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the last month of winter January 25, 2008 |
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Dear, Have you got your mood out from the long holiday? If not,cheer yourself up,as it's a new year,we need a new start,right? And the most important is that it is the last month of this winter. Spring is coming! Cheers Anna
>>======================== Anna's Nature Regimen and Recipe Express -- Keep your life close to the nature >>======================== China's five-thousand years of culture and history reserved precious regimen. I'm digging out and would like to share with you. So this website,including this e-zine is not only about Chinese recipes, it's more about healthy life style. Visit our website: www.healthy-chinese-recipe.com >>======================== Jan.25th,2008 Issue #5 Table of Content: 1. The Harmony of human with natureII 2. About the 12th month and regimen
4. Recipes on our website suitable for winter
>>======================== 1. The hamorny of human with nature II In last issue, we talked about our organs strengthness and weakness changing with time and space. In this issue, let's see how our organs are related with food's nature,taste,color.They also have relation with our mood and music. Ancient Chinese people think that the world is composed of five elements: Wood,Fire,Earth,Gold,Water. They always use these five elements as basic reference.
In Spring, our liver is active and so is easy to be hurt. Anger hurts liver. Your eyes will get problem if your liver is not healthy. Foods with sour taste nourish liver,however,you cannot eat too much sour food when the liver is too active. Suddenly exciting news may cause heart attack. Those whose face is always unhealthy pale-white may have heart disease. In autumn, our lung is easy to get disease. Lung opens aperture as nose. If your nose has problem then it means the function of your lung is not good. >>====================== 2. About the 12th month and regimen The 12th month is from January 8th to Febuary 6th, 2008. In this month, some organs status:
Diet should
This will protect heart and spleen, avoiding kidney from being hurt. 12th month is the last month in winter. For more winter regimen, please visit : http://www.healthy-chinese-recipe.com/winter-regimen.html Knowlege about food: All the food we eat has its own taste attribute: Sweet: rice, beef,Chinese date,pumpkin,etc. Function: easy up. Sour: small red bean, plum, leek(also spicy),haw,etc. Function: converge. Pungent: glutinous millet, chicken, peach,shallot,etc. Function: dispel. Bitter: wheat, mutton, almond, and swamp cabbage,etc. Function: dry and solidify. Salty: soybean, pork meat,chestnut, leaf bean,etc. Function: soften. >>====================== a. Stewed Eggplant with Potato Ingredients 1 eggplant,raw,unpeel 1 potato,small 1 tomato,small 1 cup stock(or water) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon ginger,chopped 1 teaspoon shallot,chopped 1 teaspoon garlic, chopped 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon salt Procedure: 1. Clean eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes. Cut tomato into the same size cubes. Clean,potato,peel, cut into 1/2 inch cubes,put in water(avoid oxidation). 2. Heat the oil in a wok(or saucepan),add shallot,ginger,stir,let fragrance comes out. 3. Add potato cubes,stir fry 1mins,add soy sauce, 1/2 stock,cook 10mins with cover. 4. Add eggplant cubes,add the rest stock,cook 10mins with cover. 5. Add tomato,salt,stir well,cook 10mins with cover,or until all the stuffs thoroughly cooked. If it's dry add some water during cooking. 6. Turn off heat, pour in a bowl,serve. Serving Method:(5 servings) Serve with warm. Serve as main/side dish at lunch or dinner. It's more delicious if you add some chilli or chilli sauce. Beneficial Function: Clear heat, invigorate spleen. Suitable for those who are with obesity, hypertension, coronary heart disease,etc. ----------------- b. Steamed Balsam Pear with Pork Stuff Ingredients: 2 balsam pear,raw 100g lean pork, minced 1 teaspoon shallot,chopped 1 teaspoon five species powder 1 teaspoon soy sauce 3 tablespoon cornstarch 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon stock Procedure: 1. Place minced pork in a bowl,add soy sauce,1/2 salt, 1/2 shallot,five species powder,1/2 teaspoon cornstarch. Stir along the same direction until tight.Add some water if dry. Set aside for 10mins. 2. Clean balsam pear,drain well,cut transversely into 1 inch high ring(column).Dig up the seed of each column. 3. Quick boil balsam pear rings,drain well. Apply a layer of dry cornstarch inside flesh of balsam rings. Fill in the above step 1 pork stuff. 4. Arrange stuffed balsam pear rings in a big plate,place in a steamer,steam 10mins. 5. While steaming,add 1 tablespoon stock,the rest shallot,salt in a saute pan. Bring to a boil. 6. Mix cornstarch with water,add in the saute pan,stir well. Turn off heat, pour on the steamed balsam pear. Serve. Note: If you don't like pork,then you can use beef replace of pork. If you are vegen,then you may use tofu replace of pork. Serving Method:(4 servings) Serve as main dish at lunch or dinner. Beneficial Function: Clear heat,reduce blood sugar. Suitable for diabetics.
