NAPSI: Holiday entertaining doesn’t have to mean the same old pigs in a blanket. Instead, take a note from the take-out menu for hors d’oeuvres that please a crowd, such as this recipe for Asian Pan-Fried Dumplings. Your guests will appreciate fare that’s unique and this version may even be more healthful than the real thing. Just don’t be surprised if someone asks where you ordered it!

Asian pan-fried dumplings
Filling:
½ lb ground chicken
½ c finely chopped bok choy
¼ c chopped green onion
½ tsp freshly grated ginger
¼ tsp sugar
½ Tbsp soy sauce
½ tsp sesame oil
Dipping Sauce:
3½ Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp sugar
1 package store-bought dumpling or wonton wrappers (24-count or higher)
2 Tbsp Smart Balance® Omega Cooking Oil, divided
½ c water

Combine filling ingredients; set aside. For dipping sauce, stir together ingredients; set aside. Using a cookie cutter or tumbler as a guide, cut store-bought dumpling or wonton wrappers into 3 to 3½-in circles. Spoon a scant tablespoon of filling into the center of each circle of dough. Fold the dough circle in half and pinch the edges together to seal. Pinch pleats into the sealed edge and return the dumpling to wax paper until ready to cook. To cook, heat 1 Tbsp of Smart Balance® Omega Cooking Oil in a 10-in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 12 dumplings to the skillet. Cook for about 1 min or until the dumplings are golden brown on the bottom; do not turn the dumplings. Add ½ c of water to the skillet and cover it with a lid. Steam the dumplings for three minutes. Remove the lid and cook until the remaining water cooks away. Cook for an additional minute after water has evaporated but do not overbrown. Remove dumplings from skillet and keep warm. Repeat with remaining oil and remaining 12 dumplings. Serve the dumplings hot with dipping sauce.

Yield: 8 (3-dumpling, approx. 2-tsp dipping sauce) servings

Per serving: 135 calories, 7g protein, 11g carbohydrate, 7g fat, 1g saturated fat, 3.5g monounsaturated fat, 2g polyunsaturated fat, 0g trans fat, 35mg omega-3 fatty acids, 1,763mg omega-6 fatty acids, 27mg cholesterol, 583mg sodium, 1g fiber, 1g sugar. North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.