Almond And Apple Tea - 苹果杏仁茶

There is always a saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”, and apple itself contains high nutritional value, promotes digestion and help to prevent diseases and other functions too. This common fruit which is suitable for all ages often comes in various sizes and varities from different countries. During recent years studies iit also shows that Apple may prevent or reduce food allergies in human too.

Recently I get to learn how to make this drink from one of my boy's classmates granny who loves to boil soups for her family. She shared with us that this soup is good for health in long run and it also helps to prevent cough and cold due to the ingredients used. Above are some collage photos of the ingredients and steps of preparation.

Sweet & Bitter Almonds(南北杏), Apricot Seed
Warm. Influences the lung and large intestine channels. Stops cough and moistens the intestines. Commonly used to treat dry cough and constipation.

Ingredients: (serves 4)
2 - 3 Big Apples, cut into wedges
1 Tablespoon Sweet & Better Almond
1 Piece of Candidate Tangerine
4 Strips of Candidate Winter Melon, optional
1 Knot of Pandan Leave
1.5 Litres of Water

Method:
1. Rinse, peel and core the apples then cut them into wedges. (about 6 - 8 wedges per apple)
2. Bring 1.5 litre of water to boil and add in all the ingredient except pandan leaves.
3. When the water comes to boil again, lower the heat and simmer on low heat for about 20 - 25 minutes.
4. Add in pandan leaves at the last 5 minutes then continue to let it simmer.
5. When done turn off the heat, remove the sweet & bitter almond pack and pandan leaves from the pot.
6. Serve warm or cold with the cooked apple as drink or dessert.

Note:-
~ Spoon the sweet and bitter almond into stock bag and secure it before adding it to cook with the rest of the ingredients.


This is a very refreshing tea that makes you hook on it due to its sweet and sour taste together with the fragrant of the apples and other pairing ingredients used. You can even boiled this tea and consume it as normal daily fluid by having an option to remove the adding of candidate winter melon to reduce the sweetness. And from some research shown Apples can also reduce high cholesterol, blood pressure and at the same time maintain consistent sugar level in the human body. So this quick and easy tea is sure to be a good keeper in most of our family and it also makes a great drink for kids too.

Double-Boiled Fresh Lily Bulbs Soup

Recently a lot of my son's classmates as well as a few members in our family are suffering for dry cough/sore throat due to the hot and humid weather. And while chatting with one of my son's classmate parent, she has shared with me some remedies for smoothing throat as well as cough which they practice way back in her hometown, in China. Although the ingredients that they used are rather simple and inexpensive, but the result is so effective and some of it can also be treated as one of the summer cooling dessert too.....

Lily bulbs taste slightly sweet and is slightly Cold in nature. It benefits the Lungs and Heart as well as nourishes the Lungs, stops cough and calms the nerves. It has certain effects on cough and helps with anxiety and insomnia. Lily Bulbs are rich in proteins, phosphorous and carbohydrates which is one of the good body tonifying and nerve calming Chinese medicine for those suffering from cough due to coldness and loose stools should not eat. Fresh Lily bulbs are rich in glucose that promotes digestion and they are commonly used in cooking and desserts.

Ginkgo nourishes the lungs and relieves asthma but this cannot be taken too much at a time.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
2 - 3 Medium Size Fresh Lily Bulbs(鲜百合)
8 - 10 Fresh Ginkgo Nuts
500ml Boiling Water
Rock Sugar to Taste
2 Pandan Leaves, optional

Method:
1. Rinse, clean and remove the petals from the bulbs, soak in water for a few seconds to remove dirt.
2. Wash and clean the pandan leave then tie it into a knot and set aside.
3. Bring 500ml of water to boil, add in the fresh ginkgo nuts, lily bulbs petals and pandan leave and bring it to boil.
4. Transfer the mixture to a double-boiler and place it in a slow cooker set on AUTO mode and cook for about 1.5 hour on HIGH.
5. Or alternatively, you can simmer on low heat over the stove for about 30 minutes.
6. Sweeten it with rock sugar and serve warm.


Note:
~ You can purchase Fresh Lily Bulbs and Ginkgo Nuts is most local supermarket at the vegetable chiller section.

