Here is a delicious vegetarian or vegan stock great for making noodle soups. 
​
Ingredients: 
Dried or fresh mushrooms
           - best use dried shiitakes 幹花菇 for making soup stock
           - fresh mushroom crimini 克里米尼蘑菇 or shiitake
Scraps:
           - onion skins and butts
           - parsley stems
           - veggie scraps
Kombu 昆布  - a 6" piece
Peeled garlic cloves: 4 large
Fish (optional) - 4 large dried anchovies

ratio of water is 1lb. fresh mushrooms or 2 cups dried shiitake to 2 quarts water

instruction 
- Bring everything up to a boil together
- Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until the dried mushrooms and kombu have plumped and the stock is deeply brown from its mushroom infusion
- Cool to room temperature
- Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl
- Season with salt, soy sauce, and a dash of fish sauce (optional)

This soup recipe moistens the Lung, tonify the Stomach and Ying, and prevent drying in the autumn. Most ingredients in this soup are white, which is associated with the Lung organ system in Chinese medicine. This soup gently nourishes the Lungs, Stomach, and Spleen, benefits the Ying, and moistens. However, this soup is not for people who have cold and deficient Stomach and Spleen.  
 
Lotus roots 蓮藕 500g
Water chestnuts 鮮水馬蹄 8
Fresh lily bulb 鮮百合15g
Sugar dates 甜棗 1
Aged tangerine peel 陳皮1
Water 水 2 liters 
Salt to taste
 
Good for 3-4 people
 
Instructions: 

1. Wash all ingredients: fresh lotus roots, fresh water chestnuts, and fresh lily bulbs that can come with mud or dirt. Need to use brushes to wash off the dirt.
2. Slices lotus roots into medium slices as shown in the photo.
3. Peel the outer tough skin from water chestnuts, then cut it into halves or quarters.
4. Separate the slices of the fresh lily bulb. If using a dried lily bulb, it needs to be pre-soaked in cold water for 15 – 30 minutes.
5. Bring water to a boil, then add lotus roots, water chestnuts, dates, and aged tangerine peel.
6. Continue to simmer for 45 minutes.
7. Add the fresh lily bulb in and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes.
8. Salt is optional

 Enjoy！

#lotusroots, #waterchestnut, #lilybulb, #healingsoup, #healingsoups, #Lungs, #autumnsoups, #moistening

This sweet paste soup benefits the brain, stops cough and calms wheezing, moistens the intestines to unblocks the bowels.
Cautions:

1. Chinese apricot seeds are contraindicated for those with a Qi or Yin deficiency cough, o
2. Chinese apricot seeds are contraindicated for those with general debility.
3. This soup is not for those with diarrhea.
4. Overdose on Chinese apricot seeds can cause death. Sweet Chinese apricot seed to bitter Chinese apricot seeds ratio is 3:1. Bitter Chinese apricot seeds are slightly toxic. Over consumption of bitter Chinese apricot seeds can cause death.

Ingredients:
1. Sweet Chinese Apricot seeds (南杏) 45g
2. Bitter Chinese apricot seeds (北杏)15g
3. Sweet glutinous rice (糯米) 20g
4. Walnut, He Tao Ren (核桃) 10g
5. Rock sugar (冰糖)
Instructions:

1. Pre-soak all apricot seeds with the gluttonous rice for a few hours
2. Blend the apricot seed and glutinous rice into a mixture and filter with a cheese cloth
3. Put the mixture in a pot and bring to a boil on medium high heat
4. Add water to the desire consistency
5. Roast the walnuts at 180°C for 10 minutes
6. Add water to the walnut and blend the walnut into a paste or just small pieces
7. Add the walnut pieces or paste to the apricot and glutinous rice mixture
8. Bring it to a boil
9. Dissolve desire amount of rock sugar
10. Turn off the heat and enjoy

#Walnut, #ChinesApricotSeeds, #BoostBrainFunction, #BenefitLungs, #HealingSoup, #HealingSoups, #drtaotcm, #taoacupunture

This tea is delicious with health benefit for you.

