Healthy New Year’s Recipe

Happy New Year! As the new year rolls in and we face our new years resolutions head on with determination, lets remember to keep our body healthy and well-nourished. Luckily for you, I have the perfect healthy and delicious recipe to kick off your nourishing new years, and to keep in your healthy rotation year round. 

Dumpling and Smashed Cucumber Salad With Peanut Sauce (4 servings)

Ingredients

Peanut Sauce:
⅓ cup smooth peanut butter
1 garlic clove
½ cup just boiled water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons chile crisp or oil 

The Salad:
6 persian cucumbers 
Salt
Vegetable oil
1 pound frozen potsticker dumplings 
Big handful cilantro 
Toasted white sesame seeds for topping
Chile crisp for serving

Preparation

Step 1:

Prepare the sauce: Place the peanut butter, garlic and hot water into a medium bowl and whisk well to combine. (If the peanut butter separates and looks curdled, that’s OK. It will come back together after you add the other seasonings.) Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and chile crisp and whisk again until smooth and well combined.

Step 2:

Prepare the salad: Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise and then into 2-inch lengths. Lay them cut side-down on a cutting board and, using the flat side of a chef’s knife or a rolling pin, smack the cucumbers until they break apart. Tear or cut them into bite-size pieces.

Step 3:

Place the cucumbers in a colander and sprinkle with a pinch or 2 of salt. Allow to sit for 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture.

Step 4:

Meanwhile, heat a large (12-inch) nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high for 1 to 2 minutes, until very hot. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil and, working in batches, add the dumplings, flat-side down, and cook until the bottoms are lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes.

Step 5:

Carefully add about ¼ cup of water to the pan, just enough to cover the base of the dumplings, then immediately cover and cook until the water has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. (If your dumplings contain meat, cook for an extra 1 to 2 minutes, or according to package instructions.) Transfer the cooked dumplings to a plate and continue cooking the remaining dumplings.

Step 6:

To serve, divide the dumplings among 4 plates or shallow bowls and top with the cucumbers. Spoon over a generous amount of peanut sauce, top with cilantro, sesame seeds or peanuts and a few drops of chile crisp/oil. Serve right away, while the dumplings are still warm, or at room temperature.