Tri-Color Kreplach

(Click the picture for a larger image)

This is an original recipe, conceived and copyrighted by me (and still in development), and has been featured on film (watch me now on YouTube). As always, my goal is to make dishes that are heimish but healthy, and this recipe takes on a classic dish, the kreplach, and fills it to bursting with healthy ingredients, without compromising anything on the magnificent flavor that kreplach is known for.

Kreplach is a traditional Eastern European dumpling, usually filled with some kind of seasoned meat, and is served most often in soups or fried with some sauce. And you probably also know that tricolor means just what it sounds like, three colors. My recipe simplifies and shakes up the flavor of the kreplach filling (we won't do any searing or onion chopping), and provides an easy ready-made wrapping dough that you can buy in any supermarket. These will look and taste, however, like the most fantastic, summer-licious Kreplach you've ever had.

Wonton wrappers (I use Nasoya Brand Wonton wrap, which are OU-pareve)
1 cup butternut squash, sliced into medium sticks
1 cup peeled carrots or 1 cup red bell pepper, sliced into medium sticks
1 cup oven roasted turkey, sliced into medium sticks
3/4 cup fresh spinach, sliced into ribbons
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
1/2 tsp red curry powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp minced onion
1 whisper cayenne pepper
1 tsp Hungarian paprika
1/2 tsp salt
pasterized egg wash (I use Egg Beaters, OK certified)
2 tbsp vegetable oil

In a frying pan, saute your garlic with the sliced squash and carrots/peppers, not too long, just on a medium-high heat until they get a bit of color (under 3 minutes, but if you are using carrots, make sure they have softened). Add all your spices, give it a gentle mix, and then remove the veggies from the pan. Don't throw away the pan just yet. Dump your sliced turkey in your pan that is coated with your olive oil and spice mixture and soak up all those spices. Remove from pan and get ready to make wontons.

Take your wonton wrapper and stack one each of squash, carrot, and turkey, and then put a few ribbons of spinach on top and around. Close up your wonton with egg wash, and immediately take another wrapper and wrap your original. This is to build a thick kreplach skin and it ensure that none of your filling escapes! Make sure all your wontons are pinched and sealed tightly with egg wash.

Now, you can boil these up, in about three minutes, just until they float to the top of the water, and then serve them in soup. But this time, I fried them up and will serve them as a delicious appetizer for Shabbat dinner.

To fry them up, like I did in the picture, heat some vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is very hot, place your wontons in (presentation-side down is best), and fry until golden (under 3 minutes). A nice appetizer size would be three kreplach, on a bed of greens, cabbage salad or rice noodles. If you cut them in half to show all your hard work (like I did), you will really impress everyone!