This is a very tasty sweet soup that is suitable for all members of the family. And if you are towards the healthy or weight-watching side, perhaps you can omit the adding of rock sugar and consume this soup on base on it's natural sweetness and fragrance that is being released from the lily bulbs petals. My son loves the taste of this soup and also due to the long hour of simmering/double-boiled, the lily petals will be soften with the melt -in your mouth texture.

Double-Boil Luo Han Guo With Pork Muscle Soup

Saw another version of this soup ..... 罗汉果瘦肉汤 on Channel 8, Wednesday TV variety show known as "3-Plus-1 II - 3菜1汤II". I think it's about 2 months ago, I saw one of the participating term preparing a soup using "Luo Han Guo - 罗汉果" and lean pork. I remember vividly that I had prepared a soup using Luo han Guo as one of the ingredients in a few years back.

"Luo Han Guo - 罗汉果" is a dried fruits that are ellipse or round, with a yellow-brownish or green-brownish colour, and is covered by fine hairs. The fruit has a hard but thin shell. When breaks open, you can see partially dried, soft substance which contains the juice and large quantity of seeds. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for colds, coughs, sore throats, gastrointestinal disorder, as well as a blood purifier. And in Asian country, this fruit is usually used to boil herbal tea or soup.

Before making this soup, I am actually kind of worry about its' taste as Luo Han Guo is mostly sweet is natural when used to boil herbal tea. But I was surprised with the result of the soup when it is ready to be consume......... I guess the key ingredient lays on the "Dried Tangerine Peel" which makes the soup taste great rather than "sweet".

Ingredients: (serves 4)
500g Pork Muscle
1 Large Luo Han Guo
1 Piece of Dried Tangerine Peel, 6 x 6 cm
6 Red Dates
1/2 Tablespoon Wolfberries
1 Litre of Water

Method:
1. Wash and trim the pork muscle, blanched it boiling water for about 3 minutes, removed and rinse well.
2. Soaked the dried tangerine peel in water for about 1 minute till soften, use a small teaspoon to scrape off the white pith on the inner skins as that will cause bitterness to the soup.
3. Break the Luo Han Guo into half, rinse and set aside.
4. Bring the pot of 1 litre of water to boil, add in all the ingredients except the wolfberries, bring to boil again and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.
5. Transfer the soup mixture to a slow cooker and cook on AUTO heat for about 2 hours or so, add in the wolfberries in the last 20 minutes of cooking time.
6. Serve warm with rice or you can drink before meal.

Note:
~ You can cook the soup over low heat for about 45 minutes on the stove if you don't have any slow cooker.


This is indeed a great soup for the warm weather recently as well as a keeper for coming Chinese New Year where the kids and adults will be busying munching their favourite goodies. This soup will helps to smooth their throat and prevent cough too..... So why not give this a try if you are comfortable with the taste of Luo Han Guo herbal tea.

Dual Fungus Sweet Soup

I have being coughing badly for the past one week which I think might be due to the bad weather or the amount of Durian that I consume during the previous week. So since my lady boss gave me a few packets of freeze dried black fungus. I decided to make this Dual Fungus Sweet Soup for this weekend.

As you can see from the photos, other than the dual fungus, I also added in some Ginkgo nuts, red dates, wolfberries and candidate tangerine which makes it a good and smoothing dessert for cough or cool down the body system from hot weather.

White Fungus(雪耳): tastes slightly sweet and of neutral nature. It benefits the spleen, strengthens the stomach and expel Dryness. It calms the spirit, treats insomnia and is good for the body type that resists beneficial food.

Black Fungus(黑木耳): has a reputation in Chinese herbal medicine for increasing the fluidity of the blood and improving circulation.

Ginkgo nuts(白果): are usually sold dried, or shelled and canned in brine. It is traditional Chinese food that nourishes lung energy and calms wheezing.

