Tofu Vegetable Dumplings

absolutely delicious! From my most cherished cookbook: Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites. No vegetarian kitchen should be without it. To make these completely vegan, be sure to get Chinese wonton wrappers (either from your local Asian food store or from the freezer section of a good grocery). Melissa's wonton wrappers, and other brands, typically sold in the produce section of grocery stores contain EGGS.

• Ready In: 1 hr 6 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 48 dumplings

Ingredients

• 1  ounce  dried shiitake mushroom
• 2  cups boiling water
• 6  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1  teaspoon ground fennel
• 2  cups fresh mushrooms, minced
• 1  cup bok choy, minced
• 1  teaspoon canola oil
• 4  ounces tofu, pressed and crumbled
• 3  tablespoons soy sauce
• 2  scallions, minced
• 1  tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 48  wonton wrappers

Directions

1. Place shitake mushrooms in heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water, and set aside for 20 minutes. Drain, freezing liquid for your next batch of veggie broth. Remove and toss stems in compost. Mince mushrooms.
2. In saucepan on medium-low heat, combine the shitake, garlic, ginger, anise, carrots, fresh mushrooms, bok choy and oil. Cover and cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently.
3. Meanwhile, mix crumbled tofu, soy sauce, scallions and hoison sauce in a bowl.
4. Add tofu mixture to saucepan and cook for 3 minutes, mixing everything.
5. Assemble your dumplings. Moisten the outer edges of a wrapper. Place a rounded teaspoon of tofu-vegetable mixture in center of it. Fold one corner of wrapper over to the diagonally opposite corner to form a triangle. Press edges together to seal the dumpling. This can be done quickly with friends assembly line style.
6. Place filled dumplings on a large platter and cover with plastic wrap.
7. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.
8. Cook dumplings in one of the following ways: Gently simmer dumpings in broth (such as miso) for 5 minutes. OR saute them in a skillet prepared with 1/2 teaspoon of oil for 2 minutes on each side. Pour in 1/4 cup water, cover and steam for 4 minutes. OR Steam the dumplings in a steamer basket over boiling water for 7 minutes.