Oven Baked Taquitos

Taquitos are such a great potluck item just cut them in half with kitchen scissors and serve with you're favorite dips. Kids love these and they can easily be frozen and reheated in the microwave or oven at 375F for 8-12 minutes. 

Makes 15-20 Taquitos

Ingredients:

2/3 cup Monterrey Jack cheese, grated

1/2 cup prepared salsa

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded

1/2 tsp taco seasoning

Salt and Pepper to taste

15-20 Corn tortillas, white or yellow

Non-stick spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

Mix cheese with chicken and add sprinkle, salt and taco seasoning and mix well.

Wrap 10 tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for 1 minute then start making the taquitos by spraying each tortilla on both sides with non-stick spray then put a small portion of the chicken mixture in a line in the middle and tightly roll up; repeat and place seem side down on the lined baking. Bake for 14-16 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Cool for 6-10 minutes and serve with warm queso, guacamole or salsa and enjoy. :-)

 

Carrot cake muffins

 Perfect on the go breakfast or a healthy snack, kids will never know this is a healthy alternative to a decadent carrot cake.

Makes 24 muffins

Ingredients:
3/4 cup applesauce
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups AP flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons honey
2 cups carrot, grated
1 cup low-fat milk
1 cup chopped pecan or walnuts, almonds etc
1 cup golden raisins or regular raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut flakes

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
hot water as needed
24 pecan halves, for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 and line a muffin tin with baking cups.

1. In a medium-sized bowl, stir applesauce and baking powder together and set aside. In a large bowl mix, flour, cinnamon, sugar, baking soda, nutmeg and salt with a wooden spoon and set aside. Add carrots, honey and milk, vanilla, pecans, raisins, coconut to the applesauce mixture.

2. Mix the applesauce mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until flour is dissolved and all ingredients are well incorporated. Scoop batter into muffin baking cups using a 1/3 cup measuring cup.
Bake on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes or once a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

3. Remove muffin cups from the muffin tin and let cool on a wire rack until cooled.
 
4. Meanwhile, whisk vanilla extract and confectioners sugar together adding 1 teaspoon of hot water at a time until glaze has reached desired consistency.

5. Spoon a small amount of glaze over each muffin and top with a pecan half. The glaze with harden over time.
Eat for breakfast, snacks etc. Freeze and move to freezer bags and store in freezer for up to 3 months. Just thaw them out on the counter and enjoy!

Baked Chicken Nuggets

Chicken nuggets! A kid favorite, and so easy to reheat for a quick and healthy lunch. If you do not have a food processor, just blend the onion and garlic together and then mix it with 3/4 lb of ground chicken and additional ingredients. Freezing** instructions below.

Makes about 60 1-inch chicken nuggets

Ingredients:
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 a small yellow onion, skin removed
3 boneless skinless chicken breast, or ground chicken breasts, if you do not have a food processor
1/2 teaspoon creole seasoning
couple dashes of valentina hot sauce or any mild hot sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup bread crumbs
2 cups panko Japanese bread crumbs

dash of salt to the bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Food processor

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper. Mix bread crumbs with parmesan, dash of salt and panko together in a shallow dish, beat eggs and milk in a shallow dish, and place flour in another dish.

1. To a food processor add onion and garlic, pulse until the onion is no longer chunky. Add in chicken, salt, pepper, hot sauce and creole seasoning. Grind together for 1 minute or until everything is combined and is a paste.

2. Drop tablespoonfuls of chicken mixture into the flour, flip over to completely covered with flour. Next dredge  in egg and milk mixture turn to cover using a spoon and a fork until completely covered. Finally roll in panko bread crumb mixture and turn to coat completely and place onto parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the chicken and bake for 20 minutes.

Be careful when eating nuggets, let cool the inside will be very hot. Serve with desired dipping sauce, I like sweet chili sauce with my nuggets.

**Freezing Instructions: To freeze chicken nuggets, let cool on baking sheets then transfer to wax paper lined baking sheets and freeze for 45 minutes, then move nuggets to ziplock freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat nuggets place nuggets on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.**

Homemade Turkey stock

Ingredients:
1 left over cooked turkey carcass
5 carrots, cut in half
5 celery stalks, cut in half
8 peppercorns
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 bay leaves
1/2 a bulb of garlic, cut down the middle
8 sprigs of thyme
2 medium yellow onion halved
 water

Directions:
1. Toss all ingredients in a large pot and fill with water, leave uncovered on high. Bring to a boil and let boil on medium-high heat for 1 hour.

