Ginger and Egg Fried Rice (for Chinese Confinement)
This is a simple recipe part of our Confinement Series for new mothers. Designed to be heaty, healing and part of a balanced diet – actually anyone can eat this! My version uses ginger juice (as I personally find the ginger shreds too spicy for my mild taste buds), but it is recommended to use the grated ginger flesh if you’re in confinement. Load on the ginger and black or white pepper! Other variations of this include adding chicken or pork, garlic and some neutral, diced veggies like choy sum.
Dish Name: Ginger and Egg Fried Rice (for Chinese Confinement)
Traditional Chinese Name: 雞蛋姜炒飯 (jī dàn jiāng chǎo fàn)
Ginger and Egg Fried Rice (for Chinese Confinement)
Recipe Type: Main
Cuisine: Chinese
Author: LadyTong
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
1 tsp cooking oil
1 bowl of rice (leftover rice best for fried rice)
25g of [url href=”http://www.thechinesesouplady.com/ginger-fresh/”]fresh ginger[/url], grated (produced 1 tablespoon of ginger juice)
1 sprig of [url href=”http://www.thechinesesouplady.com/green-onions/”]fresh green onions[/url], diced
1 egg
black or white pepper to taste
salt to taste
Instructions
In a frying pan on medium heat, add oil and start frying the rice (re-heating it for 2 minutes)
Add in fresh ginger juice or grated ginger
Add in fresh green onions
Fry together for 2 minutes
In the middle of the pan, open a hole and crack the egg directly into it, stirring and mixing the egg until relatively cooked
Stir it altogether and add pepper and salt to taste
Serve and enjoy!
Notes
[b]Any benefits?[/b][br][br]This recipe contains all the greats needed to get you through confinement (Sesame oil, ginger, black or white pepper ).[br]Ginger is excellent for warming the body and expelling wind (both important things to achieve during Chinese confinement).[br]It is a nutritious and delicious course.[br]This recipe is super easy to make. I would recommend making a bowl / jar of pre-grated ginger so you can whip this up in less than 10 minutes.[br][br][b]Any precautions?[/b][br][br]This is a heaty dish and not recommended for people who can’t too heaty foods or are currently overheated.
3.2.2298
Fresh grated ginger, green onions and an egg – easy!
A dark green, leafy vegetable that is used in all cuisines around the world
Spinach can be eaten cooked or raw
There are variants of the spinach which are available in the wet mart or your local supermarket, but in general they have large leaves and a shorter, stumpier stem (all parts are edible)
In Chinese cuisine, spinach is more commonly cooked as a vegetable dish versus a soup dish, but on occasions you will find spinach used in stews
Spinach does leave a grainier taste in your mouth (both in dishes and soups)
How do I prepare it?
Rinse well in cool water removing all debris
To keep the spinach fresh and crisp, store in the fridge after rinsing (prior to use)
Where can I buy this?
Most supermarkets will carry this
What is the cost?
In Hong Kong, 1 catty costs around $15 HKD
The cost will vary depending on whether it’s organic, the make of spinach and how in season they are in general at the time of purchase
Any benefits?
Spinach is extremely high in nutritional value and is rich in iron, Calcium C and antioxidants (great for fighting free radicals who increase signs of aging)
This vegetable is also an excellent source of fibre
Spinach improves blood glucose levels, lowers the risk of cancer, lowers blood pressure, and improving bone health
Any precautions?
Spinach is known to increase gout, so caution should be taken with those who have gout
This is a variation on a restaurant-styled spinach soup I had at a Chinese restaurant. In their version, the spinach was less dense and more coarse and it was called a “gung” in Cantonese – meaning a thick stew type of soup. I wanted something lighter, healthier for the kids and lighter on the corn starch, so kind of made this up. It turned out to be delicious and the water chestnuts added a refreshing and crunchy texture that I loved! For the vegetarian version, use vegetable broth instead.
Soup Name: Spinach and Water Chestnuts in Chicken Broth
Traditional Chinese Name: 菠菜馬蹄雞湯 (bō cài tāng mǎ tí jī tāng)
Spinach and Water Chestnuts in Chicken Broth
Recipe Type: Chinese Soup
Cuisine: Chinese Soup
Author: LadyTong
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
3 cloves of fresh garlic, finely diced
1/2 fresh white [url href=”http://www.thechinesesouplady.com/onions-fresh/”]onion[/url], finely chopped
6 bunches of [url href=”http://www.thechinesesouplady.com/spinach/”]fresh spinach[/url], chopped
In your soup pot, add a teaspoon of cooking oil and fry garlic and onions until the onions are caramelized
Throw in the chopped spinach and cook for another 5 minutes while continuously stirring
Add in chicken broth and water
Boil on medium for another 10 minutes (or until boiling)
Remove from heat and using a hand blender, blend the soup until it runs smooth
In a pot of hot water, boil the peeled water chestnuts for 5 minutes
When ready, remove and finely chop the water chesnuts
Sprinkle the water chestnuts on top of the soup and serve!
