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Always keep a little hunger
January 28, 2009

Dear,

Always keep a little hunger

Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko is a very beautiful and elegant woman. Her secret of keeping good shape is to eat less. Her guard said that she eats very less each meal and it seems she never eat full. But she always drinks high quality fruit juice.

A few days ago, HP China CEO Mr. Sun resigned after working 20 years in HP. He is over 50 years old but looks like just over 30 years old. What's the secret that keeps him young? He said he  always remembers one of his doctor's advice, that is, "Eating is very important". He weighs himself everyday and then decides how much he will eat according to the weight.

Of course it's not easy for all of us to measure exactly how much to eat on each meal. Chinese medicine advices us that eat until 70-80% of full. That means when you leave the dinner table you still feel a little hunger; When you start to the next meal you feel a little hunger.

"Diseases come from our mouths(eating)". Current popular illness such as coronary disease, diabetes, even cancer are caused by improper eating.

Always keeping a little hunger will keep you long live. 

Enjoy your healthy life.

Anna

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Anna's Nature Regimen and Recipe Express

-- Keep your life close to the nature

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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

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Jan. 27th,2009

Issue #13

Table of Content:

1. Jing, Qi, Blood and Body Fluid(IV)-Body Fluid

2. Chinese New Year Traditional Food: Si Xi Wan Zi(Four Happy Ball)

a. Steamed Si Xi Wan Zi
b. Si Xi Wan Zi for Vegetarian

3. Chinese New Year Traditional Food: Braised Pork

a. Braised Pork- Mao's Favorite
b. Stewed Pork with Vermicelli

4. Winter Recipes for Women

a. Mutton with Angelica and Ginger Soup
b. Chicken with Goji Berry and Notoginseng
c. Sweet and Sour Carrot Thread

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1. Jing, Qi, blood and body fluid(III)- Body Fluid

In Western medicine, the nutrients that we need are sugar, fat, protein, water, trace element, vitamin, in which sugar, protein and fat are substances that provide us with energy.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the substances that maintain our life activities are Jing(Essence), Qi, blood, body fluid.

Body fluid is a basic substance that makes up the body and maintains life activities. The main component of body fluid is water, also including nutrient substance.

Body fluid is also a component of blood when it flows inside the vessels. Body fluid also flows outside the vessels in the viscera and the body. If secreting or excreting from the five sensory organs and the nine orifices, body fluid becomes urine, sweating, tears, snivel, saliva and drool, etc.

Body fluid comes from food, especially water and liquid diet. The production of body fluid comes through a series of physiological activities, including the functions of the stomach to receive and digest, the functions of the spleen to transport, transform and transmit, the functions of the small intestine to receive and digest, and the functions of the large intestine to transmit and change.

The physiological functions of body fluid including Moistening and nourishing, Transformation of blood, Transportation of the turbid Qi.

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2. Chinese New Year Traditional Food: Si Xi Wan Zi(Four Happy Ball)

In banquet or holiday, there's always a dish called Si Xi Wan Zi(means Four Happy Ball). Four happy balls represent four happiest thing in life:

1). JIU HAN FENG GAN LU: There comes a rain after long time dry weather;

2). TA XIANG YU GU ZHI: Meet old friend in other city/country;

3). DONG FANG HUA ZU YE: On the first night of newly-married;

4). JIN BANG TI MING SHI: When passing the palace examination.(In ancient China, you become a government officer when passing the palace examination. This means you have a good career.)

Traditional Si Xi Wan Zi is made of ground pork (with half fat) and chufa. Deep fry, then steam or stew.

Now we can make SI XI WAN ZI by using ground pork without fat,steam,add some sauce.Very healthy.

For those vegetarian, you can cook non-meat Si Xi Wan Zi.

