Note: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only. 

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Today, millions of people around the world will celebrate Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays; in China, it is known as “Spring Festival.” This year, Year of the Dragon, we’re celebrating the only mythological and “free spirit” of the Chinese Zodiac. Intense!

If you’re looking to celebrate tonight – or any night – and would like a little help in the kitchen, VH Sauces offer a quick, easy and tasty solution for bringing a little culture into your cuisine. Tonight, why not try out Hoisin Meatballs with Pineapple or Spring Rolls with Hoisin Dip for some Chinese New Year inspired meals. VH Sauces helps my family create healthy, delicious meals on the fly – perfect for those weekday nights when I’m craving take-out but want a more nutritious (and wallet-friendly) option. Plus, I love that the boys are introduced to different tastes and textures – they love almost every Asian cuisine I make, especially if it’s liberally doused in delicious VH Sauce!

To celebrate Chinese New Year tonight, we’re doing a little “East Meets West” with Honey Garlic Chicken Wings! I simply marinate the wings in the cooking sauce for 2 hours, and then bake them at 400 degrees Celcius until done. I’ll also reduce extra cooking sauce on the stove until it’s thick and sticky, and then baste the wings when they come out of the oven. YUM!

Of course, if you’re on the go and don’t have time to deal with pots, pans and dishes, do try VH Steamers. They’re Asian-inspired meals ready in less than 5 minutes and steamed to perfection! Available in Kung Pao Chicken, Shanghai Ginger Beef (my fave!), Honey Sesame Chicken, Chicken Teriyaki, Thai Chicken and Shrimp (think I’d love this too – a must try!) and Zesty Orange Chicken, they’re quick and tasty, perfect for lunch at the office or busy school nights.

Click here to visit VH Sauces and Steamers.

WIN IT!!!

One lucky Listen to Lena reader will win a Chinese New Year gift pack valued at $60! To enter, simply leave a comment on this post telling us what is your favourite VH Sauce/Steamer flavour.

You can also qualify for extra entries! Remember, you must leave a separate comment for each. You can:

(1) Add Listen to Lena on Google Plus
(2) “Like” Listen to Lena on Facebook
(3) Follow Listen to Lena on Twitter
(4) “Like” VH on Facebook
(5) Tweet daily about this giveaway; Please use this VH Giveaway Tweet.

I’ll draw for a winner on February 10th. Good luck everybody!

I am participating in the VH Chinese New Year Celebration program by Mom Central Canada on behalf of VH.  I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

A few days ago, I accepted a fun-filled mission to make a recipe using Equal Sweetener. As I’ve never cooked with Equal, and since I love shaking things up in the kitchen, I looked forward to selecting a recipe and giving it a go.

Now I assumed that I’d be leafing through a bunch of baked goodies, but was pleasantly surprised to find many savory dishes showcased on Equal Canada’s Facebook Page. Gingered Chicken with Vegetables. Dillicious Salmon Saute. Barbecued Beans. Jamaican Curried Rice. Is your mouth watering yet?

I settled on Asian Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry because we love stir-frys (so healthy and flavourful!) and anything Asian is always a hit chez Lena. The recipe called for 2 tablespoons Equal Spoonful or Granulated – or 3 packets of Equal sweetener, so I took a little shopping trip a few days ago, which you’ll remember from my post entitled Loblaws, #EqualCanada and The Weekend #CBias.

Fast forward to our dinner this evening. (more…)

Quite simply, the best chocolate chip cookies you’ll ever make.

Says Anna Olson: My secret ingredient is cornstarch to make chewy-centered cookies! If you want crispy cookies, omit the cornstarch and replace the baking soda with baking powder.