Orange Apple Tea

This month, it has been really wet and cold.  Been raining practically daily.  Added a variety to the apple tea that I started to drink when I had a very bad cough after my trip.  A bug that I caught on the tour bus in Chengdu.

This Orange Apple Tea is really good.  

Learning: I did not manage to get the orange to caramelise as I was afraid that I might burn the tea.  So next round, I will turn down the heat and let it have more time to caramelise.

Overall, it is not a strong tea and good to serve as a beverage for a party as well.

Enjoy!

Barley with Lemon Drink

I have been feeling under the weather since I came home from Dao Cheng Ya ding. Perhaps I did not sleep well for the 11 days, causing my body heat to get trapped.  

Since barley is good for lowering body heat, I shall try boiling some to drink.

Adding lemon to this barley drink enhanced the flavour much more.

There are two types of barley.  One is known as China barley and the other is Holland Barley.  For this drink, you need to use Holland Barley.

Now, let's enjoy this barley with lemon drink on this hot and humid day.  This is best served with ice but since I am having a slight cough, I forgo.

What you need:

200g holland barley

2 litres water

4 pandan leaves

Rock sugar (adjust)

1 lemon

Method:

Rinse the barley and tie pandan leaves into knot.

Add water and bring to a boil and then lower to med heat.  Let it boil for 40 mins or until barley is soft.

Add rock sugar and stir until sugar dissolved.  Turn off the heat.

Squeeze in the lemon and served cold or warm.

Enjoy!

Green Bean Milk with sago

I actually cooked this Green Bean Milk with sago for hubby as he was still suffering from the nasty sandfly bites that just will not heal.

Green bean has anti-inflammatory properties to protect against heat stroke and high body temperatures.  It is a good source of folate and potassium which helps regulate blood pressure.  It is also a good source of protein and fiber which can help lower cholesterol too.

What you need:

200g mung bean

3-4 pandan leaves, wash and tear into strands and tie into a knot

a spring of rue

2500 ml water

160g (adjust sweetness to taste) rock sugar 

45g sago

Garnish

100ml coconut milk mix with a pinch of salt

Method:

Wash beans and remove impurities.  

Combine green beans, pandan leaves, rue, and water in the instant pot.  Set on bean mode.  Quick release and add in sugar (adjust to your liking) 

*If you want just plain soup, you can remove it and serve it with salted coconut milk.

Transfer to a pot, and add in the sago.  

Serve with salted coconut milk.

Enjoy!

五指毛桃汤 (for cough and lungs)

I developed a really bad asthmatic cough that even antibiotics can't help much.  So during a trip to visit my relatives in HK, they boiled this soup 五指毛桃汤 that is good for the lungs as well as for cough.  Using 五指毛桃 to boil soup seems a very popular choice in HK and in China. 

五指毛桃 and 牛大力 are both roots and have medical benefits to it.  I am blessed to be able to get these home-grown roots that are of the best quality.

I had consumed it for two days and it seemed to bring some relief.  Brought home another 2 portions and continued to brew this soup.  

Source

The benefit of 五指毛桃

Strengthen the spleen, eliminate dampness, promote the flow of qi, resolve phlegm, relax the tendons, and dredge meridians.

The benefit of 牛大力

Nourish deficiency and moisturize the lungs, strengthening muscles and activating collaterals. It is often used for lumbar muscle strain, rheumatoid arthritis, tuberculosis, chronic bronchitis, chronic hepatitis, spermatorrhea, leucorrhea, etc

 

Hopefully, this nasty cough will go away before my next long trip.

 

What you need:

Yield: 2 persons

45g 五指毛桃 (root of hispid fig)

67g 牛大力 (Millettia Speciosa Champ)

300g lean pork

2 pcs honey date

 

Method:

 

Blanch pork.

 

Rinse 牛大力, 五指毛桃 and dates

 

Combine all ingredients and brisk boil for ½ hour.

 

Lower to med-high heat and continue to boil for 2½ hours.

Enjoy!

Detox drink - brighten up the skin (1)

After my fall, and after I can use my hands again, I discovered 小红书 and had been browsing it.  Though my Chinese proficiency is not great anymore, even if I had to rewind and rewind to understand what they are saying, I do enjoy catching up on the knowledge.  One such topic that captured me was the detox drinks.

So here I am, with detox drinks that claim to be able to brighten up the skin and nourish the liver.  TCM believes the liver is an important organ that triggers many illnesses, thus it is important to detox and keep it in good condition.

During my "immobility" period, I was at a loss.  It was frustrating as all my limbs were affected.  Then i discover Little Red Book.  Despite my half-past-six Mandarin as they speak really fast, I slowly begin to explore that world.  So much knowledge to absorb and so enriching.

One topic that I wanted to explore was how to detox or nourish naturally.

So here we are on this Brighten up the skin (1) series.  To be honest, I did not even know what is 肝 initially.  

Learning: I start to notice those new age spots fade slightly after 3 weeks of drinking.  Am I hallucinating?  errr... will continue for another month or so or at least until it is gone completely.

What you need:

10g lily bulb 白合

10g bai fu ling 白符岭

25g red dates, seed removed 

3g dried rose

10g dried mulberry 

600ml water

Method:

Rinse lily bulb, bai fu ling, and red dates.

