This post was sponsored by Ling Ling, all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
Whenever someone asks me what I need, I usually say, “More hours in the day!” There is NOT enough time for all the things I’d love to do and share with my kids. So it’s great to find ways to mingle learning with day-to-day living. Dinnertime, for example! I love to teach kids about cultural practices, history, and geography through food experiences. This month, I’ve partnered with Ling Ling Asian Food to make this easy Asian Potsticker Slaw recipe for a Chinese New Year celebration dinner!
Explore culture with a Chinese New Year celebration!
Nothing like a new food to turn on a kid’s brain! Why are you doing that? What is that? How did you make that? My boys want to “sample” or help with preparations, which is the perfect time to sneak in a little cultural education. Plus, you’re giving kids a hands-on experience.
Our Chinese New Year dinner was simple to create with the help of Ling Ling Asian Food. Their frozen entrees come together easily in under half an hour! With their deliciously sauced Asian style noodles, regionally-inspired fried rice dishes, and delectable potstickers, you get a passport directly to a taste of Asia!
I used Ling Ling Potstickers in Chicken and Vegetable flavor as our central dish. Now, I could eat these dumplings right out of the pan. They are that good (I love potstickers!). They cook up in a swift ten minutes or so, and then you can bite into their tender wrappers filled with succulent chicken and vegetables. (There’s a beef version too!). I like to cut mine in half and soak it in the Ling Ling dipping sauce. Pure savory delight!
But… for our themed meal I created an Asian Potsticker Slaw recipe, which was a huge hit. Did you know potstickers are actually hugely symbolic? During Chinese New Year celebrations, wishes for prosperity and gifts of money are prominent. And, dumplings are actually shaped like old Chinese coins! The boys and I just learned this from a reading book last month (Ling and Ting: Not Exactly the Same). The characters make dumplings together and share this tidbit. My son was quick to make this text connection over dinner! So the potstickers were the perfect choice!
Menu for a Chinese New Year’s Celebration Dinner
- Asian Potsticker Slaw with Ling Ling Potstickers
- Homemade egg drop soup
- Steamed sugar snap peas (frozen)
- Dessert: Mandarin oranges, fortune cookies and gold chocolate coins.
- Faux “Chinese Restaurant Tea” (Jasmine Green Tea mixed with black or oolong tea)
Decorating the table added to the excitement of our cultural dinner. Red is a key color for Chinese New Year, so I used a red tablecloth and red bamboo placemats. Metallic plastic plates gave an elegant look, and everyone had chopsticks just in case! I used the dessert items to create tablescapes at each end.
My youngest and I created a paper dragon to decorate our dining room buffet (I’ll share how to make that later!). My youngest created “money envelopes” usually handed out at the Chinese New Year by stenciling Chinese characters on red envelopes. Then we tucked a couple chocolate coins inside for each person. I love how the symbols say “Happy” and “Love” because that’s just perfect for my blog and this time of year!
Everything I cooked was stovetop, and super easy to make. I had all four burners going at one point! TIP: start the soup and tea first, then get the potstickers and steamed veggies going.
The kids were gaga over this meal! They were curious about every aspect of the food served. We talked a lot about the potstickers and how they resembled the old Chinese coins and why the Chinese celebrate the New Year at a different time than we do.
Later the same night, my oldest out of the blue commented: “Mom, our Chinese New Year meal was so delicious!” And they spent the rest of the afternoon designing their own paper dragons. Truly, Ling Ling Asian Food is inspiring! The boys are already asking when I’ll plan another cultural dinner! (Don’t worry, I have a geography-themed dinner idea coming up!).
Check your local stores to see who carries Ling Ling Asian Foods in your area so you can create your own cultural celebration dinners! Here’s my Asian Potsticker Slaw recipe for you to try out!
Easy Asian Potsticker Slaw Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 package Ling Ling Potstickers – any flavor
- 2 bags Asian chopped salad kits
- 1 can Mandarin oranges
- 2 Tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
- Soy sauce and/or Ling Ling dipping sauce – included with the potstickers package
Directions:
- Prepare the Ling Ling Potstickers according to package directions. This is so simple – just steaming in a large skillet for about eight minutes! What could be easier?
- While the Potstickers are cooking, prepare the Asian Chopped Salad kits according to directions. Place salad in a large shallow serving bowl.
- When potstickers are cooked, remove from stove and arrange on top of the salad mix. Cut some in half and leave some whole. The cut pieces are perfect for little kids.
- Arrange canned Mandarin slices around the potstickers.
- Drizzle a tablespoon of the Ling Ling dipping sauce on the potstickers. Garnish with minced cilantro. Serve immediately with hot soup and steamed vegetables!
- Enjoy! Serves 4.
I encourage you to make family dinner a cultural affair! I think we need to do this more often because it was fun to create and share with my family!
This post was sponsored by Ling Ling, all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
