Dumplings Italiano!

Now these dumplings were pretty spectacular. 

Over the summer I watched Everyday Exotic host Roger Mooking create lovely little raviolis using egg roll wrappers (or maybe it was won ton papers, I'm not positive).  There was no fuss over making, waiting, or rolling out dough.  He simply stuffed 'em and blanched them in some salted water.  I was certainly inspired.  

When I returned to school after break, I made a new spring resolution: to actually cook.  One of the reasons why I don't go completely nuts when I go home is because I get to really spend quality time with my (family's) kitchen: my stocked pantry, my cool, spacious refrigerator, my drawers of diverse pots/pans, my hot range, and my best friend, the spice cabinet.  One deep breathe, and I am totally content.  But at school, who has the time to conceive a meal, shop for said meal, cook said meal, and eat/enjoy said meal?  

MuhHahaha I do now.

That's right-no more just buying the basic vegetables, deli turkey, hummus (well I keep buying that too, for snacking of course) 

I am done with cookin' up a quick egg scramble (I don't really mean that egg scramble, you are oh so delicious)

And this silly blog will be my proof of my improved dining lifestyle.  

These delectable dumplings were my first Denver Culinary Feat.

Inside:

Ground turkey, lots of fresh sage, fresh basil, a little parsley, red onions, a few shakes of Maggi (honestly, I have not a clue what this is, but when I went to Krakow one weekend abroad it was served with the perogies, I became immediately obsessed and bought a bottle in a market right there), salt, and some lemon juice- 

Then I simply laid out my lovely squares of won ton wrapper-scooped a small spoonful of filling-spread some egg wash around it, placed another wrapper on top-and squished it all together (using these wrappers cut out so much unnecessary fat)

I blanched them in some chicken stock (I use chicken stock in nearly everything, and rarely use water-here, it's low sodium but still adds loads of flavor to my dumplings)

For my pesto:

Basil, salt, pepper, garlic, lemon, pecorino, vegetable oil (I made a hot pesto, so of course I used veg oil-if I had used olive oil, yeah maybe I would have gotten a slightly richer flavor, but I also would have chemically altered the bonds within the oil to trans fats.  which are the devil. take note, would you-do not heat up olive oil.) I also melted down some left over red onions to be incorporated in the saucyness. 

And my god. A beautiful meal.  I felt so fresh and satisfied after eating a massive amount-stopping myself from finishing the whole batch was a serious struggle.