Cinnamon helps to regulate blood sugar. Jujube dates move Qi and Blood in Chinese medicine. In addition, dates have plenty of vitamin C, iron, and calcium. Fresh ginger warms and circulates Qi in the middle, calms a restless fetus, and treats morning sickness. Fresh ginger also helps relieve the common cold, coughing, and loss of appetite. With black sugar added, this tea also helps alleviate colds, indigestion, nausea, and menstrual pain.

To make this tea you will need the following:
20 dried jujube dates 
small amount of ginger
2 cups of water
1 cinnamon stick
small amount of black sugar (honey, or brown sugar)

- you can make it as spicy or as sweet as you like by adjusting the amount of ingredients or cooking time.
- cinnamon stick and black sugar are optional
- add a poached egg for added protein 

Directions: 
1. Wash jujubes in cold water, rub them with both hands to remove any dirt. Drain. 
2. Slice the jujube dates into small pieces to remove the pits. 
3. Slice ginger thinly.
4. Add ginger, cinnamon stick, and water. 
5. Bring it to a rolling boiling.
6. Cover and cook over medium low heat for 30 to 60 minutes (the longer you cook it sweeter it gets). You may have to crack the lid because it will easily boil over. 
7. You can mash the jujube date for pulps or just eat the dates with the tea. 
8. Enjoy the tea while it's warm!

#jujubedate, #healingsoup, #menstrualcramp, #type2diabetes, #ginger, #blacksugar, #calmfetus, #fightcommoncold

A nutritious twist to boring oatmeal breakfast.

Ingredients:
250g of purple yam
50g of millet
50g of oatmeal

Directions:
1. Wash purple yam, peel skin, cut into small pieces
2. Wash millet (and rice if not use oatmeal)
3. Put purple yam and millet in a pot
4. Add water to cover yam and millet
5. Bring to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes
6. Add oatmeal and simmer for another 10 minutes

Oatmeal can be replaced by rice. Add rice with purple yam and millet together. Simmer for 30 minutes with stir. 

Are you tired all the time? Try this soup:
Ingredients:
1. Bean sprouts 50 g
2. Carrots 100 g
3. Pork ribs 100g
4. Sea kelp 50 g
Herbs not in bag:
5. Gou ji 枸杞 10 g
6. Jujube dates 紅棗 3 (Add more is okay, I usually add a fistful)
Herbs in bag:
7. Huang Qi 黃耆 10 g
8. Dang Gui 當歸 5 g
Instruction:

1. Rinse and clean the pork ribs
2. Blanch the pork ribs for 5 minutes
3. Pre-soak the sea kelp for at least 1 hour to soften and to rinse off the excess salt then cut into 1 inch squares
4. Carrots are cut into large pieces
5. Bean sprouts are rinsed and cleaned
6. Rinse the herbs and bag the herbs
7. Bring 1 L of water to boil
8. Add the pork ribs, carrots, sea kelp, jujube dates, huang qi, and dang gui
9. Bring the water back to boiling, then simmer the soup for 90 minutes
10. Add the bean sprouts and gou ji berries and simmer for another 10 minutes
11. Add salt and pepper to taste
12. Serve the soup when it is warm

Enjoy!

 This soup strengthens the Spleen to maintain healthy! It's called Drunken Chicken Soup! This soup helps tonify Qi and Blood, disperses stagnation, warms the Yang and disperses coldness.

#DrunkenChicken, #tonify, #SpleenHealth, #strengthenSP, #RiceWine, #GuiZhi, #Ginseng, #ShuDiHuang, #GouQi, #DangShen, #HuangQi, #HealingSoup
⁣
Ingredients:
• 1 whole chicken
• 1400 cc (1400 ml) rice wine
• 10 g (0.4 oz) cinnamon twigs (Gui Zhi)
• 3 g (0.1 oz) tangkuei (Ginseng)
• 3 g (0.1 oz) cnidium (she chuang zi)
• 3 g (0.1 oz) rehmannia (cooked) (Shu Di Huang)
• 30 pieces (0.1 oz) jujube (red)
• 10 g (0.4 oz) lyceum (Gou Qi)
• 5 g (0.2 oz) codonopsis (Dang Shen)
• 10 g (0.4 oz) astragalus (Huang Qi)
• 3 g (0.1oz) licorice (Gan Chao)

Preparation:
• Remove giblets from cavity of chicken. Wash the chicken thoroughly.
• Chop into 3 inch pieces with bone in.

