that eat seafood.  The key is the use of a raw sugar such as jaggery. If it is unavailable, look for cones of piloncillo in the Mexican foods section of your supermarket.

1 lb jaggery or piloncillo

2 cups low sodium vegetable stock

1/4 cup sake

3/4 cup soy sauce

1. Place the jaggery or piloncillo and vegetable stock in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the chunks. Add the sake to the saucepan. Allow the mixture to simmer for about 15 minutes or until it has reduced by about 1/4 cup. Stir in the soy sauce and allow it simmer for 10 minutes. Do not let the mixture reach a boil.

2. Cool the sauce completely before using. (Sauce will thicken as it cools.) Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.