Spicy Tofu Wontons Recipes

Steps:

• Steam the spinach above 1 inch boiling water until it wilts, 1 to 2 minutes. Rinse with cold water and squeeze dry, taking up the spinach by the handful. Chop fine and set aside.
• Blot the tofu on paper towels. Combine the soy sauce, sherry, sugar and salt to taste in a small bowl and stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved, then stir in the sesame oil. Place on the stove near your wok or skillet. Place the garlic, ginger and scallions together in a container near your wok or skillet.
• Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or a 12-inch steel skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Swirl in the grapeseed, canola or peanut oil by adding it to the sides of the pan and swirling the pan, then add the tofu and spread out in a single layer. Let it sear for 1 minute, then stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until it begins to color. Add the garlic, ginger and scallions and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the spinach and sesame seeds and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce mixture and stir-fry for another minute, breaking up the tofu a little bit more with your spatula, then stir in the cilantro and remove from the heat.
• To fill the wontons, lay out about 6 wonton skins on your work surface and place a level teaspoon of the tofu/spinach mixture in the center of each one. Brush the perimeter of the wonton skin with a very small amount of beaten egg or with the cornstarch mixture. Fold the wonton in half if using round skins, or diagonally corner to corner if they are square, and pinch the edges together all the way around to seal. Now put a little dab of egg or cornstarch mixture on the two opposite corners of the triangle or the two ends of the half-circle, fold the package in and pinch the tips together. Place on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Continue filling the wrappers until all of the spinach and tofu mixture is used up. If not cooking right away place the baking sheet in the freezer.
• Bring the stock to a simmer in a soup pot or a wide saucepan. Season to taste with salt or soy sauce. Add 6 to 8 wontons per serving and simmer 5 to 7 minutes, flipping them over once to ensure even cooking. Spoon wontons into soup bowls, ladle in broth and garnish with cilantro. Serve hot.

Steps:

• Drain the tofu.
• Blend the mushrooms, chestnuts, garlic, and tofu in a food processor until roughly blended, there should still be a few chunks.
• Place the blended ingredients in a bowl and add the soy sauce, chili sauce, salt, and mustard, and mix.
• Wet the corners of the wonton wrappers with a little bit of water as you need them.
• Spoon a little more than a teaspoon of tofu filling into the middle of the wrapper.
• Fold the corners of the wrappers and seal with a fork.
• Place them on a greased pan and place in the oven for 10 minutes at 375°F (You can also steam them, for a softer texture, or even deep fry them for a quick cook.).
• Enjoy them with sweet Thai chili sauce or with more Chinese mustard.

Steps:

• Make the chile oil: Snip any stems off the chiles and discard any exposed seeds. Heat a wok or large skillet over low. Add 1/2 teaspoon oil and the chiles and cook, stirring constantly, until the chiles are fragrant, toasted and slightly darkened, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chiles immediately to a large plate and let cool completely.
• Add the cooled chiles to a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped into small pieces. Transfer to a medium heatproof bowl. Add the remaining oil to the wok or skillet and heat over medium-high until shimmering and smoking, then immediately turn off the heat and let cool 3 minutes. Pour the warm oil over the chiles, stir to combine, then let cool 2 hours or up to overnight. (You'll have a generous 1/2 cup. Chile oil will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 months.)
• At least a couple hours before you plan to make the won tons, prepare the chile-oil sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients to combine (makes about 3/4 cup). Add more chile oil to taste. Set aside. (Chile-oil sauce is best prepared at least a few hours in advance, and will keep a few weeks refrigerated in a covered container.)
• Prepare the filling: Put all the ingredients except the chicken stock in a medium bowl and mix well. Add the stock 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring in a circular motion until incorporated before adding the next spoonful.
• Assemble the won tons: Fill a small bowl with water and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Working with one won-ton wrapper at a time, place 1 rounded teaspoon of pork filling in the center of the wrapper. Dip your finger in the water and run it around the edges of the wrapper. Lift and fold one corner over the filling toward the opposite corner over to form a triangle, gently pressing the air out as you seal the edges with your fingertip, then dab one of the lower corners with water and fold over to reach the other lower corner, forming a smaller triangle; pinch both corners to seal. Transfer to the parchment paper, and cover loosely with a damp kitchen towel or a sheet of plastic wrap to prevent drying out. Repeat until all the filling is used.
• Bring a large pot of water to the boil over high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding, cook the won tons until they float to the surface, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. Divide the won tons among bowls, drizzle with chile-oil sauce and garnish with scallions.