BLOOD DETOXIFYING SOUP

With all the eating and drinking one needs to detox occasionally to maintain good health.  This soup helps to cleanse and enhance blood metabolism -

Shengdi (生 地)

Chuantaipian (川 太 片)

Baishao (白 芍)

Maidong (麦 冬)

Xuanshen (玄 参)

Haima - Seahorse (海 马)

Gancao (甘 草)

Simmer with meat for approximately 3 hours

NOTOGINSENG SOUP

A soup for women :  notoginseng / tian qi, codonopsis root / dang shen, lean meat, red dates and ginger

Notoginseng root revitalizes blood.  Codonopsis root nourishes heart.  Red dates replenish blood.  Ginger warms the body and stomach

Suitable for backaches, poor blood circulation, cold limbs and sleep disorders.  The soup is not suitable for pregnant women

COCONUT CHICKEN SOUP

With such hot weather everyday one tends to loose moisture and get sick easily.  To keep sickness at bay and to sustain enough moisture in our body one needs to drink a lot of water and clear soup.  Coconut water is good natural electrolyte to dehydrate and very nutritious.  Coconut flesh  has sweet and warm characterisics which helps to strengthen our body and nourish yang heat.  Use with chicken and Chinese herbs to boil soup helps to nourish the lungs and relieve coughing.

Retain coconut juice for later use.  Use the coconut meat together with chicken, yu zhu, sweet dates (2) and wolfberries to boil over high heat, and continue to simmer over medium heat for 3-3.5 hours.   Before serving add the coconut juice and season with salt.

LUNGS TRANQUILIZING SOUP

With the haze returns at PSI crossing at moderate range last month, imagine the impact on the human lungs.  The haze is very drying for the lungs and for preventive measure use traditional Chinese medicine to boost health and fight the haze.  Some herbal soups can alleviate some of the breathing dicomfort and help to moisture and nourish the lungs.

The lungs tranquilizing soup strengthens respiratory system and weak body.   Boil 3 litres of water and add in dangshen－当参, fu ling－伏苓, maidong－麦冬, shudi－熟地, yuzhu－玉竹 and gouqi－枸杞 together with chicken bones and breasts.  Simmer for approximately 2 hours.

HUAI SHAN FISH MAW CHICKEN SOUP (淮 山 花 胶 鸡 汤)

Huai Shan (Chinese yam) strengthens the spleen, stomach, kidneys and other internal organs.  Frequent consumption helps strengthen the body and increases longevity.

Dried fish maw is rich in proteins and collagens, yet low in fat.  It helps to nourish the body and improve skin texture, and is a favourite of many women

Ingredients : 1 Chinese yam, 1 fish maw, 4-5 dried scallops, 1 medium piece ginger and chicken breast.  Blanch the fish maw with salt and hot water before cooking helps to eliminate fishy taste and make it less greasy.

CORDYCEPS SOUP WITH WOLFBERRY & CHINESE YAM

The soup tonifies the liver and kidney, invigorates the senses, regulates blood and strengthens yang.  Cordyceps help to strengthen the lungs, promote breathing and increase oxygen intake.
Wolfberries help to improve eyesight arthritic pain and nourishment.
Chinese yam helps to treat women's menopausal symptms, for poor appetite and fatigue

Cordyceps 1 bundle (around 8)
Wolfberries
Chinese yam
Sweet dates 2
Garlic 3 pcs
Ginger 1 thick slice
Chicken bones 6-8

TURNIP 6-FLAVOR SOUP (六 味 沙 葛 汤)

This soup helps to treat disturbed sleep, relieves irritation and strengthen the stomach to stimulate the digestive system.

1 Medium Size Turnip
Glehniae Radix (沙 参)
Solomnseal Rhizome (玉 竹)
Lily Bulb (百 合)
Chinese Yam
Forex Seeds
Lotus Seeds
Dried Longan
Chicken Breast 2 pieces

WINTER MELON SOUP WITH DRIED SCALLOPS AND LOTUS SEEDS

This soup is suitable to consume in such hot weather.  It is a refreshing soup good for cooling the body and strengthening the spleen and the stomach.

Boil the melon with the skin on as it has the effect of promoting diuresis and reducing water retention.

Simmer in chicken stock with dried scallops, winter melon, dried chinese mushrooms and lotus seeds for 2 hours.  Season with salt and ginger.

SOUP SPOON

Soup spoon is my favorite place to lunch.  A soup and a wrap or sandwich provide a substantial meal.  Nothing better to start off with a bowl of thick and hot soup.

Thick roasted pumpkin soup

Full cream clam chowder soup with chunk of potatoes and seafood

Chicken mushroom wrap bulging with vegetables and tasty juicy sauce

Pesto mushroom sandwich too thick for 1 bite

BURDOCK SOUP WITH BLACK BEAN

Nowadays I never use meat to boil soup.  The herbs and vegetables give out natural sweetness and enhance the flavor.  Moreover the soup looks pristine.

