Mexican-Inspired Potsickers and Queso

I invented a monstrously delicious dumpling during cook club: the Mexican potsticker. It's like a more refined version of the Totino's cheesy taco pizza roll or a potsticker with a burrito/taco filling. As classy as I'd like to think I am, I've kept it real by dipping it queso. Sure, you can dip it in guacamole and salsa but the queso is a winner.

Here's how it went down:


Dumpling wrapper dough:

Feel free to use store-bought wonton or potsticker wrappers. No one will think less of you. If you are ambitious, make your own dough:

• 2 qt AP flour
• 1/2 cup cilantro and green onion puree (or anything you'd like to puree)
• 2 1/2 cup hot water
• 1 tbsp salt

To make a puree, you just need to throw in a bunch of stuff in a food processor with a little water. A bunch of cilantro and some chopped green onions should work fine in a food processor.
Mix all dry ingredients together first, then add water.

Knead until the dough is smooth and add flour as you roll out in long sheets with a pasta maker. You can cut it up into squares or use a biscuit or cookie cutter to cut rounds.

Dumpling Filling:

• 2 cups ground beef, pork or beef substitute
• Spices - chipotle powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder or taco seasoning - all to taste
• 1 can refried black beans
• 1 small diced onion
• 4-5 diced radishes
• 1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese
• Chopped cilantro to taste
• Diced green onion to taste

For veg people, using soyrizo is great. It's already spicy so you don't need to add very much additional spices.
Sautee the onion until soft, then cook the meat. Season it to your liking with Mexican spices and feel free to add your choice of hot sauce. If you have taco seasoning, you can use it as a shortcut.
Add the refried black beans and cook through.
Let the mixture cool or feel free to refrigerate until you want to complete your cooking. It's easy to prep the filling early.
Mix in the diced radishes, cotija cheese, cilantro and green onion. Some people dislike cilantro or a lot of green onion so taste the filling.

Fill the dumplings and pan sear to cook it. If your wrapper is thick or if your filling was really cold, pour a tablespoon of water into the pan and cover the pan with a lid after searing it on one side.

Queso:

Use whatever queso recipe makes you happy. I found this recipe for queso blanco but couldn't find white American cheese at the two stores I went to. I modified the recipe by using good old Velveeta along with white mild cheddar instead since the Velveeta melts and blends so well. I also dumped it into a crock pot which kept the queso melted and warm.