Double-boiled Ginseng Chicken Soup

Finally found some time after so long to double-boil some herbal soup for our dinner on a weekend night.  Double-boiling soup is not difficult task, it is the time that you need set aside to be able to get a pot of nice and rich tasting double-boiled soup.  At least 2.5 to 3 hours of dedication and you will be rewarded :)

This time I bought one pre-packed Chinese herbal mix from the supermarket, grabbed a whole chicken thigh and off I went to make the soup. The good thing about double-boiling soup is that meat added will be soft and tender tasting still, even after hours of cooking. We wiped off the chicken thigh meat and soup in no time!

Double-boiled Ginseng Chicken Soup
300g to 350g whole chicken thigh
1.5l of water
Ginseng roots 人参
Honey dates 蜜枣
Red dates, pitted (optional) 红枣
Lotus seeds 湘莲
Liquorice 甘草
Indian bread 茯苓
Wolfberry 枸杞
Chuanxiong rhizome 川芎
Chinese angelica root 当归

1. Fill a big aluminium pot with enough water and bring to a rolling boil.
2. While waiting for the big pot of water to boil, remove fats and blood from chicken thigh. Snip off some chicken skins with underlying fats. Just leave some skin on. Rinse and clean meat and set in a dish. Pour hot water over chicken thigh to remove scums and excess oil.
3. Rinse all herbs.
4. Put 1.5l of water to boil in water boiler.

5. When big pot of water has come to a rolling boil, place in ceramic pot. Use a tong and place scalded chicken thigh into ceramic pot, place in rinsed herbs and finally pour in boiled water, place on ceramic pot lid and then main pot lid.
6. Bring big pot water to boil before turning down fire and let soup be at a gentle simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours. Remove as much oil from soup as possible.
7. Add salt to taste and serve immediately.

Benefits of Ginseng chicken soup
Improves stamina, complexion as well as rejuvenate the body.

Simple Lean Pork Soup with Huai Shan and Qi Zi

A simple and healthy soup recipe I came across in Chef Eric Teo's soup recipe book.  I used the double boiling method for this using my thermal pot and got 2 yummy pot of healthy soup for dinner. Quantities of ingredients were kinda halved to cater to 2 pax.

According to Chef Eric's recipe, this soup is supposed to cure chronic eye problems caused by asthemia, like blurry vision and for eyes that get tired easily.

Simple Lean Pork Soup with Huai Shan and Qi Zi
Recipe By Chef Eric Teo - Simply Soup recipe book (汤滋味)

50g huai shan (I used 10 pieces, 5 in each deep stew pot)
20g qi zi (2 tbsp, 1 tbsp in each deep stew pot)
500g lean pork, rinsed and cut into pieces (I used 300g pork ribs instead)
2.5 litres water (I just filled my stew pot to the brim)
Salt
I added 2 dried figs

Note: My individual stew pot size is just enough for 1 pax.

1. Rinse huai shan and qi zi, set aside.
2. Add 2.5 litres of water and all ingredients in a soup pot. Boil over high heat for 15 minutes. Switch to medium heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt.

(I placed a steam rack in my thermal pot, placed in 2 of my stew pots. Blanch the washed pork ribs in a small pot of boiling water, rinsed briefly with water and divide the ribs into the 2 stew pots. Place in dried figs, huai shan and qi zi, top with boiling water to brim.

Pour boiling water into thermal pot, put on thermal pot lid and put on high heat for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and place thermal pot into thermal pot holder. When ready to drink, put pot back to heat up and season with salt. Serve.)

Luo Han Guo & Chrysanthemum Tea

Weather has been scorching hot these day and what is simple and good to make at home to help ease the heatiness in us?  It has got to be arhat fruit chrysanthemum tea drink.

Arhat fruit is also known as luo han guo in mandarin.
 This fruit has got amazing health benefits - helps to ease cough and moisten lungs, rich in Vitamin C, helps in anti-aging, anti-Cancer, weight loss and colon cleansing.  Also, it is a natural sweetener which in turn makes it a good sugar substitute for diabetic patients. One can drink it everyday without worrying it to be too cooling to our bodies.

With the impending cough that hubby and I are having, this drink really helps ease our bad throat especially with the addition of chrysanthemum in it.  The combination of luo han guo chrysanthemum drink is said to work doubly well on cough and bad throat.

