Double-boiled Pear Soup 川贝蜜枣炖雪梨

Double-boiled Pear Soup 川贝蜜枣炖雪梨

Recipe source :  Adapted from Nourishing & Fine Soups

I was having a bout of recurring mild fever and uneasiness on the chest and a slight cough. My first thought and fear was that I may have blocked arteries or some other heart ailment. Thank God, all was well after a medical check-up. 

My friends advised that I might be afflicted by the heat. Heeding their advice, I looked-up my cookbook on herbal soups and decided to double-boil a pear with candy dates and some Chinese herbs. 

My friend reminded me that I must use a brown-skinned pear.

The Chinese believe that pears are cooling and clears heat from the body. 

Well, the stewed pear tasted more like a dessert than herbal medication! 
In fact, it was very delicious. But, the bottom line was that my cough and the uneasiness on my chest felt much better! 

This concoction may be beneficial for the following ailments:

~ clears cough and flu
~ clears heatiness of lungs and heart
~ clears phlegm

Ingredients (serves one )

12g tendrilled fritillarial ( Chuan bei in Chinese )
1 brown-skinned pear
5g bitter almonds
5g sweet almonds 
1 candy date  ( or 2 dates, depending on preference for sweetness )
200ml water

 Brown-skinned pear

 Chuan bei, in powder form

 Bitter almonds mixed with sweet almonds

 Candy dates

Method

1.  Remove the skin and core of pear. Cut into pieces.
2.  Place pear, Chinese herbs and candy dates into a porcelain container with cover.
3.  Double-boil for 4 hours. No cheating! It must be 4 hours. 

 

Sweet and tasty dessert which is good for clearing heat, cough and phlegm

I am linking this post to My Treasured Recipes # 3 - Taste of Autumn (Oct/Nov 2014)

Hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well In Flanders and 

co-hosted by Charmaine of Mimi Bakery House

 

I am also linking this post to Cook-Your-Book #17

Hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

Steamed Pears In Honey

Steamed Pears In Honey

Recipe source :  "Regional Chinese Cooking" cook book


When I saw this recipe in "Regional Chinese Cooking" cook book, I  thought back to  pears in red wine.  I wanted to try out this recipe as well as I wanted to know whether pears stewed in brandy and honey will be as good as pears in red wine. This version is not spicy at all since no spices are involved. Obviously, this is milder than pears in red wine but that does not mean it is less tasty. Each has its own flavour. 

If you like liquor, you will like this. 

Ingredients

4 pears
4 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp brandy    ( or any liquor of your choice )

Instructions

1.  Peel pears, leaving the stalks.
2.  Stand pears in a saucepan and add some water, to just cover.
3.  Simmer for 30 minutes.
4.  Pour away half of the water. Then sprinkle sugar and simmer for another 5 minutes.
5.  Add honey and liquor to the reserved liquid and stir well.
6.  Refrigerate pears and honey-liquor liquid.
7.  To serve, place pears in individual dessert bowls and pour some honey-liquor over it.

I am submitting this post to Aspiring bakers #38 : Boozy-licious! (December 2013)

hosted by Jasline of Foodie baker 

I am linking this post to Cook-Your-Books # 7

 

Hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

Pears In Red Wine

Pears In Red Wine

Recipe source :  Ellice Handy Recipes ( Female Cookbook 1979 )


These pears in red wine are extremely delicious. My youngest son, YS and I like these pears very much. The cookbook recommended that we eat them with ice-cream. Ice-cream! This meant double bliss for both of us, to have chilled pears cooked in delicious red wine sauce topped-up  with ice-cream for dessert! This is definitely a treat , not an everyday treat!

We love the unique flavour of the stewed pears cooked with cloves, cinnamon and red wine. 

Yes, a very delicious treat for us!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups red wine
3 slices lemon
3 cloves
1/2 cup white sugar
5 cm piece cinnamon bark
6 firm pears

You will require :

 Lemon

Pears

Left :  cinnamon. Right : cloves

Red wine

Instructions

1.  Place wine, lemon slices, cloves, cinnamon and sugar into a saucepan.
2.  When boiling, add peeled pears and simmer for 10 minutes.
3.  Remove pears to a bowl and continue to boil the wine for 10 minutes to reduce the quantity.
4.  Pour hot wine over the pears and allow to stand until warm, turn fruits often.
5.  Serve with ice-cream
6.  Serves 4 to 6 people.

 The ice-cream melted pretty fast in our hot weather

A wine flavoured dessert. 
Unique!

I am submitting this post to Aspiring bakers #38 : Boozy-licious! (December 2013)

hosted by Jasline of Foodie baker 

I am linking this post to Cook-Your-Books  # 7

 

Hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

Curry Leaves Lamb Chop 咖哩叶羊扒

Curry Leaves Lamb Chop 咖哩叶羊扒

 Ready to serve lamb chops with potato wedges, tomato slices and pear or Fuji apple

Ingredients

10 pieces of lamb chop
3 onions (cut into rings)
30g curry leaves
a tomato (cut into thin slices)
6 medium-sized potatoes (cut into wedges and deep-fry)
3 medium-sized pears or Fuji apples

Marinade Ingredients

6 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp hsao hsing wine
3 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp pepper
1 tsp salt
50g shallot (pound to pulp and squeeze out the juice)
50g ginger ( pound to pulp and squeeze out the juice) 

Mix the above ingredients thoroughly and marinate the lamb chop.

 Deep-fried potato wedges

 Curry leaves

 Lamb chops being deep-fried in a wok with onion rings and curry leaves

Instructions

 

1. Use a fork to prick the lamb chop then marinate it in the marinade for 2 hours, flipping it every 30 minutes.
2. Heat enough oil in a wok and over low fire deep-fry the lamb together with some onion rings and curry leaves. I prefer my chops well done. Cooking time is about 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Arrange on a plate.