Simple Sides: Mushroom Duxelles Dumplings
Children in this country consume an estimated 12 percent of their calories from fast food, and 20 percent of all American meals are consumed in a car! The consequences are predictably unhealthy. Competing schedules in the day-to-day lives of a busy modern family make it difficult to share a home-cooked meal together, but possible. In fact, with a little planning, cooking together can become a fun family event and learning opportunity. This feature will focus on providing a child or a group of children, working together under the supervision of an adult, with one uncomplicated, healthy, and delicious side dish recipe. The dishes focus on seasonal fresh produce items and will always contain tasks that allow even the youngest kitchen helper to contribute to the family meal. Parents should always read each recipe carefully to judge the division of labor based on age and ability, as well as to identify where adult attention might be especially needed.
Many of the recipes presented here will seem extremely basic; this is by design. These simple preparations will provide the culinary foundation and confidence to inspire kids to try more challenging recipes as their experience and confidence in the kitchen develops. Melissa’s encourages parents to find the time to gather as a family unit at least once a week for a dinner that everyone pitches in to prepare. It is a wonderful way to teach a child some basic culinary skills and, more importantly, cooking with your children will build memories in all your hearts forever. Enjoy your kids in the kitchen, they will be grown and gone before you know it! “No one is born a great cook; one learns by doing” – Julia Child.
Here is an opportunity for young kitchen helpers to use up some of the Mushroom Duxelles recipe from this month’s Fresh Stuff blog in a tasty wonton dumpling filling. While this blog could have also included the simple construction of that Duxelles, for demo purposes, it is assumed that there is a large jar of that mixture already in the fridge. If not, refer to this month’s Fresh Stuff for the very simple recipe. The culinary emphasis of this blog is on the making of a flavorful broth for the dumplings to be simmered in and then presented as part of the dish.
No doubt your helpers have already been introduced to the cooking of pasta or rice in the traditional pot of plain boiling water. This recipe takes that pot of water to another level as it demonstrates that not all flavors have to be incorporated into the food item itself by focusing on the slow simmer of a broth that takes longer than the making of the dumplings to finish. Then the broth flavors are infused into the dumplings as well as served with them as a warming, flavor support.
Of course, the best way to demonstrate this support would be a fun taste test comparison. Have your kitchen helpers make and sample a few extra dumplings cooked separately in a small saucepan of plain water for comparison. Once the “broth-aided” dumplings have been tried, your helpers will discover it’s a rigged contest as there really is no comparison to dumplings cooked and served in a slow-simmered veggie broth steeped for a time in garlic, ginger and fresh Pasilla peppers! In fact, if this cooking lesson is successful, the next pot of plain water for pasta or rice will no doubt also be questioned as the kids gain culinary knowledge and confidence that evolved from these early days of the family enjoying the fun of discovery in prepping a meal together. Enjoy!
Mushroom Duxelles Dumplings
Ingredients
Broth
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and very thinly sliced
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 Pasilla peppers, whole
8 cups lower-sodium vegetable broth
Wrappers
16 wonton wrappers
1 cup Sherry-Scented Mushroom Duxelles**
Garnishments
¾ cup scallions, thinly sliced (about 4 scallions)
1 cup Kale Sprouts
**See recipe in Fresh Stuff blog elsewhere on this site
What the supervising adults should do:
Demonstrate how to fold a wonton wrapper per the instructions on the Melissa’s package. Also, demonstrate a few dumplings cooked in plain water to show the difference in flavor the broth makes. Oversee the careful placing of the wontons in the simmering broth mixture. It is probably best to retrieve finished won tons from the hot broth with a slotted spoon.
What the kids can do:
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add ginger and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned and very fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Add broth and peppers, bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the broth is richly flavored and peppers have cooked down, about 30 minutes, while making wontons. Remove peppers when done.
Place a tablespoon of mushroom duxelles in the center of the wrapper. Lightly brush wrapper edges with water. Fold according to wrapper instructions on the package. Repeat procedure with remaining wonton wrappers to yield 16 dumplings
Add dumplings; cook, stirring gently to prevent dumplings from sticking, until wrappers turn translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat; stir in kale and scallions, let cook for a minute, then serve.
Plating: individual servings, several dumplings in a bowl with the broth, a few baby kale sprouts and scallions.
