TCM calls for pre-winter diet changes(2)

Seasonal recipes and their benefits

• Stewed hou tou mushroom (hericium erinaceum) and black-bone chicken

Ingredients: 2 dried hou tou mushrooms, black-bone chicken (250g), 5 jujubes, salt, yellow wine and ginger as needed

Preparations:

1. Soak the mushrooms for six hours and wash them.

2. Put the chicken in boiling water; add some ginger and yellow wine to get rid of the fishy smell.

3. Take out the chicken and chop it into pieces. Get rid of the used water.

4. Put all the ingredients in an earthen pan with water, and bring it to a quick boil.

5. Turn to gentle heat and simmer for 120 minutes.

6. Add salt to season.

Benefits: Helps reinforce energy, benefits digestive system, and nourishes yin energy.

• Turnip slices and crucian carp soup

Ingredients: 1 turnip, 1 crucian carp, ginger, yellow wine, salt and pepper powder as needed

Preparations:

1. Peel the turnip and chop it into fine slices.

2. Wash the crucian carp, and spread some salt, pepper powder, yellow wine and ginger slices on the fish.

3. Pan-fry carp until the skin turns golden.

4. Put the crucian carp and turnip slices together in a saucepan with water.

5. Bring it to a quick boil; turn to middle heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the soup turns milky white.

6. Add salt to season.

Benefits: Helps benefit digestive system, improves appetite and digestion, nourishes lungs, dissolves phlegm and relieves coughing. It is also effective in improving immunity and preventing colds.

• Yam and old duck soup

Ingredients: 1 old duck (1kg), yam (500g), ginger, green onion, salt, pepper powder and yellow wine as needed

Preparations:

1. Wash the duck; peel the yam and chop it into pieces.

2. Put the duck in boiling water with ginger, green onions and yellow wine.

3. Take out the duck and chop it into pieces. Get rid of the water.

4. Put the duck into an earthen-pan together with ginger and green onions. Bring it to a quick boil and turn to middle heat.

5. Put the yam in. When the

soup boils again, turn to gentle heat and simmer for about two hours.

6. Add salt and pepper powder to season.

Benefits: Helps nourish lungs, relieves coughing, benefits spleen and reduces cholesterol.

• White fungus and pigeon soup

Ingredients: 1 old pigeon, dried white fungus (50g), 10 pieces of gouqi (wolfberries), ginger and salt as needed.

Preparations:

1. Soak the white fungus and wolfberries. Wash the pigeon and chop it into pieces.

2. Put the pigeon, wolfberries and ginger into a saucepan with boiling water. Turn to middle heat when it boils again.

3. Keep boiling for an hour with middle heat. Add white fungus. Simmer for another 30-40 minutes.

4. Add salt to season.

Benefits: Helps reinforce blood, soothes nerves, warms stomach, helps digestion, and perfects skin.