Friday Recipe: New Year's Appetizers

Today's New Year's recipe looks like it takes forever to make because of the refrigerate overnight aspect, but let's face it, you'll be sleeping overnight anyway so it's all good! Pot Stickers Traditional has several items I don't normally eat (like cabbage) but when minced in my handy new food processor you can barely taste it.

Now, I once accidentally overdosed the ginger in a Chicken and Ginger Soup recipe, so I'm warning you now--when it says finely chopped, obey! Or cut down on the measurement if you want (seriously recommended!). That's the great thing about these recipes, there are lots of ingredients you can mix and match...I don't eat water chestnuts, either, and kept them out.

Prep Time: 1 Hour
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Ready In: 7 Hours 10 Minutes (it's that overnight aspect)
Servings: 15

Ingredients:

1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 medium head cabbage, finely chopped
1 green onion, finely chopped
2 slices fresh ginger root, finely chopped
2 water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 (14 ounce) package wonton wrappers
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon chili oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Directions:

1. Crumble pork into a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the pork, cabbage, green onion, ginger, water chestnuts, salt, sugar and sesame oil. Chill in the refrigerator 6 to 8 hours, or overnight.
3. Place a tablespoon of the pork mixture into each of the wonton wrappers. Fold the wrappers, and seal the edges with a moistened fork.
4. In a large, deep skillet, heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium high heat. Place the pot stickers into the oil seam sides up. Heat 30 seconds to a minute. Pour water into the skillet. Gently boil 7 to 8 minutes, until oil and water begins to sizzle, then add remaining oil. When the bottoms begin to brown, remove pot stickers from heat.
5. In a small serving bowl, mix together the chili oil, soy sauce, and vinegar, adjusting proportions to taste.