Tasty Tomato Soup

This humble dish is quite a classic.  The ingredients are readily available in most local supermarket without specially trip down the Asian grocers.  The method is simple and the down-to-earth flavour make this dish such a delight.


The following next 3 weeks I will use this basic ingredients to show the various dishes can stem-out from this recipe alone.


Enjoy and bon apetite!!!


4 medium size tomatoes – quartered
1 medium brown onion – chopped
1 Chinese sausage or Italian sweet sausage – sliced
1 egg – lightly beaten

Chopped coriander or continental parsley for garnish
2tbsp oil
Hot water

Method: 

1. Heat oil in wok or pot.  Fried the onion and sausage until onion is soft.
2. Then pour in over half litre of hot water and add in the tomatoes.  Bring to boil for 2 mins.
3. Turn the heat off then quickly stir in the egg.  Serve hot with some rice.

It is a simple soup to relieve Liver Yang Rising manifest as mild hypertension, or a hot day causing heat dizziness.
 

Functions and Benefits:

1. Tomatoes – clears heat, tones yin, produces fluid, and quenches thirst.
2. Onion – benefits and regulates Qi.
3. Sweet sausage – sweetness of the sausage help tones the Middle Burner and the meat helps tone Qi and Blood; an appetent.
4. Egg – lubricates Dryness, tones Yin.
5. Coriander/parsley – aromatic and regulate Qi.

Precautions and Contraindication:

1. Sausage can be omitted and replaced with sweeten tofu, e.g. 2 pc of Inari (Japanese sweet fried tofu pocket).
2. Chinese sausage or Italian sweet sausages are greasy and fattening.  Excess consumption is not recommended.  Excess Damp/ Damp-Heat Accumulation in Zangfu consume cautiously.
3. This is not a staple dish.  Consume daily is NOT recommended.  However by omitting meat and egg, you will end up with a very basic and simple stock.

If you have any doubt or want to know more about this recipe, contact your TCM practitioner or myself.

Thank you for reading.

Kenny Law
Australia Registered TCM Practitioner.
DISCLAIMER:
Information given are purely for references and it is not intent to diagnose medical conditions or to be used for self-diagnosed. Always consult medical health personnel for proper medical diagnosis.

© COPYRIGHT 2010 KENNY LAW

Sharing and/or reproduction of any part of this document is prohibited without written consent


For further readings

Aromatic Milk Poached Chicken with Pumpkin and Potatoes

This recipe was a coincidence.  I made a pot of pumpkin soup the day before, hence I left with half a butternut pumpkin and some potatoes.  Instead of having some left over soup I was to make the typical roast chicken thighs and mash.  But I want something more moist, filling and not feel stodgy really.  So here is what I came out with.  Get some good bread rolls to soak up all those wonderful gravy-soup towards the end of your meal - pure delight!

1 kg chicken thigh
500g or 2 large potatoes

500g or ½ butternut pumpkin

500 ml milk

200 ml water

2 sprigs fresh sage

Small bunch of thyme

Salt

Method: 

1. Wash and peel potatoes and butternut pumpkin.  Cut them into similar size.  Then cook them first either by boiling or by the microwave oven. 
2. Remove excess fats off the chicken thigh without removing the skin.
3. Combine milk and water in a deep pot then submerge the sage and thyme in the liquid and bring to simmer.
4. Gentle place chicken thighs in simmer liquid, making sure the thighs are fully submerged.  Using a smaller plate placed it into the pot will keep the thighs submerged fully.  When the liquid start to simmer, remove pot from stove at once.  Leave pot untouched for 1 hour.
5. After an hour, remove the thighs then placed in the potatoes and pumpkin in the pot.  Heat the liquid to a light simmer for 20 minutes.  Placed the chicken thighs back into the pot and simmer for further 10 minutes.  Add salt to taste.
6. Plate up and serve. 

