A Delicious Dumpling Feast The Whole Family Can Help Make

Gathering to eat with friends and family is a wonderful thing, and having everyone chip in to help get dinner on the table adds to the experience. Cooking together is one of my favourite screen-free ways to spend time with people I love.

This all-hands-on-deck dinner party draws everyone together to get a multi-course meal on the table quickly—no dish takes longer than 30 minutes. Dumplings, stir-fried noodles, a cucumber salad, a cocktail (or mocktail) and even dessert can be assembled at the same time, with no competing for stovetop or oven space. Dessert can bake as you sit down to eat. Cheers to more family gatherings—in the kitchen and around the table.

 Jiaozi (Chinese Dumplings) with Dipping Sauce

Dumplings are a perfect dish to make when you have extra hands around to fill and pinch. Set up an assembly line at the kitchen table with round or square wrappers, a bowl of filling and a small dish of water to help seal the dumplings. Jiaozi have been one of my son’s favourite dishes since he was little, and as he grew up, we often assembled dumplings at the kitchen table after school. There are so many ways to shape square and round dumpling wrappers, which are inexpensive to buy at most grocery stores. Ground pork is a common protein for jiaozi, but you could use ground turkey, shrimp or tofu, too. Get this dumpling recipe.

Boiled dumplings: Lower dumplings into a pot of gently boiling water. Boil until they float to the surface, then continue to cook until filling feels firm, about 1 more min.

Potstickers: Heat a pan over medium-high and coat with canola oil. Add dumplings in one layer. Cook until bottoms are golden. Pour 1⁄2 cup water into pan. Cook, covered, about 5 min. Remove lid and sim- mer until water has evaporated.

Creamy Cucumber Cilantro Salad

A crunchy cucumber salad is a perfect pairing for noodles and dumplings, and tiny English cucumbers can be sliced in a way that makes them open up like accordions—a method that took off on TikTok and Instagram last year. You could toss them with a batch of the dumpling dipping sauce, adding a few extra tablespoons of oil, or drizzle over this creamy cilantro-jalapeno dressing, which is a great way to make use of that wilting half bunch of cilantro in your crisper—even if it’s just the stems. Get this cucumber salad recipe.

Stir  Fried Noodles with Veggies and Crispy Tofu

A stir-fry is a simple and versatile dish that can be made with any number of veggies. Prep everything in advance—once you start, it comes together quickly. Get this stir-fried noodles recipe.

Five  Spice Roasted Apples with Spiced Whipped Cream

Roasted apples are a simple dessert and will make your house smell wonderful when you slide them into the oven before sitting down to dinner. If you don’t have five-spice powder, substitute with cinnamon or another warm-spice blend—or make a mix of your own. Get this roasted apples recipe.

Mango  Ginger Gin Sling

A refreshing cocktail that can easily be made boozy or not is perfect for gatherings with kids and those who prefer non-alcoholic drinks. This gingery sweet-tart sling can be made in large batches by the pitcher for a group of people. Get this gin sling recipe.