Almost Vegan Style Chinese Steamed Buns

Mr. Chica and I always ring in the new year with Chinese food.  This past new year's eve was no exception.   

Since we ran a 10.5K race I prepped the Char Sui Bao (aka steamed buns) the day before.  That turned out to be a stroke genius.  I finished the course 1 hour and 9 minutes and for 48 hours after hobbled around on sore legs.  So having buns ready to eat was a blessing.

You don't have to run 10K to enjoy these tasty little buns.  So what are you waiting for?  Get started!

The recipe below is vegan friendly version of Cooking Light's Steamed Pork Bun recipe.    

Filling:
1 cup textured soy nuggets soaked in 3 cups of hot water 
1 teaspoon Five Spice Powder
3/4 cup sliced green onions 
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 tablespoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 1/2 teaspoons honey (omit the honey and it is vegan)


Filling:

Drain soy when soft and mix with Chinese Five Spice Powder.

Lightly spray a pan with oil and add green onions, garlic and ginger.  Sautee for two minutes then add the remaining filling ingredients and mix.  Then remove from heat.

Dough:
1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
3 tablespoons sugar 
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 14 2/3 ounces) 
3 tablespoons canola oil 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

To prepare dough, combine 1 cup warm water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add flour, oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to yeast mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)

Punch dough down; let rest 5 minutes. Turn dough out onto a clean surface; knead in baking powder. Let dough rest 5 minutes.

Divide dough into 10 equal portions, forming each into a ball. Working with one dough ball at a time (cover remaining dough balls to keep from drying), roll ball into a 5-inch circle. Place 1/4 cup filling in center of dough circle. Bring up sides to cover filling and meet on top. Pinch and seal closed with a twist. Repeat procedure with remaining dough balls and filling.

As you can see I do 8.  I like big buns.....please feel free to insert your best Sir-Mix-A-Lot jokes here. 

Arrange 5 buns seam side down, 1 inch apart, in each tier of a 2-tiered bamboo steamer. Stack tiers; cover with lid.

Add water to a large skillet to a depth of 1 inch; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Place steamer in pan; steam 15 minutes or until puffed and set. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce.

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Cranberry Walnut Pesto

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Cranberry-Walnut Pesto

The first truly delicious gnocchi I ate was at a random trattoria in Genoa.  Those lithe pillows swimming in pesto were the start of a love affair.

Two years ago, we spent eight months in Buenos Aires.  Italian roots run deep in Argentina so while there is plenty of beef with chimichurri there is also amazing pasta.  Every neighborhood has their "pasta joint" which sells fresh pasta.   I found the world's best gnocchi not to mention incredible agnolotti on the corner of Soler and Dorrego in Palmero Hollywood.  The traditional potato version was delicious. But nothing compared their heavenly gnocchi de calabaza (pumpkin gnocchi).  We must have eaten hundreds during our stay.

Organic Cabernet from Argentina

Nowadays, if I need a gnocchi de calabaza fix I can't run to the corner and pick it up.  Those days are gone.  All cravings have to be satisfied with my own cooking know how.  So I did a little research and discovered a Pumpkin Gnocchi with Cranberry Walnut Pesto recipe on Would Rather Gather's blog.   Not only is it delicious but it is also vegan.  You can see how it went below;











The key to this recipe is having the dough remain a bit ooey-gooey.  A more solid dough will yield tough heavy gnocchis.  So stick close to the flour amounts provided and resist temptation to add much more. 

I boiled the gnocchi and then transferred to a pan for a quick sear.  Then mixed it with the pesto.  Viola it was ready to serve with a wonderful organic wine.   

This is an incredibly tasty recipe that I can't recommend enough.  It has the added bonus of being vegetarian, vegan so wonderful even meat-eating pals would pronounce it a satisfying meal. 

This year we'll be eating this for Thanksgiving with simple green salad and a meringue topped cranberry curd tart.  But that will be a future post all it's own.