Happy Chinese New Year Long-Life Noodles

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RECIPE:

Chinese New Year falls on January 25th and it’s the Year of the Rat. Gung Hay Fat Choy!! It’s the most auspicious of all Chinese holidays as everything you do and everything you eat determines how your entire year will unfold. Symbolic dishes are served on Chinese New Year day to usher in longevity, good fortune, luck, wealth, happiness and prosperity in the New Year.

I hope you enjoy these Chinese New Year Long Life Noodles with your family for Chinese New Year. It’s a two-week celebration filled with laughter and good cheer. Noodles are traditionally served to symbolize longevity…the longer the noodle, the longer the life! Noodles should always be served uncut to ensure an extra-long life. Round out your Chinese New Year celebration with Potstickers which symbolize wealth because their shape resembles a gold ingot (an ancient form of Chinese currency) and Whole Steamed Fish with Black Bean Sauce which symbolizes prosperity as the Chinese word for fish (Yu) is a homonym for the world abundance.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces (1/2 box) spaghetti or linguine
• 12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, divided
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup bean sprouts
• 3/4 cup snow peas, blanched and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup carrots, julienned
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

1. Prepare noodles according to package directions. Rinse, drain and set aside.
2. Toss the chicken pieces with the cornstarch, salt and white pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
3. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl to coat. Add garlic and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken and stir-fry until it turns white.
4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the red pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the bean sprouts, snow peas and carrots and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, white pepper and sugar and stir-fry until blended, about 1 minute. Add the reserved chicken and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the reserve noodles and toss until coated. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.

This recipe was featured in the January 19th edition of The Sunday Paper. The Sunday Paper inspires hearts and minds to rise above the noise. To get The Sunday Paper delivered to your inbox each Sunday morning for free, click here to subscribe.