Turkey Pot Stickers with Orange Chili Dipping Sauce

To assemble the pot stickers:
1. Place the thawed spinach into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. Push the spinach against the sides of the strainer to squeeze as much water as possible out of it. Further chop the spinach with a sharp knife, to mince; momentarily set aside.
2. Then, combine ground turkey, spinach, orange zest, grated onion, eggs, soy sauce, garlic powder, and sesame oil in a large bowl. Knead the meat mixture until well combined. This is the filling for the pot stickers.
3. Remove the wonton wrappers from the package, and set them onto a clean cutting board.
4. Place a cup of water onto the cutting board.
5. Take one wonton wrapper, and scoop 1 teaspoon of the filling and deposit it near the center of the wrapper.
6. Dip an index finger into the water, and run it along the edges of the wrapper to moisten.
7. Pick up one corner of the wrapper, pulling it over the filling, and to the opposite corner of the wrapper, forming a triangle. Press the edges of the triangle to seal.
8. Place the finished pot sticker onto a clean plate. Continue filling, folding, and sealing each wonton wrapper until all of the filling and wrappers have been used. I usually get about 60 pot stickers out of the recipe.

For the dipping sauce:
9. Whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, orange juice, and minced garlic in a small bowl until combined.
10. Add a few dashes of chili oil, and if using it, add a pinch of red pepper flakes. Stir.
11. Set sauce aside while cooking the pot stickers. (Stir before serving.)

To cook the pot stickers:
12. Preheat the oven to the “warm” setting. (Usually about 170 degrees F.) Line a baking sheet with a wire cooling rack; set aside.
13. Place a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. (12-inch or larger skillets work well)
14. Pour 2 teaspoons of olive oil into the skillet.
15. Working in batches, arrange the pot stickers in the pan, close together, but not touching. Increase the heat to medium-high, and cook until the bottoms are golden brown. (About 2-3 minutes). Watch carefully to ensure the pot stickers don’t burn. Adjust heat, if needed.
16. Turn the pot stickers over, and continue to heat until the other side is golden brown, and filling is cooked through. (About 3 more minutes).
17. Transfer cooked pot stickers to the prepared baking sheet, and tent with foil. Place the baking sheet in the oven to keep warm.
18. Continue to sauté the rest of the pot stickers, until done, adding more olive oil as necessary.
19. Serve immediately with the orange-chili dipping sauce.

NOTES: This recipe makes about 12 dozen pot stickers. Cooked pot stickers can be frozen up to 3 months. Just allow them to cool completely before layering them between sheets of waxed paper and placing them in a freezer container. Recipe may also be halved. Pot stickers are great as an appetizer, or make it a meal by serving alongside cooked jasmine rice, and steamed vegetables.