Ingredients: (serves 4)
10g Dried White Fungus
5g Dried Black Fungus
20 Fresh Ginkgo Nuts
8 Big Seedless Red Date, cut into halves
1 Tablespoon Wolfberries
1 Candied Tangerine, cut into halves
1 Litre of Water
Some Pandan Leaves
Rock Sugar to taste

Method:
1. Rinse and soaked the two type of fungus separately into two bowls of water till soft. Rinse well to remove any dirt, drained and set aside.
2. Bring the water to boil in a big pot then add in the drained fungus, red dates, ginkgo nut, candied tangerine and pandan leaves and simmer till it boils again.
3. Remove from heat, then transfer the mixture to a slow cooker and cook on auto for about 3 - 4 hrs, depend on the softness of the fungus to your liking. ( I let it cook for about 5 hrs because I like the fungus to be soft and the texture of the soup to be a bit sticky)
4. Add in the wolfberries during the last 1 hours of cooking time.
5. Sweeten it with rock sugar in the last 15 minutes in order to let the sugar melt completed and blend well with the fungus.

Notes:
a) I used the ration of 2: 1 white black to black fungus in portion.
b) I used those vacuum seal packed ginkgo nuts from supermarket.
c) According to my lady boss she told me that her Chinese Physician told her that it's best to consume this dessert early in the morning before breakfast or before noon time. Avoid taking this at night as it might cause clot in the blood vessels.

Double-Boiled Apple With Gingko Nuts

I believed most of you have heard or even tried the Double-boiled Chinese Pear with either Almond or White Fungus or even both before. It is actually a very good and effect sweet tonic drink to smooth the lungs and ease the phlegm if you are having bad cough. Usually Chinese Physician believed that there are two different types of cough which is the dry and cold cough. As in dry is mainly due to heat in our body due to lack of sleep or consuming too much heaty food.
Dried Figs(无花果)
It is rich in vitamins A & C, proteins and fibers. It strengthens the Spleen, lubricates intestines and helps with dry cough and sore throat. There are two types of figs, fresh and dried. Dried figs are usually used to make soup.

As for myself, I am consider as a weak body build so I cannot take too much of the cooling stuffs, so rather than using Chinese Pear (which is suppose to be cooling) I replace it with Apple which is neutral. The overall effect of this soup will still be the same but the different is it will not be too cooling for those who are having weak body function.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
1 1/2 to 2 Big Apple, cut into wedges
10 Gingko Nut(白果), pre-packed type
1 Tablespoon of Sweet & Bitter Almond( 南北杏)
2 Red Date(红枣), cut into wedges
1 Teaspoon Gou Qi Ji (枸杞子)
3 Dried Fig(无花果), cut into halves
800ml Warm Water
Some Rock Sugar, to taste

Methods:
1. Wash and cored and cut the apples into thick wedges, rinse the rest of the ingredients and put everything(except rock sugar) into a double-boiler and double-boiled in the slow-cooker on auto for about 2 hrs.
2. Remove the cover and add in the Rock Sugar and contine to double-boiled for another 30 minutes.
3. You can served it warm or cool and this is very effective for dry cough.

Notes:a) I used those big pinky type of Apple (refer to the picture above)

Double-boiled Chinese Pear

It had being quiet sometime for me to post topic relating to soup since my last post on making Lotus Root, Pumpkin and Pearl Bean Soup in May 2008. Today's Soup will be Double-boiled Chinese Pear, it more for nourish of lungs and ease of dry cough. My dear son has being having bad cough for the past one week and after completing his medication he still doesn't seems to have much improvement and the cough is also getting worst. So rather than continue with the western medication, I decided to make him this remedial for cough using some of the Chinese herbs shown below.

Sweet & Bitter Almonds(南北杏), Apricot Seed
Warm. Influences the lung and large intestine channels. Stops cough and moistens the intestines. Commonly used to treat dry cough and constipation.

Chuanbei Mu(川贝母)
Cool. Influences the heart and lung channels. Dissolves phlegm and dissipates nodules. Commonly used to treat chronic cough with yellow or bloody phlegm that is difficult to expectorate.

Gou Qizi(枸杞子), Chinese Wolfberry
Neutral. Influences the liver, lung and kidney channels. Nourishes the essence, brightens the eyes, enriches Yin and moistens the lungs. Commonly used to treat anaemia, sore lower back, vision problems and long term cough.

