soups
five bean soup
A recipe from Josie Zhuo, Licensed Acupuncturist
Ingredients
1/4-cup of each:
• red bean
• soy bean
• black bean
• green bean (mung bean)
• barley
1-cup raw walnuts
3 tablespoons honey
Directions
1. Soak the beans overnight.
2. Cook the beans with ten to twelve cups of cold water.
3. Use high heat to bring it to boil, and then simmer for one hour.
Make sure the beans become very soft. If they are not soft enough, you will need to cook longer.
4. Put the five-bean soup in the refrigerator for future use.
5. Each day, take about one cup of the bean soup and add in your favorite seasonings.
They can be salty or sweet. Make sure you add some water to it and then heat on the stove.
Health Benefits
Functions according to Traditional Chinese Medicine:
Red bean: Nourishes the blood and strengthens the digestive energy.
Black bean: Strengthens the kidney energy.
Green bean (Mung bean): Helps release toxicity.
Soybean: Strengthens the kidney energy and digestive energy.
Barley: Strengthens the digestive energy and helps to expel dampness and increase joint mobility.
In order for food to work as medicine, consistency and enough quantity are important. You should have five bean soup everyday as one of your three meals for the first month of postpartum recovery. If you are already past the first month, these recipes can still be your good source of energy healing, at any age.
organic chicken soup
Ingredients
2 to 3 pound organic whole chicken
Six slices of fresh ginger (each as big as a quarter coin)
Six TBSP of rice cooking wine
Directions
1. Peel off the chicken skin and cut off the fatty parts.
2. Add fifteen cups of water to the chicken
3. Add the fresh ginger and cooking wine to the chicken to enhance the warm energy of the soup.
4. Use big fire to bring the soup to boil, and then simmer for one hour.
What you need is the broth. You do not need to eat the meat. Refrigerate the chicken broth. This is a supply for five to six days of chicken soup. Each day take two cups of chicken broth as your base and add in your favorite seasonings, fresh vegetables, shrimps or noodles. Be creative, and add different things each day.
Published in The Sadhaka, Seattle Holistic Center's newsletter, 2009
snacks
black sesame and walnut balls
A recipe from Josie Zhuo, Lac, MTCM
Ingredients
1-cup raw black sesame seeds
1-cup raw walnuts
3 tablespoons honey
Directions
1. Toast the black sesame seeds in a frying pan or wok on low heat for 3 minutes (no oil added).
2. Blend the seeds into a fine powder.
3. Toast the walnuts in a frying pan or wok on medium heat for 5 minutes.
4. Blend the walnuts into a fine powder.
5. Mix the walnut and sesame powder together.
6. Add honey to the powder and mix together into a paste.
7. Make small balls with your hands. Store in the refrigerator for future enjoyment. They go well with a cup of tea.
Health Benefits
Walnuts:
Tonifies the kidneys and strengthens the back and knees.
Warms the lungs and helps the kidneys to grasp the Qi. This is for deficient lung chronic cough and wheezing.
Moistens the intestines and unblocks the bowels to decrease constipation.
Black Sesame Seeds:
Nourishes and fortifies the liver and kidneys. For deficiency of the liver and kidneys with such symptoms as blurred vision, tinnitus and dizziness, also helps patients recover after severe illnesses.
Nourishes the blood and extinguishes wind. For headaches, dizziness and numbness due to blood deficiency.
Moistens and lubricates the intestines. For constipation due to dry intestines or blood deficiency.
For weight loss: eat one or two cones with a cup of tea one hour before meals. It is nourishing and filling so you will eat less.
Published in The Sadhaka, Seattle Holistic Center Newsletter, 2009
drinks
turmeric milk
Ingredients
12 oz any kind of milk (cow’s, almond, rice)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ginger freshly grated or powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2-1 tsp honey
Add spices and milk in a saucepan and bring to almost a boil. Remove from heat. Cool for a couple of minutes before adding honey.
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