Turkey Dumplings with Cranberry-Soy Dip

Our first recipe blog article!

I came across this recipe while reading the CHOW Digest blog. The article was titled "Appetizers for Autumn" and included this recipe for Turkey Dumplings with Cranberry-Soy Dip that they described as "Thanksgiving in one bite!" We thought it looked intriguing so we made a batch last week and they were great! They were such a hit with both adults and boys that we've made them two more times since then.

Recipe is listed below with some pictures of our efforts. Unfortunately, I usually ignore the "low sodium" part of recipes but this is one time when it should be followed. The first batch of sauce we made was really salty but switching to a low-sodium soy sauce fixed that right up. Enjoy!

For the dumplings:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 pound lean ground turkey
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 1 1/2 cup shredded savoy or napa cabbage
• 1/2 cup green onion
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
• 32 round dumpling or square wonton wrappers
• Cornstarch for dusting

For the sauce:

• 1 cup cranberry sauce
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion

Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Crumble in turkey and brown well. Add carrot, cabbage, green onion, ginger, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes or until cabbage is wilted. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature. Moisten 2 edges of each wonton wrapper with a little water. Place a rounded spoonful of the filling in the center of each; fold to enclose, pressing to seal.

Place on a baking sheet dusted with cornstarch to keep wontons from sticking. Cover with a damp towel.

Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Add a single layer of wontons. Cook, without turning, for 2 minutes or until just golden on the bottom.

Add 1/2 cup of water to the skillet. Cover and steam for 6 minutes or until all water is evaporated and dumplings are tender throughout. Repeat with remaining dumplings, adding more oil to the pan as needed.

Meanwhile, whisk cranberry sauce with soy sauce in a small saucepan; set over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce comes to a boil and is smooth and glossy. Cool slightly; stir in the ginger and green onion.

Makes 32 wontons.