Asian Lettuce Wraps and Fried Beef Dumplings

I'm on a bit of an Asian and Chinese kick lately. We sometimes try and cook our version of Dim Sum and along with the Pork Egg Roll recipe I posted before, we prepare the following recipes as well.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

1 lb round beef

2" piece ginger, peeled and finely grated

2 scallions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

1/4 cup chopped peanuts

salt and freshly ground black pepper

leaf lettuce

1 head of leaf lettuce, leaves separated, cleaned and dried. In a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the ground beef. Stir in ginger, scallions, garlic, soy sauce, red pepper flakes and hoisin and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in peanut. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm in wrapped lettuce cups.

Fried Beef Dumplings

1/2 lb ground beef

4 scallions, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tbsp low- sodium soy sauce

3 tbsp water, plus 3 tbsp

1 beaten egg

1 package pot sticker wraps

vegetable oil for frying

In a large bowl, place beef, scallions, garlic, 3 tbsp water and soy sauce together. Mix well. Place small spoonfuls of the filling onto the dumpling wrappers. Using your fingers wet edges of the wrappers with egg and "pinch and press" the edges to seal. Heat oil in skillet. place the dumplings into the hot oil; cook undisturbed for 3 minutes. Add 3 tbsp of water and cover pan. Reduce heat to medium and cook until water evaporates, about 5 minutes.