牛肉大葱饺子 Beef and Leek Dumplings

I love the flavors of beef and leek together. Just a wonderful combination that really shines in these dumplings. Another dish that combines these two ingredients is a Beef and Leek Stir-fry, click the link for another absolutely delicious recipe.

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Method for Boiling Chinese Dumplings

  You will find several methods suggested for boiling Chinese dumplings to perfection. To me the perfect dumpling is boiled until just cooked and no longer. Easy way to know when they are done is when they float up to the surface of the water. 

Method for Boiling Jiaozi (Chinese Dumplings)

1.Preheat a large pot of water over medium heat. 

2.Add 1 Tbsp. of oil to the water. 

3.Add the dumplings as the water is just starting to come to a boil. 

4.Stir for a few seconds to make sure the dumplings don't stick to each other or the bottom of the pot. 5.Cook approximately 10 minutes or until all the dumplings are floating on the surface. 

6.Add one cup cold water (this is to prevent the dumplings from overheating and breaking apart).

7.Slowly bring the water back up to a boil (about 2 minutes).

8.Remove dumplings from the boiling water.

Chinese dumplings are best eaten hot so serve immediately with some Chinese black vinegar and chili oil or your favorite dipping sauce.

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Method for Steaming Chinese Dumplings

 Steamed is my husbands favorite way to have Chinese dumplings. I think my favorite way to eat them is pan fried Taiwan style but you will never see me pass up a Chinese dumpling whether it is fried, steamed or boiled. Steaming is so much simpler than pan frying for those lazy, laid back days or for when you just feel like smooth and soft rather than crispy.

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台南炒米粉 Tainan Stir-fried Rice Vermicelli

Many versions of Stir-fried Rice vermicelli can be found all over Asia. In Sichuan, this dish is called ants climbing up a tree' and is tossed with chili oil. The version of this dish I have here is from Taiwan, specifically Tainan, also called 'The Phoenix City' and is the oldest city in Taiwan. I spent a year and a half in Taiwan and the rumors about the food being delicious are true. Everything I tried there was bursting with flavor. 

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台式牛肉面汤Taiwan's Famous Beef Noodle Soup

While my husband was living in Taiwan he fellowshipped a man named Mr. Yang who lived in San Xia. He used to own a restaurant that served Taiwan's, well-known throughout Asia, beef noodle soup. He gave my husband his recipe and also gave him some tips.

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Taiwan Crispy Pot Sticker Cook Off and My Favorite Dumpling Dipping Sauce

When I was in Taiwan I was totally in love with a Restaurant Chain called 四海龙 (4 Seas Dragon).

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紅油抄手 Wontons in Chili oil

I have been searching for this recipe a long time.

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台式凉面 Taiwan Style Cold Sesame Noodles

This is a delicious cold sesame noodle dish. This is both a popular street food and home cooked dish in Taiwan. When I lived in Taiwan I would often grab cold sesame noodle out of the fridge at 7-Eleven for a quick and delicious lunch. The one at seven eleven came with two sauce packets- a sesame sauce and a sweetened vinegar sauce like you see in the photo below. In home cooked recipes all ingredients are just mixed into one sauce.

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韭菜鸡蛋饺子 Chive and Egg Dumplings

I love the flavor of garlic chives. Mix them with moist and fluffy egg and you have a delicious dumpling filling. My favorite way to eat chive and egg dumplings is pan fried but you can also boil or steam them. It is an interesting change up from the common pork dumpling or the delicious beef and leek dumpling.

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白菜肉饺子 Pork and Cabbage Dumplings

 These are a lot of work and I highly recommend that you use a few helpers, it goes a lot faster and plus it's way more fun with a little company anyway. Despite how much work these are to make the fact that they are the kind of delicious that makes you eat more even though you are already stuffed and the next day lament that they are gone, makes it all worth it!

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拉面 Xinjiang Style La Mien

La mien, as it is most commonly spelt in the west, directly translated just means pulled noodles but the variations on this dish are are endless. Xinjiang style la mien is the spaghetti of chinese cuisine. If you can get ahold of some fresh pulled noodles that would be the most authentic but if not Japanese udon noodles are probably the best substitute.

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