Burdock is used to treat a host of ailments and also as "blood purifier" to clean the bloodstream of toxins, as a diuretic and also as a remedy for eczema, acne and psoriasis.

EIGHT TREASURES SOUP

For slimming and immunity

Ingredients :
Carrot, figs, lotus root, water chestnuts, winter melon, barley, red dates and corn

You may play around with different ingredients.  I prefer to add in fresh sugar cane but is hard to come by and the best type is the purple sugar cane.

ARROW ROOT WATER CHESTNUTS BARLEY SOUP

A throat soothing and body cooling soup which is nourishing to the lungs.  It helps to remove excess moisture from the body.

Arrow root is rich in calcium and barley a good source of fiber which gives your intestinal health a boost.

1 arrow root without skin, 3 tablespoons barley, 5 water chestnuts - peeled and mashed and 1 sweet date

I did not add in any meat as the ingredients bring out their own sweetness after prolong boiling.  Add salt to season

家 常 飯 - 三 菜 一 湯

A simple and nutritious meal, what we usually have, 3 dishes plus a soup.   We normally do not eat out during public holidays or festive seasons as prices charge are double or triple.  Moreover most of the eating places are crowded and finding a parking lot is a headache.

These dishes do not take up alot of time preparing.  The liver sausages are already precooked, all you need is to just put over the boiled rice and steam.

Radish Cuttlefish Soup  - Soup is a must for every meal

Stir-fry marrow with dried shrimp. 

Fried onion omelette - a dish my children love

DANG GUI SOUP - 當歸湯

Once a month I will serve this soup to relief tiredness and improve health.  This soup is suitable for the whole family as our jobs involve working with computers, and the kids who are still schooling need to use the computer frequently, our eyes are most affected - tire and dry eyes.  My oldest child who is in health service, who is in need of rest and sleep, needs to consume the soup more often.

Ingredients:
angelica sinensis (當歸), polygibatum odoratum (玉竹), astragalus membranaceus (北旗),  boxthorn fruit (杞子), ligusticum wallichii (川芎), dates (大 棗), lotus seeds (蓮子),  & dried longan (桂圓)

Double boil all the ingredients together with black chicken for 3 hrs and add in salt before serving.

COUGH... COUGH...

For the past week DH and daughter are having flu and cough, and the cough is not subsiding despite a round of antibiotics.  To relieve cough and strengthens function of respiratory system, I boiled fig and dried orange soup to help in relieving their symptoms.

Dried ju bing (橘餅)
dried fig
bitter and sweet almonds
chuan bei mu (川貝母) and
gan cao (甘草)

Add ingredients into boiling water
Cook for 1-2 hours under low heat

GINSENG HERBAL SOUP

The weather is so tempermental nowadays, 1 day wet with 2 days dryness that can make one falls sick easily.   Food in the form of liquid should be consumed more to counteract the weather effect on health, especially soup.   Ginseng herbal soup is one soup that helps to boost immunity and strengthen resistant of the body to avoid sickness. 

I did not use any meat in the soup as the chinese herbs give a natural sweetness to the soup after hours of boiling.   Combine ginseng, 當歸, 玉竹, 北芹, 紅棗, 枸子, 肉圓 和 甜棗 to add into boiling water and boil for 3 hours over low fire.

TCC

Dinner at new TCC in Airport Terminal 3.  A bit quiet during weekday but comes weekend waiting time is long, especially late into the night.  A nice place for supper.

Beef Soup - thick broth full of beef flavor.  Accompany with crisp garlic toast

Pumpkin Soup - Spicy and full of kick

Smoke Salmon Salad - Come with baguette filled with fresh tomatoes and cheese, and orange sorbet which I like most, tangy and refreshing

Asparagus Puff - Flaky puff with creamy tender asparagus.  Sides of whole fresh tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes topped with salsa sauce and creamy mushrooms

Mushroom Pasta - light dish

Salmon Burger with avocado cream and cheese

Tuna Pasta

Herbal Mint Tea

Nutella Float - very chocolaty

Volcanic Chocolate Cake - The flow of thick chocolate lava is sensation combined with raspberry sauce

PAPAYA SOUP

1 green papaya
peanuts
1 pigtail
white fungus

Papaya enzyme promotes the digestion and absorption of animal protein in the alimentary tract.  It lessens the burden of the stomach and reduces the chances of gastric and ulcers.

BITTER GUORD SOUP

Bitter guord is a beneficial vegetable.  It is rich in iron and contains beneficial properties that cleanses the blood from toxins.   It is also low in calories, an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2 & B3, C, magnesium, folic acid, zinc, phosphorus, maganese and has high dietary fiber.

To slow boil bitter guord with chicken, dried oysters, sun-moon mollusc, fish bladder, sweet dates and scallops produces a bitter-sweet health soup.