Vibrant & Vegan: Chinese New Year 2019 Snack Recipes to Kiss Veganuary Goodbye

Veganuary’s over. It may be tempting to swap out the greens for a filthy burger (because you deserve it, don’t you?!) but we both know that’ll lead to 11 guilt-marinated months of avoidance dotted with half-hearted attempts at getting back on track.

The biggest dietary impact on your health and happiness comes from smaller consistent changes, not radical shifts you can barely stomach. ^{‘Small Changes’ to Diet, NCBI, Andrew P. Hills}

Now’s the perfect time to up your intake of greens and veg out! Celebrate Chinese New Year with these easy peasy vegan dishes that’ll satisfy the rumbles of vegans and meat-lovers alike.

Sticky, Spicy Marinated Tofu ? 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 275g Tofu (firm)
• 1/4cup Water
• 2tbsp Soy sauce
• 1tbsp Maple syrup
• 1 tsp Garlic powder
• 1tbsp Sriracha Sauce
• 1tbsp Olive oil
• 1/3cup Sesame seeds

Method

1. Mix marinade ingredients in bowl (all the ingredients on the list except for the tofu)
2. Chop tofu into square drunks
3. Add tofu to the mix and leave in fridge for 15mins (the longer you leave it the more flavour!)
4. Remove tofu and drain liquid (keep it in a bowl)
5. Heat tofu in frying pan until golden brown
6. Add liquid you drained into the pan and cook until sticky
7. Dip into sesame seeds and serve

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Garlic Noodles ? 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 5 cloves garlic (minced)
• 4 spring onions (chopped)
• 2 carrots (chopped)
• 1 red pepper (diced)
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 250g rice noodles

Method

1. Heat vegetable oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and 3 spring onions. Cook for 3 mins.
2. Add carrots and pepper, then stir in brown sugar and soy sauce.
3. Add noodles and mix 2mins.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Sprinkle over rest of spring onion and serve.

Steamed Veggie Dumplings ? 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1  cabbage (medium sized)
• 2 shiitake mushrooms
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp grated garlic
• 1 spring onion (chopped)
• 1/4 red onion (chopped)
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup hot water

Method

1. For dumpling dough: Add flour to medium bowl. Pour in hot water, whilst stirring until mixture turns into dough.
2. Knead dough until smooth on flour-covered surface. Sprinkle flour on dough, wrap in cling film and leave for 1 hour. Remove dough and knead again for 5 mins and then wrap again for 30 mins (until soft)
3. For the filling: Slice cabbage into strips and add to a mixing bowl. Add 1 tbsp salt and mix.
4. Cut shiitake mushroom into small cubes and add into separate bowl with red onion, ginger, garlic, and spring onion. Drain excess water from cabbage before adding to mushroom mix with 1 tsp of salt and black pepper.
5. Sprinkle baking sheet with flour. Cut dough into quarters and roll into 4, 12-inch ropes. Cut each rope into 12 pieces and them roll into balls. Roll out dough balls into 3 rounds (about 1/2 inch in size)
6. Dollop 2 teaspoons of the filling into the centre of each round. Pull up the edge of the dough around the filling, then press/ pleat the edges to seal in the filling. Place dumplings onto baking sheet.
7. Heat 2 tbsp of sesame oil in medium pan over medium head. Add dumplings and cook on high heat until bottoms lightly browned (roughly 2 mins). Add 1/2 cup of water before covering – leave to cook for 5 mins (or until filling is cooked through).
8. Remove cover and cook until bottom of dumplings are well browned
9. Serve immediately with soy sauce.

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Do you have a Chinese New Year recipe you want to shout about? Drop a comment ?