Ginseng & Chicken Soup 人参鸡汤

Ginseng & Chicken Soup 人参鸡汤

Recipe source :  Doris Choo @ Sumptuous Flavours

I have a box of ginseng roots which has been sitting in my refrigerator for sometime now. It was a lovely gift. However, we were not too sure of its strength or the potency of these little roots for fear of ending up "over-heating" our bodies. I decided to ask the herbal shop proprietor. He advised that I should add in some red dates, wolfberries and some Solomon's seal or "yook chuk" in Cantonese. According to him, the addition of these herbs will counter the "heaty" properties of the ginseng root.

After boiling for three hours we have a pot of very nutritious ginseng soup. The yook chuk had imparted a natural sweetness to the soup.

We are glad that we did not feel any "over-heating" after the addition of Solomon's seal to brew this very nutritious soup.

Ingredients

1 small dried ginseng root
1/2 stewing chicken (old hen) cut into two large pieces
1 tbsp wolfberries, or kei-chi
6 red dates, pitted
30g Solomon's seal or yook chuk
2.5 litres water
1 1/2 tsp salt

 A gift set of ginseng roots

 It's sufficient to use only 1 small root 

 Left :  red dates. Middle : Solomon's seal or yook chuk. Right :  wolfberries

Method

1.  Bring 2.5 litres of water to a boil
2.  Add in all the Chinese herbs, ginseng root and stewing chicken.
3.  Once it comes to a boil again, reduce to small flame and continue to boil for 3 hours.
4.  Add in salt and switch off flame.
5.  Ready to serve.

Watercress Soup 西洋菜汤

Watercress Soup 西洋菜汤

Recipe source :  Doris Choo @ Sumptuous Flavours

I decided to boil this for my family.  I like to drink this watercress soup which is served by the vendor selling mixed vegetarian rice near my office. I took note of the ingredients they used and made some adjustments of my own.

This is the first time I boil savoury soup without any meat. Being so used to having meat in soups, I was initially very worried that this concoction may not turn out well. As the soup was boiling, I have to keep reminding myself that the meatless soup served at the vegetarian outlets tastes wonderful, so mine would taste superb too!

I am so happy that this combination of ingredients blended beautifully to make the soup so clear and sweet.  A sweetness that is so natural and pleasing to the palate.  I just love the aroma of the mushroom stems in the soup. 

This soup is full of natural goodness! It is fat-free. It does not contain any monosodium glutamate. It's very nice!

And watercress is good for clearing heat from our bodies.

Ingredients

150g soy beans ( soaked for 2 to 3 hours )
50g mushroom stems
50g red dates, roughly chopped
50g dried chestnuts ( soaked overnight )
300g watercress
2500ml water
 

Method

1.  Place the first four ingredients into a large pot and add in 2500ml water.
2.  Bring to a boil over high heat.
3.  Reduce fire to low and allow soup to simmer for 2 hours or until the beans and chestnuts are soft.
4.  Add in watercress and continue to boil for a further 30 minutes.
5.  Add salt to taste. 

Fat-free and meatless
Very nice!

Chicken Soup With Pumpkin 金瓜炖鸡

Chicken Soup With Pumpkin 金瓜炖鸡

Recipe source :  The World of Nourishing & Fine Soups

Pumpkin is very versatile. It can be cooked in so many different ways and can be made into all kinds of cakes, buns, muffins, puddings and kuih-muih, not forgetting the wide variety of savoury dishes and soups!

Today I am double-boiling pumpkin with chicken to make a soup. According to the herbal cookbook, this chicken and pumpkin soup alleviates fever and clears phlegm. It cleanses blood and detoxifies the body. Hmmmm, sounds very nutritious and very beneficial indeed.

This soup is absolutely divine!

Ingredients

300g pumpkin
5 dried oysters
5 red dates, pitted
1 chicken whole leg
900ml water
1/2 tsp salt
 

Method

1.  Rinse and peel pumpkin. Remove cores from pumpkin and cut into cubes.
2.  Rinse dried oysters.
3.  Remove skin from chicken and scald in hot water.
4.  Put all ingredients ( except salt ) into a large porcelain stewing pot. Cover with lid and double-boil for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
5.  Add 1/2 tsp salt just before serving. 

 

I am linking this post to Cook-Your-Book-#18

Hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

I am also 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

Salt-Baked Chicken 盐焗鸡

Salt-Baked Chicken 盐焗鸡

Concept source :  Y3K Magazine Issue 55, 7/8- 2010
Recipe source :  Doris Choo @ Sumptuous Flavours

I followed the concept of using a non-stick pot to bake this salt-baked chicken after reading Y3K magazine. I like this concept because you do not have to stir-fry the coarse salt in a large wok until the salt are hot and popping, which can be very hazardous if the hot salt pellets land on you. Moreover, once the wok is used to fry the salt, it will be damaged as the large amount of salt corrodes cast-iron or aluminium woks.

