Wontons are surprisingly easy to make and while most are filled with meat, you can make them vegan using countless flavor combinations.
Tofu: Take your drained tofu and transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Mash with a fork or tear with your fingers until it's in small crumbs. Set aside.
Vegetables: You can finely mince the vegetables but it will take longer than using a mini food processor. The instructions here call for the use of one.
Roughly cut the carrots, shallot and ginger (if you haven't grated it in a Microplane) in pieces then toss along with the garlic cloves into a food processor. Pulse a few times until the mixture is minced. You want small, distinguishable pieces and not a paste.
Preheat a medium skillet over medium high heat and add two tablespoons of olive oil. Once hot, add the minced vegetable mixture and cook for about three minutes, stirring occasionaly so it doesn't burn.
Using your processor again (you don't have to clean it), toss the mushrooms in and pulse until they're also in small pieces. Add to the vegetables in the pan along with the garlic powder, onion powder, mushroom seasoning (if using), soy sauce, salt and pepper. Add more olive oil if it's too dry. You can use the smaller amounts called for in the ingredient list and add more to taste when you combine the filling components. Continue to cook, stirring occasionaly until fragrant and you see some of the mushroom pieces start to show some golden color. This will take three to four minutes. Turn off the heat and add to the crumbled tofu.
Using the food processor again, add the cabbage and pulse a few times until shredded. Add to the tofu-vegetable mixture along with the chopped scallions. Toss until well combined and add the sesame oil. Taste for adjustments to the seasonings until you're happy. You can add more salt, soy sauce, garlic or onion powder or sesame oil.
Take a wonton wrapper and fill with about one teaspoon of filling. Moisten all four sides of the wrapper with water using your finger then fold one half over the filling, creating a triangle (see pictures). Gently press around the filling to push out any air pockets stuck in the wrapper and seal the edges. Then fold the two sides of the triangle together, pinching to seal again. It helps to dab a little water on the edges to seal. Repeat until you've used all your wrappers and filling. Tip: to keep the wrappers from drying out, cover the filled wontons and wrappers with a kitchen towel as you wrap.
Bring a pot of water to a boil then slide in the prepared wontons in the pot. The cooked wontons will float to the top when they're done, about three to four minutes. (A soft, rolling boil is better to keep the wontons from tearing.) When done, take a slotted spoon and fish them out of the pot and transfer to a plate. You can serve them Sichuan style as pictured with chili oil, soy sauce and vinegar, topped with more scallions.
For the prepared (uncooked) wontons you won't use the same day arrange them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag to use later.
For fried wontons you can prepare the mixture and fill the wrappers the same way. Fold them only once for the triangle shape then fry them for one to two minutes on each side.
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