Happy Year of the Fire Horse! As every year, I made two special dishes for the Lunar New Year's celebrations. Both dishes are very simple and very easy to make, and they look festive enough to attract good fortune as the Year of the Serpent comes to its end. I used chili in both dishes so that my guests can experience the "fire" that the Horse is bringing with it. Both recipes serve at least four people. For a bigger party, multiply the ingredients accordingly.
~ Spicy Orange Salad With Goji Berries ~
Ingredients:
- 4 blood oranges
- 3 large navel oranges
- 1/4 cup goji berries
- freshly pressed juice of 1/2 lemon
- freshly pressed juice of 1/2 navel orange
- freshly pressed juice of 1 blood orange
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper or hot paprika
- tiny pinch of pink Himalayan salt to balance the flavors
Method:
- In a small bowl mix the lemon juice, orange juice and cayenne pepper. Add the dehydrated goji berries and allow to macerate till they turn soft and plump.
- Peel the oranges and slice them into slices.
- In a large bowl, gently mix the sliced oranges with the goji berries and the marinade. Add tiny pinch of salt and mix again. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- When ready to serve, take the bowl out of the fridge and gently mix everything again. Portion out the salad into idividual bowls and enjoy it in good company!
This delicious citrus salad can be served for breakfast, as an appetizer or as a desert.
In Chinese culture long noodles are served during the New Year's celebrations or for birthdays and anniversaries. Such a dish symbolizes a long life and the promise of good luck and prosperity. I decided to use daikon radish for its slight sharpness and because it is in season now.
~ Spiralized Daikon with Citrus Dressing and Chili ~
Ingredients:
for the noodles
- 1 large daikon radish
- pinch of pink Himalayan salt
- 2 Tbsp freshly pressed lemon juice
for the dressing
- juice of 1 lemon
- juice of 1 orange
- 4 Tbsp virgin olive oil or any cold pressed oil
- 1 Tbsp raw honey or maple syrup if you want the dish to be vegan
- pink Himalayan salt to taste
15 bird's eye chili peppers, add more if needed
Method:
- Wash and peel the daikon radish. Cut off both ends, and cut the radish into two equally long pieces.
- Using a spiralizer, cut both pieces into very long noodles.
- In a large bowl, mix the spiralized daikon with a little salt and 2 Tbsp lemon juice. Set aside and allow the "noodles" to soften a bit.
- In a small bowl, whisk the dressing using lemon juice, orange juice, olive oil, honey and salt. Set aside.
- Slice the bird's eye chili peppers into thin slices. Keep or discard as many seeds as you wish. My peppers had many seeds and I decided to keep most of them.
- Add the sliced chilis and the dressing to the bowl with the spiralized daikon. Mix well. Adjust the taste as needed. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for up to 30 minutes.
- When you are ready to serve, use a large serving fork and portion out the ready "noodles". Garnish with more sliced chilis, serve right away and enjoy this firy dish in good company!
If you want this dish to taste more Chinese, use sesame oil and rice vinegar. If you can still find fresh yuzu, add some yuzu juice to the dressing.
As with any raw dish, festive or not, you can make it and enjoy it anytime the ingredients are in season.
Wishing everyone a very good start into a New Lunar Year and all the very best for the Year of the Fire Horse - in radiant health, passionately raw - Dominique
Dominique Allmon©2026