2. Strain soup through a fine mesh colander to remove all chunks of turkey and vegetables.
Store for soups, stuffing, keep in freezer containers for up to 4 months.

Chicken Flautas

What a simple yet so delicious dish this is. Everyone enjoys flautas, doesn't matter the age or background. Have a potluck and everyone can help shred the chicken and roll them up. There are plenty of options for dips but they don't really even need anything else, these can also be frozen* and reheated in just a few minutes for a quick snack.

Ingredients:

For chicken:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (can also use a store bought rotisserie chicken, I prefer my own seasoning)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon spice blend

kosher salt and black pepper to taste

For frying:

36 taco size yellow corn tortillas

peanut oil for frying (enough to fill a pot about 2 1/2 - 3 inches deep)

tooth picks

Directions: preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a roasting pan with aluminum foil.

1. Place chicken breasts in the roasting pan and brush chicken generously with olive oil, coating both sides. 

2. Next season with salt, pepper, and spice blend. Bake for 30 minutes, until juices run clear. Loosely cover chicken breasts with aluminum foil to keep the meat juicy, let it rest for 10 minutes.

Heat oil in a 5qt dutch oven until a thermometer registers to 350 degrees F.

3. Once the chicken has rested shred it using two forks, one stuck in the meat to keep it in place and the other pulling away to tear into strips, do this to all the chicken.

4. To the hot oil add a corn tortilla let it cook for only 5-10 seconds and turn quickly for another 5 seconds, (this makes the tortilla pliable) transfer to paper towels to drain for about a minute. Then, sprinkle some chicken shreds in the center of the tortilla and roll the chicken up tightly inside the tortilla, use a toothpick to pierce and secure the flauta to ensure filling stays inside. Return the filled tortilla to the oil and turn to cook all sides, once the tortilla has a golden crunchy shell, remove from oil and transfer to paper towels to drain again. Repeat with the rest of the filling. 

 Serve with queso, bean dip, guacamole or alongside beans and rice.

BE CAREFUL IT WILL BE HOT, LET THEM COOL FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE EATING.

To reheat, bake in a 400 degrees F oven for about 7 minutes.

**Freezing instructions: after the flautas are cooked, place on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes, then transfer to a ziplock freezer bag. To reheat flautas place on a baking sheet and bake in a 450 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, until golden and crispy**  

Enchilada Meatballs

These meatballs are seriously addicting! Full of enchilada flavor all in a meatball, both kids and adults love these and you can also make extra for freezing.**

 Makes 44 1 inch meatballs

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef or turkey

1/2 of one medium sized onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup of cheddar cheese, divided

3 cups enchilada sauce, set 2 cups to the side

1/2 teaspoon 8 spice blend

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Corn bread ingredients:

1 package of Jiffy corn muffin mix

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

2 teaspoons taco seasoning

Corn bread directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

1. Mix together all corn bread ingredients until well combined (there will be some little lumps.)

2. Pour into a greased baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Crumble and set aside.

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.

2.Mix all meatball ingredients including crumbled corn bread, half of the cheese, and 1 cup of enchilada sauce, mash together using you're hands works best.

2. Shape meat into 44 1-inch sized meatballs and place 1/2 an inch apart on the foil lined sheet. Bake for 17-20 minutes, until the center of the meatballs is no longer pink.

3. Reheat the remaining 2 cups of enchilada sauce and top the meatballs with remaining cheese. 

Serve with toothpicks along side enchilada sauce.

** Freezing and reheating instructions**

Freeze meatballs on a baking sheet and after 1 hour place them into a freezer ziplock bag and they will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat them just put them in your crockpot with more enchilada sauce and put on low for 2-3 hours or on high for about 1 hour.

Before baking.

Flour Tortillas

Making you're own tortillas at home is not as complicated as you may think. Now when I say "very warm water" I mean as warm as your hands can handle safely without burning yourself. Using bacon grease will give your tortillas a better flavor then using just shortening or just lard etc. still tasty is a website that shows different foods shelf life. I use it for everything because I like to make extra food for leftovers and for last minute meals from the freezer.