Luo Han Guo & Chrysanthemum Tea

2 luo han guo (briefly scrub and wash exterior of fruit)
A handful of dried chrysanthemum flowers (briefly rinse and drained)
1.5 to 2 litres of water

1. Using the back of a knife or spoon, gently crack open the washed luo han guo to expose the insides.
2. Place luo han guo and water in a pot and bring to boil on high heat.
3. Bring down to low heat and let simmer for another 15 min.
4. Place chrysanthemum flowers into pot and cover. Turn off fire and let it heat for 15 to 30 min. Strain and serve.

Note:
Choosing and buying luo han guo - pick one of the fruit and give it a gentle shake. If you can feel and hear the seeds moving - the fruit is not fresh and would not give off much taste and benefits.

Bamboo Pith & Chinese Mushroom Soup

Nothing proves to be more heart-warming than to have a bowl of delicious soup at home, right?

Some 2 months back when we were back at my Mum's place for dinner, Mum cooked some nice dishes plus a pot of delicious soup that I fell in love with. I asked Mum for her recipe and cook this soon after.

Simple yet yummy and nutritious.  Hubby who is not much of a mushroom lover gave positive comments after drinking a mouthful.  Just thinking of it makes me miss the soup so much!  Okay, I must admit I am not only a soup lover, but also a mushroom lover, so this soup works for me.

Bamboo Pith & Mushroom Soup
Serves 2

10 pcs of bamboo pith (竹笙)
5 pcs of chinese mushrooms
10 pcs of canned button mushrooms (optional)
10g white fungus
8 to 10 pcs of dried scallops (rinsed)
2 tbsp of dried lily bulbs (rinsed)
A small bunch of Solomon Seal Rhizome (玉竹片) (rinsed)
1 pc chicken breast (remove fats and washed)
2 tbsp goji wolberry seeds
1.5 to 2 litres of water
Salt to taste

1. Soak bamboo pith till soften then cut both ends, remove any dirts and black specks, rinse and drain. Cut into half if you prefer smaller pieces.
2. Soak chinese mushrooms till soften and remove stalks. Cut into half.
3. Soak white fungus till soften, remove the hard centres and shred into smaller pieces, rinse and drain.
4. Place bamboo piths, chinese mushrooms,  white fungus, dried scallops,  dried lily bulbs and Solomon Seal Rhizome into a pot of water and bring to boil.
4. Bring a separate small pot of water to boil,  put in chicken breast and blanch it for about 1 min to remove oil and scum. Rinse blanched chicken breast under running water and place chicken breast into the main soup pot.
5. Bring to boil on medium high heat for about 20 to 30min then let it simmer on low heat for further 45min.
6. Meanwhile, soak goji wolfberry seeds till plump, rinse and drain.
7. Add button mushrooms and goji seeds into soup pot.
8. Add salt to taste. Serve.

Note:
- Chicken breast can be replaced with chicken drumsticks if preferred.
- Chicken breast works better if you prefer the soup to be less oily. Breast meat can be yummy too when dipped in some black soy sauce while paired with the soup.

Chrysanthemum Tea

Weather has been scorching hot of late! The rain did not help to ease the heat and humidity so this is when staying home is best, away from the sun!  I really do not wish to get any tanner since I was never fair to begin with! Hehe~

Home sweet home. I could do so much when at home, and one of it was making some chrysanthemum tea to cool our bodies in this hot weather.  Housework, cooking, baking and relaxing need not be further explained :P

Chrysanthemum Tea

2 handful of chrysanthemum flowers
1.5 litres of water
1 big pc or 2 medium size rock honey sugar (as per desired)

1. Wash and rinse the chryanthemum flowers under running water to get rid of dirt and impurities. Leave on a sieve to drain excess water.
2. Bring the pot of water to boil.
3. Add in rock honey sugar, adjust sweetness according to your preference.
4. Put in chrysanthemum flowers and cover, letting it simmer for about 2 minutes. Turn off fire and leave it covered for further 15 min.

5. Serve lukewarm, at room temperature or chilled.

Note: Never leave the chrysanthemum flowers to boil for a long time as it will cause the tea to have a dry and bitter taste.