So I randomly decided that tortillas were just as good as pasta for lasagne, so I decided to give it a try.  Here’s what I came up with:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Ground beef
• 1 can (14 oz) red enchilada sauce
• 1 lg. can (31 oz) refried beans
• 4 c. Spanish rice (or white rice with 3/4 c. picante mixed in)
• 16 oz. Mexican blend cheese
• 6 extra large tortillas (should be around 13″)
• 1 pkg. taco seasoning
• 1/2 c. onion, diced
• 1/2 c. green pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic

Directions:

1. Brown meat with onion, peppers, and garlic in skillet.  Add taco seasoning according to directions.
2. Heat rice and beans.
3. Lay tortillas in a 9×13″ pan, and trim edges to fit, saving cut-offs.  Remove tortillas.
4. Pour in enough enchilada sauce to cover bottom, and cover with cut-offs from tortillas, trying to cover as much of the bottom as possible.
5. Add 1/3 of beans on top of tortillas, and spread to edges.  Drizzle a few Tbs of enchilada sauce over beans, then sprinkle with cheese.
6. Add a cut tortilla, sprinkle with 1/2 ground beef, drizzle with enchilada sauce, sprinkle with cheese.
7. Add a 3rd layer, using rice.
8. Repeat all 3 layers, saving a 1/2 c. of beans, rice, and meat.
9. Add largest (best looking) tortilla to top.  Sprinkle remaining meat, beans, and rice on top, drizzle with enchilada sauce, and cover liberally with cheese.
10. Bake in 350° oven for 30 minutes, or until top is browned.  Remove and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

It turned out pretty well, however I think next time I may use corn tortillas, since the flour ones get a little gummy (but still delicious).

So I was wandering around the internet the other day, and came across a potsticker recipe.  I didn’t use it really, but it got me wanting some.  I hunted down a few other recipes, just to get an idea at how it’s done, and set off to make my own.  The only thing I really ‘went by the book’ on was the wrapper, but it’s hard not to follow a 2 ingredient recipe:

Potsticker Wrappers

• 1.5c All-purpose flour (I used bread flour, which made them a bit chewy, but still good)
• .5c water (plus a bit extra, just in case)

Yeah, that’s it.  Mix the flour and water in a bowl, until it comes together kind of loosely, rough looking.  Add the extra water just a little at a time until everything is together, but still fairly dry looking.  Flip out onto a floured counter-top, and knead a few minutes, until everything’s smooth.  Put aside and let rest for a good 30 minutes or so (I actually let mine sit for about an hour while I ran to the grocery store.)  When rested, roll out onto a floured counter, and halve.  Then halve again.  And again.  Then third.  You should end up with about 24 pieces, all the same size (or close to it).  Take each piece, roll into a ball, then press onto the counter and roll out into a circle, fairly thin, somewhere in the 4 to 5 inch range.  It’s hard to do with a full size rolling pin, so use a piece of 1″ dowel rod, it makes it easier.  These don’t have to be perfect.  By the time you fold and crimp the seams, you’ll never notice if they weren’t exactly round.  Just get it close.  As you roll them out, lay them on a paper towel dusted with flour.  When it’s full, just stack another paper towel on top and keep going.

Potsticker Filling

• 3/4 lb Ground Pork
• 1/2 Red Onion
• 1 Green Onion
• 5 or 6 Baby Carrots (or maybe just one regular carrot, but I already had the little ones)
• 1 c. Red Cabbage (Most everyone says use napa or chinese cabbage, I like the red, it seem hardier and has more crunch when cooked, plus it was on sale)
• 1/4 Red Bell Pepper
• 1 Celery Stalk
• 2 Cloves Garic
• 1 Tbsp. Chopped Ginger (Or fresh, if you think you can use it all before it goes bad)
• 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 1 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• White Pepper to taste

I think that was it.  Chop/mince everything until it’s very fine, mix well, cover, and stow in the fridge for about an hour for everything to come together.  You’ll have plenty of time to kill while you’re making the wrappers.  Now we need to figure out what we’re going to dip it in.  I tried a few things (this makes a good many dumplings, so there’s room for experimentation) and this is the one I think I liked the most:

Potsticker Dipping Sauce

• 1/2 c. Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Hot Chili Oil
• 1 Tbsp Molasses

Combine everything in a small bowl and beat the hell out of it, otherwise the oil sits on top and you end up eating the first few dumplings covered in it.

Putting Everything Together

Take one of your wrappers, set it on the counter, and place a spoonful of the filling in the middle.  I’d guess around a “teaspoon” (not the measuring kind).  Wet one half of the round with a little water and your fingers, then fold over.  Press the seam together well, trying to get as much air out of the dumpling as you can.  Then pinch and crimp the edges 4 or 5 times (it’s hard to explain, watch a video on youtube or something).  Put the finished dumpling on a floured paper towel and keep going.  You’ll be here a while, but it’s worth it.

When you’re all done, it’s time to cook.  You’ll need a fairly heavy bottomed pan that has a tight fitting lid.  Yes, if it’s non-stick, they won’t technically be “potstickers,” but I didn’t really see an issue.  They still browned on the bottom, plus after you steam them, you don’t have to worry about them sticking again.  You’ll also need a bit of water (or chicken broth) and some tongs.  Put a little oil (I used a combination of vegetable and sesame, peanut is good, too) in the pan over medium-high heat and swirl around to coat the bottom.  Place your potstickers in the pan in a fairly tight spiral.  You don’t want to crowd, but you should be able to fit a good number in each batch.  And be quick.  It doesn’t take long for everything to cook, so they need to go in and come out as close together as possible time wise.  Let them sit and fry for a couple of minutes.  DON’T MESS WITH THEM!  After 2 minutes or so (maybe 3 if you want them browned a bit more) toss in about 1/4 c of water or broth and slap the lid on.  DON’T MESS WITH THEM!  Let the steam do it’s work.  Like cooking rice, if you lift the lid, you let out the steam, which is doing our cooking.  After a couple of minutes, pull the lid off and you should see some puffy little bags of goodness, that suddenly shrivel up and look wrinkly.  It’s a  good sign.  Remove them from the pan onto a plate and set aside while you do the rest.  Deglaze a bit between batches, so you don’t end up with a gummy pan, btw.  When they’re all cooked and cooled enough, time to eat.

You’ll probably end up with some of the filling left over.  I’m not big on measuring, so it makes a good bit extra.  Not a problem, though.  You can always make more potstickers, or use it in other things.  Just remember and adjust accordingly.