Feel Good Foods: Gluten Free Pork Dumplings #Review #FeelGoodFoods

At my house, we no longer eat out or order in when it comes to Asian cuisine. We were never happy in the end with the amount of protein the dishes delivered, the amount of sodium and the feeling after we ate such meals. Vegetables were usually overcooked from sitting under a heat lamp and I noticed my Husband was always picking out what he liked and disliked, to the point he always had a mountain of mushy vegetables along the side of his plate from things that did not pass the cut (to be eaten). So, I started cooking it myself. I do though appreciate help and even though I am picky about what I purchase from the freezer aisle, I can say that Feel Good Foods was a welcoming sight and taste.

I was sent several coupons and visited my local Sprout’s Farmers Market. I went with an idea from what Feel Good Foods carried by visiting their website, but it was amazing in the amount of dishes, meals and sides they make. The company has a plethora of items that I had a list longer than the amount of coupons I had. I get to the store and I tell myself just get one item. Try them out and see what happens.

I pick the Pork dumplings and even though no one thankfully suffers from celiac disease, there are times I just want a gluten free meal like other times I pick no meat to no corn days. Our bodies (well at least mine) needs a break when it comes to what I eat. I don’t want corn in any form in my system on a daily basis and there are days I want a gluten free meal. It changes what I put in my body and it’s welcoming to my taste buds. Labor Day was approaching and we always barbecued outside but this year I wanted something low key and different, so I opted to make it an Asian night. I made everything from Orange chicken, Korean-style BBQ ribs, Shrimp Japanese-style fried rice, Vegetable Lo-Mein to Ponzu Lime Fish. I always love the dumplings and sides but I honestly don’t always have the time to make them homemade but that should be no reason on why I should skip on flavor or real ingredients. Feel Good Foods uses simple ingredients and made from real stuff. No funny fillers and ingredients that come from a lab.

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Cooking- I have 4 burners going at the same time on a 5-burner stove. One was a grill for the short ribs, so that meant my 5th burner was not accessible. I never like to try products from the get-go in the microwave, so I went with the method I came up for times like this, when I have more pots going than burners available. I take the dumplings out and they are a nice size and a decent weight. That surprised me because I am use to the type that really are more wrap than filling. Feel Good Foods does not play that game and they are beautifully sealed too. I placed them on parchment paper and while I prepped the other food, they defrosted for 10 minutes. I use a baster brush and give the dumplings a thin coating of oil (a mix of peanut and toasted sesame oil). I literally use my hand and gather a few droplets of water from the sink’s faucet and let them drop onto the pan, cover with foil and cooked them at 400 degrees. I cooked them for 15 minutes, with the last 5 to 7 minutes uncovered. I get the best of both worlds, the softness and moistness on the inside from a steamed dumpling and the crisp on the outside from a pan fried one. You don’t even have to over brown them because they will be crisp without looking brown. Easy and problem free cooking, for those days I have more going on than usual.

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Verdict-
I serve our meals and noticed I went crazy with the sides but I tell myself this is what we would get at a buffet, share, and always end up eating a little bit of everything. I even made a Jasmine vegetable rice to add to the mix at the last minute, just in case no one felt like hijiki seaweed and wanted a less crispy rice texture. I serve the dumplings and the sauce and everything smells great. We dig in and of course I always tell my Husband to go easy with the Sriracha but noticed I’m too late because not only has his Lo-Mein noodles picked up a red hue, but he has a spoonful on top of the Sriracha garlic paste (too late!). We all continue eating and he asks me about the new sauce. This is the sauce that came with the dumplings. It’s good and not salty, simple but better than plain soy sauce. It’s a welcoming flavor that takes nothing away from the dumplings. Now, the Pork dumplings are plain awesome! Full of pork and the wrap is thin, so you taste the filling and not just the dough. You first taste ginger and this is the real stuff…..none of that powder and they are the best frozen I have bought. I love(d) the Trader Joe’s ones but I have to honest, I would buy the pork and the chicken bags and could never tell, which was which. The flavors just blended and sometimes the wrap was so thick, that the crimped top of the dumpling would not cook right. The Feel Good Foods dumplings were filling and I ate just 2 of them and was very satisfied. I actually wish I served myself 1 more! I cooked the dumplings along side of the Pork Shu Mai dumplings and the Feel Good Foods dumplings had more meat and the filling was not mush. You could see the strands of what made the filling and even though they come frozen, that did not effect the texture of the dumpling. Easy to make and they taste wonderful and I have purchased pretty much every dumpling out there from the Costco Roadshows (featured) brands to the common ones found at the local market. Nothing comes close to Feel Good Foods and the nice part, we just felt satisfied with our meal and no bad after effects from things like MSG or too much sodium. The way meals should be!

Real Ingredients with no Funny Stuff!

Nutrition made with top quality ingredients.

I can’t wait to go shopping next week and I will be picking up a new item from Feel Good Foods every 3 weeks and sharing my experience. The company was generous with their coupons, plus they have so much to offer!  You just have to check-out all they have because it’s overwhelming but in a good way 🙂 This is a company that cares about using non-GMO ingredients and where they source their foods from, plus they believe in all natural products and best of all, they see no reason why frozen should not look and taste good.  I never knew gluten-free could taste this good!

