Chinese New Year-An Asian Inspired Dish

 

• 2024 is the year of the Wood Dragon, starting on February 10th, 2024 (Chinese New Year) and ending on January 28th, 2025 (Chinese New Year's Eve). 
• Symbolic Chinese Foods
  What gives certain food symbolic significance? Sometimes it is based on appearance. For example, serving a whole chicken during the Chinese New Year season symbolizes family togetherness. Noodles represent a long life; an old superstition says that it's bad luck to cut them. Both clams and Spring Rolls symbolize wealth; clams because of their resemblance to bouillon, and Spring Rolls because their shape is similar to gold bars.
  
  On the other hand, a food may have special significance during Chinese New Year because of the way the Chinese word for it sounds. For example, the Cantonese word for lettuce sounds like rising fortune, so it is very common to serve a lettuce wrap filled with other lucky food. Tangerines and oranges are passed out freely during Chinese New Year as the words for tangerine and orange sound like luck and wealth, respectively. And let's not forget pomelos. This large ancestor of the grapefruit signifies abundance, as the Chinese word for pomelo sounds like the word for "to have."
  
  Fish also play a large role in festive celebrations. The word for fish, "Yu," sounds like the words both for wish and abundance. As a result, on New Year's Eve it is customary to serve a fish at the end of the evening meal, symbolizing a wish for abundance in the coming year. For added symbolism, the fish is served whole, with head and tail attached, symbolizing a good beginning and ending for the coming year.
  
  And what about the sweet, steamed cakes that are so popular during the Chinese New Year season? Cakes such as Sticky Rice Cake have symbolic significance on many levels. Their sweetness symbolizes a rich, sweet life, while the layers symbolize rising abundance for the coming year. Finally, the round shape signifies family reunion.
• Be ready this week with some Asian-inspired recipes.
Asian Peanut Noodle Dish with Chicken and Veggies

Cook's Notes: To make this peanut sauce a lighter version, use Better'n Peanut Butter.

It has 85% less fat than regular peanut butter and has 40 percent fewer calories. When used in recipes such as this one it tastes really good. Rice sticks or rice noodles can be found in the Asian section of your supermarket and make this a gluten-free dish. If you can’t find rice noodles, udon noodles or even linguini would work. Or skip the noodles and use spiralized veggies instead (sweet potatoes would be great here).To save time, buy pre-shredded carrots and use a Broccoli Chopped Salad Kit. You will only need half a bag so save dressing and bacon bits found in package to make a salad for another time. Make peanut sauce ahead for easier assembly. It should be at room temperature to use. The recipe was adapted from skinnytaste.com and serves 4.

Ingredients:
For the Peanut Sauce:

• 5 tablespoons Butter'n Peanut Butter or regular creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce, use Tamari for gluten-free
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

For the Chicken:

• 16 oz. chicken breast, cut into thin strips or bite-sized pieces
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sweet chili sauce or sriracha more or less to taste (start out small-taste test)
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce, use Tamari for gluten-free
• 8 oz. stir-fry rice noodles
• 3/4 cup green onion, chopped
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1- 1/4 cups broccoli slaw from package (Broccoli Chopped Salad Kit)
• Optional 1 cup bean sprouts
• 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts
• 1 lime, sliced
• Cilantro for garnish, optional

Directions:

• For the peanut sauce: Combine chicken broth, peanut butter, sriracha, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and 3 cloves crushed garlic in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat stirring occasionally until sauce becomes smooth and well blended, about 5-10 minutes. Set aside.
• Boil water for the noodles to cook according to package instructions. Drain and return the noodles back to the pan to keep warm.
• Season chicken with salt and pepper, sriracha, lime, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce.
• Heat a large skillet or wok until hot. Add oil and sauté chicken on medium heat until cooked through, about 4-5 minutes.
• Add in 2 minced garlic cloves, scallions, carrots, broccoli slaw, and/or bean sprouts. Sauté until tender crisp, about 2-3 minutes.
• Add drained noodles and peanut sauce. Toss and heat through.
• Serve in bowls.