“Dine In” with Your Family Tomorrow

Through our kids’ Elementary School PTA, I found out about the Family & Consumer Sciences Day, December 3rd, a day on which the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) encourages families to prepare and eat a healthy meal together by promoting the “Dining In” for Healthy Families”! initiative – and cooking and eating together is exactly what I promote with my cooking classes at Together We Cook and through this little blog, so I’m on board.

Here’s what the AACPS wants you to know:

“Did you know that children who take part in family meals tend to eat healthier foods, are less likely to be obese, do better in school, and have positive family relationships? The whole family benefits from family mealtime by having better nutrition, improving family communication, fostering family traditions, and teaching life skills, such as meal planning, budgeting, and food preparation.

If you are a supporter of family mealtime, the AAFCS invites you to commit to preparing and eating a healthy meal with your family on December 3^rd :

Step One– Complete our online sign-up form.
Step Two– Check out our interactive map and see who else is “Dining In” around the country and across the world.
Step Three– Promote Family & Consumer Sciences Day and “Dining In” to your friends, families, and colleagues.
Step Four– Prepare and eat a healthy meal with your family on December 3rd and share a photo on social media! With our financial focus in 2017, we also encourage you to share tips on how to save resources by “dining in” and any specific meals you make that are both healthy, delicious, and budget friendly. Remember to use hashtags #FCSday and #healthyfamselfie on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
For more information and family mealtime resources, visit www.aafcs.org/FCSday.”

And here’s how I can help you – what to make! In the last few months I’ve been cooking with a lot of kids, and I’ll be sharing more on what to cook with kids soon, but here’s what we made last night which got the whole 5 of us in the kitchen (ok, one was just hugging my leg) and was a bit hit on the table:

DUMPLINGS (OR POTSTICKERS) – recipe adapted from Rhonda Parkinson via The Spruce

Servings: makes about 30 dumplings

INGREDIENTS

1/2 pound of firm tofu (1/2 package)

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1/2 cup Napa (white) cabbage, shredded

1/2 cup carrot, shredded

1/2 cup green onions

1⁄4 cup chopped cilantro

pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

squeeze of lime

1 package of potsticker, gyoza or wonton wrappers

2 tablespoons canola oil (for frying)

For dipping sauce:

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1/2 lime

Directions:

1.    Drain the tofu and dice it or cut into large cubes and mash. Wash and prepare the vegetables. Combine the tofu with the remainder of the ingredients and seasonings.

2.    Lay out a few of the dumpling wrappers and a small bowl of water in front of you. Dip your finger in the water and moisten the edges of a wrappers.

3.    Place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper over the filling and pinch the edges to seal it shut. You may use a fork to press edges tight if they are not completely shut.

4.    Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet. When oil is ready, carefully add the dumplings and cook on high heat until golden brown (about 1 minute). Without turning the dumplings over, add 1/2 cup of water and cover to steam. Cook for about 1, uncover and continue cooking until most of the liquid is absorbed (another 3 minutes or so).

5.    Whisk dipping sauce ingredients together and serve with dumplings.

Whether you make these dumplings tomorrow or in the future, I’d love to hear form you on how your experience making them as a family was. I can’t wait to make it in my class on Monday!