Cooking:
• Place chicken pieces in a deep stainless steel pan (do not use Teflon-coated pans).Add the rice wine and all of the herbs. Cover with a lid.
• Bring to a boil. Uncover the pan and ignite the alcohol vapor and wait for the fire to extinguish on its wn.
• Cook over medium flame for 30 minutes or until jujube softens.
• Serve hot.
​

(serves 2 - 3 people)

This recipe is excellent for winter or people with anemia. #anemia, #HuangQi, #beef, #WinterSoup, #JujubeDates, #BlackBean

Ingredients: 
Beef shank (cubed) 500 g (replace with pork or chicken or shiitake mushrooms; if preferred)
Dried red dates 20 g ( sliced, halved, de-pitted)
Black beans 60g (soaked)
Huang Qi 30g (rinsed)
Ginger (optional) 3-4 thinly sliced pieces
Cold water 6 cups

Cooking Instructions:

1. Blanched the meat in boiling water for 2 minutes.
2. Put all the ingredients into a medium size pot.
3. Cook on high until boiled.
4. Then turn the temperature to medium low.
5. Cook for one and a half hours until only 2 or 3 cups of soup left.
6. Season to serve.

黑芝麻糊 Black Sesame Sweet Dessert 

Ingredients (for 3-4 servings):
黑芝麻 Black sesame, 500g
糯米粉 Glutinous rice flour, 200g
核桃仁 Walnuts, whole pieces, 60g
紅糖 Muscovado sugar, (substitute with 冰糖 naturally crystalized sugar or honey if preferred)
粗海鹽 Coarse sea salt, a pinch

Preparation:
1. Place the black sesame seeds under direct sunlights in a place with good airflow for 3 days before use. Move indoors after sunset.
2. Dry stir-fry the sesame seeds on medium-low heat until aromatic. Place in a wide container to cool.
3. Dry stir-fry glutinous rice flour on medium-low heat until turned slightly yellowish white, Place in a wide container to cool.
4. Bake the walnuts in the oven on 300 F for 10 mins, chop them finely when cooled.
5. Blend sesame seeds and rice flour in a food processor until turned into a fine powder mixture.
6. Place 2-4 tbsps of the powder mixture into boiling water (on low heat), keep churning to prevent caking at the bottom, until big bubbles start to form. Keep cooking & churning until the texture is thick and creamy.
7. Add crushed walnuts, sugar/honey, and salt after removed from heat.

Usage: Can be consumed daily. Great for treating general deficiency cold, dry skin, brittle nails & hair, pre-mature hair graying or hair loss, poor memory, cold extremities, constipation, emaciation. This recipe moisturizes Yin and tonifies Yang, benefits the Liver and nourishes the Blood.

Be caution about nut allergies. 

#blacksesame, #healingsoup,#hairhealth, #hairchine, #tonify, #TCM, #ChineseMedicine, #optimalhealth, #FoodIsMedicine

December 21, 2020 -- winter solstice or dong zhi (冬至).
Traditionally, the Dongzhi Festival is also a time for the family to get together. One activity that occurs during these get-togethers (especially in the southern parts of China and in Chinese communities overseas) is the making and eating of tang yuan (湯圓) or balls of glutinous rice, which symbolize reunion.
Tang yuan are made of glutinous rice flour and are sometimes brightly colored. Each family member receives at least one large tang yuan in addition to several small ones. The flour balls are occasionally pink or green. They are cooked in a sweet soup or savory broth with both the ball and the soup/broth served in one bowl. Cantonese families like to add ginger to the broth as well.

