Winter Recipe - Mutton & Carrot Soup

By Vicky Chan of NourishU

Symptoms

Blood and qi deficiency which manifests as lack of energy, dizziness and headache, numbing of extremities, lack of appetite and night blindness.

Therapeutic Effects

  • Nourishes the spleen and liver to promote blood and qi
  • Improves eyesight
  • Improves appetite
  • Strengthens and tonifies the body

Winter Kidney Recipe : Chinese Medicine LivingChinese Yams

Ingredients

(2 to 3 servings)

  • Mutton - 640gm
  • Carrot - 320gm
  • Chinese yam (shan yao) 淮山 - 80gm
  • Ginger - 5 slices
  • Honey dates - 5

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Directions

1. Wash mutton and cut into pieces and stir-fry them slightly with cooking oil and ginger.

2. Cut carrot into pieces. Rinse herbs.

3. Put all ingredients into a pot with adequate water (about 10 cups) and bring to a boil for a few minutes. Reduce to medium heat and simmer for 3 hours.

4. Add seasoning to serve. Drink soup and eat some meat only.

Usage

Not suitable for people with hot liver syndrome which manifests as red, itchy eyes.

Lamb Carrot Winter Soup for Kidneys : Chinese Medicine LivingThis delicious image from meichubang.com

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If you would like a downloadable information sheet that will tell you all about how to live in harmony with the Winter Season in Chinese Medicine, you can find it here - The Winter Season in Chinese Medicine.

 


Chestnut for Kidney Health

By Vicky Chan of NourishU

According to TCM, winter is the season for promoting kidney health. Kidneys have astringent and active storage functions which help in preserving energy. In winter, our body is also designed to better absorb rich and nutritional foods to stay warm and healthy. For people who have a cold constitution with cold hands and feet, weak kidney health with frequent urination, cold and stiff body and constant pain in their lower back and ankles, winter is the best time to correct these health problems as it is when the body is most responsive to nutritional treatment. Winter food should be eaten with less salt to reduce work burden on the kidneys. Elderly people in particular should take winter/kidney tonics which can greatly improve their body constitution and promote better resistance to illness.

Winter/kidney tonics include superior warming herbs, fatty and meaty foods. Warming herbs such as dang shen, ginseng, astragalus, reishi mushroom, longan fruit and deer horn are most popular for promoting yang energy. Warming foods include chive, chicken, mutton, shrimp, ginger, garlic, walnut, mushroom, chestnut, mustard, vinegar, wine, gingko, red pepper and spring onion.

Chestnut for Kidney Health : Chinese Medicine Living

Chestnut is plentiful in winter and is best for making hearty soups and stews. Chestnut is warm in nature, sweet in taste and acts on the spleen, stomach and kidney. The following is my favourite winter recipe with chestnut which is very delicious but needs some work for preparing the chestnuts. It is well worth the effort!

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Pork Ribs, Shiitake Mushroom
and Chestnut Stew

Therapeutic Effects

  • Strengthens spleen
  • tonifies kidney
  • strengthens tendons
  • promotes blood circulation and stops bleeding
  • cures asthma, cough, back pain and diarrhea
  • promotes weight loss
  • protects the heart
  • lowers blood pressure and cholesterol
  • combats cancer

 

Chestnut for Liver : Chinese Medicine Living

Ingredients

(3 to 4 servings)

  • Chestnuts – about 20
  • Pork ribs or chicken pieces – about 400gm
  • Dried shiitake mushrooms – 6 to 8
  • Carrot – one
  • Minced ginger – 2 spoonfuls
  • Minced garlic – 2 spoonfuls
  • Spring Onion – 3 pieces
  • Dark soy sauce – 3 spoonfuls
  • Light soy sauce – 3 spoonfuls
  • Sugar – 2 spoonfuls
  • Sesame oil – one spoonful
  • Cooking oil – about 3 spoonfuls
  • Cooking wine – 2 spoonfuls
  • Potato starch – one spoonful

Directions

  1. Prepare chestnuts ahead of time by cutting a few crosses on the outer shell by using scissors. Then put chestnuts in a toaster oven (a few at a time) to bake on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Use a small knife to remove the shell and membrane together while still hot (please wear gloves!). The alternative method is to remove the hard shell first with a small knife, then put chestnuts with membrane in boiling water to cook for about 8 minutes. Strain and remove membrane while warm.
  2. Soak mushrooms for 30 minutes or until soft, rinse and slice into halves. Peel carrot and cut into pieces.
  3. Wash ribs/chicken pieces. Put them in boiling water to cook for a few minutes to remove foam and fat. Retrieve, rinse and strain.
  4. Warm one spoonful of oil in a skillet. Put chestnuts in, stir to brown for a few minutes (so chestnuts will not be so easily disintegrated when cooked), remove and put aside.
  5. Add one spoonful of oil to the skillet, put in half of the ginger and garlic to stir briefly and put in the mushrooms. Stir, add one spoonful of sugar to mix well and follow by one spoonful of cooking wine and half a cup of water. Cook for a couple of minutes and put aside.
  6. Add one spoonful of oil to the skillet, put in remaining ginger and garlic and ribs/chicken to stir for a couple of minutes. Add in remaining sugar, cooking wine and stir for a couple of minutes more and then add mushrooms, carrot and enough water just to cover everything. Add soy sauce, bring to a slow boil, cover with lid and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add chestnuts and simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes to just a little sauce is left. Add water if necessary.
  7. When the meat and chestnuts are cooked to the desired softness, add salt to taste if necessary. Wash and cut spring onion into sections and add to the cooking. Mix potato starch with 2 spoonfuls of water and sesame oil, add to the cooking and cook for another minute and serve.

 

Chestnut Recipe for Kidney : Chinese Medicine Living

USAGE

Serve with rice. No restrictions.

Chestnut for kidney health

* Featured image from paleohacks.com

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