Crispy Rice Paper Dumplings

A friend posted on social media about making "Crispy Rice Paper Dumplings" (El Mundo Eats) and they looked tasty, so I gave them a whirl. I pre-cooked fresh button mushrooms rather than using dried shiitakes, and I threw in a small amount of lemongrass that was languishing in my produce drawer. Most importantly, I skipped the meat, since I am largely vegetarian for environmental reasons.

The Guardian's "Down to Earth" newsletter this week offered reminders about why it's a smart move to forego meat (and other food products from livestock). For example, "in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, even the best beef is seven times worse than the worst tofu," wrote Damian Carrington. By "best" and "worst" he was referring to the degree of sustainability in the way the food is produced and transported.

So, bypass the meat. My dumplings were plenty flavorful without it. 

They were, in fact, as good as they looked in my friend's post, but my hesitation with this recipe is that all that oil can't be good for us. I cook fried rice frequently, with a lot of the same ingredients as those in the dumpling recipe, and both dishes are a great way to use up small quantities of random leftover veggies (food waste is also an environmental problem). But despite its name, the fried rice uses a lot less oil. Rather than an everyday choice, I intend to think of the dumplings as a treat to serve guests, especially because it's got kid-friendly flavor and it's free of gluten, dairy, and nuts. 

I haven't posted since Valentine's Day, but you should know that 1) I dressed for the occasion, as always, and 2) I made these "Red Velvet Cookies With White Chocolate Chunks" (NYT Cooking; subscription required). I was sadly underwhelmed by their taste, but they looked very fetching.