Recipe by Deirdre Imus, The Imus Ranch: Cooking for Kids and Cowboys
These delicacies are great as either an appetizer or a side dish. They’re not hard to make; it just takes a bit of time for the dough to rise. If you like a bit more heat, increase the chipotle chiles to 1/3 cup.
I recommend using all organic non GMO ingredients.
Preparation time: 2 hours (including rising)
Ingredients:
For the Dough
1 Package active dry yeast
1/2 Cup warm water
1 Cup unbleached white flour
1 Cup whole-wheat flour
2 Tablespoons raw unrefined sugar
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For the Filling
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 Cup finely diced yellow squash
1/4 Cup minced chipotle chiles
1/2 Cup minced scallion
For the Dipping Sauce
1 Tablespoon red miso
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon brown-rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon tamari
1 Teaspoon honey
Cooking time: 10-15 minutes
Directions:
To make the dough, combine the yeast and water in a large mixing bowl and set aside for 10 minutes or until the yeast is bubbling. Add the flours, sugar, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil; stir well. Form the mixture into a dough with your hands. If it is too dry, add small amounts of water just until the dough holds together. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead 5 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic. Add another tablespoon of the oil to the bowl in which you mixed the dough. Turn the kneaded dough in the bowl until it is coated with oil on all sides; cover the bowl with a damp cloth and set it aside to rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in bulk.
To make the filling, heat the other 2 tablespoons of oil in a stainless steel skillet. When the oil is shimmering, add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the squash and chipotles and sauté for 2 more minutes. Add the scallion and sauté 2 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Punch down the risen dough, form it into a ball, and set it aside for 15 minutes. On a floured surface, roll the dough with your hands into a 12-inch log. Cut the log in half, and then cut each half into 12 each pieces. Roll 1 piece of dough into a 3-inch circle, place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of the circle and pull up the edges of the circle to cover the filling, twisting the dough to seal the dumpling. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling, transferring the dumplings to a baking sheet. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until the dumplings have browned.
Meanwhile, to make the dipping sauce, stir together the miso, rice vinegars, tamari, and honey in a small bowl. Serve the dumplings hot, with the sauce.
Makes 24 Dumplings
Reprinted with permission from the National Bestseller, The Imus Ranch: Cooking for Kids and Cowboys by Deirdre Imus. Published by Rodale, Inc.