Makes about 28 5in tortillas

Ingredients:

5 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon bacon grease

1 tablespoon lard or shortening

1 1/2 cups very warm water

Directions:

1. Stir flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in grease and lard once it is completely combined add in water a little at a time, mixing with your hands, once dough is combined knead on a floured surface until dough is elastic. Spray the same bowl with a nonstick spray and spray the top of the dough, place a clean towel on top and rest for 15 minutes.

2. Divide the dough into halves and then into 28 golf size balls, pat down and keep them on a floured surface with a damp towel to keep the dough from drying out while rolling out the dough. Roll the dough balls with a rolling pin to desired thickness and size, I like mine about 5 inches in diameter.

3. Heat a skillet to medium-high heat and cook tortillas until bubbles start to form, then flip the tortilla and cook, pressing down on the bubbles. They are done when brown spots are on both sides, wrap them in a clean towel to keep them warm.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer for longer shelf life.

The Perfect Pizza Sauce

 Here is a perfect recipe for pizza sauce, if you do not want it so spicy just leave out the cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes. Use this for BBQ Chicken Pizza- on the Grill.

Ingredients:

12 oz organic tomato paste

1 3/4 cups water

1/4 cup organic honey

2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced

1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

pinch cayenne pepper

about 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste

2 shakes of hot sauce

Directions:

In a medium-sized sauce, pan combine all ingredients and stir until smooth. Simmer for 15 minutes, cool and it's ready for pizza or dipping Garlic Bread and Pepperoni Bread .

**Freeze sauce in a airtight container for pizza sauce anytime!**

Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients:
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon light olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes and green chiles (Rotel)
1 small can green chiles
1 small can of tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 15oz cans tomato sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon honey (more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

salt to taste

Directions:

1. In a large sauce pan sautee onion in oil, once onion is translucent add in tomato paste, green chiles,tomatoes and chiles, then garlic and all other sauce ingredients. Simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. Simmer for 30 minutes, add more or less chicken broth to desired consistency.

Use this sauce for any variety of enchiladas.

Bacon n' Spinach Quiche Cupcakes

 Quiche is such a versatile dish, and easy for freezing and reheating later. Great to eat for breakfast, lunch and even dinner. Change up the veggies and meats and you have endless possibilities.
**Freezing instructions at the bottom of the page.**

Makes 16 cupcake sized quiche

Ingredients:

1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated

1cup Swiss cheese, grated

6 large eggs

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 medium sized onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 10oz package of chopped spinach, thawed and drained

12 slices of cooked bacon, chopped

2 refrigerated pie crust, at room temp

1 teaspoon olive oil

pinch of salt and pepper

pinch of paprika

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

1. On medium heat; heat olive oil in a small skillet and add in onion, once it is soft and transparent add in garlic and cook for 1 minute, remove from heat and set aside.

2. To a blender, add eggs, cream, salt, pepper, and paprika, blend until eggs are beaten.

3. Using a 3in biscuit cutter or glass cut 18 circles out of the pie crust, spray cupcake tins with nonstick cooking spray and place one circle in each tin and press it down so the dough fits about a third of the way up.

4. Start layering on the fillings, add a small pinch of garlic and onion, then about 1/2 teaspoon of bacon pieces, pinch of spinach and about a teaspoon of cheese mixture to each tin. Then pour the egg and cream mixture into every tin almost to the top. 

5. Bake for 20 minutes. Quiche is done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean, run a sharp knife around the edges and let cool for 2 minutes then use a small spoon to scoop out the little quiche's.

**Freezing instructions: Once they have cooled wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then put them in a freezer bag and they will be good in the freezer for 3 months. Great for a quick after school/work snack or even breakfast or dinner. To reheat them straight from the freezer just preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake them on a cookie sheet for 20 minutes, they should look puffy and golden. Be careful they will be HOT. Enjoy :)**

 Pie crust.

Onion, garlic and bacon.

Spinach.

Hot out of the oven!

Sweet Sausage n' Cheese Kolaches aka Pigs in a Blanket

 Kolaches are definitely a staple in Texas doughnut shops, there are so many varieties of these sweet bread snacks. They can also be frozen* for a quick snack or breakfast.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted
1/2 cup warm water
2 packages of yeast
2 eggs beaten
5 cups all purpose flour
1 package cocktail weenies (any variety, I use cheese filled)
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

1. Heat milk, sugar, salt, and butter until sugar and salt is dissolved. Set aside to cool till lukewarm.

2. In a small bowl mix warm water and yeast until well combined, cover with a towel and let rest for 5 minutes.

3. In a large bowl combine milk mixture with yeast and water mix, to that add in beaten eggs and whisk till smooth; add flour in 3 additions mixing well after each addition. Turn dough out onto a floured surface.

