5 Lunar New Year Recipes

Celebrate the year of the ox with these delicious Asian-infused plates

Beef lettuce wraps by FIT & NU™.

Celebrate the start of the spring season and lunar calendar with 1.5 billion people in the United States and around the world with these healthy and delicious Asian inspired recipes.

Egg Fried Cauliflower Rice

Credit: FIT & NU™.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 medium cauliflower
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 carrot
• 1 small yellow onion.
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 2 celery sticks
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 green onions

Directions

Total prep time is about 20 minutes.

1. Grate the cauliflower using the largest side of a grater or by pulsing it in a food processor, until it resembles rice grains.
2. Next, dice the carrot and yellow onion, chop up the celery sticks, and mince the green onions and garlic cloves.
3. Heat 1 tbsp. of sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the carrot, yellow onion, and garlic and stir fry for about 5 minutes. Then add in the cauliflower, celery, and remaining sesame oil into the pan. Stir fry for 2–3 mins until the cauliflower is tender. Do not over cook or the cauliflower will become soft and mushy.
4. Make a well in the middle of the pan, and add the eggs. Stir the eggs gently until are fully cooked. Add in the soy sauce and green onions and mix all of the ingredients together.
5. Distribute evenly across 4 plates and enjoy as is or alongside the salmon and slow cooker beef recipes below. It also makes for a great filling inside dumplings.

Garlic, Ginger, and Sesame Salmon

Credit: FIT & NU™.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 4 green onions
• 4 salmon fillets (5oz/140g each)

Directions

Total prep time about 25 minutes. Best when prepared the night before.

1. Whisk together all the ingredients other than the salmon to make the marinade.
2. Place the salmon in a large bowl and cover with the marinade. Let the salmon marinate in the sauce for at least 30 minutes to overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the salmon fillets with the marinade onto a prepared baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes, or until salmon is cooked through.

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Beef Bowl

Credit: FIT & NU™.

Ingredients

Recipe serves 4 but slow cooked beef recipe produces 12 servings.

For the beef (serves 12)

• 1 cup reduced sodium beef stock (240ml)
• 4 tbsp honey
• 4 tbsp coconut sugar
• 2 tbsp tamari sauce or soy sauce
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 6 cloves minced garlic
• 3 lbs. beef chuck roast (1.3kg)

Rice salad (serves 4)

• 4.2 oz brown rice or basmati rice (120g)
• 2 carrots, julienned
• 1 cucumber, julienned
• 1 bell pepper, julienned
• (optional) 1 tbsp sesame seeds, to garnish

Directions

Total prep time is about 8 hours and 10 minutes

Note: Requires a 5–6 quart slow cooker.

1. Combine the beef stock, honey, sugar, tamari, Worcestershire sauce and garlic in the slow cooker. Mix until combined.
2. Cut the beef in half lengthwise. Place in the slow cooker and turn to coat the beef with sauce on all sides. Place the lid on the pot and cook the beef on a low setting for 8 hours.
3. Once the beef has cooked, remove it from the slow cooker and place in a large bowl. Gently pull the beef apart using two forks, then return the beef back into the slow cooker and mix with the cooking juices.
4. Cook the rice according to instructions on packaging and prepare the vegetables. Assemble the bowls by dividing the rice, beef and vegetables between serving bowls. Sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.

Once the remainder of the beef has cooled you can store the beef in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days and use in other recipes like the lettuce wrap recipe below or freeze for up to 3 months.

Beef Lettuce Wraps

Credit: FIT & NU™.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4 servings Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Beef (see recipe above)
• 1 cucumber, julienned
• 2 carrots, julienned
• 8 radishes, sliced
• 16 lettuce leaves
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Directions

Total prep time is about 10 minutes.

1. If using leftovers from the previous recipe, reheat the honey garlic beef in a frying pan, over medium heat, until warmed through. Otherwise precede with next steps.
2. To allow individuals to make their own lettuce wraps, prepare the veggies and place on individual plates or separate on one large plate for serving. Do the same for the beef. If you would like to prepare the lettuce wraps ahead of time, assemble the wraps by topping the lettuce leaves with beef, cucumber, carrots and radishes and sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.

Ginger Turmeric Chicken Soup with Rice

Credit: FIT & NU™.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 inch ginger
• 1 carrot
• 1 shallot
• 1 ½ lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (680g)
• 1 tsp salt
• pepper to taste
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 7 oz fresh spinach (200g)
• 1 cup Jasmine rice, uncooked (185g)
• 8 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
• 4 juiced limes
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• (optional) 1 tbsp fish sauce or Worcestershire sauce
• fresh herbs for topping (mint, basil, coriander, cilantro)

Directions

Total prep time is about 35 minutes.

1. Peel and slice the garlic, ginger, carrot, and shallots (Tip: cut the carrot into very thin slices to ensure that it cooks all the way through in the soup).
2. Heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the veggies for 4–5 minutes.
3. While the veggies are cooking, rub the chicken thighs with the remaining oil and rub with salt, pepper, and turmeric. Add to the pot.
4. Add 1/4 cup of chicken stock to the pot and leave to cook for 2–3 mins. Flip the chicken and repeat until cooked through. Remove from the pot and set aside.
5. Add in the rice and fry for 1–2 minutes. Then add in the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until rice is tender. While the rice is cooking, shred the chicken.
6. When the rice is cooked, add the shredded chicken back to the pot. Then add the spinach and cook for another 1–2 minutes until slightly wilted.
7. Squeeze in the lime juice, add soy sauce, fish sauce or Worcestershire sauce, and fresh herbs. Season to taste with more salt and pepper if necessary.