Chinese New Year 2014 Recipe

Chinese New Year 2014 provides the perfect opportunity for children to explore and discover on many levels.

They can:

1.  Learn geography by mapping where China is in relation to where they live.

2.  Explore another culture & learn about their customs associated with this festive holiday.

3.  Taste test and try new foods.

As a part of Chinese New Year 2014, long noodles are often eaten as a sign of a L-O-N-G life.  So, in the spirit of Chinese New Year & longevity, we made a peanut sauce tossed with stir fried chicken, broccoli, nuts and rice noodles to share with you.

 Peanut Sauce & Rice Noodles

1/2 cup honey roasted peanuts

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, ground

1 large clove of garlic

3 – 4 cups broccoli

8.8 oz rice noodles (I used the thai thin noodles, they were the longest we could find)

3/4 cup low sodium peanut butter

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 cup water

1/2 cup broth created from stir frying the chicken

1 teaspoon onion powder

3 tablespoons honey

1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

sesame seeds

Finely chop the nuts in a food processor and set aside.

Cut the chicken into small pieces.  In a wok, stir fry the chicken in 1 tablespoon of oil with the ginger & garlic (crushed).  Set it aside.

Wash the broccoli, remove the stalks and cut the florets into bite size pieces.  Set aside.

Cook the rice noodles as directed.

While the rice noodles are cooking create the peanut sauce by adding the peanut butter, soy sauce, water, broth, onion powder and honey together in a sauce pan.  Whisk it together as it heats through over medium to low heat. Once the sauce is consistent and hot, remove it from the heat and set it aside.

Toss the broccoli into the wok with the chicken, add the red pepper flakes & stir fry the broccoli until it is cooked.

Add the rice noodles to a large serving dish.  Add the peanut sauce into the wok with the broccoli & chicken just before plating.  Toss the mixture with the rice noodles.  Top with the ground nuts & sesame seeds.

How will you celebrate Chinese New Year 2014?

We’re linking up with: Motivation Monday