Ingredients:

• 80 g black sesame seeds or peanuts (be aware of allergies)
• 2.5 tbsp sugar, or to taste
• 40 g softened lard , or 30g butter
• 130 g glutinous rice flour
• 3 tbsp boiling water
• 4 tbsp room temperature water, or beetroot juice

Instructions:
Prepare the filling

• Toast black sesame seeds and peanuts separately in a frying pan over low heat.
• In a food processor, grind cooled black sesame seeds, peanuts and sugar until they turn into a fine powder.
• Add lard (or butter). Mix to combine then keep refrigerated until the mixture is firm enough to handle.
• Divide into 20 portions. Shape each piece into a ball. Put them back in the fridge while preparing the dough.

Make the dough

• In a mixing bowl, pour hot water into glutinous rice flour while stirring with a spatula.
• Add room temperature water (or beetroot juice) little by little.
• Knead with your hand until a smooth, soft dough forms
• Divide and roll into 20 balls.

Assemble Tang Yuan

• Flatten a piece of dough into a round wrapper with your fingers.
• Place a ball of filling in the middle. Gently push the wrapper upwards to seal completely.

Cook Tang Yuan

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Gently slide in some Tang Yuan.
• Push them around with the back of a cooking spoon to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Tang yuan will swell into larger balls. So add a few balls at a time.
• When all the balls start to float on the surface, cook for a further minute.
• Dish out (along with some liquid) and serve warm.

Store Tang Yuan

• Freeze Tang Yuan right after they are assembled.
• Firstly you need to lay them on a tray lined with parchment paper to freeze. Then put them in an air-tight bag when totally frozen.
• Follow the same cooking procedure (do not defrost).

#WinterSolstice, #DongZhi, #HealingSoups, #TangYuan, #drtaotcm

This post is about 絲瓜 Luffa cylindrica, the sponge gourd, Egyptian cucumber, or Vietnamese luffa. It is an annual species of vine cultivated for its fruit, native to South and Southeast Asia.

This recipe is inspired by Master Tung’s family dietary recipes published in 1973. Master Tung's direct disciple  Dr. Wei-Chieh Young also included Master Tung’s recipes in his book called Yang Sheng Shi Liao Bao Dian 《養生食療寶典》.

​#mastertung, #mastertungdietaryrecipes, #leucorrhoea, #menorrhagia, #healingsoup, #healingsoups, #silkychicken, #silkiechicken, #spongegourd, #絲瓜，#烏雞， #烏骨雞

《本草綱目》甘， 涼， 入肝，胃經
From Ben Cao Gang Mu: Sponge gourd is sweet and cool, enter Liver and Stomach channels

Master Tung's recipe:
絲瓜半斤， 白糖一兩煎水服， 治女人月經過多及血崩.
For menorrhagia drink sponge gourd 250g with white sugar 37.8g decoction.
There is no information about how much water is added to the decoction or how long to cook it. In general, add enough water to cover the sponge gourd and cook it until it is soft. Since sponge gourd is cooling, this recipe is for heat in the blood type of menorrhagia.

Dr. Wei-Chieh Young’s recipe:
烏骨雞絲瓜湯： 烏骨雞一隻， 去骨取肉，絲瓜半條， 共煮熟， 分二至三次吃肉喝湯，烏骨雞能養陰血， 退虛熱，專治婦女崩漏帶下；絲瓜涼血清熱，亦治崩漏，可隔天食用，連續食用三至五隻雞。
Silky chicken and sponge gourd soup: one boneless silky chicken, half of a loofah, cooked together, eat the meat and drink the soup separate into two to three servings.
The silky chicken can nourish the yin and blood, relieve deficiency heat, and treat women’s menorrhagia or leukorrhea; sponge gourd cools the blood and clear heat, also treats menorrhagia.
Silky chicken and sponge gourd soup can be consumed every other day, continuous consumption of three to five chickens as a course.
​
For general daily consumption of silky chicken and sponge gourd soup, one can add scallion, garlic, ginger, salt, and cooking wine as seasonings.
Ingredients:

