Walnuts and Cashews in Pork Broth

by | Mar 27, 2012 | Soups for Children | 1 comment

Soup Name: Walnuts and Cashews in Pork Broth

Traditional Chinese Name: 合桃素湯 (hé táo sù tāng)

Introduction:

This interesting soup is mainly composed of round stuff (little nibbles of things) like nuts and beans.  This soups excellent for “brain” and “memory” development (so says my herbalist) and great for kids.  This soup does need something to punch up the taste because without additional veggies, it really does taste a bit bland and nutty, so I threw in a pumpkin (which still didn’t make it sweet enough, so maybe throw in some carrots and corn too).  Next time.

What ingredients are required?

1 pound fresh pork shank
20g of peeled cashews
20g of peeled walnuts
2-3 large dried dates
1 fresh lily bulb (or dried)
10 pitted red dates
20 dried lotus seeds
1 whole Japanese pumpkin, largely sliced with skin
40 g red kidney beans
2 L of water

How do I prepare it?

  1. Soak the cashews, walnuts, dates, lily bulb and beans in warm water
  2. Begin to boil your soup water
  3. In a separate pot of boiling water, blanch the pork shank for 5 minutes and drain
  4. Wash and chop pumpkin into slices (while keeping skin to prevent the pumpkin from disintegrating)
  5. When your soup water boils, throw all the ingredients together
  6. Boil on high heat for 30 minutes and reduce to a medium boil for another 1.5 hours
  7. Serve and enjoy!

Any benefits?

  • Excellent soup for eyes and brain development (especially in children)
  • Ingredients are readily available
  • Soup is low in fat

Any precautions?

  • This soup has a strong nutty taste, so you can consider masking it with  more veggies (ie: corn, carrots, squash)
  • Caution for children under 2 (as walnuts & cashews may be a risk for nut allergy)

Walnuts

by | Mar 14, 2012 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

Ingredient Name: Walnuts

Traditional Chinese Name: 核桃 (Hétáo)

What is this?
  • The edible seed of any tree in the genus Julgans (tree nut family)
  • The edible portions are found inside a very hard, brown seed with a very hard external shell
  • The walnut is brownish-white in color and hard in texture with a white skin (that is often bitter)
  • This nut is commonly found in Chinese soups, dishes and desserts

How do I prepare it?

  • Rinse in warm water before usage
  • Avoid using walnuts that are pre-salted or roasted

Where can I buy this?

  • Fresh walnuts can be purchased in supermarkets
  • Dried walnuts are also available in supermarkets or at herbalists
  • This is a readily available ingredient

What is the cost?

  • This is not an expensive ingredient and the price varies depending on preparation and packaging

Any benefits?

  • Walnuts are excellent source of protein, nutrients and omega-3 fatty acids
  • They have a healthy source of antioxidants which help reduce or slow aging
  • Walnuts are a good source of Calcium, Zinc and Iron
  • Excellent in the prevention of heart disease

Any precautions?

  • If a walnut has molded, this mold will release dangerous aflatoxins and should not be used for consumption
  • Be sure to purchase walnuts from a reputable source

Additional Information

  • Store in a dry and cold place as walnuts can spoil easily