Sha Shen(沙参)
Cool. Influences the lung and stomach channels. Stops cough, generates fluids and nourishes the skin. Commonly used to treat bloody cough, dry mouth and throat, and dry, itchy skin.

I have made this soup continuous for two days with two different methods. The 1st method will yield a more concentrated amount as I have put some of the ingredients within the pear shell and double-boiled it for it fullness effect. While 2nd method I just placed all the ingredients in a double-boiled and make a more dilute soup. Both me and my dear son prefer the 1st method as it is more sweet, fragrant and concentrated on it's content.

Ingredients: (serve 1)
1 Big Chinese Snow Pear,雪梨
1 Teaspoon of Chuanbei(川贝母) powder
1 Red Date(红枣), removed seed
1 Teaspoon Rock Sugar,冰糖
1 Teaspoon Sweet & Bitter Almond(南北杏)
5 - 8 Gou Qizi,枸杞子
About 80ml - 100ml Of Drinking Water

Methods:
1. Wash the snow pear and cut a small portion off on top and use a spoon to scoop out the core and the flesh to make a pear cup.
2. Wash the herbs and put it into the pear cup together with the rock sugar and Chuanbei Powder.

3. Place the pear cup into a double-boiled then top water to the rim of the pear cup. (do not put any water inside the double-boiler that contain the pear)
4. Double-boiled it for about 2 to 3 hours in a slow cooker and served warm or you can double-boiled it over a stove in a pot for about 30 - 45 minutes over low heat.

Note:
a) Chuanbei powder can get from most Chinese medical hall. Usually I will buy $5 and ask them to grind into powder. If for kid consume it can be divided into 4 serving amount, you can check with the person in the medical hall for more details.

Chinese Pear & Honey Sweet Tonic

This is one of the sweet tonic soup that is good for coughing and smoothing of lungs. You can have it at least once a week or twice a month. If you don't like the taste or fragrant of white fungus you can also omit it in this recipe.

These ingredients used are very common and easily to be found in almost every household that usually made soup. But some of you might not have Sha Shen at home so you can just get 1 bundler from the medical shop which cost about a dollar or less and you can use it for a few times.


Sha Shen(沙参)
It's naturally sweet and slightly cold which aids lungs to stomach and blood vessels. It also moistness lungs, stops coughing, grows saliva and stops thirst, slow down fever and coughing and also increase appetite.

White Fungus(雪耳)
It tastes slightly sweet and of neutral nature. It benefits the spleen, strengthens the stomach and expel Dryness. It calms the spirit, treats insomnia and is good for the body type that resists beneficial food.

Sweet & Bitter Almonds(南北杏)
Sweet almond tastes sweet and is of neutral nature. It does not carry any toxic element, and heals coughing. Bitter almond tastes bitter and is of warm nature. It carries slight trace of toxic but heals coughing and expels sputum. Mixing the two together will make a soup that clears the Heat, moistness internal Dryness and avoid coughing.

Ingredients: (serves 2 - 3)
2 Medium Chinese Pears
4 Red Dates
1/2 Tablespoon Gou Qizi
10g Soaked White Fungus
1 Tablespoon Of Sweet & Bitter Almond
6 Strand Of Shan Shen
900ml Of Water
1 1/2 - 2 Tablespoons Of Honey

Methods:
1. Wash all the herbs and bring the 900ml of water to boil.
2. Peel and core pears then cut each into quarters and put into the double boiler pot.
3. When the water begins to boil, add in all the herbs and white fungus(except honey) and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
4. Next pour the herbs ingredients into the pot that contains the pears and let it double boiled in a slower cooker for about 2 hrs in Auto/High Heat.
5. Remove about two tablespoon of the soup and let it cool slightly before stirring in the honey and mix well.
6. Pour the honey mixture back into the soup mixture and continue to double boil for another 1 hour.
7. Switch off the heat, allow to cool slightly and serve either warm or cold.
8. Alternately, you can add in the honey before drinking the soup instead of adding it to double-boil.(because some people find that adding in the honey together with the soup to boil will cause the soup to be abit sour due to the honey, and it might also destroy the Vit in the honey.)

