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CHICKEN & CABBAGE WONTONS 
for BC Living “From Scratch” Column

Everyone is starting to gather again, and the prospect of BBQ parties and park potlucks are super tempting. Finger food where everyone can take their own individual portions is a smart way to go, and sure, you could go to the frozen food section and pick up some generic flavourless appies, but it’s super easy to make some from scratch, and you can put whatever you’d like in them. 
 
These are easy to modify to be vegetarian by switching out the chicken for more veggies or crumbled tofu. And to make it vegan, make another binder to use in lieu of the egg white. The sweet and sour sauce on the side cools them nicely, or you can go for a spicier dipping sauce. 
Plus, you can bake them, so they’re healthier than their fried counterparts. 

 
Makes ~24 (but can be doubled) 

INGREDIENTS 
 
- wonton wrappers 
- 1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded 
- 1 small carrot, peeled and shredded 
- ½ cup cabbage, shredded 
- ¼ cup of water chestnuts, chopped finely 
- 2 green onions, finely diced 
- 1 clove garlic, minced 
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced 
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium) 
- 1 egg white 
- sweet & sour sauce for dipping 
 

INSTRUCTIONS 
 
Finely dice your cooked chicken breast (can pulse in a food processor to make it even easier), and place in a bowl. 
 
Add shredded carrot and cabbage, chopped water chestnuts, green onions, and mix. Then add the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and egg white, and stir until evenly distributed. 
Preheat the oven to 425 or 450 degrees (if your oven runs hot, choose the lower setting). 
 
Lay out the wonton wrappers and place 2 tsp of the mix into the center. Get a small bowl of water for sealing them and set it next to the wontons. Dip your finger in the water and wet the edges of the wontons, and then roll them into logs, sealing the edge, and pinching the sides until they are closed. 

Repeat until the mix is used up. Cover the wontons as you finish them so they don’t dry out. 
You can also freeze them at this stage by placing them on a parchment paper lined tray and freezing for about 30 mins, and then place in an air-tight freezer bag to bring out when you want to cook them. 
 
Place finished logs on a greased baking sheet, and spray with cooking spray on the top (or lightly brush with oil). 
Bake for 10-15 minutes – you'll have to watch to make sure you don’t burn them, but you want them to be nice and toasty brown, a bit of a bubble and crisp to them. 
 
Plate and serve with dipping sauce – optionally top with some sesame seeds or green onions. 

If cooking from the freezer, they may need some extra time, so use the low setting so the insides have enough time to thaw and heat up, and the outsides can cook properly. 
 
ENJOY! 
 

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Spinach and Artichoke Dip – But Make It Vegan
for Environment911.org

I love a good spinach and artichoke dip and miss sharing some with my friends. This one is easily sharable if you bring plates and a serving spoon and everyone can choose their own dipping materials. 

Usually, this dish is full of cheese and dairy, but using white kidney beans as the base and tapioca starch to keep it together, you won't even know it’s dairy-free.  

Serves 6-8 (approx.) 
 
INGREDIENTS: 

- 1 large onion chopped 
- 1 tbsp olive oil 
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced (more or less doesn't hurt, it's all preference) 
- about 6 cups of baby spinach or kale (or combo of both) 
*- 1/2 cup of soaked raw cashews 
- 3/4 cup of almond milk 
- 1 tsp lemon juice 
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar 
- salt & pepper 
- 1 tsp onion powder 
- 1/2 tsp dried basil 
- 2 tbsp of tapioca starch 
- 1 395mL can of white kidney beans 
- 1 can of artichokes (in water, not oil), drained 
- 3-4 tbsp of nutritional yeast, additional for sprinkling on top 
 
- veggies, pita, corn chips to dip 
 

INSTRUCTIONS: 

*Soak cashews overnight, or for a least 3-4 hrs, or for an hour in boiling water* 

Preheat oven to 425. 

Sauté chopped onions in olive oil in a pan over medium heat for a few minutes until soft and translucent. Add in garlic and stir. 

In batches add in the spinach or kale and stir until it wilts (I used a lid to help this along), until all of the greens have been added and they have wilted. Take off the heat and set aside. 

In a blender or food processor, add the drained cashews and blend until broken down. 

In a small bowl add some of the almond milk to the tapioca starch to dissolve it then add it and another 1/4 cup of the almond milk to the blender with the cashews, along with the apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, salt & pepper, onion powder, dried basil and 2 tbsp of the nutritional yeast. Blend until smooth adding some almond milk if needed. 

Next toss in the kidney beans and the artichokes, as well as the remaining almond milk, and again blend until smooth. You can add a bit more milk if required, but try not to make it soupy! 

Pour the processed mixture into a baking dish, then stir in the remaining nutritional yeast, and fold in the greens-onion-and-garlic until it's evenly distributed in the dish. 

Sprinkle the top with some more nutritional yeast and you have the option to drizzle some olive oil on the top too. 

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until bubbling, and starting to brown. Switch oven to broil to get a nice toasty layer on the top should only take about 3-5 minutes, just watch it closely. 

Carefully remove and let stand for a few minutes, and then serve with whatever sides you'd like! 

 

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