Delicious Detox!

My Miso Glazed Cod with Baby Bok Choy & Pork Wonton dumplings

Post-Thanksgiving and after days of indulging in food-coma-inducing- 

comfort-food-heaven, my body was craving a detox. 

Even Blanca, my maltese pup, who had eaten her weight in turkey, 

was begging me... "Mommy, please...enough is enough".  

I had invited an also much-needed detox friend over for dinner 
(I clearly needed motivation)

 and chose very light but hearty ingredients for this dish 

accompanied by some of my most favorite Asian flavors: miso and sesame.
This is a totally "do-it-together" kind of dish and so much fun to make with someone!

All in all, the dish turned out to be a big hit!

Miso Glazed Cod with Baby Bok Choy & Pork Dumplings

Hand made Pork Wonton Dumplings (see full recipe details below):

1st step: Lightly mix together in a bowl the ground pork, scallions, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, salt and ground pepper.
FYI...Ground pork was a staggering $3.26/lb 
and 50 Wonton Wrappers were $2.50 from Fairway! Detox on a budget.

 

 

Place each wonton wrapper square on a cutting board surface, 

add a small spoonful of the filling to the center of the wonton wrapper.  

Lightly brush the wonton along each side of the wrapper with the cornstarch slurry 

(this is the glue that holds the wonton together!).

Fold each wrapper in half, opposite corners meeting to form a triangle.  

Using your finger tips, carefully pinch the wrapper along the edges to fully close up the dumpling, eliminate any air pockets and seal in the filling completely.

 

I work in batches of 6 - 8 wontons at a time.  

Good music on the stereo is key (must have a good beat to go with the Wonton-making rhythm).  I believe tonight's music of choice was Sting's Greatest Hits.

 

Using a fork, crimp the wonton along the edges to close the wonton.

This step is completely optional but I must because I usually tend to overfill my wontons! 

I then add the cornstarch slurry to the inside tips of the side corners of the wonton and pinch them closed together with my fingers for 5 seconds.  

This step seals the wonton shape beautifully.

I've gotten so good at this, I can usually crank out 40-50 wontons in about an hour. 

Chinese restaurant chef = possible 2nd career? 

 I then freeze any wontons I won't be eating immediately by placing them on a wax paper lined baking sheet (dumplings separated so they don't freeze together) and placing them in the freezer for 1 hour.  After they are frozen, I then store the dumplings in a freezer zip lock bag and place them back in the freezer for whenever I'm craving them!  
Perfect for a quick and easy dinner after a long day of work!

So perfect and convenient!

 

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There are so many Wonton dumpling ideas with endless possibilities...

Crispy Pan Fried Dumplings & Ginger Soy dipping sauce

Wonton dumpling soup with Baby Bok Choy, Lemongrass & Noodles

Pork & Ginger Wonton Stir-Fry with Lime & Jalepeno (courtesy of Martha Stewart recipes)

Classic Wonton soup with Baby Bok Choy

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Miso Glazed Cod & Baby Bok Choy (see full recipe details below):

1st step: Prepare the Miso Glaze.  Whisk together the Rice Wine vinegar, sesame oil, White Miso paste, minced ginger and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.  

Generously brush all over the outside of the Cod fillets.   

Season the fish with black sesame seeds. 

2nd step: Wash and chop the baby bok choy.  You can either slice the choy in quarters lengthwise OR chop it into 1" thick pieces.

Heat 2 - 3 tbsp of Sesame Oil in a skillet.  Add the bok choy and saute for 4 minutes.  

Then add the miso glazed Cod fillets to the center of the skillet, deglaze the pan with White Wine or Chicken Stock (optional), and continue to simmer on medium heat 
(5 minutes on each side of the fish) until the fish is cooked through. 

 Plate the baby bok choy, Cod fillet & 4-5 wontons in a soup plate.

Drizzle on a few tablespoons of the remaining liquid  from the skillet 

to create a sauce for the dish.

  

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Miso Glazed Cod with Baby Bok Choy & Pork Dumplings

Recipe serves 2 (with 30 extra Wontons to freeze).  Preparation: 1 hour 15 min.  

Cooking time: 20 min.

Ingredients (Wontons)

1 pound ground pork

3 scallions finely chopped

2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

1 tsp unseasoned sesame oil

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

Cornstarch Slurry = 1 tbsp cornstarch +  1/4 cup cool water

Ingredients (Miso Glaze)

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tsp unseasoned sesame oil

2 tbsp white Miso paste (can be found in the Asian section of most grocery or specialty stores)

1 tsp minced ginger (pickled in a jar or fresh from the root)

1 tsp red pepper flakes

Ingredients

(2) 4 ounce Cod fillets 

1 large head of Baby Bok Choy - quartered lengthwise OR chopped into 1 inch pieces

Black sesame seeds

splash of White wine or can use the Chicken Stock for de-glazing (optional)

1 (16 oz) can of chicken stock + 3 cups of water - for cooking of dumplings 

  

Preparation & Cooking instructions: 

1.  For the Wonton filling: Lightly mix together in a bowl the ground pork, scallions, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, salt and ground pepper.

2. Place each wonton wrapper square on a cutting board surface, add a small spoonful of the filling to the center of the wonton wrapper.  Lightly brush the wonton along each side of the wrapper with the Cornstarch Slurry (this is the glue that holds the wonton together!).  Fold each wrapper in half, corners meeting to form a triangle.  Using your finger tips, carefully pinch the wrapper along the edges to fully close up the dumpling.

3.  Using a fork, crimp the wonton along the edges to close the wonton (step is optional).
Add the cornstarch slurry to the inside tips of the side corners of the wonton and pinch them closed together with my fingers for 5 seconds.  This step seals the wonton shape.

4. Freeze any wontons that won't be eaten immediately by placing them on a wax paper lined baking sheet (dumplings separated so they don't freeze together) and placing them in the freezer for 1 hour.  After they are frozen, store the dumplings in a freezer zip lock bag and place them back in the freezer for future use.

5. In a medium sauce pan, bring the Chicken stock and water to a boil. Add wontons and very gently boil, stirring often, until cooked (about 3-4 minutes). Drain and set aside.

6.  For the Miso Glaze: Whisk together the Rice Wine vinegar, sesame oil, White Miso paste, minced ginger and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.  Generously brush all over the outside of the Cod fillets.
Season the fish with black sesame seeds.
7. Wash and chop/slice the baby bok choy. Make sure to dry the bok choy thoroughly before placing in the skillet.
8. Heat 2 - 3 tbsp of Sesame Oil in a skillet.  Add the bok choy and saute for 4 minutes.  
Add the miso glazed Cod fillets to the center of the skillet, deglaze the pan with White Wine or Chicken stock (optional), and continue to simmer on medium heat (5 minutes each side for the fish) until cooked through.  

9. Plate the baby bok choy, Cod fillet & 4-5 wontons in a soup plate.  Drizzle on a few tablespoons of the remaining liquid  from the skillet to create a sauce for the dish. Garnish with chopped Scallions.

 

Enjoy! xoxo,

Jen  

*And a special detox dessert treat we enjoyed*

(one of my absolutely favorite new addictions)

This treat can usually be found in the Asian section of your grocery store.

Pocky sticks! Incredibly thin, chocolate covered, and *almost* no calories ;-)
Perfect for any detox.