Apple and Pear Soup

I've have been feeling under the weather since the middle of December. I got the chills, cough, and congestion during the holidays. John was away visiting his parents back east and I spend the holidays with the boys in SF instead. Just like myself, they were both sick with the cold. Instead of the regular festive spread on Christmas Eve, I made onion soup with crusty bread. It was wonderful that we had the entire weekend off, so we could all stayed home to rest.
This is the time of the year where the summer heat evaporates into dry fall weather--people develop colds and cough. Besides taking lots of rest and decongestion medicine to ease the symptoms, another remedy is Chinese soup. I like to share this appetizing soup that is believed to nourish and strengthens the lungs. It is a perfect soup for all seasons.
Ingredients:
2 unpeeled apples (red of green)
2 unpeeled Ya Li pears, or Korean pears
4 Chinese dried figs
30 gms sweet almonds
30 gms bitter almonds
½ lb lean pork
6 cups water
salt to taste
Method:
1. Rinse and ingredients well with water. Core and cut fruits into quarters. Cut lean pork into small chunks.
2. Add enough water into a pot and scald the pork to remove scums and impurities. Remove from heat and pour away the water and rinse the meat with some water.
3. In a clean pot, bring the 6 cups of water to a boil (the water should be enough to cover the ingredients, add more if necessary). When water comes to a fast boil, add in all the ingredients, except the salt. Cook over high heat for 20-25 minutes. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low and simmer to cook for another hour.
3. Remove from heat and season with salt. Remove meat and serve the soup with the cooked fruits.
Tips: You can purchase the almonds and Chinese dried figs in most Chinese medicine shops.
Printable Recipe

Pork in Chinese Herbal Tea/Bak Kut Teh

Bak Kut Teh, literary means "Meat Bones Herbal Tea" and it is a dish that is popular in Malaysia and Singapore. It is basically a hearty meal of various cuts of pork simmered in an assortment of Chinese medicinal herbs that is nourishing and healthy for the body. Legend has it that this soup originated with the Chinese migrants who worked as hard laborers in Southeast Asia during the 19th century. In order to have enough energy to cope with the demanding nature of their job, they needed a hearty breakfast and hence, this soup was conceived. My mother would usually make this from scratch and would get the herbal concoction from the Chinese medicine shop. A friend mailed me a few packages of these pre-mix Bak Kut Teh Herbs and I am going to give it a try.

Ingredients:
2 ½ lbs. pork bones
1 ½ lbs. pork spare ribs, cut into 2-inch length
1 ½ lbs. fresh side belly pork, cut into 2-inch length
Fried tofu puffs, halved and quartered
12 dried shitake mushrooms, pre-soaked with water
2 packets Bak Kut Teh
1 piece Dong Quai root, cut into pieces (Chinese angelica sinensis)
1 stick cinnamon
6 pieces star anise
2 whole garlic, unpeeled (pre-roast in oven)
5-10 peppercorns
½ cup soy sauce (good quality)
5 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
Butter Rice:
3 shallots, sliced thinly
rice
2 Tbsp. melted butter

Method:
1. Bring a pot of water to boil and add scald pork bones and meat for about 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat when there is a layer of scum or impurities floating on top. Rinse the meat and bones under running water and return to a clean pot.
2. Bring to a boil on high for about 20 minutes, add in mushrooms and roasted garlic. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about an hour until meat is tender. Remove the pork belly and spare ribs, leaving the bones, mushrooms and spices in the pot. Add soy sauces, fried tofu puffs and simmer for another hour. Season to taste if needed.
3. Fry shallots in one tablespoon of oil until crispy and brown. Remove and drain on paper towel. Wash rice and cook in rice cooker. Before the rice cooker's warm button comes up, quickly mix in melted butter and shallots into the cooked rice. Stir to mix well, and press warm button to keep rice warm.
4. To serve, spoon meat and tofu in a pot and pour in hot soup. Serve with steamed rice or butter rice.
Cook's note: If you want to make this soup from scratch, the ingredients are translated verbatim from the package. 20 g each of Chinese angelica sinensis root, 5 pieces licorice root, 10 gm chuan xiong, 2 cinnamon sticks,  30 gm. yu zu, 40 gm. dang shen, dried tangerine peel, dried cukor, and cloves.
Printable Recipe