I adjusted the basic recipe and came up with my own version to cater to my personal preference.  That is because I have tasted a few varieties of salt-baked chicken sold in various shops. The most famous being the Ipoh salt-baked chicken. 

The taste is simply scrumptious! The saltiness had seeped into the meat and it was subtly flavoured by the piece of danggui and red dates. Perfect! It caters perfectly to my family's taste. Everyone is happy ! We had a very satisfying dinner.

Ingredients

3 chicken whole legs
3 pieces danggui
6 red dates, pitted
1 tbsp shao hsing wine
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp hot water
2 tbsp sesame oil, for brushing the baking paper

Materials required

6 pieces of baking/wax paper , cut into rectangles of 30cm x 23cm
1 kg coarse salt
1 large piece of aluminium foil to line the non-stick pot

 Danggui and red dates

Line the non-stick pot with aluminium foil

Method

1.  Place the red dates and danggui into a small bowl. Add 2 tbsp of hot water. Set aside to cool. 
2.  Once cooled down, add in 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp shao shing wine.
3.  Line a non-stick pot with aluminium foil. 
4.  Fill the pot with coarse salt and heat on medium flame until the salt is hot. 
5.  While the salt is being heated, brush 1 piece of baking paper with sesame oil.
6.  Place 1 chicken whole leg onto the paper, brush with liquid from soaking the danggui and red dates. Then add in a piece of danggui and two red dates.
7.  Place another piece of baking paper under this sheet and wrap up the chicken whole leg. 
8.  Once the salt is heated through, remove half the amount of salt onto another container. Place the 3 pieces of wrapped chicken in the middle of the non-stick pot. Cover the wrapped chicken pieces with the salt  removed earlier and place lid on the pot.
9.  Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes. 
10. Carefully remove the layer of salt and remove the packages. 

Use double layers of baking paper to wrap the chicken thigh

I am linking this post to Cook-Your-Books #16  

hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

Bird's Nest Soup With Three Treasures 三宝巴实燕

Bird's Nest Soup With Three Treasures 三宝巴实燕

Recipe source :  The World of Nourishing & Fine Soups ( cookbook )

A very delicious and highly nutritious soup which is very rich in collagen. Good for strengthening the lungs and regenerates skin cells. According to the herbal cookbook, lotus seeds help to strengthen the spleen and stomach, while gingko nuts nourishes lungs and relieves asthma. 

Ingredients ( serves one )

5g dried bird's nest
3 fresh lotus seeds
2 red dates
3 lily bulbs
3 fresh gingko nuts
Cane rock sugar, to taste
200ml water

 Fresh gingko nuts

Fresh lotus seeds

 Dried bird's nest

Dried lily bulbs

Method

1.  Soak bird's nest until soft. ( about one hour.)
2.  Place bird's nest, cane rock sugar and all the Chinese herbs into a ceramic or porcelain container with a fitting lid.
3.  Pour in 200ml water.
4.  Double boil for about 2 to 3 hours. 

Hasma With American Ginseng 雪蛤炖花旗参

Hasma With American Ginseng 雪蛤炖花旗参

Recipe source :  Doris Choo @ Sumptuous Flavours

The common layman's term for hasma is snow jelly. Some referred to it simply as "winter frog". In Chinese herbal medicine, hasma is reported to be good for improving production of red blood cells and to stimulate brain growth. The Chinese believes that it is good for the lungs and thus helps to curb coughing. Some believe that regular consumption of hasma improves skin complexion. 

Generally, it is believed to be a good natural tonic for overall wellness. 

A friendly shop proprietor who sells Chinese herbs once taught me to add a small piece of fresh orange peel to enhance the flavour of double-boiled hasma. The citrus flavour from the orange peel helps to expel the fishy smell. Combined with American ginseng, rock sugar and pitted red dates, a very delicious and nutritious dessert is made. 

Ingredients (serves one )

2g dried hasma, soaked until soft and gelatinous. 
5 pieces of American ginseng
2 red dates, pitted
150 - 200 ml water
Cane rock sugar, accordingly to individual preference for sweetness
1 small piece of fresh orange peel

Dried hasma

Method

1.  Place American ginseng, fresh orange peel, red dates and rock sugar into a small porcelain container with a fitting lid. 
2.  Pour in 150ml to 200ml water.
3.  Double boil or steam for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
4.  Serve warm. 

