TCM Classics – This story originally ran on the site in 2017, but we loved it so much we decided to bring it back. It’s the perfect solution for using up all those Thanksgiving cooking scraps.
We do our best to eat our best; why let any of it go to waste? We pay attention when food gods like Dan Barber of Blue Hill and the ladies of NYC’s Mimi Cheng‘s collaborate and we were thrilled to see this one come to life. Read, drool, then make!
“wastED” is a pop-up concept designed to reduce food waste in a fun way. Created by Blue Hill’s Chef and Co-Owner Dan Barber and Culinary Director Adam Kaye, wastED brings food pros together to create inventive recipes like these dumplings from Mimi Cheng’s that use the kitchen’s own food scraps.
Mimi Cheng’s co-founders, Hannah and Marian, hope the wastED dumpling will challenge people’s definition of what quality ingredients are and showcase creative solutions for reusing and repurposing waste. We love this idea and think these dumplings are a genius way to put salad, soup and stir-fry leftovers to deliciously good use. What do you think – would you try “waste scrap” dumplings?
Mimi Cheng’s “wastED” Veggie Dumplings
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
5 oz outer green cabbage leaves, julienned
3 oz scallion ends, chopped
2 oz zucchini ends, chopped
2 oz bok choy ends, chopped
2 oz celery ends, chopped
2 oz kale stems, chopped
2 oz carrot peelings, chopped
8 oz leftover cooked rice
2 cups shiitake mushroom liquid plus ¼ cup liquid
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Tamari sauce
1 Tbsp miso paste
1⁄2 Tbsp Sriracha
1 Tbsp peanut butter
1 Tsp fresh ginger juice
Directions:
Place rice in a small saucepot with the 2 cups of saved shiitake mushroom water and simmer until the rice is overcooked and the liquid has all been absorbed. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium high flame. Add the kale and celery and cook for a 2 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables, including the minced garlic, and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add 1⁄4 cup mushroom liquid and cook until almost reduced. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Finely chop all the vegetable products and combine with the twice-cooked rice in a bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients. Yields about 3 ½ cups dumpling filling.
To assemble dumplings: take 1 dumpling wrapper and moisten the edges around the entire perimeter. Spoon 1 Tbsp of filling into the center. Fold half way and pinch the wrapper in the middle. On one end, bring the wrapper 1 inch towards the filling and seal that end. Repeat on other side.
To cook dumplings: boil a pot of water, place desired amount of dumplings into the pot. Stir, and let boil for 4 minutes. Heat a non-stick frying pan on medium heat. Drizzle olive or canola oil. Once the pan is heated, place desired amount of dumplings to pan-sear. Once golden, add ½ cup of cold water with a matching lid for the pan. Once water is almost dissolved, add another ¼ cup of water. Let evaporate until the dumpling bottoms are crispy.