Below are the recipes for these two healthy methods:

a. Steamed Si Xi Wan Zi

Ingredients:

250g ground pork,

100g chufa

For balls

1 teaspoon ginger, chopped

1 tablespoon garlic, chopped

2 tablespoon shallot, chopped

1 teaspoon dry cornstarch

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon rice wine

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/2 cup crumb

For sauce:

1 teaspoon dry cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon tomato sauce

Procedure:

1. Add all the ginger,garlic,shallot,dry cornstarch, soy sauce,salt, rice wine in the ground pork, stir at the same direction till pork becomes sticky or strong. Marinate for 30mins.

2. Add sesame oil, stir well. Divide into four equal meat paste. Take one, hold in one hand,pat to another hand. This will make meat paste more solid. Coat with crumb.Roll into round shape in hands. Put on a big place, set aside. Repeat to finish other 3 balls.

3. Put the plate( heat-proof) on the drawer of a steamer. Steam for 15mins. Turn off heat. You can see there is soup in the plate.

4. After cool, pour out the soup into a small bowl. Add cornstarch,stir well.

5. Heat oil in a saucepan, add tomato sauce, stir fry several times.Add the above soup 4. Stir well. Pour on the 4 balls. Serve.

Tip: Buy a block of ham pork, then you chop yourself. That'll be more delicious.

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b. Si Xi Wan Zi for Vegetarian

Ingredients:

main material

500g tofu

100g carrot

auxiliary material

50g bamboo shoot

150g bok choy

150g cabbage

2 tablespoon rice

2 tablespoon sticky rice

seasoning

50ml olive oil(need prepare 300ml to deep fry balls)

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon rice wine

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 teaspoon ginger,chopped

2 tablespoon shallot, chopped

1 teaspoon five flavor powder

Procedure:

1. Wrap tofu with a piece of gauze, squeeze out water, put in a big bowl.

2. Put rice and sticky rice in a saucepan, stir fry till rice becomes yellow color. Grind into powder.

3. Steam carrot till soft, cut into small cubes,as small as possible. Add the above bowl. Add the above rice and sticky rice(step 2) salt, ginger, shallot, cornstarch, sesame oil. Stir well. Divide into 8 equal paste, roll into 8 ball.

4. Heat oil in a wok. Deep fry 8 balls( 3 or 4 balls each time) till become yellow color.

5. Leave a tablespoon oil in wok, add shallot, soy sauce,bamboo shoot, bok choy,stir fry. Add 1 or 2 tablespoon stocks(or hot water). Add 8 balls on bamboo shoot and bok choy.Cover balls with cabbage leaves. Cover, simmer for 10 to 15mins. Serve.

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3. Chinese New Year Traditional Food: Braised Pork

Braised Pork is also a dish often appeared in a banquet or holiday gathers. It was Mao Zedong's favorite dish. However, it's becoming less welcomed in recent years as Braised Pork is made by pork with fat. But you can choose the lean meat part, it's also very delicious.

a. Braised Pork- Mao's Favorite

Ingredients:

500g pork with peel(must with peel,better is several layers. One layer fat, next layer is lean meat,and next next layer is fat,etc.)

2 tablespoon peanut oil

3 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoon rice wine

2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 piece cinnamon bark

1 aniseed

5 pieces dried capsicum

Procedure:

1. Put pork in a wok, add water, bring to a boil,quickly take out. Cut into 1-2cm cubes.

2. Heat oil in a wok,add sugar, stir fry until become brown color. Add pork cubes, stir fry until pork cubes are totally coated with brown color. Add rice wine, soy sauce, salt, vinegar, cinnamon bark, aniseed and dried capsicum,add stock(or hot water) making sure above 3mm higher than pork cubes.

3. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 90mins over low heat with cover. Don't forget to stir fry 2 or 3 times during simmer making sure no sticky or burned on bottom of wok.

4. When finished, should be 1/3 juice left. Turn off heat, arrange pork cubes on a plate,pour on juice. Serve.

b. Stewed Pork with Vermicelli

This is also an old traditional dish in north of China, especially in countryside.

