Dim Sum for Dinner

On some of my trips to the Asian market, I get a little carried away in the frozen aisle. The frozen aisle, you ask? I know...I'm all about fresh veggies and just-cut meats, freshly caught fish and locally-made condiments. However, sometimes, it's nice to steam up some dumplings and enjoy a little Asian fare in the comfort of our own home! I've made dumplings from scratch, and they are delicious...but it takes quite a bit of time. Tonight, I got creative with what I found in my freezer, fridge and pantry - tomorrow, I will be grocery shopping.

I've talked about dim sum before, but for those of you who missed that post, dim sum (usually served as brunch/lunch) is the definition of instant gratification. When you enter a dim sum establishment, you are escorted to a table, and left with a blank check. Carts come around the room, toting their many different flavors and textures, and you take what you want. As you gather dumplings, sticky rice, and spring rolls, your blank check gets filled with stamps equivalent to the price of each plate you take for your table!

Once in awhile, I like to plan a little dim sum of my own. I don't have a cart, and I'm sure not going to roll it around, but I love to pile a plate high with different dumplings, shumai, sticky rice, and bao...all steamed straight from my freezer! Tonight, I also used up some broth from the fridge to make a little egg drop soup. I added some scallions to the broth, swirled in some beaten eggs and served that up with all the delicious dim sum delicacies. I also made a few dipping sauces: one with soy, ginger and scallions; the other with hoisin and Sriacha sauce.

My eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach this time around ... but everything was delicious - and dim sum is all about sampling a little bit of a lot of different things. Mission accomplished!