1. 200g of silky chicken meat
2. One whole sponge gourd cut into medium pieces
3. 4 pieces of ginger
4. Small bunch of scallion
5. 1-2 cloves of garlic
6. 5 ml of cooking wine

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a saucepan
2. Add scallion, ginger, and garlic
3. Add 1 L of water
4. After it’s boiled, add the silky chicken and cooking wine
5. Bring it to a boil, clear the white foam on top, simmer 4 to 5 minutes
6. Add the sponge gourd
7. Cook until sponge gourd is soft
8. Add salt to taste before serving

A classic soup for Autumn to enhance immunity, calm the mind for restful sleep, nourish yin and reduce deficient heat, moisten the Lung and prevent dry cough.

Ginseng Hai Zhu Mai Dong Tang 花旗參海竹麥冬湯
This soup is for 4 servings:
Ingredients:

1. American Ginseng 25g
2. Hai Zhu (海竹, Polygonatum Sibiricum）25g
3. Mai Dong (麥門冬, Radix Ophiopogonis) 50g
4. White lotus seeds (白蓮子) 25g
5. Bai He （百合, Lily Bulbs）25g
6. Apple 2
7. Figs 2
8. Lean pork meat 250g (or Shiitake mushrooms)

Instructions:

1. wash and clean the American ginseng, then cut into slices
2. soak white lotus seeds in hot water for 5 minutes, then set aside
3. Rinse the Hai Zhu slices,
4. wash the figs and cut in halves
5. Rinse and soak the Bai He and Mai Dong
6. Rinse the apples, cut in big pieces, and remove the core
7. Cut the lean pork meat into big pieces and blanch it
8. Add 2.5 L of water in a pot with all ingredients then boil and simmer for 2 hours
9. Add salt to taste before serving

#healingsoup, #restfulsleep, #preventcough, #moistenthelung, #calmthemind, #nourishyin
​

oThinning hair? Grey hair? Try this herbal soup.

Ingredients:
Shu Di 30g, Black beans 25g, Goji berries 15g, lean pork meat 500g

Instructions:
1. Rinse black beans, soak for an hour
2. To 8 bowls of water in a coocking pot, add the black beans, and cook for 30 minutes
3. Add the Shu Di, Goji berries and pork meat to the pot
4. Bring to a boil then simmer for an hour until 2 bowls of water left
5. Season the soup (optional) and serve warm

Drink 2 times per week.

Caution: depends on body constitution, herbs should be modified accordingly. Ask an herbalist or an acupuncturist.
Shu Di, black beans and goji berries all tonify the Kidney.

​#tonify, #shudiforgreyhair, #blackbeanforgreyhair, #shudiandblackbean, #shudiforthinninghair, #thinninghairherbalsoup, #herbalsoupforhair,
​

More mushroom soups: #healingsoup, #medicinalfungi, #immuneboosting, #cordyceps, #tonic
This one features three different fungi.

1. Agaricus blazei Murill mushroom (姫茸菇)

Agaricus Blazei Murill mushrooms originated in the Piedate mountain region outside of Sao Paolo, Brazil. The main health benefit of medicinal mushrooms is attributed to a group of their active constituents called polysaccharides. These complex carbohydrates stimulate immune system responses. Some researchers believe this might be because these specific polysaccharides resemble components of the cell walls of organisms that challenge health.

2) Cordyceps fruiting body (蟲草花).
For those people who suffer seasonal allergies with cough symptoms, add Cordyceps fruiting body to soup as a tonic. It helps to moisten the throat, and is beneficial for emphysema and bronchitis. Other benefits: improve cardiovascular disease, anti-aging, and helps reduce fatigue.

3)Wood ear or black fungus (木耳)
It is an edible fungus that commonly used in Chinese cuisine. The fresh wood ear is in dark brown or black, soft and crunchy in texture, with a very subtle grassy flavor. It uses in cooking mainly to add texture. Wood ear should never be eaten raw, since it might contains bacteria.

