Lucky dip

Chinese New Year on 22 January is a time for sharing blessings and feasting on dishes symbolic of wealth, good fortune and longevity such as dumplings, spring rolls and noodles

Turnip cakes

Turnip Cakes

To give these cakes a sesame crust, press one side of each cake into sesame seeds. Heat a wok with a little oil and fry the cakes until golden and crispy on both sides.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Makes: 8

600g daikon radish

1 tbsp dried shrimp

3 dried shiitake mushrooms

1 Chinese sausage, or vegan sausage of choice

1 SpinneysFOOD Spring Onion

250ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Pure Sunflower Oil, plus extra for greasing and frying

130g rice flour

1 tbsp corn flour

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine White Pepper

To serve

1 SpinneysFOOD Spring Onion

1 red chilli

1 Coarsely grate the daikon. Soak the dried shrimp in water until soft then roughly chop. Soak the mushrooms in hot water then finely chop. Dice the sausage. Finely chop the spring onion. 2 Add the daikon and water to a wok and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes or until softened. Place the cooked daikon in a bowl and allow to cool. 3 Drain any liquid left in the pan into a 250ml measuring cup. Top up with enough water to get 250ml of liquid. Add to the bowl with the daikon. 4 Place a wok over a high heat. Add the oil and fry the shrimp, mushrooms and sausage until softened then stir in the spring onion. Allow to cool. 5 In a large bowl, combine the daikon, shrimp mixture, rice flour, corn flour, salt, sugar and white pepper. Allow to stand for 30 minutes. 6 Grease a non-stick loaf pan. Pour the batter into the pan. Prepare a steamer with plenty of water and place the pan into the steamer. Steam for 50 minutes or until tacky to the touch. Remove from the heat and cool for 30 minutes before turning out onto a flat surface. Slice into squares. Heat a non-stick frying pan and fry the turnip cakes until golden brown on both sides. 7 Chop the spring onion and red chilli. 8 Serve the cakes sprinkled with spring onions and red chilli.

Hakka Aubergine

For a more authentic Hakka aubergine, sauté with Thai basil before serving.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Serves: 4

For the sauce

125ml hoisin sauce

125ml soya sauce

75ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp black vinegar

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

1 tbsp corn flour

For the aubergine

1.3kg aubergines

125ml SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Black Pepper, freshly ground

125ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

1 red chilli

To serve

200g steamed SpinneysFOOD Long-Grain Basmati Rice Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Coriander

1 To make the Hakka sauce, place a mediumsized saucepan over a medium-high heat. Whisk in the hoisin sauce, soya sauce, 3 tablespoons of water, rice vinegar, black vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil over a medium-high heat.

2 In a small bowl, whisk together the corn flour and the remaining 2 tablespoons of water until the mixture forms a smooth paste. Whisk the paste into the saucepan. Simmer, while whisking, until it is shiny and coats the back of a spoon, approx. 1-2 minutes. 3 Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Place a rack in the centre of the oven. 4 Cube the aubergines into 2cm chunks and place in a large bowl. 5 In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, salt, black pepper and water. Pour the mixture over the aubergine cubes and toss to coat. 6 Transfer the aubergine to a large baking dish or a rimmed baking tray and roast for approx. 15-20 minutes. When ready the aubergine should be very soft. Remove from the oven and set aside. 7 Heat a large wok or cast-iron pan over a high heat. 8 Add the aubergine and fry for 1 minute before adding in the sauce. Finely chop the chilli and add to the pan. Toss until the aubergine is well coated, approx. 5 minutes. 9 Serve with the rice and roughly torn coriander.

Braised Beef And Shiitake Dumplings With Sichuan Chilli Oil

Make a double or triple batch and freeze in resealable bags for a quick and easy meal.

