Reid - Mini Herbal Chinese Cooking

White Turnip Herbal Soup

Shiny Asparagus is a popular herb well known for its moisturizing properties. It is often used to restore vitality after an illness or a surgery, relieve chronic dry skin, and enhance the secretion of sexual hormones. In this recipe, it is combined with white turnip, another herb which helps to clear the lungs off phlegm and cool the body. White turnip is also effective for controlling chronic cough and purifying the skin.

1 litres (5 cups) water

15 g ( oz) Shiny Asparagus (tian men dong), rinsed

300 g (10 oz) white turnip, cut into thin slices

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 spring onion, minced, to garnish

Bring 500 ml (2 cups) of the water to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the herb and simmer uncovered until the water has reduced to half, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain the broth with a cloth or fine sieve. Reserve the clear broth and discard the dregs.

Bring the remaining water to a boil in a saucepan, pour in the clear broth and add the turnip slices. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, until the turnip is soft. Remove from the heat. Add the salt and pepper, and mix well. Serve hot in individual serving bowls, garnished with spring onion.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 25 mins

Poached Eggs and Mushroom in Clear Broth

This is a tonic soup with high nutritional value. Pine seeds are known as an excellent supplement for enhancing strength and endurance, while eggs are a rich source of protein and essential fatty acids, and the nutrient required for extra strength and stamina. Try to buy the eggs of organically fed free-range chickens (page ). These provide a far better nutritional profile than the ordinary mass-produced eggs. Chicken broth further enriches the nutritional and tonic value of this fortifying soup.

3 litres (12 cups) water

15 g ( oz) pine seeds (song zi), rinsed and crushed

1 tablespoon rice vinegar, diluted with 1 litre (4 cups) water

5 eggs

750 g (1 lbs) chicken parts, cleaned

1 tablespoon rice wine

teaspoon salt

teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

5 large dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water until soft, stems discarded, caps sliced into thin strips

1 spring onion, sliced

Bring the water to a boil in a stockpot over high heat. Add the pine seeds, reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30 mins, until the water is reduced to about two-third. Remove from the heat and strain the broth with a cloth or fine sieve. Reserve the clear broth and discard the dregs.

Bring the diluted rice vinegar to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce the heat to low and keep it simmering. One by one, break the eggs and gently place into the pan. Poach the eggs for about 1 minute, then remove carefully with a slotted spoon, rinse in cool water, and set aside on a plate.

Bring the pine seed broth to a boil, add the chicken parts, then reduce the heat to low and boil for 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain. Reserve the clear broth and discard the bones and parts.

Bring the pine seed chicken broth to a boil, season with the wine, salt and pepper, then add the sliced mushroom and spring onion. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, add the poached eggs and continue to simmer for 1 more minute. Remove from the heat.

Ladle one egg and some mushroom into five individual serving bowls, then ladle the broth over and serve hot.

Instead of eggs, this soup may also be prepared with fresh prawns as the main nutritional ingredient. For additional flavour, sprinkle each serving bowl with some chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro). A dash of Chinese sesame oil may also be added for a nutty flavour and additional tonic value, especially in winter.

Serves 5

Preparation time: 20 mins + 30 mins to soak

Cooking time: 1 hour 20 mins

Lingzhi Lean Pork Soup

For centuries, Lingzhi, a kind of mushroom, was regarded by the Chinese as the "king of herbs" for its excellent effect in improving overall health, enhancing stamina and promoting longevity. It is promoted as an immune system booster, a blood pressure stabilizer and an antioxidant. Combined with red dates, Wild Yam and Wolfberry, this soup is excellent in strengthening and nourishing the body. However, one should not drink this soup when having a common cold.

2 litres (10 cups) water

19 g (3/5 oz) Lingzhi, rinsed and sliced

19 g (3/5 oz) Wild Yam (huai shan), rinsed

5 pitted red dates (hong zao), rinsed

350 g (12 oz) lean pork, rinsed and scalded with boiling water

2 tablespoons Chinese Wolfberry (gou qizi), rinsed

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Bring the water to a boil in a stockpot. Add all the ingredients, except the salt, and cook over high heat for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 2 hours. Season with the salt and remove from the heat. Serve hot.

Serves 4-6

Preparation time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 2 hours 45 mins

Chicken Stewed with Ginseng and Red Dates

Instead of sliced ginseng root, which is warming and most appropriate for winter, this recipe uses the fine rootlet filaments that grow from the main roots of ginseng. These have similar tonic properties to regular ginseng, but they are slightly cooling and may therefore be used in summer cooking. In addition, this recipe uses red dates, a herb which is a tonic to the spleen and stomach, thereby improving digestion and assimilation of tonic nutrients. Red dates also have a calming effect on the whole system, while at the same time increasing available energy.

1 fresh chicken or 4 chicken legs

10g ( oz) ginseng rootlet filaments, rinsed

5 seedless red dates (hong zao), rinsed

2 slices frest ginger root

1 litres (6 cups) water

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Wash and clean the chicken. If using whole chicken, keep it whole or cut it into large pieces. Cut the chicken legs in half. Poach the chicken in a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds, then remove and drain. Alternatively scald the chicken with boiling water.

In a large heat-proof bowl, place the chicken together with all the other ingredients except the salt. Steam in a steamer or wok over boiling water for 2 hours, constantly replenishing the water in the steamer or wok as needed. Remove from the heat, stir in the salt and serve hot.

Serves 4-6

Preparation time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 2 hours