Smoked Chicken Pot Stickers

My whole family loves the steamed dumplings that we get at our local Chinese take-out joint. My four year old begs for them. Three years ago I came across a recipe for these Smoked Chicken Pot Stickers in the Weight Watchers magazine. Not only are they delicious,but you can eat 2 whole dumplings for only 75 calories and 2 grams of fat. I decided it had been too long since I last made these dumplings, so they became my Sunday evening project. I say project because these little dumplings take some time. Thankfully, not as much as my hand made tortellini, but you're still probably looking at an hour in the kitchen with these. Definitely worth it. Definitely yummy. But also a little time consuming. Just a heads up. : )

I begin by making the dipping sauce. You'll need soy sauce, dark sesame oil, some scallions, rice vinegar, and sugar. Combine the sauce ingredients and set it aside until you're ready to dip something into it.





Now lets prepare that pot sticker filling. Begin by chopping 1/3 cup of chives.


To prepare the cabbage, finely chop 1-1/2 cups of Napa or Savoy cabbage and place it in a sieve. Boil 2 cups of water and pour the boiling water over the cabbage. Press the excess water out using a wooden spoon or a spatula.


Here are the filling ingedients ready to go into the food processor. That's two chopped green onions, chives, 1/4 lb. of smoked chicken, and corn starch.


Put it all into the food processor with salt and pepper and an additional tablespoon of soy sauce.


Pulse until finely chopped.


Now you're ready for the wonton skins. The recipe calls for 24 round wrappers. I could only find square. I wonder if they would have been prettier if I used the round. The recipe calls for 24 wrappers, but I think I used around 36.


I covered my work surface with waxed paper. Work with 6 wrappers at a time, keeping the wrappers that you're not working with covered in damp paper towel to prevent them from drying out. Put 1 teaspoon of the filling in the center of each wrapper.


To shape the wonton, I dipped a finger in water and wet the edges of the wonton. Fold in half and press to seal. Then, I pleated the edges. I'm not skilled in wonton shaping. I'm not even sure that this is exactly correct. I tried to make them look as much like the picture provided on the recipe. It was a little tricky and took some time. As you can see, my wontons are like snowflakes, each one is different from the next and unique.



Now, spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium high heat. Add 12 or so dumplings and cook until they're golden brown on the bottom.


Then flip and cook for another minute or two.


Add 1/2 cup of water to the pan and cover. Reduce heat and steam for 4 minutes, until heated through. Remove from the pan and keep warm. Repeat the cooking steps with the rest of the dumplings.


Here's my first batch of perfectly steamed dumplings all cozy in the skillet.


Serve em' up with the dipping sauce.


Smoked Chicken Pot Stickers

Dipping Sauce:
1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
4 teaspoons water

Combine ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Filling:
1-1/2 cups finely chopped Savoy or Napa cabbage
1/4 lb. smoked chicken breast, chopped
1/3 cup thinly sliced chives
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 sliced green onions
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Bring two cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Place the cabbage in a sieve and pour the boiling water over it. With a wooden spoon or spatula, press excess liquid from the cabbage. Transfer to a food processor; add the chicken, chives, cornstarch, salt, pepper, soy sauce, and green onions. Pulse until finely chopped.

To make the dumplings:

24 to 36 3-to 3-1/2 inch wonton skins

Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Place 6 wonton skins on a work surface. Keep the remaining skins covered with a damp towel so they don't dry out. Place 1 teaspoon firmly packed filling in the center of each skin. Brush the edges of the skins with water. Fold in half and press the edges together to seal. Pleat the edges together, placing the dumplings on the baking sheet, and cover with plastic wrap.

To cook:

Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium high heat. Add 12 dumplings and cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook a minute or two longer. Add 1/2 cup water to the pan and cover. Reduce heat and simmer until the dumpling are cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a platter and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining dumplings. Serve with the dipping sauce.

Nutritional Information

Serving size: 2 dumplings with 1 tablespoon of dipping sauce 75 Calories, 2 g Fat, 0 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 13 mg Cholesterol, 622 mg sodium, 12 g Carbs, 1 g fiber, 4 g Protein, 12 mg calcium
Points per Serving: 1! Just 1!

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