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Appetizers

Easy Potstickers (“Crazy Rich Asians” Dumplings)

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These tasty, juicy little potstickers are easy and fun to make as a family.  Filled with ground pork or chicken, ginger, sesame oil and cabbage, they are so delicious, everyone will approve of these dumplings 🙂

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Potstickers on a plate.
These tasty, juicy little potstickers are so easy to make.

Popularity of potstickers

Today, most people are familiar with potstickers.  You can’t walk into a Costco without sampling these delicious appetizers and then buying a huge bag. On a busy week night, one of our easy go-to-dinners is potstickers with a side of boiled and salted edamame (soybeans).  I never imagined making them on my own. Why would I, when those little frozen guys are so delicious?

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Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups (Larb Gai)

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My family LOVES Thai food. Most people do when they finally give it a try! Thai cuisine can be spicy and complicated to replicate. I’ve taken one of my all-time favorites dishes, Larb Gai (Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups) and made it SUPER easy.  Trust me, anyone can make this healthy, flavorful recipe at home as either a light meal or an appetizer! You have loads flexibility with the ingredients, so you can keep the spice level in check for your kiddos. This recipe also happens to be a naturally gluten free dish.

Thai chicken lettuce cups on a plate
Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups can be served as a light meal or an elegant appetizer
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Fresh Spring Rolls

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We moved to Vietnam and our house came with a cook. Can you imagine?? The whole idea seemed completely ridiculous because 1) I love to cook, and 2) never in my wildest dreams did I imagine having someone else cook for me! We were encouraged to keep local staff employed, so we embraced the idea and were thrilled to have Lu, our cook, as part of our overseas family.

Lu owned a flower shop across the street, but her passion was cooking. She loved sharing her recipes with our very appreciative family. I was an enthusiastic student and she taught me how to make some of our favorite dishes, including fresh spring rolls.  Since we didn’t have access to supermarkets, Lu would go first thing each morning to the market. She would purchase fresh fruit, vegetables and meat needed for the day’s meals. In America, I only made a trip to the grocery store once a week, unless I had forgotten something!  This is unheard of in Vietnam and if you ever visit, you’ll find the food is very fresh. It was not uncommon to come into our kitchen and find prawns jumping out of our sink.

Fresh Vietnamese spring rolls on a silver platter

Fresh spring rolls are delicious and healthy as a dinner or appetizer.

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Malaysian Chicken Satay

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chicken and beef satay on a plate
Chicken and Beef Satay with pressed rice and a delicious peanut sauce

You can find satay all over Southeast Asia. A go-to dish for my kids and many travelers, it’s basically chicken or beef that’s marinated, skewered, grilled and served with a peanut sauce. It has loads of flavor but it’s not ‘spicy,’ making it a perfect dish to try. Vegetarians can also join the party by marinating tofu or veggies. Satay has been influenced by Indonesian, Malaysian and Thai cuisine, but I’ll share the Malaysian version. Lemongrass, garlic, cumin, oil, brown sugar, and most importantly turmeric, are all used to give it a distinct flavor. And finally, this dish is made complete with cucumber, sliced red onion and pressed rice. These ingredients aren’t totally necessary, but do make the satay even more enjoyable.

 

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Hummus

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When we first moved overseas, I could no longer just go out and buy hummus.  This was something I took for granted since every grocery store in American has a decent option for pre-made hummus.  I learned that making hummus is super easy! When you do it yourself, you can also modify the ingredients to get the flavor you want.  Love garlic? Add more!  Love lemon? Squeeze away!I’ve tried various recipes, but I really like the flavor and consistency of this one. I’ve often been asked for the recipe, so here it is!

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Hummus

There are so many recipes for hummus, but this is my go to!

Course Appetizer
Prep Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 15 ounce can chick peas drained and rinsed
  • ½ lemon squeezed
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 3 tablespoons tahini
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • Dukkah

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until well combined.  Add a bit more water and/or olive oil if you want a creamier consistency.  Sprinkle dukkah over the top for added flavor and presentation.