Dim Sum Buns

Since I'm not working with a meal plan this week, I'm taking some time to catch up on a few of the recipes I made over the past few weeks instead... like these delicious Dim Sum Buns.

Dim Sum isn't a recipe for a specific food. Dim Sum is a category of food. Dim sum is a Cantonese term for a type of Chinese dish that involves small individual portions of food, usually served in a small steamer basket or on a small plate. It's what we would call appetizers, the French refer to as hor d'oeuvres, and the Spanish call tapas.

This particular recipe for Dim Sum Buns comes from The Pampered Chef Season's Best cookbook. I took them to a party a few weeks ago and left with an empty plate and compliments. Utilizing ready-made ingredients like crescent roll dough, these come together easily but look and taste like you fussed over them.

Here's what I did:

I combined ground turkey, sliced green onions, chopped water chestnuts, Asian seasoning mix, cornstarch, and soy sauce in a bowl.(For speedy preparation, this filling can be made a day ahead and kept in the refrigerator.)

I didn't have any Asian Seasoning mix so I ended up using a Stir Fry mix which I found in the ethnic food aisle at the grocery store. Cornstarch was listed on the label, so I didn't need to add more.

Unroll a tube of crescent roll dough onto lightly floured pastry Mat. Pinch the seams together to seal. Roll into a 13 x 12-in. rectangle. Then cut the dough lengthwise into four strips and crosswise into fourths to form 16 rectangles.

Divide the filling evenly among the squares. Bring each of the corners of the dough to the center, then seal the seams.

Brush each bun with a little egg yolk and then sprinkle with sesame seeds before baking.

I served mine with a dipping sauce. (Unfortunately, I didn't write down the recipe for the sauce). I know that there was soy sauce, water, wasabi, ginger, green onion, sugar, and sesame oil in there. I just played with the ingredients until it tasted right. If you don't want to make your own, you could always purchase a dipping sauce like this Ginger-Wasabi Sauce.

Dim Sum Buns from The Pampered Chef

Ingredients:
2 green onions with tops
1/3 cup (75 mL) sliced water chestnuts
8 oz (250 g) 93% lean ground turkey
2 tbsp (30 mL) Asian Seasoning Mix
1 tbsp (15 mL) cornstarch
2 tsp (10 mL) reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 egg yolk
2 tsp (10 mL) water
1 pkg (8 oz/250 g) refrigerated crescent rolls with no seams (see Cook’s Tip)
1/4 cup (50 mL) black or white sesame seeds or combination (optional)
1 cup (250 mL) Ginger-Wasabi Sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly brush Large Round Stone with Handles with vegetable oil. Slice green onions using Color Coated Chef's Knife. Finely chop water chestnuts using Food Chopper. Combine turkey, green onions, water chestnuts, seasoning mix, cornstarch and soy sauce in Stainless (2-qt./2-L) Mixing Bowl; mix well. Combine egg yolk and water in (2-cup/500-mL) Prep Bowl; whisk well and set aside.

Unroll dough onto lightly floured Pastry Mat and roll into a 13 x 12-in. (33 x 30-cm) rectangle using Baker's Roller®. Using Pastry Cutter fitted with straight wheel, cut dough lengthwise into four strips, then crosswise into fourths to form 16 rectangles.
Using rounded Small Scoop, scoop turkey mixture onto centers of dough rectangles. Bring corners of each rectangle up toward center; pinch edges to seal. Arrange buns on baking stone; brush with egg yolk mixture using Chef's Silicone Basting Brush. Sprinkle buns evenly with sesame seeds, if desired.

Bake 16–18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove baking stone from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack. Serve buns with sauce.
Yield: 16 appetizers

Nutrients per serving: (1 appetizer, 1 tbsp/15 mL sauce): Calories 110, Total Fat 4.5 g, Saturated Fat 1.5 g, Cholesterol 20 mg, Carbohydrate 12 g, Protein 4 g, Sodium 340 mg, Fiber 0 g

Cook’s Tips: If desired, regular refrigerated crescent dough can be substituted for the crescent dough with no seams.

Toasted sesame seeds can be substituted for the black or white sesame seeds, if desired.

Sweet and sour sauce or peanut sauce can be substituted for the Ginger-Wasabi Sauce, if desired.

© 2011 The Pampered Chef used under license.
www.pamperedchef.com