Five Herbal Soup

Soups are important in most traditional Chinese household. This is one of my favorite as it is nutritious and easy to prepare. It is good to have this soup any day of the week as it is energizes the Qi and nourishes the body. The herbs can be found in Chinese medicinal halls or Chinese supermarkets.

Ingredients: (serves 2-4)
10 pieces "Tong Sum" (codonopsis pilosula)
10 pieces "Wai San" (rhizoma dioscoreae)
10 pieces "Park Kei" (astragulus root)
½ cup "Kei chi" or wolfberries (fructus lycii)
10 dried red dates
2 lbs pork bones
1-2 lbs lean pork

Method:
1. Rinse pork bones and cut meat into thick chunks. Add meat and enough water to a big pot and bring to a rolling boil. Remove and rinse off the scums and impurities until water runs clear.
2. Add enough water to cover the meat and return to stove and bring to a boil. Cut dried herbs in short lengths and add into the soup. Cook on high heat uncover for about 10 minutes. Return lid to the pot and simmer on low for about 3 hours or until meat is soft and soup is fragrant from the herbs. Season with salt.
Printable Recipe

Papaya Soup

Papaya has Papain, an enzyme that seems to increase lactation in post-natal mothers, as it helps speed up chemical reaction to the body. The fruit is also rich in Vitamin C, A, and potassium and it is abundant in green unripe fruits. Someone told me that tough cuts of meat can be tenderized by wrapping with papaya leaves as it break down the fibers in protein. Papayas when eaten as a fruit is soothing and has a cooling effect to the stomach as it helps digestion and is great after a heavy meal. This soup is inspired by a dear friend who is breastfeeding her one-year old son, and she tells me about how my late mother used to prepare this soup for her. Don't get me wrong, this soup is not restricted for new mothers but also great for the entire family, young and old as it is nutritious and healthy. I substituted the white fungus for dried bean curd sticks this time. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 medium green unripe papaya, peeled, seeds removed and cut into chunks
5-6 dried Chinese dates, rinsed
¼ cup dried peanuts, without skins
¼ cup dried white fungus (tremella), soaked with water
5 sticks dried beancurd sticks, soaked in water to soften (optional)
1½  lbs. lean pork
1½  lbs. pork bones
1 piece ginger
8 cups water
Method:
1. Wash meat and bones well and remove any fat. Fill a heavy deep pot with some water and pre-boiled the meat over high heat (doing this removes scum and impurities from the meat and bones). When it starts to foam on top, remove from heat and pour away the water. Give the meat a final rinse with warm water.
2. Return the pot back to the stove and add the 8 cups of water and the rest of the ingredients. Boil uncovered over high heat for about 30 minutes; close lid and simmer for another hour or so. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm.
Printable Recipe

Black Chicken and Silver Carp Soup

The Chinese believes that most food items contain properties that affect bodily functions. As a matter of fact, each Chinese herb are supposed to have different effects on the body and helps promote good health. If you visit a Chinese medicinal hall, you will find thousand of different herbs in various shapes and forms. Here's a soup recipe from a dear friend--It rejuvenate and helps blood circulation.

Ingredients:

1 black silkie chicken, skin removed, cut in quarters
1 silver carp, scales and guts removed
6 pieces codonopsis root (党参 dang shen)
6 pieces solomon's seal (玉竹 yu zhu)
20 dried red dates (红枣 hong zao)
muslin bag
salt to taste
Method:
1. Put ingredients into a large muslin bag, securing the ends. Fill an 8-quart pot with water halfway and put in bag and bring water to boil.
2. Remove scum on the surface and simmer for about 2-3 hrs. Season soup to taste.