Ten delicious and auspicious reasons (and recipes!) to celebrate the coming Lunar New Year. 
Click for Sue’s Asian Recipe Collection (already posted)
Here is a list of the NEW recipes I am sharing with you today:
Braised Pork Ribs in Chee Hao Sauce
You won’t get this at any takeout. You might wish you had a Chinese grandma to make this for you on a chilly day, or you can become the Chinese grandma yourself and make it for those you love. It is essentially a homestyle Chinese stew, and it’s definitely a food of LOVE.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds bone-in pork country style ribs
- 1 large knob fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thickly
- 5 to 6 cloves garlic, split
- 2 to 4 fresh red Thai chilies
- 1/2 teaspoon five spice powder
- 2 tablespoons chee hau sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 stalk lemongrass
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 pound baby bok choy, cut in half lengthwise
- 8 ounces fresh carrots, roll cut
- 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced (garnish)
- Steamed long grain rice
- Sesame oil
Method
-
Step 1
Season meat with salt and pepper, then sear meat on all sides in a large skillet before placing into a dutch oven.
-
Step 2
Meanwhile, flavor broth by smashing lemongrass and simmering in the broth, which you should season with five spice powder, chee hao sauce, rice wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar.
-
Step 3
Pour broth over meat in the dutch oven, and cover with aromatic vegetables (ginger slices, split garlic cloves).
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Step 4
Cover oven with a tight fitting lid, then braise in an oven at 325F. for 45 minutes.
-
Step 5
Add onion and carrots to pan. Cover dutch oven and braise at 325F for an additional 45 minutes.
-
Step 6
Remove from oven and layer bok choy on top of all of it, replace the cover and bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until bok choy is tender.
-
Step 7
Serve meat and vegetables over steamed rice with a little of the pan liquid (skim off unwanted fat), garnished with sliced scallions and drizzled with toasted sesame oil, if desired.
Grilled Soy-Sesame Asparagus
Grill outdoors or roast in your oven. Simple yet superb!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs fresh asparagus, trimmed
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (3 to 4)
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar or 1 teaspoon Splenda brown sugar blend
Method
-
Step 1
Toss asparagus with other ingredients.
-
Step 2
Grill over coals on a fine-mesh grate until crisp tender, about 7-10 minutes (time will vary with size).
-
Step 3
To cook indoors, bake in a 400F oven for 12 minutes or until cooked the way you like.
Grilled Korean Style Meatballs
These make a great appetizer for entertaining, although you can easily have them as a main dish served with steamed rice, and kimchi on the side. I serve this with ssamjang, a thick sauce/paste which is made from gochujang and some other ingredients to flavor. If you don’t have that, maybe a sweet/sour sauce or pot sticker sauce would do just fine.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/3 cup minced green onion
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
Method
-
Step 1
If you are using wooden skewers, soak them at least an hour beforehand.
-
Step 2
Mix together ground beef, green onions, minced garlic, rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, corn starch, sesame seeds, and sugar together in a bowl.
-
Step 3
Shape meat mixture into 1″ balls.
-
Step 4
Place on large pan and refrigerate for at least an hour to retain shape.
-
Step 5
Prepare grill or heat broiler (I prefer charcoal grill).
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Step 6
Thread 2-3 meatballs per skewer and grill over medium coals 5-6 minutes per side or until juices run clear.
-
Step 7
Serve with ssamjang sauce or sweet/sour or potsticker sauce, if desired.
Korean Spicy Squid Stir-Fry – Ojingeo Bokkeum
Squid is delicious and no problem to make it all if you buy it already cleaned. It cooks in a flash and is perfect for a weeknight Asian meal.
Ingredients
-
Stir-Fry
- 1 pound cleaned squid or calamari
- 1 carrot, julienned
- 1 small red onion, cut into slivers
- 4 scallions, slivered
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
-
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili pepper paste)
- 2 to 3 teaspoons gochugaru (Korean chili pepper flakes)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar or splenda
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Method
-
Step 1
Whisk together sauce ingredients.
-
Step 2
Rinse squid and chop into small bite sized pieces.
-
Step 3
Heat oil in a large skillet and stir-fry onion and carrot until almost tender; add squid, scallions and sauce to pan.
-
Step 4
Cook squid for 1-2 minutes, just until it starts to curl up. Do not overcook as it makes it tough.
-
Step 5
Serve with steamed rice.
Stir Fried Shrimp in Garlic Sauce
One of my freestyle stir-fries. I love all the garlic flavor!
Ingredients
- 1 lb large shrimp, cleaned and deveined
- 3 1/2 cups assorted fresh vegetables, chopped (your choice)
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon chili paste (sambal oelek) (optional)
- 1 tablespoon dry sherry or 1 tablespoon sake
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 9 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 10 Thai chiles, stemmed and left whole (optional)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
- Hot steamed rice
Method
-
Step 1
In a small bowl, mix together chicken broth, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chile paste (if using) and sherry; set aside.