A very tasty dessert which improves the complexion and is good for the lungs

Ginseng Chicken Soup ( Samgyetang 삼계탕 )

Ginseng Chicken Soup ( Samgyetang 삼계탕 )

Recipe source : Adapted from Maangchi 

I used a dried ginseng root to make this famous Korean Samgyetang. I reckon I cannot follow Maangchi's method which calls for the use of a fresh ginseng root, strictly because fresh ginseng is not available. So I need to boil the dried ginseng to soften it first before using it. If I were to stuff the dried ginseng root into the chicken cavity directly, the root will remain hard and uncooked, while the chicken becomes soft and tender. Then the goodness of the ginseng root will not be released into the chicken and soup.

The aroma of ginseng was rather strong during the cooking process and there was an instance where the flavour of garlic was strong as well. But it was only for a short while. 

The end result? The soup was richly  flavoured by the ginseng root and the chicken. 

Ingredients

1 chicken

1/4 cup glutinous rice

10 cloves garlic

3 red dates

1 ginseng root

 2 litres water.

Top picture: First row :Ginseng root

Second row :Red dates

Third row : Garlic

Bottom picture : Soaked glutinous rice

Method

1.  Soak 1/4 cup of glutinous rice for a few hours.
2.  Place ginseng root in a pot, add water to boil until the root turns soft.  
3.  Stuff chicken with glutinous rice, red dates, garlic and the softened ginseng root.
4.  Place the stuffed chicken into the ginseng soup and throw in the remaining garlic into the soup and boil over rapid fire for 45 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
5.  Serve with salt and pepper.

 

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest  : Korea

Hosted by Sharon of Feats of Feast

Dried Seafood Soup With Tai Tow Choy 大头菜汤

 Dried Seafood Soup With Tai Tow Choy 大头菜汤

Recipe source :  Doris Choo from Sumptuous Flavours

This is an old recipe, a long forgotten family recipe. This is basically a country-style soup using predominantly dried seafood and pork to slowly simmer over a slow fire. It would be even better if this is slowly simmered in a clay pot over an old-fashioned charcoal stove. Alas, charcoal stove are no longer in use. It was a bygone era. However, to this day, I strongly believe that food seemed to taste better when cooked over a slow charcoal flame!

Ingredients

650g pork shoulder, leave it whole
60g tai tow choy
35g sea conch, soaked until soft
50g dried conpoy
6 red dates, pitted
50g dried shitake mushrooms, soaked until soft and remove stems
3 litres water

Top left : conpoy or scallops. Bottom left : red dates.

Centre :  tai tow choy

Top right :  sea conch

Bottom right :  dried shitake mushrooms

 

Pork shoulder

Instructions

1.  Bring water to a boil in a large pot.
2.  When water boils, add everything into the pot and bring to a boil again.
3.  Reduce flame to small and let it simmer for one to one and half hours, depending on preference whether you want the pork to be firm or tender.
4.  Remove the pork shoulder and the tai tow choy and cut into bite-sized pieces.
5.  Serve immediately.

Excellent! 

Full of natural goodness!

Double-Boiled Snow Fungus Dessert 雪耳炖冰糖

Double-Boiled Snow Fungus Dessert 雪耳炖冰糖

 A sweet dessert

Recipe Source : Replicating what I had eaten in a shopping mall in Zhuhai, China

I had this sweet dessert in Zhuhai, China a couple of weeks back. The ingredients used are simple and easily available in grocery stores or supermarkets. Brewed together with cane sugar or rock sugar, the end result is sweet and very satisfying. I am back home now and I have a strong craving to have this dessert and I decided to prepare it.

Ingredients

10g snow fungus ( soaked until soft, remove the stem and cut them into smaller pieces )
90g cane rock sugar ( adjust the amount of sugar to suit individual taste )
6 red dates, remove the seeds
100g fresh lotus seeds
18 gingko nuts ( remove the shell and soft skin or you can use fresh gingko nuts available at the wet markets )
600 ml water

Top left : fresh lotus seeds, Top right : gingko nuts

Bottom left : snow fungus. Middle : cane rock sugar. Right : red dates

 

Instructions

 

1.  Divide the above ingredients into 3 equal portions.
2.  Place each portion into an individual ceramic container. You will need 3 small ceramic containers. Alternatively, you can put everything into a large ceramic container used for double- boiling. You can read up on my previous post on the ceramic pot used and how to go about double-boiling.
3. Cover the 3 ceramic containers and place them into a larger aluminium or stainless steel pot. Fill up the larger pot with water to half the water level of the ceramic containers. 
4.  Switch on the flame and double-boil the contents for one hour. 
5.  Check on the water level in the larger pot to avoid drying up during the boiling process. Add hot boiling water if the water dries up. 

Very satisfying dessert after a meal