Long Life Noodles For Chinese New Year

 

Chinese culture is filled with symbolism and Chinese New Year is one the biggest examples of this.  Everything from the color you wear to how to give lucky envelopes to the food you eat is done to bring good luck in the coming year.  Eating noodles is a Chinese New Year tradition because the long length of the noodles symbolize long life.

RELATED POST: Art Around the World: Puhui Chinese New Year Posters

Noodles With Bacon and Vegetables Recipe

My daughter has a gluten allergy so the recipe has a gluten free option also.

Ingredients

• 1 pound long noodles (like rice noodles, pad thai noodles, spaghetti, linguine, or any gluten free noodle)
• 8 pieces of bacon
• 3 carrots shredded
• 8 scallions
• 1 bag of spinach (6 ounces)
• 10 ounce package of mushrooms (like button or shiitake)
• salt
• oil or fat
• sesame seeds (optional)
• 4 tablespoons of soy sauce*

*Gluten-free option: 4 tablespoons of Tamari (gluten free soy sauce) OR 2 tablespoons of fish sauce + 2 tablespoons of coconut aminos

Equipment

• wok or skillet
• shredder

Recipe

Chop the scallions and mushrooms.  Shred the carrots.  Put everything on a plate.

Clean and dry the spinach.

Thinly slice the bacon.

Heat the wok or skillet to medium heat.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil or fat.

Put in the mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.  Stir occasionally.

Cook 2 – 4 minutes until tender, then put the cooked mushrooms back on the plate.

In the same wok, heat 1 tablespoon of oil or fat and cook the carrots and spinach the same way as the mushrooms.

Put the cooked vegetables back on the plate.

After you have cooked the vegetables, add the sliced bacon, half of the chopped scallions and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.  Cook for 5 minutes or until the edges of the bacon becomes crispy.

Cook the noodles according to the instructions.

Rinse and drain the noodles.

Heat the wok back to medium heat.  Heat 2 tablespoons of oil.  Put in the rest of the chopped scallions and cook for 15 seconds.

Put in the noodles, and 4 tablespoons of soy sauce (or fish sauce and coconut aminos if you are going for the gluten free option).  Thoroughly mix the scallions and soy sauce through the noodles.

Put in the mushrooms, carrots, spinach, and bacon.  Mix everything together. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top (if you like).

 

Cheers To A Long Life and Lots Of Good Luck!

 

Welcome to our third annual Chinese New Year blog hop! Lunar New Year, more commonly known as Chinese New Year, starts on January 28. It is the beginning of the Year of the Rooster, and we have lots of great ideas for celebrating it with kids! Don’t miss our series from last year and 2015, and you can find even more on our Chinese New Year Pinterest board.

PARTICIPATING BLOGS

The Dumpling Mama on Multicultural Kid Blogs
Bicultural Mama
Crafty Moms Share
Miss Panda Chinese
Living Ideas
Creative World of Varya
The Mommy Factor