Easy, Delicious Christmas Appetizer: Spicy Wonton with Peanut Sauce

Easy, Delicious Christmas Appetizer: Spicy Wonton with Peanut Sauce - Tired of the same old Christmas party munchies? Why not spice up your holiday with appetizers with a fun and ethnic flair! Below I have listed one of my favorite appetizer choices, both savory to sweet, so your Christmas celebration can really impress your guests. Whether you have to please your parents, your children and their friends, or even your mother-in-law: it's sure to make everyone happy.

Spicy Wontons with Peanut Sauce

Wontons

-1/4 lb ground pork

-1/4 lb ground beef

-3 tbsp finely chopped red bell pepper

-1 tbsp finely chopped green bell pepper

-1 tsp fresh ground ginger root

-1/4 cup finely chopped scallions

-1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

-1/2 tsp black pepper

- 1/2 tsp white pepper

- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

-1/4 cayenne pepper (More if you want it hotter!)

-2 tsp soy sauce

-1 tsp rice wine / mirin

-2 cups of chicken stock

-30 to 40 small wonton wrappers

-1 egg, beaten (Used for sealing edges of wontons)

-Oil for frying (vegetable or your oil of choice)

Combine ground beef and pork, bell peppers, ginger, and scallions in a bowl. Add ginger, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, white pepper, red pepper, cayenne pepper, soy sauce, and rice wine. Mix until everything is well integrated. Set this mixture aside. Cover wonton wrappers with a damp cloth to keep them fresh while you're working. Take one wonton wrapper at a time and brush two edges with the egg. Add approximately a 1/2 teaspoon of the pork/beef mixture into the middle of the wonton wrapper, being careful not to overfill. Fold the edges together, forming a pillow shape. You can get fancy with the shapes if you know how! Press edges firmly to make sure they are sealed. Put filled wontons aside until all of the mixture has been used.

Over medium heat, add a small ammount of vegetable oil to a medium sized pan. Add ten wontons at a time, frying them for two to three minutes - just long enough to brown them on one side. Resist the urge to check on them and move them around as they fry, or they won't brown properly. Once you have browned the wontons, add 1/2 cup of chicken stock and turn the heat to low. Simmer the wontons for another three minutes before removing them to a heatproof platter which you can use to keep them warm in the oven until all of the wontons have been cooked.

Peanut Sauce

-1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

-1/4 cup of smooth peanut butter

-2 tsp fresh minced ginger root

-1 tsp brown sugar

-2 tsp soy sauce

-2 tbsp fresh lime juice

-1 tsp minced garlic

-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

The easiest way to create this smooth, tasty sauce is using a food processor. All ingredients should be added together and blended until smooth. Add more spice to suit your own tastes. For a sweeter sauce, use coconut cream instead of coconut milk. Pop your sauce into the microwave for one minute or until warm. Dip wontons into this sauce, or drizzle it over the top.

Presentation

Place your sauce in a decorative bowl on a platter with your wontons - the spicy and sweet flavors are a perfect combination. You can even garnish your platter with fresh slices of festive red and green bell peppers. The peppers help to show your holiday spirit while offering a secondary delicious and healthy snack that go perfectly with the spicy wontons. Use the peanut sauce to dip the bell peppers or add another bowl of your favorite ranch dressing.