4. Knead dough until it is no longer sticky and is elastic. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap. Let rest in a warm place until dough has doubled in size (about 1 hour).

5. Divide dough into 32 balls, roll out into circles about 3-4 inches in diameter.

6. Place a pinch of cheese in the center of each dough circle, then 1 sausage. Fold like a burrito.

7. Transfer to kolaches to the parchment lined baking sheet, brush the tops with melted butter and bake for 5 minutes, brush the kolaches with butter again and return to baking for 5 more minutes they should be a golden brown, let them cool for 10 minutes.

Cheese. Sausage.

Fold.

Roll.

Cool.

EAT!

*Freezing Instructions: Once cooled, wrap kolaches individually in plastic wrap. Freeze in a freezer ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Great for a quick snack or breakfast, just unwrap and microwave for about 2 minutes a kolache.*

Spaghetti Meat Sauce

This is the recipe my Mother and I have put together for basic meat sauce for spaghetti or lasagna. But what's spaghetti without the Garlic Bread

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 green pepper, finely chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 12oz cans tomato paste

3 15oz cans tomato sauce

1 tablespoon  dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 cup brown sugar, may need more to taste

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds*

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

*Wrap fennel seeds in fine mesh cheesecloth, and tie the top with cooking string so no seeds can escape. Set aside for later*

1. Cook ground beef until brown in a large sauce pan on medium heat, add in olive oil, onions and peppers; cook until onion is translucent. 

2. Next add tomato paste and reduce heat to med-low. Stir everything until well combined and toss in the garlic, cook until fragrant then add all the rest of the ingredients. Simmer on low for 1 hour stirring occasionally. Adjust seasonings to your liking, you may need more or less always taste your sauce throughout cooking, a little time can change the taste.

Freezing instructions: I try to always have spaghetti sauce in my freezer, just in case I do not feel like going all out for dinner. I just pour the cooled sauce into a freezer bag or a freezer container and I keep it up to 3 months in the freezer, defrost, heat it up and just add pasta!

Pork Tamales

Tamales are addicting! Moist and full of flavor though these tamales are not spicy, if you want them to be hotter, go with a hotter chili pepper. I always make the meat and sauce the day before and then the next day I assemble and cook them.
 

This recipe makes a large stock pot full of tamales. I make mine bigger than most tamales.

Ingredients:

Sauce:
4 dried ancho chiles
8 dried new mexico chiles

5 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon sugar
salt to taste
1 1/2 cups chicken broth 

hot water for soaking chiles

Meat:
9lb bone-in pork shoulder roast
3 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoon cumin
1 cup salsa

Masa dough:
4 sticks of shortening or 20oz of lard
7 cups masa harina
3 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 package dried corn husks
5 cups hot meat broth and some extra as needed

Red Chile Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Remove stems and seeds from chiles, place on baking sheet and take them out when fragrant (it only takes a couple of minutes as soon as you smell them take them out immediately!)

2. lay chiles in a casserole dish and add enough hot water to cover chiles (you may have to put something on top to keep the chiles immersed.) let them steep for 30 minutes. Save the liquid.

3. In a blender or food processor puree chiles, garlic, cumin, and salt. Add enough chile water to the blender to make it about the consistency of apple sauce.

4. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a medium sized pot and add broth, let simmer for 20 minutes on low heat. 

Set aside for meat.

Meat Preparation:

1. Mix all dry ingredients and coat and massage into the pork, place into slow cooker fat side up and top with salsa, turn on low for 8-9hrs. 

2. Shred meat and coat with the chile sauce prepared earlier (make sure all the meat is completely mixed). REFRIGERATE MEAT OVER NIGHT IN A AIR TIGHT CONTAINER.

3. Strain broth from crock-pot and add enough water to make 5 cups save for masa dough.

Masa Dough Preparation:

1.  In a large bowl, combine shortening/lard, baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, cumin powder with a hand mixer.

2. In a separate large bowl combine hot broth from the pork and masa harina.

3.  Add masa and broth mixture 1 cup at a time, beating after each cup.

4. Beat with mixer for 1 minute on medium-low speed. (The dough should be the consistency of a soft peanut butter, add more broth if its too thick to spread.)