Notes
[b]Any Benefits[/b][br]This soup is extremely high in iron, calcium and antioxidants (that help kill free radicals and slow down the sign of aging).[br]It’s suitable for the whole family.[br]It’s an easy and quick soup that you can whip up in less than half an hour.[br][br][b]Any Precautions[/b][br]Be sure to thoroughly wash the Spinach.[br]Not recommended for those with gout to take in large portions as Spinach contributes to gout.
3.2.2298
Cooked garlic, onions and spinach in preparation for blending
Another simple soup with a few ingredients you can pick up at your local grocery or wet mart. The winter melon is usually more readily available during the warmer months in HK, but beef and fish balls are in season all the time (yah, in the frozen section of your friendly supermarket). Use the simplest balls, that being beef and fish balls without any surprises on the inside (Taiwanese styled fish balls usually have exploding surprises, so avoid these). The flavors of the balls (mainly salt and whatever other marinades they use) will seep out and make your soup tasty, so don’t add salt unless you’ve tried it first. You can make this soup in about thirty minutes by simply throwing all the ingredients together. In this case, I separated the peel from the flesh so that the melon could soften quicker. In “old fire” wintermelon soups, I will keep the peel attached – but this is really up to personal preference.
Soup Name: Winter Melon and Beef and Fish Balls Soup
Traditional Chinese Name: 冬瓜湯 (dōng guā tāng)
Winter Melon and Beef and Fish Balls Soup
Recipe Type: Soup
Cuisine: Chinese Soup
Author: LadyTong
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
1 large slice of [url href=”http://www.thechinesesouplady.com/winter-melon/”]winter melon[/url], sliced with skin off (but the peel is also boiled as part of the soup)
10 precooked beef balls
10 precooked fish balls
2 L of water
Instructions
Start boiling your soup water
Wash the winter melon skin and then peel the skin off the winter melon and cube the remaining winter melon flesh
Rinse the beef and fish balls in warm water
When the water boils, throw all the ingredients together
Boil on high for 30 minutes
Serve and enjoy!
Notes
[b]Any benefits?[/b][br][br]Excellent soup for children, especially during the heaty months[br]Winter melons are known to remove heatiness and helps detoxify the body[br]It is ideal in removing phelgm from the lungs[br]It is also particularly effective in regulating blood sugar levels[br][br][b]Any precautions?[/b][br][br]Like most melons, they will sour the soup the longer you keep it, so try to consume all of it in one day[br]Since it is a cooling food, it should be carefully consumed if pregnant (less than 3 months into term) or menstruating (can cause contractions)
Soup Name: Beetroot Vegetables with Pork Ribs Soup
Traditional Chinese Name: 紅菜頭集菜湯 (hóng cài tóu jí cài tāng)
Introduction:
It’s Chinese New Year’s and what better time to make a blood red soup than this special holiday? The red beet is as red as a vegetable as you can get and mixed with other hearty vegetables, makes for a meal in itself! Use any type of pork meat and boil it for the red beets to seep out its rich, vibrant red. I forewarned the children that this would be a more “unique” soup, but after one sip, they loved it! It’s also a very neutral soup ideal for the whole family.
Amount serves: 6-8 soup bowls
What Ingredients are required?
1 pound of fresh pork ribs 2 large beetroots, cut into large cubes 2 large carrots, sliced 1 white onion, halved 1 celery stalk, sliced 2 fresh tomatoes, quartered 15 dried longans
2 L of water
How do I prepare it?
In a small pot, boil some water to blanch your pork ribs
Blanch the ribs in boiling water for about 5 minutes, drain and set aside (some people rinse the pork ribs with warm water to rinse away the brown foam that usually surfaces when blanching pork)
In your soup pot, start boiling the water
Prepare all your vegetables
When the water boils, add all the vegetables and the blanched pork and longans together
Boil on high for 30 minutes and reduce to a medium simmer for another 1.5 hours (or use a thermal pot)
Serve and enjoy!
Any benefits?
Excellent source of Vitamin C and antioxidants
Eats like a meal with plenty of vegetables (and great source of fiber)
Excellent in supporting blood supplement and helps lower blood pressure (because the beetroot contains nitrates which help open the blood vessels and helps with circulation)
Any precautions?
Consumption of beetroot may turn your urine or stool slightly reddish, there is nothing to fear in this as it is harmless. Just let it pass through your system.
The colour of the beetroot will stain your hands, so either wear gloves or use some lemon juice to help remove
