Name: Rice Cake with Mixed Vegetables
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 cups sliced rice cake; 3 cups hot tap water or water that’s been microwaved for 30 seconds; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 2 cups leafy greens, such as baby bok choy, yu choy (cut into ½-inch pieces), or baby spinach leaves; 4 medium dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes to reconstitute and cut into (¼-inch-thick) pieces; ½ cup sliced carrots (⅛ inch thick); ½ cup bean sprouts; 1½ tablespoons soy sauce; 1 tablespoon black bean garlic sauce; ¼ teaspoon sesame oil

Photo of Rice Cake with Mixed Vegetables in a wok

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou

Rice cakes are available sliced, marble-shaped, and in batons. Look for them in the refrigerated aisle of Asian grocery stores. There are dried versions, but the refrigerated version is widely available and easier to work with. I like the slices because there’s more surface area for the sauce. You can use any combination of vegetables and seasonings, so feel free to experiment with flavors. Rice cake is also served at Lunar New Year because the Mandarin name nian gao (“sticky cake”) is a homophone for the nian, which means “year,” and gao, which means “tall” or “high.” When you stick those years together, you’re wishing others longevity.