Assembling Tamales:

1. Soak corn husks in a wide bowl and cover them with hot water, place a heavy pot on top to keep the husks immersed. Soak for about 30-45 minutes, until pliable.

2. Scoop about 1/4 cup of masa dough into the middle of the husk. (The husk should be curled upward on the edges.)Spread dough with a butter knife to make a rectangle, evenly distribute 2-4 tablespoons of meat tamale filling to the center of tamale dough

3. Lift the two long sides of the husk and gently bring them together tucking one end under the other, then fold the long skinny end against the tamal. Lay seam side down against the side of your steamer. (Lay the steamer pot on it's side to stack the tamales.) 

4. Pack tamales tightly into the steamer. Fill the bottom of the steamer with water, do not let it touch the bottoms of the tamales.

(continued below)

Scoop.

Spread.

Fold.

Gavin wanted to help :-)

Stack.

Stack.

Ready to cook!

Cooking Directions:

1. Place lid onto steamer heat to medium-high making a steady steam, check the water every so often if it boils away add more. When the masa pulls away from the husk the tamales are done. Remove them gently from the pot with tongs, be careful of the steam. Let them cool for 15 minutes on a flat surface, as they cool they will become firmer. 

**Depending on the size you make your tamales they can take anywhere from 2-5 hours to cook, mine usually take 3-4 hours.**

Freezing Instructions:

Let the tamales completely cool and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze in a ziplock freezer bag. They will keep for about 3 months in the freezer. To reheat them, unwrap the plastic wrap but keep the husk on, wrap the tamal in a damp paper towel and microwave for 2 minutes and 15 seconds per tamal.

Yes these take a lot of time and hard work but every minute put into it is worth the reward!!

Vanilla Bean Frozen Yogurt

My step-son Kaiden is absolutely crazy for ice cream, and yogurt. But this was our first attempt at frozen yogurt, he watched the ice cream maker the entire time it was turning!  I love making frozen treats in the Summer months and as you can see by the look of Kaiden's face, we will be making frozen yogurt more often. :-)

Ingredients:

6 cups plain greek yogurt

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 vanilla bean pod

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine yogurt, sugar, and vanilla extract until sugar is dissolved.

2. Slice into the vanilla bean length-wise and scrape the seeds using the back-side of a pairing knife, discard bean and  add beans to bowl stir to combine.

3. Freeze in your ice cream maker using the manufacturer's instructions.

Top with fresh fruit or sauces if desired.

                                         

Pork & Cabbage Gyoza

Gyoza is something that I always loved to order when getting Japanese take-out but it was never a dish that I ever thought about making from scratch until a couple of years ago. I researched different techniques and changed ingredients to suit my taste. They make great appetizers hot or even cold, I love eating them cold as a snack. I always keep bags of them in my freezer for a quick meal option. Here is my recipe.

Ingredients:

1lb ground pork

1/2 cup finely chopped cabbage

1 medium sized yellow onion (chopped and then put in the blender)

4 cloves of garlic, minced

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 packages of gyoza skins, thawed

Gyoza Filling and Preparation:

1. Combine all filling ingredients in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

2. With a gyoza skin in the palm of your hand place a small spoonful of the filling in the center of the wrapper.

3. Dip a finger in water and trace the edge of the gyoza skin so that its a semi circle.

Fold one side over the other, fold the edges over the others pinching them together to seal the filling (an easier way is to use a gyoza press or to seal the edges with a fork like you would for a pie).

4. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan, about 2 tbsp wait for the oil to heat up, then place the gyoza's in a nonstick pan at med-high heat, DO NOT MOVE THEM WHILE THEY ARE COOKING (keep them apart or they will stick together) cook them for 1 minute.

5. Then add about 1/2 cup water to the pan, cover and cook for about 6 minutes or until water has evaporated.

6. Remove lid and let cook for another 1-2 minutes depending on how brown you like them.

Place on paper towels to drain, serve hot with sweet chili sauce and hot white rice.

Freezing*

To freeze them, line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper lay uncooked gyoza on the sheet but not touching each other. Freeze for about 45 minutes then put them in freezer bags and they are good for up to 3 months. When you feel like eating some just put them in a pan with enough oil to coat the bottom cook for about 2-3 minutes until they are golden brown on the bottom then add enough water to come 1/3 of the way up the gyoza then put a lid on them for 7 minutes then remove lid and let crisp up for another minute to 3 minutes.