Functions and Benefits:

1. Chicken – Warms the Middle Burner; assist Yang.
2. Potatoes – Tones the Middle Burner.
3. Pumpkin – Tones the Middle Burner; dries dampness in Middle Burner.
4. Milk – Lubricates the intestines; produces fluids; benefits the Lung and Stomach.
5. Sage – Warming and Aromatic; promotes Qi to moves Blood.  Benefits the Heart.
6. Thyme – Warming and Aromatic; promotes Qi to moves Blood.  Benefits the Lungs.

 Precautions and Contraindications:

1. Not recommended to anyone with severe phlegm obstruction to the Upper Jiao or Middle Burner.
2. Anyone with Stomach-Fire, Damp-Heat in the Middle Burner and Lower Burner should avoid

If you have any doubt or want to know more about this recipe, contact your TCM practitioner or myself.

Thank you for reading.

Kenny Law
Australia Registered TCM Practitioner.
DISCLAIMER:
Information given are purely for references and it is not intent to diagnose medical conditions or to be used for self-diagnosed. Always consult medical health personnel for proper medical diagnosis.

© COPYRIGHT 2010 KENNY LAW
Sharing and/or reproduction of any part of this document is prohibited without written consent

For further reading, I recommend the following reading material

Rolled Lamb Hot Pot for this Cold Winter

Winter seems early this year in Melbourne.  We hardly had any Summer.  Seems to me the weather went from Spring straight to Winter.  This recipe came to me last Spring.  It was a cold and wet week as I remember it just like this week or could be any week this past 6 months.  Anyway I only remember that this dish is really a joy to eat - just what we need for gloomy days any time.  Ultimately it is easy to prepare and spend more time snugging up under the duvet with a good book in front of the fireplace.  Enjoy!!!

1½ kg rolled lamb

1 sprig rosemary – stem removed

Handful parsley (chopped)

1tsp dried basil leaves

1tsp multigrain mustard

1 medium sweet potato

1 small white radish

1 small turnip

2 large potatoes

2 cloves garlic – bruised  

Oil

½ of a lemon

¾ bottle red wine

Soy sauce or salt

Method:

1. Washed, peeled and cut root vegetables into big chucks.
2. Using a leak proof plastic bag place lamb, root vegetables, herb and aromatics, and pour in ½ cup of oil, then squeeze the lemon and place the lemon in the bag.  Secure bag then roll the bag with your hand to rub in all ingredients together.
3. Place bag on a dish and refrigerate at least 4 hours.  Better if overnight.
4. Preheat oven 180 degree C.  Removes the bag contents into a lidded cast iron pot.  Pour in the red wine, secure lid and place in the preheated oven.  Immediate turn the heat down to 100 degree C and let it cook for 3.5-4 hours.
5. Add soy sauce or salt to taste.

Note: Use of Crockpot is also recommended.

This is an excellent dish to warm the body, nourish and build blood.

Functions and Benefits:

1. Lamb – warming; Tonifies Qi and Blood; tones Yang; Benefits Essence.
2. Rosemary – warming; benefits and moves Qi; disperse Blood stasis.
3. Potato – Tonifies Qi and Blood; tones Middle Burner.
4. Turnip – tones, regulates and benefits Qi; tones Blood; remove Blood stasis; clears Heat; dries Damp; warming; counteracts toxins.
5. White radish – Regulates and tones Qi; tones blood; transform sputum heat; counteracts toxins.
6. Red wine – tones Qi and Blood.

Precautions and Contraindications:

1. In cases of excess Heat, severe Yin deficiencies and Excess Damp-Heat manifest as febrile diseases, strong thirst for cold water, fever, cough with thick yellow sputum, or hot diarrhoea must avoid.
2. Very poor digestion and feeling cold in the abdomen only eat the root vegetables.  Lamb meat is tougher to be digested.
3. White radish and turnip is cold-cool in nature.  In this recipe, both acts as moderator to the hot-warm nature of this dish as a whole; and also act as digestant.

If you have any doubt or want to know more about this recipe, contact your TCM practitioner or myself.

