steamed dumplings recipes?

Bumpity bump! I LOVE Steamed dumplings, but I don't know how to make them, either!

Alton Brown's Vegetarian Steamed Dumplings:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/vegetarian-steamed-dumplings-recipe/index.html

My go-to filling is a package of ground turkey (usually comes in 1.25 lbs.), diced napa cabbage (a whole, small head ... be sure to chop the stems really finely), diced ginger (about a quarter cup), diced green onions (one bunch, however they come bundled at the store), several drizzles of soy sauce (I estimate it's about 3 tbsp, but I use the low-sodium version, so YMMV), and a drizzle of sesame oil (maybe 1 tbsp?). Mix it all together and fill.

However, the turkey does make the dumplings a bit drier. You can add a tbsp or two of cornstarch to help with that if you want to stay with a healthier meat. The best option is to use ground pork instead of the turkey (plus it's traditional) or a combination of the pork/turkey because the fat will give the dumplings flavor and keep the meat filling juicy and tender. However, I often have a hard time finding ground pork at the grocery stores here (they often only grind one type of meat due to contamination issues, and of course beef rules the roost here).

Also, if you use the napa cabbage, you SHOULD boil it first, then drain and let it cool so that it doesn't leach water into your filling and turn your wrappers soggy. However, since I usually immediately freeze my dumplings and/or dump them in boiling water anyway for immediate cooking/consumption, I usually skip this step. It's up to you.

Sorry, I don't have a vegetarian version -- I'm a hearty meat-eater.

Tofu, shiitake and garlic chive is a good vegetarian filling.

Mash 1 pk tofu, add chopped shiitake mushroom (3-5 mushrooms) and chopped chives (1 bunch) to this mix. Season with a little sesame oil if you like (but not much!). you'll probably be serving these with a soy dipper, so in this case, leave out any soy or salt (if you're concerned about sodium!). Garlic and ginger is also nice to add.

For meateaters, add (around the same quantity as the tofu) minced / ground beef, pork, veal or chicken to this mixture.

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