For four servings:
Agaricus blazei Murill mushroom (姫茸菇) 15
Cordyceps fruiting body (蟲草花) 1g
foxnut (茨實) 1 g
Wood ear (木耳) 3 large pieces
Dried Longan fruit (圓肉) 15
Candied Chinese date (蜜棗) 2
ginger (薑) 2 large pieces
Chicken (雞) 1/2 -- can be blanched first
water (水) 2000 ml
Directions:

1. Agaricus blazei Murill mushroom (姫茸菇) soak in water for 30 minutes, rinsed and get rid of excess water
2. Wood ear (木耳) soak in water for 20 minutes, rinsed, get rid of the hard stem underneath the fungi
3. Cordyceps fruiting body (蟲草花) soak in water for 10 minutes
4. Dried Longan fruit (圓肉) and Candied Chinese date (蜜棗) rinse a few times
5. Chicken cut into several big pieces
6. add water and all ingredients into a pot, bring to a boil then simmer for 2 hours.
7. add salt to season and serve

Yi Mu Cao Chicken soup for female menstrual pain #menstrualpain, #lochia, #postpartumlochia, #yimucao

This soup is for females who having cold dislodged in the uterus causing pain during the #menstrual bleed. Young ladies who like to eat or drink cold food and beverage causing #pain during the end of a menstrual bleed. The menstrual bleed may be scanty, and light in color. This soup is excellent for increasing chances for fertility. This soup also relief postpartum #lochia.
Yi Mu Cao (#Motherwort, 益母草): invigorates the Blood, dispels stasis, regulates menstruation, and reduces masses. It promotes urination, reduces swelling, and edema, such as acute edema hematuria. It also clears heat and resolves toxicity internally or topically for sores or abscesses.

Ingredient:
1. Yi mu cao 60 g
2. Chicken 600 g (normal chicken or silken chicken)
3. Sesame oil
4. Ginger 1 inch and cut into slices
5. Gou qi berries (optional)
6. salt

Instructions:

1. Wash and clean the fresh Yi Mu Cao.
2. Put enough water to submerge all the Yi Mu Cao in a clay pot.
3. Bring to a boil then simmer for 90 minutes with medium fire.
4. Remove all the Yi Mu Cao.
5. While Yi Mu Cao is cooking, prepare the chicken and cut into smaller chunks.
6. Shallow stir fry the chicken meat with sesame oil and ginger slices until the surface of chicken meat slightly cooked.
7. Add the shallow fried chicken to the Yi Mu Cao herbal juice.
8. Cook for further 60 – 90 minutes.
9. Add gou qi berries in the last 10 minutes.
10. Add salt to taste.

btw, If you ever hike the mountains in California, you would easily spot this herb. ​

sang ju cha 桑菊茶 Mulberry Chrysanthemum tea for cooling during summer

Ingredients
2 and 1/2 litre of water
25 g dried chrysanthemum flowers
20 mulberry leaves 
6 dates (jujube dates)
10 g wolfberries (Goji)

Method
Boil the water with the Mulberry leaves and dates for about 90 minutes on medium flame.
Smash the dates to bring out the flavour.
Rinse and add in the dried chrysanthemum flowers.
Bring to a light boil for about 10 mins.
Turn off heat.
Toss in some wolfberries (goji berries) before serving.

Be careful when purchasing chrysanthemum flowers. Some of them are treated with sulfur as a preservative. When brewing these sulfur treated chrysanthemum flowers, the water turns greenish yellow. It is not good quality. Make sure to purchase organic, no sulfur treated chrysanthemum flowers. 

​

Kumquat ginger tea -- cures a cough and soothes the throat #cough, #sorethroat, #kumquat, #ginger

2 cups purified water
5 ginger slices
10 thinly sliced kumquat
1-2 Tsp honey

Steps:
Bring water to boil on the stove
Add ginger, let simmer for 20 min
Add kumquat, let simmer for another 5 min
Add honey to taste, approximately 2 Tsp
Enjoy!
​