By Tisa Conway-Cunningham
Girl dinner. Viral revamps. Ramen noodles. Social media is deliciously pushing the culinary world to new heights of delectable indulgences.
We all have those nights. The ones where we are practically starving, but have no desire to cook. I mean, sure, we could have a meal delivered, but that can become costly and take too much time. What do we do? Going to bed hungry is definitely not an option, so cue the “Girl Dinner” plate theme song.
It is meant to be minimalist and easy. Girl dinner. A smorgasbord of grab and go items that can be effortlessly put on the plate for dinner. With little, to no cooking, these plates can easily mirror a snack plate or a misfit charcuterie experience. Literally, a raid of the fridge and/or pantry, what ends up on the plate largely depends on personal preference.
Think sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, hummus, boiled eggs topped with chili crisp, crackers, dips, chips, smoked salmon, cream cheese, arugula, sliced meat, pickles, olives and so on. The options are endless, limited to whatever you have the energy to muster up on the plate. One time, my girl dinner consisted of a slice of cold pizza, topped with a handful of salad mix dressed with ranch dressing. It was a quick and easy delicious grab on my way back to the bed to finish my movie.
While the concept is not new, the fact that it has drummed up a new name keeps, #girldinner, trending on the socials, and I am here for it. I think there is a misconception that girl dinners have to be dainty or lacking in enough sustenance to maintain a normal diet, but I do not believe that is it at all. The main point here is that you can eat what you want, no matter how small or big. Small appetites can yield small bites like a pickle and a smoked sausage or two tortillas filled with melted cheese. Big appetites can yield a plethora of non sensical add ons like hashbrowns, toast and jelly, dips or spreads with fruits and veggies, macaroni and hot dogs topped with ketchup, or a lazy sushi situation. It is a casual way of enjoying our snacks in place of a meal.
Cabbage boils. Dumpling lasagna. Viral dishes are taking the culinary world into a deliciously creative explosion of re-imagined dishes. Concepts like taking a whole cabbage, slowly roasting it in seafood boil seasonings, garlic and butter until tender and succulent are crashing the internet. Whoever thought up the cabbage boil, onion boil and egg boil masterpieces, have truly upped the ante, challenging even the pickiest eaters to partake in these creative spins.
Hands down, one of the most amazing dishes that I call my favorite, are soup dumplings. Not those imitation, store bought knockoffs, but the ones that are made fresh in the restaurants. My first experience tasting soup dumplings was in Chinatown in Philly, and when I say, heaven in my mouth, that is an understatement. The whole act of picking up the soup dumpling on my spoon, breaking it open a little with my chopsticks, (make sure to blow before you taste because the broth is piping hot) then slurping up the most amazing broth, and finally devouring that dumpling, this experience was golden. I love soup dumplings!
So, when the TikTok dropped with the title “Dumpling Lasagna,” I was immediately intrigued. I know! Let me break it down for you. This recipe takes ground meat of your choice. I prefer pork, pork/beef mixture, or even pork and shrimp, but again, it is personal preference. Add grated garlic, grated ginger, soy sauce or tamari, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar, salt, green onions, ground pepper, chopped cabbage, corn starch and egg, oyster sauce, and a little chicken bouillon to the meat. Mix well and set aside.
Next, we introduce dumpling wrappers or wonton wrappers to the party, which can be purchased at your local grocery store in the freezer section. We are going to layer this like a lasagna, a little sesame seed oil on the baking dish or in the mini ramekins if you are doing individuals. Layer, dumpling wrapper, meat mixture, dumpling wrapper, meat mixture, until filled, making sure to end at top with dumpling wrapper. Then, a little water or broth on top to create that soup dumpling aesthetic. These are steamed, varying based on how big the dish is, but until the filling is cooked through. The finished dumpling lasagna is topped with some chili crisp, green onions and sesame seeds to taste, and Voila! When I say, this is so delicious, comforting and so filling, and will be a perfect recipe to add to your fall comfort line up. Enjoy.
This is a public service announcement: We have all been eating ramen wrong. Yes, as a teenager and in college, this was a quick after school snack or an easy filling meal. We would just follow the recipe on the pack. Boil water, add noodles, cook to desired doneness, and add the seasoning pack. No complaints here. It was a meal.
Yet, we never knew, or rather, were oblivious to the fact that we could add a protein, some veggies, a little sesame seeds and green onions and make a complete dish. Ramen is a complete culinary experience, and when I say it is, viral 2.0, that is putting it lightly. From the classic instant ramen to spicy Buldak ramen, there is no end to the delicious ramen hacks that have taken social media by storm.
Think rotisserie chicken, shrimp, shaved beef, pork carnitas, andouille sausage or even a boiled egg to add protein. Sliced corn cobs, broccoli, carrots, cabbage or green onions to add a veggie pop. Now get creative, maybe add a slice of cheese, jalapeños, french fried onions, sesame seeds, kimchi, mozzarella, mushrooms, bean sprouts, snap peas, seaweed, roasted red peppers, soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, hot sauce, or any fun add on you have a taste for.
People are literally out here creating ramen noodle bars for their family style food nights. This way, everyone can enjoy their ramen the way they would like. The options are endless, making ramen with add-ins a game changer. I know somewhere our Asian counterparts are finally happy that the world is realizing that there is way more to the simple instant ramen noodle that we have all become so accustomed to, but I am so very happy that we have finally joined the party.
In short, social media is boosting food culture around the world. It is imparting creative fusion, refreshing revamps and pushing the culinary world into new territory. While all viral food sensations are not a hit, there are a definitive amount that are causing the world to dive in and get deliciously creative in ways that are bringing us all a little closer. Through food and flavor, the spread of culture and a deeper respect for the ingredients that make us uniquely us.
Dumpling lasagna recipe
Ingredients:
For the layers:
12-15 dumpling wrappers or wonton wrappers
2 tablespoons water for each ramekin
For the pork filling:
12 ounces ground pork (350g)
1 cup napa cabbage finely chopped (100g)
2 green onions finely chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or mirin
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 tablespoons cold water
For serving:
Sliced green onions
Sesame seeds
Chili oil adjust to preference
Directions:
Mix the filling. Grab a large mixing bowl and combine the ground pork with chopped cabbage, green onions, minced garlic and fresh ginger. Add the cornstarch, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and Shaoxing wine. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour in the cold water and mix everything together until it looks completely combined. The mixture should feel slightly sticky but not wet.
Make sure water only comes halfway up the ramekin sides when steaming. Too much water can make the dumplings soggy. Use ground pork with at least 15-20% fat for the juiciest results.
Start layering. Take your first ramekin and add one spoonful of the pork filling to the bottom. Press it down gently so it’s flat. Place a wonton wrapper directly on top of the filling. The wrapper should cover most of the filling but doesn’t need to be perfect.
Continue building layers. Add another spoonful of filling on top of the first wrapper. Press down gently again. Add another wrapper. Keep going until you have three layers of filling and three layers of wrappers. The ramekin should be almost full but not overflowing.
Before you add the final wrapper on top, pour 2 tablespoons of water into each ramekin. This creates steam inside the ramekin and gives you that soupy, juicy texture. Cover with one last wonton wrapper to seal everything in. Press the edges down slightly.
Fill a large pot with water so it comes halfway up the sides of your ramekins. Place the ramekins in the pot. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Turn the heat to low-medium and steam for 20 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when the pork is cooked through and the wrappers look translucent and soft.
Carefully remove the ramekins from the pot using tongs or a kitchen towel (they’ll be hot!). Drizzle chili oil over the top of each one. Sprinkle with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve them straight from the ramekin while they’re still steaming hot.
