Chinese new year/12 recipes

With egg, mint and chives. Eat immediately but best left in the fridge for a day for the flavours to develop.

Hot appetizers for every taste.

I have used this recipe for years. Chicken, pork, fish, or wings in all sorts of flavors--Chinese, Mexican, Italian, Cajun, etc. I have shared this recipe more than any other.

Steamed Salmon with Black Bean Sauce recipe

This is an excellent authentic classic Christmas Egg Nog that I make every year. You will never go back to store bought nog after trying this. Well worth the effort to make your own.

Here, beef brisket takes on an Asian flare. Slices of meat are braised in an aromatic stock seasoned with star anise, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, red pepper and dark molasses. As a final step, pureed eggplant is stirred in, for flavor and thickening.

Make your ribs kick with this Chinese-style dish that can easily be made in your crockpot.

Classic potato salad from the Los Angeles Daily News July 2, 1992

Green smoothies are a wonderful easy way of increasing your leafy green intake - if you are new to green smoothies, start slowly and over time add more greens. The pineapple in the smoothie contains powerful digestive enzymes, while the spinach is loaded with iron. Coconut water is a wonderful way to quench your thirst while replenishing electrolytes - did you know that it was used by doctors during World War II to do transfusions when donor plasma was not available?

Loaded with healthy protein from chicken and egg and anti-inflammatory herbs such as coriander and ginger, this is a great way to start the day. Although traditionally made by cooking grain in the soup until it becomes mushy, consider cooking grains separately to retain their texture and nutrients. Also swap white rice for brown rice or quinoa, or even barley to boost the nutrition profile of the soup.