This post was sponsored by Ling Ling, all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

We spent another amazing night cooking with Chef Katie Chin and Ling Ling Asian Food last week, this time learning how to properly blanch vegetables to create quick and easy Chinese New Year recipes friends and family will love. But that's not all we learned at our latest team cooking event. Chef Katie Chin also shared with us traditional Chinese New Year customs and superstitions to help us create a customary celebration to ring in the new year. And did you know, this year is the year of the dog?

Get more recipe inspiration to pair with Ling Ling Asian Food products, including a Japanese Cucumber Salad and Miso Butter Portobello Mushroom Skewers, here: Healthy Asian Recipes to pair with Ling Ling Fried Rice and Easy Chinese New Year Recipes

Chinese New Year Recipes & Party Ideas

The focus of this year's cooking event with Chef Katie Chin and Ling Ling Asian Food was creating quick and easy festive dishes that taste great and pair perfectly with Ling Ling Asian Food's line of products including their well-loved potstickers, fried rice flavors, and their all-new noodles, using a popular cooking method called blanching. And I'm not talking about Blanche Devereaux.

If you're not familiar with blanching, it's simply the process of briefly boiling vegetables in water, about a minutes or two, then immediately plunging the vegetables into iced water to halt the cooking process. This method is used to keep vegetable bright and tender-crisp, especially when vegetables will be used in crudité platters, salads, sushi rolls, and stir-fries, or refrigerating and/or freezing for later use.

The two Chinese New Year recipes below, Kale with Ginger and Sweet & Spicy Green Beans, boast some of our favorite Asian flavors of ginger, soy, oyster, and sesame, some of the same flavors that are featured in Ling Ling Asian Food‘s variety of side dishes, fried rice, noodles, and potstickers.

Ling Ling Fried Rice offers authentic recipes expertly crafted and made with tender vegetables, delicious proteins, and flavor-infused rice. While Ling Ling Noodles highlight authentic Asian style noodles infused with delicious sauces, succulent proteins, and vegetables.

The well-known Ling Ling's Potstickers are available in chicken, pork, and vegetable varieties, wrapped in a mouthwatering dumpling wrapper and served with Ling Ling's signature dipping sauce. I know you love Ling Ling Asian Food's line side dishes as much as our family does. Use this store locator to find Ling Ling Asian Food products at a store near you.

But before I share the two recipes we learned at last weeks event, here are some Chinese New Year traditions Chef Katie Chin shared with us.

Refrain from using foul language or bad words on NewYear's Day or they will follow you throughout the year.
Washing hair is not allowed because you will wash away your good luck for the year.
No sweeping on New Year's Day as you'll sweep all your good luck out the door.
Stepping into new shoes on New Year's morning to start your year off on the right foot (a personal favorite of Chef Katie and mine because what girl doesn't love an excuse to go shoe shopping).
Distribution of Red Envelopes (signifying Joy and Luck) filled with money to start the year with prosperity.

and my favorite tradition,

Greeting friends with oranges or tangerines during the New Year will ensure that your friendships remain intact.

The best part of the night? Cooking with friends!

Kale and Ginger Recipe

Ingredients:

1 large bunch of kale, rinsed with hard stems and center ribs removed and coarsely chopped
1 tbsp fresh minced ginger
2 tsp neutral oil, such as canola
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 water
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

Blanch kale in boiling water until bright green. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to an ice bath to cool. Drain and set aside.
Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add kale and stir-fry for a few minutes until wilted but still slightly crunchy.
Add the soy sauce and sesame oil and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Sweet & Spicy Green Beans Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb green beans, washed and trimmed
1 tbsp neutral oil, such as canola
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh minced ginger
1/2 tsp Sriracha sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 green onion, green and white parts, finely chopped
Optional: if you like spicy

Directions:

Blanch the green beans in boiling water until tender-crisp (about 3 minutes). Using a slotted spoon, transfer to an ice bath to cool. Drain and set aside.
Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the drained green beans, Sriracha, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar and stir-fry for 1 more minute.
Add the green onion and stir-fry for 30 more seconds.