Meatless Monday with Good Luck Lo Mein and Chinese New Year Cake

Hello and welcome (back) to the Miratel blog for another Meatless Monday. We took the Meatless Monday pledge as part of our CSR business initiatives in support of reducing meat consumption one day per week (15%) to live a healthier and more earth-friendly manner. We feature a new recipe each Monday to help achieve this goal.

In celebration of Chinese New Year we’re making Good Luck Lo Mein courtesy of Martin Yan from Yan Can Cook fame. According to Martin, “what’s the one dish that’s a must at Chinese birthday, anniversary, wedding, and New Year’s celebration? –Noodles! The long length of noodles symbolizes a long, luck-filled life.” We are also making a gluten-free Chinese New Year cake which is known in “Mandarin as nian gao (“higher year”), and eating a piece of it is supposed to improve your luck in the coming year.” Our cake recipe comes courtesy of chow.com.

Image courtesy of newasiancuisine.com

Good Luck Lo Mein Ingredients (4 servings)

• 8 ounces fresh Chinese egg noodles (can be substituted with spaghetti or angel hair pasta in a pinch although fresh Chinese egg noodles are best texture for stir fry)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 2 celery stalks, julienned
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup snow peas, cut in half diagonally
• 1/2 cup julienned bamboo shoots
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons oyster-flavored sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions:

1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook noodles according to package instructions; drain, rinse with cold water and drain again. Place a stir-fry pan over high heat until hot. Add oil, swirling to coat sides. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add carrots, celery, bean sprouts, snow peas, bamboo shoots, and green onions; stir-fry until vegetables wilt slightly, about 2 minutes. Add noodles, oyster-flavored sauce, and sesame oil. Toss to mix noodles with vegetables and cook until all vegetables are tender, about 2 minutes. Serve.

Chinese New Year Cake Ingredients (12 servings):

Image courtesy of chow.com

• 2 tablespoons shredded, sweetened coconut
• 4 large eggs
• 1 pound sweet rice flour (about 3 cups)
• 3 cups whole milk
• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for coating the baking dish
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with butter; set aside.
2. Place the coconut in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until toasted and golden brown in color, about 5 minutes; set aside.
3. Place the eggs in a large bowl and lightly beat to break up the yolks. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with the toasted coconut, rotate the dish, and bake until the edges are just starting to brown and the top is just set (a bubble may form, but it will flatten as the cake cools), about 20 to 25 minutes more.
4. Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes before serving. Wrap leftovers tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Finish this meal off with some oranges as many believe eating oranges brings wealth and luck in the new year as well.

We encourage you to visit the Meatless Monday website and join us in taking the pledge to reduce meat consumption one day per week. It’s easy with delicious recipes like this one. Spread the word at work to promote the value of CSR business initiatives and make your green call centre, office, factory, shop, restaurant, hotel or salon even greener.

Gung Hay Fat Choy – Happy Chinese New Year!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZbsEEqqwWU[/youtube]

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Miratel Solutions is a Toronto call centre, eBusiness, and letter shop mail house specializing in professional fundraising services including telephone fundraising, online fundraising, lottery services, donation caging, donation processing and other donor management services. We are committed to our CSR business values in all contact centre services and mail house operations and advancing the missions of the nonprofits we proudly serve.