Thank you for reading.

Kenny Law

Australia Registered TCM Practitioner.

DISCLAIMER:

Information given are purely for references and it is not intent to diagnose medical conditions or to be used for self-diagnosed. Always consult medical health personnel for proper medical diagnosis.

© COPYRIGHT 2010 KENNY LAW

Sharing and/or reproduction of any part of this document is prohibited without written consent

For further readings
 

Lean Pork with Cassia (Cinnamon) Twigs

This simple dish helps to relieve ache and pain during menstruation (blood clotting; amenorrhoea) due to Coldness in the abdomen. It also aids to replenish Qi and blood right after childbirth for exhausted mother. It also benefits those who have lumbago during menopausal.

12g Cassia twigs (Gui Zhi)
200g lean pork
5 red dates
Water
Soy sauce or Tamari

Method:

1. Combine ingredients in a pot and filled with 1L water.
2. Bring to boil then low simmer about 2 hours or until pork is soft and tender.
3. Season with soy sauce and serve. It is best serve with some rice.

Functions and Benefits:

1. Cassia twigs – promotes blood circulation; relieve external Cold and warms the body
2. Pork – Tonifies Qi and Blood; lubricates Dryness.
3. Red dates – Tonifies Stomach and Spleen; nourish Blood

Precautions and Contraindications:

1. Cassia twig is contraindicated in hot febrile disease with high fever and those with severe hypertension.
2. This recipe is not suitable for pregnant women.

If you have any doubt or want to know more about this recipe, contact your TCM practitioner or myself.

Thank you for reading.

Kenny Law

Australia Registered TCM Practitioner.

DISCLAIMER:

Information given are purely for references and it is not intent to diagnose medical conditions or to be used for self-diagnosed. Always consult medical health personnel for proper medical diagnosis.

© COPYRIGHT 2010 KENNY LAW

Sharing and/or reproduction of any part of this document is prohibited without written consent

Introduction to Congee

Congee (Chinese: 粥; pinyin: zhōu) is a popular type of food eaten in many Asian countries.  It is made by prolonged boiling of rice in copious among of water and it is often eaten with savoury or sweet condiments.

This simple food has a number of health benefits.  It is particular suitable for the sick and frail individuals.  Congee is easy to digest and assimilate and it tonifies both Qi and Blood, harmonizes the Middle Jiao and promotes urination.  Depending on ingredient(s) it cooked with, it can have almost unlimited medicinal applications.

In some culture congee is made into one pot meal to serve all family members and friends in various social settings.  Congee can be made using a pot (non stick preferred) or rice cooker or a Crockpot.

There are 3 stages of congee:

Stage 1

The state of rice looks like cook rice and slightly puffier with large amount of water.

Stage 2

The rice grains look more large, broken and puffy but not totally turn to gruel.  It is smooth, watery and do not stick to the back of spatula when stirred.

Stage 3

The rice totally broken down and becomes thicker, creamier and gruel like.  Definitely stick to spatula when stirred.

Why 3 stages and what are their significants?

In a nutshell, it all comes down to individual preferences in normal conditions.

However there are differences if uses for therapeutic purposes:

1.      Digesting period and specificity for individual needs

a.       Stage 3 is being the easiest to digest and therefore it is often serve to the sick and the frail.  It is also common as introduction to growing infants, weaning them from milk.

b.      Stage 2 is suitable for the sick who are recovering from diseases, post partum, post operative and lack of appetite due to digestive problems or poor digestive system.

c.       Stage 1 can be use in two different ways.

                                                              i.      First, the rice is strain and only the broth is used to give to very frail individuals due to sickness and very poor or low in appetite.

                                                            ii.      Secondly it can be served to those who are near recovered from disease but did not have a strong digestion.