Notes: This is a very good soup for smoothing the lungs for those working late or feeling heaty. As it also help to stop thirst.

Zhi Ke Tang - 止咳汤

Since the Weather is changing very fast during these few months, it's good to drink this herbal drink regularly to relieve cough and strengthens functions of respiratory system. You can have this at least once or twice a week like normal herbal drinks.


Chuan Bei Mu(川贝母)
It’s bittersweet in taste and slightly cold in nature. It clears Heat, moistens the Lungs, eases coughing, expels phlegm, cures oedema and promotes the flow of Qi and blood. It is commonly used in curing Qi-Asthenia in the Lungs, prolonged coughing, lung pain, breast pain and scrofula.

Dried Chrysanthemum(菊花)
Cool and slightly cold; sweet and bitter; attributive to lungs and liver. It can lower blood pressure; improve vision due to kidney and liver dysfunction; clear internal heat; eases swelling and inflammation; nourish blood. Also effective for vertigo, headache with fever and for eye aches or itchiness.

Dried Fig(无花果)
Makes stomach active, improves flow in the intestines, clears constipation.

Gan Cao(干草)
It’s naturally sweet and warm, no toxins which helps to circulates around 12 major blood vessels in body. It also strengthens spleen and benefits energy, moistens lungs and calms coughing, slows and cures pain forms classic medicine flavour.

Ju Bing(桔饼)
It Promote energy circulation; strengthen spleen; relieve coughing; help digestion and relieve cough.

Sweet & Bitter Almond(南北杏)
Sweet almond tastes sweet and is of neutral nature. It does not carry any toxic element, and heals coughing. Bitter almond tastes bitter and is of warm nature. It carries slight trace of toxic but heals coughing and expels sputum. Mixing the two together will make a soup that clears the Heat, moistness internal Dryness and avoid coughing.

Ingredients: (serve 3-4)
40g Sweet & Bitter Almond(南北杏)
2 Ju Bing(桔饼)
15g Chuan Bei Mu(川贝母)
10 Dried Figs(无花果)
6g Gan Gao(干草)
5-10g Dried Chrysanthemum(菊花)
1-2 Tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar(optional)

Methods:
1. Roughly rinse the ingredients then add in add around 1.5 litres of water and boil for 1 – 2 hours under low heat and serve.
2. Or you can transfer everything to a slow cooker and simmer on Auto Function for 2 hours.

Notes: You can get those dark brown sugar in chinese medical hall, it's good to use them in herbal drink as it had some detoxify function according to some old folk tale. If not, just add in some rock sugar if you want it to be sweeter.

Ginseng Honey Tea

Had being feeling very tired and restless during these past few weeks, so decided to double-boiled this American Ginseng Honey Tea. It is very simple and only required a few ingredients. This drink can calm spirits and nerve as well as cure insomnia.

American Ginseng(花旗参): It is sweet in taste, with a hint of bitterness and cool in nature. It nourishes the Yin energy in the lungs, clears Asthenic Fire, benefit the Stomach and promotes secretion of body fluid. It mainly treats Dryness of Lungs and Stomach and dire thirst and Qi, therefore strengthens the internal organs.


Dried Longan(桂圆肉): Tastes sweet and of neutral nature. It nourishes the heart and the spleen, benefits bloods and calms the spirit. It works well for treating tensions, palpitation, insomnia and forgetfulness.

Ingredients: (server 1)
10-12 Slices Of American Ginseng(花旗参)
8 Dried Longan (桂圆肉)
½ Tablespoon Honey(蜂蜜)
300ml Boiling Water

Methods:
1. Soak the American Ginseng and Dried Longan in hot water for 1-2 minutes then drain.
2. Put all the ingredients except honey in a small double-boiler pot in a slow-cooker and double-boiled for about 2 hours on low heat.
3. Add in honey then continue to double-boiled for another 15 minutes and serve warm before bedtime.

Notes: When taking this drink it is best that you don't eat any dish or soup that contain raddish or beans for 1 - 2 days, because chinese belived that raddish will drain and absord all the good source from the Ginseng.