New year recipes

Chinese dumplings are one of the most popular dishes in China, there are lots of different fillings to make these delicious dumplings. You can steam or boil, the leftovers can be fried with a little oil. Dip the dumplings into a mixture of ginger, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce and chili oil. Heavenly delicious!

Making pot stickers are pretty much as same as making dumplings, the only thing different is how to cook them. Instead of boiling in the water, we fry them in a nonstick skillet with a bit oil, which really develops a layer of golden, brown and crispy bottoms with great texture. Serve these yummy pot stickers with a mixture of rice vinegar, a little bit soy sauce, a dash of sesame oil and splash of hot pepper oil.

Along the coast of the Southern US eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day is thought to bring a year filled with luck and prosperity. The beans symbolize coins or pennies. Sometimes a penny is added to the pot or can be left under the bowls of Hoppin' John. Greens such as Collards, chard or kale can be added and symbolize the color of money and are said to add to ones wealth in the new year. The day after New Year's Day the leftovers are called "Skippin' Jenny," and further demonstrates one's frugality. A common tradition in the south US is each person at the meal should leave three peas on their plate to ensure the New Year will be filled with Luck, Fortune and Romance. Another tradition holds that counting the number of peas in a serving predicts the amount of luck (or wealth) that will be collected over the next year.

Crunchy roasted peanuts coated in tangy lime juice, smoky chili powder, and a kick of cayenne. Five ingredients, oven-baked until dry and addictive. The ultimate party snack or game-day bowl filler.

Roasted butternut squash tossed with bitter greens, pomegranate seeds, and toasted pistachios in a tangy pomegranate molasses vinaigrette. An elegant winter salad for holiday tables.

This recipe is ideal for any get together but maybe bear it in mind for your New Year’s Eve party, easy to make and so healthy too – just in time for those resolutions! Cashews may be small but they have huge benefits. Studies have shown that eating a fistful of nuts may reduce the risk of heart disease, cashews contain powerful antioxidants called Lutein and Zeaxanthin which are absorbed directly by our retina and help prevent age related macular degeneration, they are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, they have a great percentage of dietary fibres and have many more positives. We know one New Year’s resolution you’re going to make!

Wildly popular with the vegetarian community, a Gazpacho is a chilled dish that over the years has had so many versions and interpretations making its way into our kitchens, recipe books and cooking shows. It’s the smoky flavour of this recipe that takes it to a whole new level – making it equally delicious served warmed or chilled. Don’t be intimidated by the need of smoking equipment, you can achieve similar results in your oven. And the addition of sweet apple? What a souper idea, yes please!

Chinese New Year almond cookies with a thumbprint dipped in red food coloring. Crisp, sandy shortening cookies meant to bring good luck to the lunar new year table.

It is a great appetizer, very nice cheese with asparagus, at New Year, always popular!

Chinese New Year, fish always means good sign, so fish dish is always welcomed by Chinese!

A great appetizer for hungry friends, this was a real hit at the 2012 New Year's Eve Celebration

Fruit solitaire tarts with orange-scented butter pastry shaped like playing card suits, filled with cherry and blueberry pie filling. A festive New Year's Eve dessert.

Father Time chocolate chip cookies decorated with piped clock face icing for New Year's Eve. Chewy brown sugar cookies with a simple powdered sugar icing design.

A dense, moist Jewish honey cake rich with cinnamon, cloves, cocoa, and golden raisins. This Rosh Hashanah staple bakes into a fragrant loaf that symbolizes a sweet new year.

Homemade fortune cookies: thin crisp wafers cooked on a skillet, folded around your own paper fortunes while still pliable. A party project for Lunar New Year or kids' birthdays.

Oysters in champagne sauce: plump shucked oysters cloaked in a silky butter-champagne sauce, broiled just until golden on a bed of rock salt. An elegant appetizer for New Year's Eve or any holiday table.