Once the Start of Autumn (立秋, Liqiu) arrives, a thread of coolness comes with it. That is right: this is what people mean when they say autumn is deepening. In this season, talk of health and nourishment picks up again on every street. There is always an elder or a health-minded friend nearby who starts saying: “Ah, it’s the Start of Autumn, time to hurry up and put on the autumn fat!” And so out come the mutton hotpots, the angelica duck, and every kind of ten-ingredient tonic soup.
But hold on. The Start of Autumn may be a season for building up the body, yet you really must not eat blindly. Today we are sharing five home-style dishes especially suited to this time of year. They are warming without being drying, balanced in nutrition, and extremely simple to make. Even a beginner in the kitchen can succeed at them on the first try. Learn them and treat yourself and your family.
1. Stir-fried Chinese yam with wood ear
When it comes to nourishing the stomach in autumn, Chinese yam takes pride of place. Yam is mild in nature and rich in mucin, and it nourishes the spleen and stomach well. Paired with crisp, refreshing black wood ear, the dish is not only striking in its black and white contrast, which whets the appetite, but also moistens the lungs and clears the system of toxins.
Ingredients: one Chinese yam of the “iron stick” variety, black wood ear as needed, half a carrot (for color), spring onion and garlic as needed.
Method:
For the best of our weekly content！
You are now signed up for our newsletter
Check your email to complete sign up
1. Soak the wood ear ahead of time and rinse clean. Peel the yam (remember to wear gloves, so the sap does not irritate your skin), slice it thin, and put the slices in water to keep them from browning.
2. Bring a pot of water to the boil, blanch the yam slices and wood ear for 30 seconds, then lift them out, cool them in cold water and set aside.
3. Heat the pan, add cold oil, and fry the chopped spring onion and garlic until fragrant. Add the carrot slices and stir to combine.
4. Add the yam and wood ear, stir-fry quickly over high heat, season with salt to taste and a little light soy sauce, toss to combine, and serve.
2. Lily bulb, lotus seed and snow fungus sweet soup
As soon as the Start of Autumn arrives, the air turns noticeably dry, and many people feel a scratchy throat and tight skin. A bowl of sweet soup that nourishes the yin and moistens the lungs is simply a gentle comfort from head to toe. This snow fungus soup is soft, sweet and full of gelatin, a great autumn favorite among women.
Ingredients: one snow fungus, fresh lily bulb as needed, lotus seeds as needed, a few red dates, rock sugar as needed.
Method:
1. Soak the snow fungus ahead of time and tear it into small florets. Remove the cores from the lotus seeds and rinse. Rinse the fresh lily bulb and set aside.
2. Add plenty of water to a pot with the snow fungus and lotus seeds. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 40 minutes, until the fungus releases its gelatin.
3. Add the red dates, lily bulb and rock sugar, and cook another 15 minutes until the lily bulb is tender.
4. Ladle into bowls. It is warm and sweet, and one mouthful moistens you all the way through.
3. Steamed silky chicken with shiitake
For meat in autumn, chicken, and chicken thigh in particular, is a very mild and nourishing choice compared with beef or mutton, which can easily bring on internal heat. It is low in fat and tender in texture. Steaming locks in the freshness and the nutrition, without filling the kitchen with grease smoke or bringing on that parched, overheated feeling.
Ingredients: two chicken thighs, dried shiitake as needed, ginger, chopped spring onion.
Method:
1. Soak the dried shiitake ahead of time and slice. Bone the chicken thighs and cut into small pieces.
2. Add shredded ginger, a spoonful of light soy sauce, half a spoonful of oyster sauce, a little cornstarch and cooking oil to the chicken. Mix well by hand and marinate for 15 minutes to let the flavor penetrate.
3. Lay the shiitake slices on the bottom of a plate and put the marinated chicken on top.
4. Bring the water in the steamer to a boil, put in the plate, and steam over high heat for about 20 minutes. Scatter with spring onion before serving. It is fragrant and tender, and the juices over rice are superb.
4. Lotus root and pork rib soup
As the saying goes: “Every part of the lotus is a treasure, and autumn lotus root nourishes people best.” Lotus root around the Start of Autumn is at its best in texture. Raw, it is crisp and sweet; cooked, it is soft, mealy and fragrant. Simmered slowly with pork ribs, it can strengthen the spleen and whet the appetite, nourish the blood and the complexion, and makes the most comforting warm soup of the autumn.
Ingredients: one catty (about 500 g) of pork ribs, one section of lotus root, a few slices of ginger, a few goji berries.
Method:
1. Chop the ribs into small pieces, put them in cold water and bring to a boil, skim off the foam, then lift out and rinse.
2. Peel the lotus root and roll-cut it into chunks. Smash the ginger flat.
3. Put the ribs, lotus root and ginger in a clay pot, add plenty of boiling water, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for one hour.
4. Season with salt before serving and scatter a small handful of goji berries on top. The broth is rich and the lotus root mealy; two bowls are not too many.
5. Stir-fried shrimp with broccoli
Building up the body in autumn does not mean blindly putting on weight. For anyone who wants to keep their figure while still getting good nutrition, shrimp with broccoli is absolutely a full-marks answer. Shrimp is high in protein and low in fat; broccoli is rich in dietary fiber and vitamins. The dish is fresh, cuts through richness, and is nutritionally complete.
Ingredients: fresh shelled shrimp as needed, half a head of broccoli, crushed garlic.
Method:
1. Cut the broccoli into small florets, soak briefly in lightly salted water and rinse. Devein the shrimp and marinate briefly with cooking wine and a little salt.
2. Bring a pot of water to the boil, add a few drops of oil and a little salt, blanch the broccoli for 30 seconds, then drain.
3. Heat oil in the pan, fry the garlic until fragrant, add the shrimp and stir-fry until they turn color and curl.
Original article
Comments