2.      Ingestion with herbal medicine

a.       Some herbal formulas are best taken together with some congee.  For individual who is weak and frail, the broth from Stage 1 is often served when taking herbal medicine to moderate and/or lessen the harshness of herbal remedies on an almost empty stomach.  The broth also aid to line and promote the production of digestive fluids to help absorption of medicine especially the herbs is in pill form or capsules.  One might choose to use Stage 2 or 3 depending on individual ability to assimilate in accordance to their health status.

3.      Cooking time

a.       Longer period need to reach Stage 3 and it is often few hours or overnight on a very low heat and water level is always checked.   It often involve combining ingredients which need long cooking time to breakdown, e.g. nuts, beans, seeds, fibrous vegetables including selected herbs.

Basic Congee Recipe

1 part of rice

8-14 parts of water*

For example:

1 cup / 200 g of long grain rice

14 cups / 3.5 L of water

*The amount of water will deterred the thickness of congee especially Stage 2 and 3.

Method:

1)      Wash rice and put aside

2)      Bring water to boil then add in the rice.  Turn heat to medium-low and let simmer with the lid tilt slightly.

Stage 1 – approx 30mins

Stage 2 – approx 60-90mins

Stage 3 – requires very low heat and may need to transfer pot to smallest burner on low heat for 2.5-4 hours with lid on.  Stir occasionally to prevent sticking or burning.

NOTE:

1.      Using rice cooker is only recommended to achieve Stage 1 and 2.  Precaution must be taken when using normal rice cooker.  It risk of water boiling over and loss of fluid.  Some rice cooker comes with casserole or congee setting.

2.      Another method of cooking is by using a Crockpot.  Follow the manual which came in it.

3.      If you do not have a Crockpot and did not have the time to cook it on stove, then I suggest using a lidded pot which can be put in the oven.  Combined the ingredients in the pot with hot water and place it in the oven on a very low heat of 80-90^oC.  Leave pot for 6-8 hours.

The following table is example of some foods can be added to congee and their actions.

Type of Congee	Actions
Mung Bean Congee	Febrifuge, Cooling of Summer Heat – being outside under hot sun and feeling feverish.
Radish Congee	Cool Heat problem of internal digestive organ mainly due to excessive greasy, hot and heating food.
Adzuki Bean Congee	Dries damp and useful in oedema and retention of urine.
Celery Congee	Relieve summer heat and relieve Liver Yang Rising
Peanut Congee	Lubricates the Lungs and relieves dry cough
Leek Congee	Warms and Tonifies Middle Burner.  Relieves chronic diarrhoea
Barley (Job’s Tear) Congee	Clears heat from Middle Burner and relieves hot diarrhoea and promote urination.
Carrot Congee	Promotes digestion and carminative.  Benefits the vision and relieves indigestion and chronic dysentery.
Liver Congee	Liver Deficiencies – Liver Blood/Yin Deficiencies and also for the Kidney Yin Deficiency.
Chicken Congee	Tonifies Qi and Blood.  Harmonises the Middle Burner.
Milk Congee with added Honey	Calms Shen and Nourishes the Spleen and Stomach.  Harmonises Middle Burner.  Relieves constipation and indigestion.
Ginger Congee	Warms the Middle Burner.  Relieves cold stomachache and cold diarrhoea.  Warms the body in general.
Lamb Congee	Warming and Tonifies Qi and Blood.  Strengthens Kidney Qi causing Lumbago.
Gou Qi Zi Congee	Benefits the Liver and vision.

 

Precautions:

Since congee is diuretic, it is not recommended for those have condition of Deficiency polyuria and nocturia.  TCM diagnosis of such condition is Deficiency of Kidney Qi or Kidney Yang Deficiency.

If you have any doubt or want to know more about the use of congee, contact your TCM practitioner or myself.

Thank you for reading.

Kenny Law

Australia Registered TCM Practitioner.

DISCLAIMER:

Information given are purely for references and it is not intent to diagnose medical conditions or to be used for self-diagnosed.  Always consult medical health personnel for proper medical diagnosis.

© COPYRIGHT 2010 KENNY LAW

 Sharing and/or reproduction of any part of this document is prohibited without written consent