Today is Lunar New Year. Also known as Spring Festival, it is a celebration of the beginning of a new year on the traditional Chinese calendar. 2019 marks the Year of the Pig.
When my daughter was younger, I tried to celebrate as many holidays as I could throughout the year. Nevertheless, I want to continue the tradition even though she is away at college today. After all, life is worth celebrating!
Lunar New Year Menu
Sometimes we marked the occasion by dining at one of our favorite Asian restaurants. Other times, we stayed at home and ordered take-out. This year, I decided to do a little of both.
Of course, all celebrations should start off with a great cocktail! Tonight I choose a Lychee Martini:
Lychee Martini
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz vodka
- 1 1/2 oz lychee liqueur
- 1 whole lychee [Optional]
Instructions
- Pour ingredients into cocktail shaker with ice.
- Shake well.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
- Garnish with lychee [optional].
Whenever Larry and I dine at our favorite Asian restaurant, we order sauteed green beans with rice as one of our main courses. We just cannot get enough of the crunchy green beans and their salty and spicy flavor! I found many recipes on the internet and I am going to try this one tonight. I have never made this so I will let you know how it comes out :))
For the rice, I will use my handy dandy Instant Pot. It makes perfect rice every time!
Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
Ingredients
- 3 cups jasmine rice
- 3 cups water
Instructions
- Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer.
- Add strained rice to the Instant Pot.
- Add water and stir.
- Close and lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Press the [Rice] button.
- When time is up, allow the Instant Pot to stay in the "Keep Warm" mode for 10 minutes (10-minute Natural Release Method).
- Press "Cancel", release steam and open the cooker. Enjoy perfectly cooked rice!
Rounding out that meal will be some Wegmans Vegetable Potstickers, followed by a dessert of fresh oranges (for prosperity) and store-bought fortune cookies! Speaking of fortunes…
Many years ago, I purchased this tin of “Chinese Fortune Tellings Sticks.” Every New Year’s Day and every Chinese New Year’s Day, I take them out for us all to read our fortunes. All you do is hold the tube in one hand and shake it while tilting the can. Then, you choose the stick that protrudes beyond the others. I wonder what my fortune will be this year!
Party Decor
I am planning dinner for the two of us but if I was throwing a party, these are a few of the items that I would love to incorporate:
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May good luck and good fortune be yours this year!
Thanks Paula! It was a good recipe, pretty true to the restaurant version. I liked the lychee martini too :))
How did the meal turn out?
So nice that you celebrate the New Year with Julia and Larry!