09 Feb Chinese Lunar New Year
Chinese Lunar New Year
Image by Humphrey Muleba
Chinese Lunar New Year is a Spring Festival with more than 4,000 years of history and is the longest and most important holiday of the year in Chinese culture. It is a time of celebration, to welcome the new year with a smile and let the fortune and happiness continue on. At the same time, this festive time involves ceremonies to wish for a good harvest. Celebrations last up to 16 days. Families get together on Chinese New Year’s Eve to celebrate. Children receive a red envelope with money as a symbol of the elders passing on a year of good fortune and blessings.
At my organic kitchen we have a tradition of celebrating Chinese Lunar New Year. We decorate our house with red decorations and lanterns. We prepare a Chinese banquet and always invite family or close friends to celebrate with us. This year we’d love to invite you! And what better way than sharing one of my Chinese recipes.
We will be serving this chicken dish with white rice, steamed dumplings, a vegetable stir-fry (check my recipe in this blog) and almond or fortune cookies for dessert. Did you know that Fortune cookies do not exists in China? In fact, they were invented in San Francisco and I’ve been lucky to visit the factory!
Would you like to join us for our Chinese inspired banquet?
Chicken Stir-Fry with Broccoli & Mushrooms
I created this recipe for a Chinese inspired birthday cooking party. It is now one of my daughter’s favourite meal!
Ingredients (Serves 4)
500gr (1.1 lb) chicken thigh fillets, cubed into bite sizes
1 head of broccoli (florets only)
½ cup dry mushrooms soaked in hot water, drained and sliced
2 garlics finely chopped or grated
2cm (4”) piece fresh ginger, or 1 Tablespoon paste
2 whole scallions (green / spring onions) finely sliced
2 Tablespoons oil
Sesame seeds
Marinade
2 Tablespoons Tamari or Soy sauce
¼ cup oyster sauce
2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons Mirim (Japanese rice wine)
2 Tablespoons Chinese rice wine (or Sherry)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Mix all sauces to make the marinade
Add 2 Tablespoons of the marinade over the chicken, coat well and let rest while you prepare the rest of the ingredients
Heat 1 Tablespoon of oil in a wok, or heavy bottom saucepan, over medium- high heat Stir-fry the chicken for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until all the juices are dissolved and it’s slightly brown. You can do this in batches. Reserve for later
Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the remaining oil and stir-fry the garlic and ginger until fragrant
Add broccoli and cook for 1 minute, followed by the mushrooms, and cook for 1 more minute
Increase heat to medium-high, add the marinade, toss through and cook for 2 more minutes
Add the chicken and scallions to the wok, mix well and cook for 2 extra minutes
Taste for seasoning and sprinkle with sesame seeds
You can add fresh chilli for some extra heat.
Enjoy! Xin nian kuai le (Happy Lunar New Year!)
Check my cookbook for more Asian inspired recipes
Share with friends and family and don’t forget to share your photos and tag me 🙂
Leave your comments, I will be happy to read them and reply!
I hope my recipes and stories inspire your to EAT WELL AND BE HAPPY!
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