Dick LEE - Balanced Diet 3 2 1 You may not know what is meant by "Balanced Diet 3 2 1". It means that the ratio of grains and cereals, vegetables and meat for a balanced diet should be 3 to 2 to 1. "Grains and cereals" is the category that we should eat more. Carbohydrates in grains and cereals are the main source of energy. Vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals and dietary fibres and we should eat moderate. Meat mainly provides protein to the body and we should eat less. A healthy meal should mainly be comprised of vegetables and some meat. Lean meat, fish and skinned poultry are better choices. Pan-fried dumplings with Chinese chive and egg is a dish with more vegetables and less meat. In holidays, family members may prepare and eat healthy dumplings together and enjoy the happy and harmonious moment. Pan-fried dumplings with Chinese chive and egg Ingredients: Chinese chive 1 catty (about 650 g) Egg 4 pieces Dumpling sheet 1/2 catty (about 325 g) Salt 1 1/2 teaspoon Chicken powder 1 teaspoon Light soy sauce 1/2 teaspoon Oil 2 tablespoon Hot water 1/2 cup Method for preparing the fillings: 1. Finely chop Chinese chive into small pieces and marinate them with salt for a while. Drain water by using a sieve. 2. Beat up eggs. Pan-fried egg mixture. Finely chop the fried egg into small pieces when it cools off. 3. Add finely chopped egg, chicken powder, light soy sauce and oil in the finely chopped Chinese chive. Mix well and set aside. Method for wrapping dumplings: 1. Place 1 teaspoon of fillings in the middle of each dumpling sheet. 2. Fold the dumpling sheet diagonally into a half moon shape. 3. Knead the edge of the dumpling sheet. 4. Gently knead the edge of the dumpling sheet with the finger to make sure that the edge is properly closed. Method for pan-frying dumplings: 1. Warm a big pan over medium heat. Add a little amount of oil. Place the dumplings on the pan one after one. Leave some space between the dumplings. 2. Without the lid, pan-fry the bottoms of the dumplings until they turn slightly brown. Add 1/2 cup of hot water along the side of the pan. 3. Put the lid on the pan. Warm over medium heat until the water in the pan has been completely absorbed by the dumplings. Reduce heat to low and lift the lid. Pan-fry the bottoms of the dumplings until they turn golden brown and crispy. 4. Turn off the heat. Carefully remove dumplings from the pan and place them on a dish. Serve. Tips: 1. It is quite difficult to prepare dumpling sheets by stirring flour. Therefore, I suggest to use ready-made dumpling sheets. 2. Ready-made dumpling sheets may be too dry to knead. You may soak a little water on your fingers and apply the water to the edge of the dumpling sheets before kneading. By doing so, the edges can stick together more easily. 3. Meat or seafood fillings can be stored in the freezer of the refrigerator for 20 minutes before being used. By doing so, the juice can be frozen and the boiled dumplings will become juicy. 4. The method for wrapping dumplings mentioned above is a simple one. The said method is more appropriate for preparing pan-fried dumplings. 5. To make pan-fried dumplings more delicious, you may add a little vinegar, or soy sauce mixed with minced garlic.