Medicinal cuisine is one of the most common methods in health preservation. By combining medicinal herbs with ingredients to create delicious dishes, one can enjoy tasty meals while also achieving therapeutic and health-preserving effects to some extent, with minimal side effects. This makes it widely popular. Depending on the specific recipe combinations, medicinal cuisine offers various health benefits. The following recipes are easy to prepare in daily life and yield good results. Interested friends are encouraged to give them a try.
1. Stir-Fried Leeks with Walnut Kernels
Ingredients: Leeks, walnut kernels.
Method:Wash and trim the Chinese chives into small sections. Blanch walnut kernels in boiling water to remove skins. Heat oil in a wok, add walnuts, and stir-fry until golden brown. Remove and drain. Add chives to the wok and stir-fry. Season to taste. Pour in boiling water and cook chives until 80% done. Add the stir-fried walnuts and continue cooking until fully cooked.
Benefits: Nourishes the kidneys and strengthens the brain.
2. Astragalus Eel Soup
Ingredients: Astragalus root, eel, red dates, scallions, ginger, garlic, and seasonings.
Method: Clean and cut eel into pieces. Wash red dates and astragalus. Prepare minced garlic and shredded ginger. Heat oil in a pot, stir-fry eel and ginger until half-cooked. Add astragalus and red dates, pour in water to cover, bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for one hour. Season to taste before serving.
Benefits: Calms the mind and nourishes blood.
3. Black Fungus and Red Date Soup
Ingredients: Black fungus, red dates, rock sugar.
Method: Soak red dates for two hours, then remove pits. Soak black fungus until softened and rinse. Place both ingredients in a pot with water and rock sugar. Steam in a steamer basket for one hour before serving.
Benefits: Nourishes blood and replenishes deficiency.
4. Gastrodia and Pork Brain Soup
Ingredients: Gastrodia, pork brain.
Method: Soak gastrodia until softened. Clean pork brain. Place both in a pot with water and double-boil for one hour. Season with salt before serving.
Benefits: Nourishes the brain and dispels wind.
5. Ginger-Brown Sugar-Perilla Leaf Drink
Ingredients: Ginger, brown sugar, perilla leaves.
Method: Slice ginger thinly. Place perilla leaves and brown sugar in a cup. Pour boiling water over mixture, cover, and steep for about ten minutes before drinking.
Benefits: Warms meridians and dispels cold.
6. Goji Leaf Porridge
Ingredients: Japonica rice, goji leaves.
Method: Wash and chop goji leaves. Place with rice in a pot, add water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until rice blooms. Add seasoning, stir well, cover, and let sit for about five minutes before serving.
Benefits: Clears heat and nourishes deficiency.
7. Loach and Tofu Stew
Ingredients: Loach, tofu.
Method: Clean loach thoroughly. Dice tofu. Prepare scallions, ginger, garlic, chicken broth, pepper powder, and bean paste.Heat oil in a pot, sauté minced garlic until fragrant. Add tofu cubes and stir-fry for two minutes before removing. Add chicken broth to the pot, along with scallions, ginger, and loaches. Season with salt. Simmer with tofu for 40 minutes, then add pepper powder for flavor. Stir in bean paste just before serving.
8. Schisandra Berry and Goji Berry Drink
Ingredients: Schisandra berries, goji berries, white sugar.
Method: Rinse schisandra berries and place in a muslin bag. Coarsely chop goji berries and add to pot with the bag. Cover with water, bring to a simmer over low heat. Strain out solids after cooking. Mix the liquid with sugar and drink.
Benefits: Promotes fluid production and quenches thirst.
The above eight medicinal recipes each offer distinct benefits. Many common ingredients in our daily diet can also serve as medicinal herbs. Regular consumption of these foods supports health maintenance and body care. When selecting ingredients, choose selectively based on your individual needs.