If making potstickers sounds like you need some special slight of hand (they’re supposed to stick to the pot?!), get ready to show your child a little kitchen magic: When you place the potstickers in a lightly oiled pan—and resist the urge to stir them around—they start adhering to the pan and forming a crispy outer crust. After a few minutes, you pour in some water, get a poof of vapor—and presto!—the potstickers magically come unstuck and finish cooking in a quick steam bath.

Directions

Child: Twist and pull the stems off each of the mushrooms, being careful not to tear any of the mushroom caps, or they’ll be harder for your parent to slice.

Parent: Thinly slice the mushroom caps and set aside.

Child: In a small bowl, measure the soy sauce, honey, and sesame oil. Stir with a fork to mix well.

Parent: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the garlic, ginger, and scallions in the safflower oil for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the carrot, cabbage, and mushrooms, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes more.

Parent & child: Add the soy sauce mixture to the pan, mix to combine, and set aside to cool.

Child: Make the dipping sauce. In a medium bowl, measure the soy sauce, honey, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil. Stir well with a fork and set aside.

Parent & child: Prepare an area to fill the potstickers by clearing a work surface or cutting board for the wonton wrappers. Set out a baking sheet, a small bowl of water, and the cooled filling.

Parent & child: Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each wonton wrapper, then fold, pressing the edges together to seal them shut. Place each finished potsticker on the baking sheet and continue with remaining wrappers and filling.
Parent: Once all the potstickers are filled, heat a large skillet to medium-high. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the surface of the skillet with safflower oil, then place as many potstickers as will fit (flat side down) in the pan. Let the potstickers cook for 2 minutes.
Parent: Add ¼ cup of water to the pan (careful, it will get steamy!). Show your child how the water makes the potstickers come unstuck from the pan. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, and let the potstickers cook for another 2 minutes.
Parent: Use a spatula to remove the potstickers from the pan. Wipe out any leftover water in the pan with a kitchen towel, then brush the pan with more oil, and repeat until all of the potstickers are cooked.
Child: Place the dipping sauce in a serving bowl. Serve the potstickers immediately with the dipping sauce.