Happy New Year ...again!

Chinese New Year Recipes

Whole Baked Fish

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 cups mixed vegetables, diced or sliced

1 whole fish, such as trout, bass, or salmon (about 3/4 pound)

Salt

Pepper

2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. and lay out a large sheet of aluminum foil. Arrange vegetables on foil and season with salt and pepper. Lay fish on top of vegetables and season with salt and pepper.

2. Dot fish with butter. Wrap foil around fish and seal top and edges to make a packet. Move foil packet to a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until fish is flaky. Open packet carefully to let out steam and move to a serving platter.

Spring Rolls

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds

2 cups coleslaw mix

1 (10-1/2 ounce) package firm tofu, drained and cubed

1/3 cup peanuts, chopped

1/2 cup sweet and sour sauce

8 (9-inch) round rice paper sheets

Cilantro

Green onions

Directions:

1. To make a dipping sauce, combine soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and sesame seeds in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together slaw, tofu and nuts. Toss mixture with sweet and sour sauce. Dip rice papers in warm water and let excess water drain off.

2. Arrange papers between damp towels. One at a time lay rice papers on a flat surface. Place a cilantro leaf and a few green onions on each rice paper. Spoon about 1/2 cup of slaw mixture onto each rice paper. To seal, fold one edge over filling, fold in sides, and roll. Serve dipping sauce on the side.

Lettuce Wraps

Serves 8

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons honey

4 tablespoons soy sauce

2 limes, juiced

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 teaspoons sesame oil

1/2 cucumber, seeded, peeled, and chopped

2 pounds medium shrimp, cooked with tails removed

Salt

2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

1 head iceberg lettuce, separated into leaves

Directions:

1. To make the dressing, whisk together honey, soy sauce, lime juice, vegetable oil and sesame oil. Toss dressing with cucumber and shrimp and season with salt. Top mixture with sesame seeds.

2. To serve, lay lettuce on a platter with the shrimp mixture in a bowl to the side. Let each guest spoon the mixture onto a lettuce leaf and wrap the leaf around the filling.

Pork Dumplings

Serves 8

Ingredients:

16 wonton wrappers

3/4 pounds ground pork

1 teaspoon ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon green onion, minced

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 egg, beaten

1 cup shredded Chinese cabbage

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix pork with ginger, garlic, green onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, egg and cabbage. Lay wonton wrappers on a flat surface. Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of mixture onto each wrapper. Using your fingers, lightly dampen edges of wrappers with water. Fold wrappers over to make a triangle and seal edges by pressing them together.

2. Until ready to cook, lay wontons on a floured surface. Fill a pot 1/4 way with water. Place a metal steamer in the pot and put a few dumplings in the steamer. Place a lid on the pot and cook 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with sweet and sour sauce or soy sauce for dipping.