Chicken Stewed with Ginseng and Red Dates

I’m totally bad in keeping up with my time right now. I’m been busy with everything these days and don’t have a chance to update my blog and me being in the kitchen to try new dishes is hard. I really miss doing what I love to do most.

So today, I’m going to share with you guys a new recipe on SOUP! It’s a Chinese soup. I grew up in a family where soup is very important and a must on every dinner. I’m so regret that I learn anything when I was younger because I thought I don’t have to cause I will always stay close with home but I’m so far away and I don’t know how to make soup. And I have to learn everything by myself. It will be lucky if I make soup once a month but things gets better now cause I’m getting better and better in making it. That is why I would love to share with you guys this recipe cause it’s one of my favorite soup and it’s good for you. You know, if you’re Chinese!

Ingredients:

1 fresh chicken or 4 chicken legs

10g (1/3oz) ginseng rootlet filaments, rinsed

5 seedless red dates (hong zao), rinsed

2 slices fresh ginger root

1 ½ litres (6 cups) water

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

  

Method:

1)   Wash and clean the chicken. If using whole chicken, keep it whole or cut into large pieces. Cut the chicken legs in half. Poach the chicken in a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds, then remove and drain. Alternatively scald the chicken with boiling water.

2)   In a large heat-proof bowl, place the chicken together with all the other ingredients except the salt. Steam in a steamer or wok over boiling water for 2 hours, constantly replenishing the water in the steamer or wok as needed. Remove from the heat, stir in the salt and serve hot.

Notes:

Instead of sliced ginseng root, which is warming and most appropriate for winter, this recipe uses the fine rootlet filaments that grow from the main roots of ginseng. These have similar tonic properties to regular ginseng, but they are slightly cooling and may therefore be used in summer cooking. In addition, this recipe used red dates, a herb which is a tonic to the spleen and stomach, thereby improving digestion and assimilation of tonic nutrients. Red dates also have a calming effect on the whole system, while at the same time increasing available energy.

Homestyle Pork Chops Recipe

I’m not a big fan of pork not because it don’t taste good but hard to cook it. I always have problem over cooking the meat and it became hard. Not sure if anyone of you having the same problem with me? But this recipe does change everything in my house. We start liking this pork recipe because it’s not hard and tasty. So easy and fast as well. When you’re busy and looking for a quick home cooking. I do recommend this one. I bet you and your family will love it as well as much as I enjoyed it.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon Paprika

½ teaspoon Thyme Leaves

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

4 bone-in pork chops (about ½ inch thick)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Method:

1)   Mix paprika, Thyme Leaves, salt and ground black pepper in small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over both sides of pork chops.

2)   Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add pork chops; cook 4 minutes per side or until desired doneness.

Make 4 servings.