During the hot summer months, many seniors lose their appetite, leading to nutritional deficiencies. In fact, seniors should consume light, vegetable-based dishes in summer. So what foods are particularly suitable for seniors during this season?
1. Steamed Eggplant with Garlic Paste
Main ingredient: Tender long eggplant.
Supporting ingredients: Garlic, MSG, salt, sugar, sesame oil.
Finely mince garlic. Wash eggplant and cut into long strips. Heat oil in a wok, add minced garlic and stir-fry until fragrant. Add salt, MSG, sugar, and a small amount of water, stirring to combine.
Arrange eggplant strips on a steaming tray. Pour the garlic sauce over them, then steam for about five minutes. Remove the tray and drizzle with sesame oil before serving.
2. Stir-Fried Pumpkin Tops
Ingredients: 400g pumpkin tops, 25g chili peppers, 4 garlic cloves, 2.5g salt, 10g cornstarch slurry, a splash of water.
Soak pumpkin shoots in salt water for 15 minutes, then rinse and drain thoroughly. Heat oil in a wok, stir-fry minced garlic and chili peppers briefly. Add pumpkin shoots and stir-fry for a moment. Pour in a splash of water and salt, continue stir-frying until tender. Thicken with cornstarch slurry before serving.
3. Stir-fried Leeks with Broad Beans
Ingredients: 250g broad beans with skins (referring to beans shelled but retaining their outer seed coat), 200g leeks, 1 tablespoon oil, a pinch of salt.
Rinse the shelled broad beans. Trim the leeks, removing tough roots, soil, and yellow leaves, then wash and cut into small sections. Heat a wok over high heat, add one tablespoon of oil, and pour in the broad beans. Stir-fry continuously, seasoning with a pinch of salt.
Once evenly coated, add half a bowl of water, cover the wok, and braise the broad beans until tender. When the liquid is nearly evaporated, add the scallion segments, stir-fry briefly to combine, then remove from heat.
Heat slightly more oil than usual in a wok over high heat until 80% hot. Reduce to medium heat and add green peppers. Press the peppers against the wok bottom with the back of a spatula, drawing circles. Stir-fry, then circle again. Continue until peppers soften and develop golden-brown blistered skin. Reserve the oil in the wok and transfer peppers to a plate.
Add fermented black beans and minced garlic to the wok and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the green peppers, a small amount of water, salt, sugar, light soy sauce, vinegar, and mushroom seasoning. Stir-fry until the seasonings are evenly distributed. Be careful not to over-stir, or the peppers will become too wilted.
5. Fragrant Tofu Skin Roll
Ingredients: 140g mung bean sprouts,3 pieces thin dried tofu, 1 red bell pepper, 3 garlic cloves.
Seasonings: 1½ tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar.
Trim roots from bean sprouts, rinse, and drain thoroughly. Cut dried tofu into long strips. Remove seeds from red pepper and slice into thin strips. Peel garlic and cut into thick slices. Heat cold oil in wok. Add dried tofu and garlic slices.Sauté over low heat until the tofu releases its aroma and becomes slightly firm. Add the bean sprouts. Then add the red pepper strips, 1 1/3 tablespoons light soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Stir-fry over high heat, mixing all ingredients with chopsticks for about 1.5 minutes before serving.
Seasonings: Cooking oil, salt, pepper, mushroom seasoning.
Mash tofu with a spoon. Trim ends and seeds from chili peppers, cut into 3cm thick segments. Mix mashed tofu with minced scallions and ginger. Add cooking oil, salt, mushroom seasoning, and pepper to taste. Stir well.
Stuff the hollowed pepper sections with the tofu mixture, smoothing the surface. Coat both sides of the stuffed peppers with a thin layer of cornstarch slurry, then dredge in breadcrumbs. Heat oil in a pan, arrange the stuffed peppers inside, and fry over low heat until golden brown on both sides. Remove from heat.
7. Cumin Potatoes
Ingredients: 3 medium potatoes (about 2-3 medium-sized ones), 3g cumin seeds, 3g ground cumin, 3g black pepper powder, 3g chili powder, a pinch of salt, 5g minced ginger, cilantro to taste.
Select a few medium-sized potatoes—3 should suffice. Place washed potatoes in a small saucepan with enough water to cover them, then add 5g salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and simmer for about 20 minutes until tender. You'll also need minced ginger, ground cumin, whole cumin seeds, black pepper powder, and chili powder.
Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them and set aside to cool. Peel them after they've cooled.Cut into chunks. Heat a small amount of oil in a wok. Add the cumin seeds and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the potato chunks. Stir-fry briefly, then add the minced ginger, cumin powder, chili powder, black pepper powder, and salt. Continue stir-frying for a few minutes. Finally, sprinkle with chopped cilantro before serving.