Are you a fan of easy recipes that you can transform into freezer meals? If you are, then this malunggay pesto dumpling recipe is definitely for you. Planning and preparing meals ahead of time can help save time, and reinforce healthy eating habits.

I have a mnemonic that can help you build healthier habits. These are the 3S’s of Healthy Habits: Small, Simple, and Sustained. Make sure the habits are SMALL enough that they don’t seem daunting. Make the changes SIMPLE to help them become the easier choice to pick. Lastly, make those healthy habits SUSTAINED by doing them in the long term.

Creating healthy habits is easier when the habit becomes the “simpler” choice. Oftentimes, when we are stressed or pressed for time, we turn to fast foods or unhealthy food choices as we stress eat. These become our default choices because they are the “simpler” choice at that moment; but what if choosing healthier food becomes a no-brainer? What if these healthy meals are just a quick reheat away?

Having pre-cooked and frozen meals are a time-saver for those busy days, or when you just wanna eat something delicious and filling without all the fuss of preparing a meal from scratch.

This Malunggay Pesto Dumpling Recipe is simple, stores well in the freezer, and is versatile enough to work with other ingredients. In this recipe, the pesto is used as a filling, but it can still be used as a pasta sauce, a dip, or even as a flavoring ingredient such as in marinades or fried rice.

Malunggay is known in English as Moringa. It is locally accessible, nutritious, and very easily incorporated into so many recipes. Other local leafy greens that you can substitute for this recipe includes amaranth (kulitis), sweet potato tops (kamote leaves), or water spinach (kangkong).

Eating more green leafy vegetables. Has numerous health benefits. They are packed with vitamins and minerals; plus they are high in fiber but low in calories. This can help reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease, hypertension, and elevated blood sugar. Malunggay rises above the rest as the World Health Organization (WHO) is promoting it as a low cost helth enhancer in poor countries across the globe! 100grams of Malunggay provides roughly the same mount of calcium as 8 ounces of milk, and roughly the same amount of protein as an egg.

Pesto is traditionally made with fresh basil, which in itself areas has plenty of benefits including being rich in antioxidants. Adding malunggay to pesto provides a more affordable and more nutritious pesto sauce.

Try this recipe out, freeze the extra portions, and help your future self make healthy eating the “simpler” choice!

INGREDIENTS:
Dumpling Wrappers (can be store-bought or homemade)
Malunggay Pesto
Water (to seal dumplings)

 

Malunggay Pesto:
1 cup malunggay leaves
1 cup sweet basil leaves
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 garlic cloves
2 pcs calamansi
4 Tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste
 

HOW TO MAKE:

  1. Remove malunggay and basil leaves from their stalks.
  2. Add malunggay leaves, sweet basil leaves, walnuts, garlic, calamansi juice, and olive oil into a food processor. Bled until you achieve a smooth consistency. Season with salt to taste.
  3. Put a teaspoon of malunggay pesto mix into the middle of each dumpling, seal the ends with some water, and fold your dumpling.
  4. Cook the dumplings by boiling, steaming or frying.
  5. Freeze the extra dumplings to enjoy at a later time.

Servings: 2 to 3