New Year's Dumpling Delight

Traditionally, the steamer basket is coated with oil to keep the dumplngs from sticking. Here is a delightful alternative. Place each dumpling on a thinly sliced carrot "disk". When the dumplings come out of the steamer, each has it's own little serving tray. You can make these dumplings ahead and freeze them.

• Ready In: 10 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• FOR THE CHILI-GARLIC DIPPING SAUCE

• 1⁄2 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 2  tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2  tablespoons lemon juice
• 1  teaspoon  sesame oil
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 2  tablespoons green onions, minced
• 1  hot red pepper, monced

• FOR THE DUMPLINGS

• 10  ounces ground pork
• 3 1⁄2 cups napa cabbage, shredded
• 1 1⁄4 cups  thinly sliced leeks (about 1 large)
• 3⁄4 cup green onion, monced
• 1  cup  shiitake mushroom caps, thinly sliced (about 3oz)
• 1  tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled, minced
• 1  tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• 1  tablespoon sake (rice wine) or 1  tablespoon sherry wine
• 1  teaspoon  sesame oil
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
• 40  wonton wrappers
• 2  large carrots, thinly sliced

Directions

1. FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE:.
2. To prepare the dipping sauce, combine first 7 ingredients. Cover and refrigerate.
3. FOR THE DUMPLINGS:.
4. Combine pork and next 10 ingredients (pork through black pepper) in a large bowl).
5. Working with 1 won ton wrapper at a time (cover remaining wrappers with a damp towel to keep from drying), spoon about 2 teaspoons pork mixture into center of each wrapper. moisten edges of wrapper with water. bring 2 opposite corners to center, pinching points to seal. Bring remaining 2 corners to center, pinching points to seal. pinch 4 edges together to seal. Place dumplings, seam sides up, on carrot slices (cover loosely with a damp towel to keep them from drying).
6. Arrange half of dumplings in a single layer in a bamboo or vegetable steamer. steam dumplings, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove dumplings from steamer; place on a platter. Keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining dumplings. Serve with dipping sauce.
7. NOTE: If you don't have a steamer, use a heat-proof plate. Set it on top of a heat-proof bowl placed in the bottom of a pot filled with 2-inches of water. Cover and steam.