Ingredients:

500g pork with peel(several layers. one layer fat, one layer lean meat)

100g vermicelli( best is broad)

250 Chinese cabbage

10g caraway

seasoning

1 tablespoon peanut oil

2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon rice wine

1 teaspoon sugar

several blocks of shallot

2 blocks of ginger

1 aniseed

1 cinnamon bark

best prepare some bone stock

Procedure:

1. Place pork in a wok, add water, bring to boil, quickly take out. Cut into thick flakes. Each flake should have fat and lean meat.

2. Heat oil in a wok,add pork flakes, add soy sauce, salt, sugar, vinegar, rice wine, ginger, shallot, aniseed, cinnamon bark, stir fry,cover, simmer for 5mins.

3. Add stock(or hot water),cover pork. Bring to a boil, simmer for 60mins over low heat.

4. Add vermicelli, add a cup of water if dry. Simmer for additional 15mins.

5. Add Chinese cabbage, stir fry several times. Simmer for additional 15mins. Making sure vermicelli is cooked. Turn off heat, serve.

Note:

1.If the vermicelli is thin, you'd better place in the wok later. Otherwise, too long time cooking will make vermicelli melt.

2. If you want to eat healthy you can replace fat-lean meat with hide-leg pork meat which is lean meat.

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4. Winter Recipes for Women

a. Mutton with Angelica and Ginger Soup

Ingredients:

500g mutton

30g angelica

30g ginger

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Procedure:

1. Clean angelica and ginger, cut into flakes.

2. Clean mutton, cut into small blocks. Place in boiling water and take out quickly(remove smell and blood).

3. Add mutton blocks in a pot, add enough clean cold water, add ginger and angelica.

4. Bring to a boil. Skim. Simmer 90mins over low heat.

5. Turn off heat, remove angelica and ginger. Serve.

Serving Methods: Eat meat and drink soup. Serve before lunch and before dinner.

Beneficial Function: To warm stomach, replenish blood, dispel cold.

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b. Chicken with Goji Berry and Notoginseng Powder

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken

1 tablespoon Goji berry

10g Notoginseng

20g ginger

30g shallot

2 tablesppon rice wine

Procedure:

1. Divide Notoginseng into 2 parts. 4g grind to powder, the rest 6g soak in water to soft,cut into flakes. Cut into ginger into flakes. Cut shallot into 2cm long sections.

2. Wash chicken in hot water, remove blood and smell,take out, drain well. Put Goji berry, Notoginseng flakes,ginger flakes and shallot section in side chicken abdomen.

3. Put the chicken in a big bowl(heat-proof),add 2 tablespoon clean water. Add rice wine, spread Notoginseng powder on chicken breast. Put the bowl in a steamer, cover. Steam for 2 hours.

4. Turn off heat. Remove ginger flakes, Notoginseng flakes and shallot section. Eat meat with sauce you like.

Serving Method: Serve as main food at lunch or dinner. 60g each time.

Beneficial Function: Supplementing deficiency and nourish blood. Suitable for senior people, or those who are weak caused by long term disease, or woman who are blood deficiency after menses or delivery.

Note: Notoginseng(San Qi) is one of Traditional Chinese Medicine,you can buy in an asian drug store. It has function of antioxidation, anti-aging, stimulating blood circulation, suitable for those who have coronary disease,hypertension,etc.

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c. Sweet and Sour Carrot Thread

Ingredients:

250g carrot

100g ginger

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Procedure:

1. Clean carrot, cut into thread. Cut ginger into thread.

2. Heat oil in a wok, add ginger thread, stir fry, add carrot thread. Add sugar, vinegar, salt, 1 tablespoon stock(or water), stir fry additional 2mins.

3. Turn off heat, pour in a dish, serve.

Serving Method: Serve as side dish at breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Beneficial Function: To smooth Qi, regulate stomach and spleen.

Hi, ,any suggestion,idea to my newsletter? Welcome and appreciate

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