Prep time: 35 minutes

Cook time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Makes: 30

For the braised beef dumplings

1 long red chilli

3 garlic cloves

5cm piece fresh ginger

1 tbsp peanut oil

500g SpinneysFOOD Angus Beef Short Ribs

100g shiitake mushrooms

1 tbsp soya sauce

1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 star anise

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Organic Natural Honey

250ml beef or chicken stock

30g SpinneysFOOD Fresh Coriander leaves

30 store-bought wonton wrappers

4 tbsp water

For the Sichuan chilli oil

1 tbsp Sichuan pepper

4 tbsp chilli oil

4 tbsp black vinegar

2 tbsp soya sauce

5g ginger

For frying

180ml SpinneysFOOD Pure Sunflower Oil

250ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

1 Preheat the oven to 150°C, gas mark 2.

2 Finely chop the chilli, crush the garlic cloves and grate the ginger. 3 Heat the oil in a medium pot over a high heat. 4 Add the short ribs and fry until caramelised. Add in the mushrooms, chilli, garlic and ginger. Sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the soya sauce, vinegar, oyster sauce, star anise, honey and stock. Cook for a further 2 minutes. Place the pot, with the lid on, in the oven for approx. 2-3 hours, or until the meat falls off the bone. 5 Cool slightly before removing the bones and shredding the meat. 6 Chop the coriander and add it to the pot. 7 Dust a clean work surface with rice flour. Working with one wonton wrapper at a time, brush the edges with water. Place 2 teaspoons of the filling in the centre of the wrapper and bring all four corners to the centre to form a pyramid shape then pinch to seal. Cover with a damp tea towel and set aside. 8 Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a small pan over a medium heat for approx. 3 minutes, or until fragrant and they begin to pop. Grind the peppercorns to a powder in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar. 9 In a small bowl, combine the ground peppercorns, chilli oil, vinegar, soya sauce and grate in the ginger. 10 Heat a large pan with a tight-fitting lid over a medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil. 11 Evenly place the dumplings in the pan and lower the heat. Cook without moving the pan until the bottom of the dumplings are golden and crisp, approx. 3 minutes. Fill the pan halfway with water and cover with the lid. Allow to steam for 5 minutes or until the water has evaporated, keep an eye on the bottom of the dumplings and lower the heat, if necessary, to prevent them from burning. Remove the lid from the pan and increase the heat to medium high to crisp up the bottoms, approx. 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and repeat the process with the remaining dumplings. 12 Serve with the chilli oil or your favourite dipping sauce.

Sweet and sour ginger duck spring rolls

Sweet And Sour Ginger Duck Spring Rolls

Prep time: 35 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Makes: 12

For the roast duck

1 whole duck

3 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

5cm piece fresh ginger

1 SpinneysFOOD Spring Onion

1 SpinneysFOOD Cinnamon Stick

1 star anise

For the filling

1 large leek

135g cabbage

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Pure Sunflower Oil

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

For the sweet and sour sauce

1 tsp corn flour

3 tsp SpinneysFOOD Demarara Sugar

2 tsp rice vinegar

2 tbsp soya sauce, plus extra for dipping

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp hoisin sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

5cm piece fresh ginger

24 spring roll wrappers

1 large SpinneysFOOD Free Range Egg

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6.

2 Pat the duck dry then rub all over with the rice vinegar and sprinkle with salt. Slice the ginger and chop the spring onion. Stuff the duck cavity with the ginger, spring onion, cinnamon stick and star anise. 3 Place the duck on a wire rack in a roasting tray, breast-side up. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes before piercing the breast with a fork to allow the fat to render. Roast for a further 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. 4 Shred and finely dice the meat. 5 To make the filling, finely slice the leek and cabbage. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium high heat. Sauté the leek and cabbage until softened and slightly caramelised. Season with the salt then add to the duck meat.

6 To make the sauce, whisk together the corn flour, sugar, vinegar, soya sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil and finely grated ginger in a small pot. Place over a low heat. Cook until thickened. 7 Pour the sauce over the shredded meat and vegetables and adjust the seasoning. 8 Lay a spring roll wrapper on a clean surface. Whisk the egg lightly. Brush the edges of the wrapper with the egg and layer 2 tablespoons of filling in the centre. Fold the ends of the wrapper inwards before rolling up. Seal the edge with more egg. Set aside and repeat until all the wrappers and filling has been used.

9 Heat a deep fryer with oil. Fry the spring rolls until golden and crisp. 10 Serve with the extra soya sauce for dipping.

Dan Dan Noodle Salad

Don’t skip the chilli oil. It adds a depth of flavour, instead of only heat, which makes this noodle salad extra delicious.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

For the chilli oil

125ml SpinneysFOOD Pure Sunflower Oil

1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns

½ SpinneysFOOD Cinnamon Stick

1 star anise

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Chilli Flakes

For the chicken mince

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Pure Sunflower Oil

225g chicken mince

1 tbsp sweet bean sauce or hoisin sauce

2 tsp soya sauce

½ tsp five spice powder

50g SpinneysFOOD Organic Pak Choi

30g SpinneysFOOD Organic Baby Spinach

For the tahini chilli sauce

2 tbsp tahini

3 tbsp soya sauce

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

½ tsp five spice powder

½ tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns

125ml chilli oil

2 garlic cloves

4 tbsp cooking water from noodles

To serve

450g medium egg noodles

2 SpinneysFOOD Spring Onions

1 Place a small pot over a medium heat. Add the oil, Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon stick and star anise to the pot and slowly heat to 160°C, or until fragrant. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 2 minutes before removing the whole spices. Stir in the chilli flakes and set aside to cool completely.

2 To make the mince, heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chicken mince. Sauté until golden before adding in the rest of the ingredients. Cook until all the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the pan and place in a medium-sized bowl.

3 Combine all the ingredients for the tahini chilli sauce and adjust the seasoning, if needed. 4 Cook the noodles according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 4 tablespoons of the cooking water. 5 Add the cooking water, a teaspoon at a time, to the tahini chilli sauce to reach the desired consistency. 6 Divide the sauce between four bowls, top with the noodles and chicken mince.

7 Serve with finely sliced spring onions.