-
Step 2
In another small bowl or cup, stir together the tbsp of cornstarch with the 3 tbsp of water and set aside.
-
Step 3
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a wok; add ginger and garlic and sizzle briefly, then add vegetables and Thai chilies (if using).
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Step 4
Stir-fry vegetables for approximately 3 minutes, then add the shrimp.
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Step 5
Cook the shrimp 2 minutes or until it curls and turns opaque or pink.
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Step 6
Add the sauce mixture and cook 1 minute more; then stir in the thickener (briefly stir first) and stir-fry until mixture thickens, about 1 minute.
-
Step 7
Serve with hot cooked rice.
Kalbi Kui – Korean Barbecued Short Ribs
My rendition of the popular Korean classic. Serve as a lettuce wrap with some sticky rice, grilled scallion and ssamjang sauce. This would also go well with kimchi or a cucumber salad!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds beef flanken ribs or 2 1/2 lbs butterflied beef short ribs
-
Marinade
- 1/2 cup ketjap manis
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon hot sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon aji-mirin (sweet rice wine)
- 1 tablespoon korean hot bean paste (gochujang)
- 1 tablespoon water
-
For Serving
- 1 bunch scallion
- 1 to 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- Boston lettuce leaf
- Korean seasoned soybean paste (ssamjang)
- Steamed short-grain rice
Method
-
Step 1
Butterfly ribs into thin slices if necessary.
-
Step 2
Mix marinade and marinate ribs 6 hours or overnight in a ziplock bag with all air removed.
-
Step 3
Cut scallions into finger length pieces and lightly coat with sesame oil.
-
Step 4
Grill rib pieces over hot coals, 2-4 minutes per side, or until it reaches desired doneness; grill scallions until tender and slightly charred.
-
Step 5
To serve, make a lettuce wrap with some rib, some sticky rice, a bit of ssamjang, and a piece of scallion.
Szechuan Steak and Mushroom Stir-Fry
Spicy and delicious, perfect for autumn and the mushroom harvest! But do enjoy this anytime mushrooms are available, which is all the time.
Ingredients
- 3 boneless New York strip steaks, partially frozen
- 1 pound sliced mushrooms
- 2 yellow onions, cut into slivers
- 2 tablespoons wok oil
- Steamed jasmine rice (optional, or brown rice, optional)
-
Steak Marinade
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons wine
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
-
Stir-Fry Sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili paste
- 1 tablespoon hot sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Method
-
Step 1
While beef is still partially frozen, trim away excess fat and slice thinly.
-
Step 2
Whisk together marinade and pour over beef in a ziplock bag; refrigerate several hours or overnight.
-
Step 3
Whisk together sauce in a small bowl and keep nearby.
-
Step 4
Heat oil in a wok over high heat, stir-fry beef with marinade, mushrooms and onions until cooked through.
-
Step 5
Add sauce to wok, and cook, stirring, until sauce thickens.
-
Step 6
Serve stir-fry with steamed rice if desired.
Green Beans, Tomatoes and Mushrooms with Hoisin
Easily steamed healthy fresh veggies with an amazing sauce!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed
- 4 ounces white mushrooms, quartered
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger root
- 2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
- 4 teaspoons sesame oil
- Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
Method
-
Step 1
Steam green beans and mushrooms 3-5 minutes or until done to your liking and mix in a bowl with tomatoes.
-
Step 2
Whisk together remaining ingredients and toss with vegetables; serve.
Pot Sticker or Chinese Dumpling Sauce
This is balanced just the way we like it. My daughter could drink this stuff!
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sliced scallions
Method
-
Step 1
Stir together and serve with pot stickers or steamed Chinese dumplings. shu mai, etc.
Plum and Ginger Soda
This is a deliciously different and clever recipe for an interesting Asian drink from Diana at Appetite for China.
You can see her original recipe plus many more on her blog: Plum and Ginger Soda
Ingredients
- 2 plums (fresh skin on, chopped)
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon ginger (fresh ginger, peeled and sliced)
- 3/4 cup sugar (or Splenda)
- Club soda drink (12 ounces)
Method
-
Step 1
Simmer chopped plums over low heat until the flesh cooks soft, about 15 minutes, then add ginger slices and cook 5 minutes more.
-
Step 2
Allow ginger-plum tea to cool.
-
Step 3
Strain tea and discard solids.
-
Step 4
Sweeten with sugar or splenda, stirring until dissolved.
-
Step 5
Fill glass with ice and add ginger-plum tea 2 parts tea, and then top up with one part club soda.
-
Step 6
Stir gently before serving.
Whew! narrowing my list down to ten was rough. I do hope you enjoy them and eventually get to try them all.
Gung Hei Fat Choy!
~Sue
You might also like:
Palatable Pastime’s Chinese New Year Recipes
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