Collard Green Won Tons

When I go to any type of Asian restaurant, whether it is Chinese, Thai or any of the other Pacific Rim cuisines, one of my favorite appetizers to order is fried Wontons.  I was cooking some collard greens and then my mad scientist radar went off and I wondered how collard green Won Tons would taste. I thought it would be a great fusion of flavors to combine Asian and soul food together to come up with...."Tah Dah!" Collard Green Won Tons! I know it sounds like a crazy concoction, but they are DELICIOUS!!!!!  The crunchy wontons and the sweet n spicy dipping sauce is absolutely addictive.

Put a teaspoon of collard green mixture on wonton skin.

Seal the wontons to form a triangle

This is what the finished wontons look like. Don't they look yummy?

 The dipping sauce really puts this delicious wonton over-the-top

Look at the delicious greens on the inside...

Are you ready to make these? Lets Go!

Ingredients

• 1 large smoked turkey wing
• 1 tablespoon seasoning salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon Red Rooster hot sauce (or any spicy full bodied hot sauce)
• 1/2 large bunch collard greens
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• Wonton wrappers as needed
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 8 oz package Softened cream cheese
•  Canola oil or peanut oil for frying

 Directions:

Put red pepper flakes and cream cheese aside.  Add all other seasonings and smoked turkey wing to 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium low and cook for 1 hour.

Add washed and chopped greens to water after 1 hour and cook the greens an additional hour. Cook on medium low for 1 hour. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Drain liquid from greens and put in a bowl. Mix the softened cream cheese and red pepper flakes into greens. You can  keep this completely vegetarian, or you can chop some of the turkey from the smoked turkey wing and add it to the mixture. Either way is absolutely delicious!

To assemble the wontons:

Put a spoonful of the greens mixture in the center of wonton skin and fold into a triangle.  Heat several inches of oil in a pot to 350 degrees. Fry Wontons in batches for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.

Serve immediately with Sweet Thai chili dipping sauce. This is best served right away when piping hot and crispy! If you have any leftover mixture, you can freeze in an airtight container for a few months.

Sweet Thai Chili Dipping Sauce

1 tablespoon Thai Chili Paste (you can find this in the Asian section of your local grocery store)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Let mixture cool before serving.