Vegetable Potstickers!

My hubby ate this whole plate!
First I have to say how much I LOVE the word “Potstickers”. It’s a fun word to say, “Potstickers” kids like saying it. Kind of like “Dumplings”, you just know by the word that they’re going taste good, like something your southern grandma makes at family reunions or a creation from Food Network’s southern cooking queen Paula Dean. Well, if you want to feel like a fancy gourmet chef, (I like to think I resemble Giada DeLarentis, yeah she could be my twin!) Then this is the recipe that will impress!
A couple of months ago when my husband and I were out to eat, I ordered an appetizer vegetarian potstickers, I was soo excited to see a vegetarian item on the menu of a chain restaurant! (They have since been removed from the menu, apparently veggies flying solo scare people away). Anyway, they were so delicious (even my husband Mr. Prime Rib loved them) that I have been trying to find vegetarian potstickers in the frozen section of the supermarket. Of course they all have shrimp or chicken! I finally found a recipe in a vegan cookbook! YAAAY! So I altered the recipe slightly to recreate the taste from the restaurant and voilla! Scrumptious little fried pockets of vegetable goodness! Serve with dipping sauce and Jasmine Rice or Thai noodles and you will be Iron chef of your kitchen!
When I first made this recipe, my husband came home from work and was wowed first by the tantalizing aroma in the kitchen, then by the taste. I think he gobbled down about 20. My mom asked what Asian restaurant I ordered from. So now when I make these fantastic little potstickers we pretend we are vacationing in a far-away foreign country eating its exquisite cuisine! (We don’t get out much with 3 kids)
I have to say that being vegetarian has opened up my family to a world of food beyond the typical American fare of hot dogs, burgers, & fried chicken. So the answer to the most asked question of vegans is “No we do not live on just salads.”
Ingredients:
1 med yellow/white Onion, chopped
½ Head of Cabbage shredded, about 2 cups

1 cup of Carrots shredded (I buy the bag of shredded carrots)
½ cup of bean sprouts
1 tbsp of sesame oil
1-2 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tbsp dried basil
¼ tsp of crushed red pepper flakes
1 package of square wonton wrappers (I find these next to the tofu, but some brands do have egg in them)
Dipping Sauce
½ cup Soy sauce
1/3 cup of Brown sugar
2 tsp of sesame oil
¼ cup of organic Sugar
1 tsp of Sesame seeds

Directions:
1. Heat Sesame oil in a large skillet and add onion. Sauté for about 3 minutes. Add Cabbage and carrots. Increase heat to med-high and cook, stirring often for 10-15 minutes until vegetables are softened and cooked down a bit. Stir in bean sprouts, basil, soy sauce, & red pepper flakes. Lower heat to medium and cook, stirring for about 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl and let cool a little.


2. Prepare everything before you start wrapping. You will need a small bowl of water with a pastry brush. A large cookie sheet, and a damp cloth. Lay out 4 wrappers at a time in front of you. Keep remaining wrappers covered with damp cloth. Place 1 tbsp of mixture in the middle of each wrapper. Fold over the edge of the wrapper corner to corner. Brush the edges with water. Then press and crimp edges together to seal. Place filled potsticker on cookie sheet. Repeat process until all filling is used up. Makes about 40 potstickers.

3. Next fill a large skillet with safflower or vegetable oil about ¼ inch deep. Heat over med-high heat until hot. The wonton wrapper will sizzle when dropped in oil. In batches cook potstickers about 4-5 minutes on each side or until browned. Drain on paper towels and cover or keep warm in preheated oven if needed.
Dipping Sauce: In a small bowl whisk together all sauce ingredients and serve in small bowl for dipping.

ENJOY!!