A Step Beyond Frozen Potstickers

Potsticker and Roasted Pepper Salad

My husband and I are warehouse-store junkies. We love wandering the huge aisles in search of bargains―especially food. More than once, when carried away by a good deal, we’ve found ourselves stuck with a 20-pound bag of the weekly special, and just two of us to eat it. But when the product can be doled out as needed, our inventive spirit is challenged.

One item we depend on for quick dinners and snacks is frozen potstickers. A 3½-pound bag is enough for at least three suppers. But by the end of the second meal, plain potstickers grow a trifle tedious―and there are more still in the bag. How could we make the remainder more interesting?

While judging a salad contest last summer, I came across a refreshing solution. Casa Garden Restaurant in Sacramento presented these Asian dumplings, pan-browned, as a salad. Hot potstickers and roasted peppers, served on a bed of lettuce, are seasoned with a pungent hoisin-ginger dressing. The dish takes minutes to prepare, is perfect as a whole-meal lunch or dinner, and is now the reason we’re buying more potstickers.

MORE SPEEDY IDEAS FOR FROZEN POTSTICKERS

• For soup, drop frozen potstickers into boiling broth seasoned with minced fresh ginger, sliced green onions, and chopped fresh cilantro. 
• For an appetizer, cook potstickers as directed in salad recipe. Serve with this dipping sauce: 1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise mixed with 3 tablespoons mirin or dry sherry and 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard. 
• For a cold salad, cook potstickers as directed in salad recipe. Immerse in cold water to chill quickly; when cold, drain and mix with 1 thawed package (10 oz.) frozen petite peas, 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons grated lemon peel, 1 tablespoon salad oil, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.