------------ c. Stir Fried Lamb with Winter Bamboo Shoots Ingredients 1/2 lb lamb,raw 1 cup winter bamboo shoots 1 chilli pepper (if you're afraid of hot,replace small green pepper instead) 1 teaspoon ginger,sliced 1 teaspoon shallot,chopped 1 teaspoon garlic,chopped 1 table spoon cornstarch,mixed with water 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon stock(or water) Procedure: 1. Clean lamb,cut into 1 inch long strips,marinate in salt and cornstarch for 20mins. 2. Shell bamboo shoots,take out old root,cut flesh into 1/2 inch long strips. Clean pepper,seed,cut into 1 inch long strips. 3. Heat oil in a wok,add lamb strips,stir fry 1 mins. 4. Add ginger,shallot,garlic,stir fry several times. 5. Add soy sauce,stir well,add stock,pepper,stir fry 2mins,or until thoroughly cooked. 6. Turn off heat,pour in a dish. Serving Method:(5 servings) Serve as main dish at lunch or dinner. Beneficial Function: Benefit Qi(vital energy),supplement (Yang) deficiency, promote stomach and intestines to move,prevent cold and constipation. Suitable for those who are weak,obese,and whose who are with heart disease,diabetes,etc. ------------------- d. Beef with Radish Soup ![]() Ingredients: 500g lean beef (about 1lb) 1/2 radish,oriental(about 150g) 1 anise star 2 hawthorn 1/2 onion 1 tablespoon soy sauce 2 teaspoon salt 2000ml water Procedure: 1. Clean beef,cut into bite size cubes. Wash in hot water one time(remove smell). Cut onion into several pieces. Cut radish into the same size as beef. 2. Add beef cubes in a saucepan,add star anise,hawthorn,onions,water,cook 90mins over low heat with cover. 3. Add soy sauce,radish cubes,continue to cook 30mins with cover. 4. Add salt, cook 10mins over high heat,turn off heat. 5. Let it stay 30mins,serve. Serving Method:(10 servings) Serve as side dish at breakfast,lunch,or dinner. Serve with warm. Beneficial Function: Warm stomach,smooth Qi. Suitable for those who are with hyperlipidemia, heart disease,arteriosclerosis, etc. --------------- >>===================== 4. Recipes on our website suitable for winter a.Beef with Potato Braise Recipe http://www.healthy-chinese-recipe.com/beef-with-potatoes-braise-recipe.html b.Stewed Chicken with Mushroom Recipe http://www.healthy-chinese-recipe.com/stewed-chicken-with-mushroom.html c.Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe http://www.healthy-chinese-recipe.com/sweet-and-sour-pork-recipe.html d.Duck with Taro Soup Recipe http://www.healthy-chinese-recipe.com/duck-with-taro-soup-recipe.html
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You know,Chinese Lunar New Year,or Spring Festival is the most important festival for all Chinese world wide. Like Thanksgiving Day in western contry, Chinese people celebrate their harvest this year and welcome the coming spring in Chinese Lunar New Year. In Spring Festival,families stay together. No matter how far they are, they must go back home. In Srping Festival's Eve, families have dinner together. In the following days, people visit relatives and friends,blessing for each other. At mid night(12 O'clock) of the New Yea's Eve,it's customed to eat Jiaozi. Jiaozi has the same pronunciation with the meaning "the point of intersection of new and old world". So the forming of Jiaozi is to press the two part of a round paste together. Traditional Jiaozi skin is made of wheat while stuff is made of vegetables and meat. Popular and traditional stuffs are chinese cabbage with pork, celery with beef,shrimp and egg with leek. Now people make whatever their favorite as stuffs such as fish, mushroom,green pepper,cucumber,tomato,etc. The methods of cooking Jiaozi are water boil and steam. Jiaozi cooking by water boil has smooth and soft skin,fresh delicious taste. While steam method keep the most stuffs flavor and so more fragrance. The following is the process of making Jiaozi: ![]() Making stuff: 1/4 lb beef,minced(about 100g) 2 cup celery,chopped(about 200g) 1 teaspoon five species powder 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon shallot,chopped 1 teaspoon ginger powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg Procedure: 1. Add minced beef in a big bowl,add soy sauce,salt,shallot,five species powder,ginger powder,salt,egg,(if it's not so dry,then just add half egg liquid)stir evenly,let it stay 10mins. 2. Cut celery into very thin and small pieces,almost minced. Or just minced by using machine. 3. Add minced celery in the above bowl,mix and stir evenly. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Making Jiaozi Skin: Ingredients: 1 cup water 500g flour (about 1lb) Procedure: 1. Add flour in a basin,slowly add water while stir. 2. knead into soft paste.Cover,let it stay 15mins. 3. Knead the paste into 1inch long round strip. Cut into small pieces(about 1/2 inch section) 4. Roll into thin round flakes by using stick.(I know it's not easy to do. I learned it from when I was 5 years old).Don't let the round flakes(Jiaozi skin) stay too long time(they'll be dry),making Jiaozi at once. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Making Jiaozi 1. Put Jiaozi skin on your palm,add stuff(about 1/3 of Jiaozi skin). 2. Fold the Jiaozi skin in half with stuff in side,don't pinch now. 3. Pinch at the center first,then pinch at the two end. Leave the front side shorter so that you can fold into tuck.Nip around slightly making sure two side is firmly sticked. The right shape of Jiaozi is half round,like an ear. ![]() ![]() Cooking: Steam: Arrange Jiaozi in a drawer of a steamer,cover,steam 10min over medium heat. Water-boil:(Bring 3 times boil) a.Add water in a saucepan,water cover 2/3. Bring to a boil. b.Add Jiaozi,Jiaozi shoul be less than 1/3 of the cooker.Bring to the 1st boil while stir. c. Add 1 tablespoon cold water. Bring to the 2nd boil while stir. d. Add additonal 1 tablespoon cold water. Bring to the 3rd boil while stir. e. Simmer 2mins over low heat. Scoop out with strainer spoon,turn off heat,serve.(turn off heat after scoop out,otherwise it'll be easy to spoil the jiaozi when scooping). Can you guess the above pics, which is steamed? Which is water boiled?
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