Connect with Feel Good Foods at:

• On-line
• Store Locator 
• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Pinterest
• #FeelGoodFoods

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Feel Good Foods.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

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Wafu style Chicken Egg Rolls

I have been enjoying myself and trying all of Wafu’s wonderful dressings that are so delicious, that they can be used as marinades. Tonight was one of our “trips to Asia”, so that means I needed something that went beyond a potsticker for dinner. I had one defrosted chicken breast that was screaming I don’t do my fall back and make Orange Chicken. My answer was simple and quick egg rolls since the chicken breast seemed to be dictating the night 🙂

I don’t own a mandoline because so many seem to have poor reviews, that I can never decide which one to actually buy. I make do with the knives I own, plus that also means I don’t need to make room for another kitchen tool.

Filling:

• 1 Carrot thinly shredded
• 1/2 cup of shredded Cabbage
• 3 Green Onions thinly sliced

• 1 large Chicken Breast
• 1/4 teaspoon of Chinese Five Spice
• Salt and Pepper to taste

• 2 to 3 Garlic Cloves (diced)
• 1 tablespoon of Peanut Oil and 1 tablespoon of Seasame Seed Oil

• 3 to 4 tablespoons of the Original Wafu’s Japanese Vinaigrette
• 1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated Ginger (less or more, as to your taste)

Wraps:

• Egg roll wraps (you will yield 10 to 12 egg rolls depending on how you stuff)
• 1 egg whisked

Frying Oil:

Peanut Oil for frying, about 1 to 1/2 cups

Dip:

• Wafu’s Wasabi Edamme Japanese dressing
• Sriracha sauce to taste (between 2 to 3 drops or be brave and do more)

I start by peeling the carrot and discard the peels. I then take my peeler and make thin slices of the carrot. I take my knife and then julienne the carrots into fine slices.

I then finely slice the cabbage.

Next, comes the green onion and I use all the white parts, saving the green stalks that can be used for garnish.  I start by slicing the onions in half, and then in halves again to create thin strips.

Your trio should look like this:

Next comes the chicken breast.  I start by dicing the breast into chunks and then add Chinese Five Spice

This is about the size of my chunks but please cut them to any size you are comfortable with.  I then just add salt and pepper to taste and massage the seasonings into the meat.

The vegetables do not require to be pre-cooked but the meat does.  These egg rolls take only but a few minutes to cook, so the meat needs to be fully cooked before frying.  I start by adding a mix of peanut oil and sesame seed oil, plus the fresh garlic I diced up.

While that cooks, I take a bowl and add 3 to 4 tablespoons of Wafu’s Original Japaneses Vinaigrette.

I fry the chicken on both sides until the breast pieces get a nice color and are fully cooked, making sure to not burn the garlic.  I then add everything once it cools for 5 minutes to the Wafu dressing.  This includes the garlic, any left over juices and oils.  I toss making sure everything is incorporated.

I then take my fresh Ginger out of the freezer because it’s the only way I can make it last.  Using a knife, I finely grate enough to make 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of shavings.  I then add it to the chicken and toss.

Next comes the fun part, assembly time.  I went to three stores that I knew stocked egg roll wraps, however everyone was out of stock. I finally found some at Von’s market and this is the brand I used.  Use whatever brand you desire as I do not have a favorite.  Just make sure the ingredients the wraps are made of are to your liking.

This how I assembled and I did not take certain amount of vegetables and meat.  I went with what seemed like an even amount and sometimes even a little more meat than veggies because then I could almost hear my husband asking if there was a chicken shortage he did not know of 😛

Then add the egg wash all around.  I used a silicone brush to make it easier to swipe all around.

Next, comes the folding and it’s just like making mini burritos.

I then add a little more wash to the folded edges to insure things remain closed and also stuck together.

Then just finish rolling.

Repeat the process until you are out of chicken.  I was able to make 10 of this little guys.

I covered my uncooked egg rolls with slightly moist paper towels while my oil heated up.

Once my oil was hot, I began to fry three egg rolls at a time.  They cook up quickly….like less than a minute on each side.

Flip once you see the edges slightly brown.

When done, I just take them out and pat them on paper towels.

Continue to fry until you are done and this goes by quickly, which is a good thing!  I then make my dip.  I take 1 to 1/2 tablespoons of Wafu’s Wasabi Edamme Japanese dressing and add 2 to 3 drops of Sriracha sauce.  Mix and you are finished!  This is my first time making egg rolls, if I can do it….so can you!  Enjoy!

I received the above dressings and vinagrettes free of charge from Wafu.  I am not obligated to provide positive/favorable feedback, just my honest opinion.  I highly recommend this company because they have one of the best dressings on the market.  From flavors that make a simple salad that much more enjoyable, to the practicality of being able to use their products as marinades.  I love the ingredients and the pride the company takes in keeping things simple but delicious.  My review is based on my experience with the brand, which may differ from yours.

Check them out at: http://www.wafu.ca/  on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/wafubrand Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/wafubrand or even on Pinterest at: http://pinterest.com/wafubrand/