Add in the water and bring to a boil for 10 mins.

Rinse dried mulberry and add to the boiling water and boil for another 10 mins.

Turn off the heat and add to the dried rose.

Serve.

Drink 3 times a week.

Enjoy!

Ginger and egg tea for whooping cough

Since CNY, I have been coughing non-stop, it is those whooping and dry coughs that don't seem to go away.   I can't even remember when was the last I cough like such.  Hated those days that I was always plagued by cough, those 100 days cough is really irritating.  I tend to not sleep well nor eat well and I dare not really go out as I won't be able to have a decent conversation with friends.

Took a strong course of antibiotics but still, no improvement, and then I suddenly remember this remedy that A shared with me last time.

So quickly went to buy ginger and make a cup.

Note: My cough is dry and whooping.  The phlegm is clear and seems to be stuck in the chest.

What you need:

250ml water
3 walnut sized ginger (grate and extract juice)
rock sugar for taste
1 egg

Method

Boil water with ginger juice and rock sugar till sugar melts.

Beat egg lightly and add into the boiling water.

Stirring continuously. Wait for a few seconds for bubbles to appear on the sides of the pot.

Turn off heat and pour into a bowl.

Drink lukewarm.

Enjoy!

Mung Bean Milk(绿豆沙奶)

I wanted to incorporate Mung Bean into our diet as it is known to have many nutrients and able to aid many ailments.  For Chinese, it is also known to lower body heat.  So when I saw this Mung Bean Milk (绿豆沙奶), I decided to give it a try and see whether my kids take to it as they hated Mung Bean Soup. 

It is also perfect for such a hot day too.

Learning experience:

I used 900ml water instead as I find 600ml with my pot was too little.  Thus I omit out the hot water during mid time boiling.

50g sugar was just right for me but hubby prefers it sweeter.  I thought suddenly came and I think adding a little gula melaka syrup will heighten the taste of this milk.

This is quite similar to the Taro milk that I had done before and love it.

Thanks B for sharing this nice recipe.  We enjoyed this too.

Source

What you need:

200g mung bean, soak in water for one hour

600ml water

hot water (enough to cover the mung bean)

50g sugar (or to taste)

Cold milk

Method:

Wash and soak mung beans for one hour.

Combine mung bean and water and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer for 20 mins.

Add in hot water, enough to cover the mung bean, and continue to cook for 20 mins or until beans are soft. (I omitted adding hot water but continue to do the full 40 mins simmering).

Add in sugar (to taste) and mix until beans mixture thickens.

Remove and beans paste.

Add 1 part bean paste to 1 part milk into a blender.

Blitz till fine.

Put some bean paste into a cup and pour in the mung bean milk for texture.

Serve cold.

Enjoy! 

Black Porridge for Weak hair remedy

As we aged, our crown glory became really bad.  Especially me, to begin with, did not born with much.

So when I saw a friend's remedy to stimulate hair growth, I decided to try it because my girl is also experiencing hair loss because of her sports (need to bundle up her hair tightly during exercise).

We started this routine on 5 September and had been eating this Black porridge 3 times a week.  It is like having 芝麻糊 which happens to be my favourite dessert.  

Since I don't have the machine that my friend used, I substituted with Thermomix.  The first round, I did not grind it fine enough but gradually, I fine-tuned and now it is good to go.

Thanks, KN for sharing, the porridge turned out so delicious that I don't need coaxing for my girl to drink it.  

Source

What you need:

40g black bean
30g black sesame
30g black rice
2 pcs walnut
900ml water
40g raw sugar to taste

Method:

Rinse the black bean, black rice and walnut.

Rinse black sesame.

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until fine.

Cook for 35 mins.

Add sugar to taste and continue to cook for another 5 mins.  Give it another blitz if you want it to be finer.

Drink 2 - 3 times a week.

Enjoy! 

Chocolate Bubble Tea

Circuit Breaker Day 37

When Bubble Tea first launched in Singapore, I have a friend who franchised it and I get to taste one of their best selling which was an Almond Tea. It was good but unfortunately, that bubble burst soon after.

After a few years, a new wave of Bubble Tea hit our shore again and this time, it lasted really long but no one seems to make that Almond Tea though.

Anyway, my girl and I, love K's Chocolate Bubble Tea and I must say they served the best ones in town.

Since Bubble Tea Stalls are non-essential, I guess we shall have it served by me instead.

This is the 2nd time, we try Chocolate Bubble Tea. The first attempt, we did not quite like the pearl texture. Please see note.

What you need:

Serve 3

150ml hot water
6 tbsp Milo, heapful
1 tbsp cocoa powder, heapful (get the best, it does make a difference)

2 tbsp black pearl (each)

Method:

Combine hot water, milo powder and cocoa powder and mix until fully dissolved especially the cocoa powder.

Spoon the black pearl at the bottom of the cup and swirl around the cup for decoration purpose.

Add a good amount of ice.

Pour in the hot chocolate.

You might want to add some milk on top but we like it more chocolatey.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Black Sugar Pearl

Circuit Breaker Day 35

My girl and I enjoy our bubble tea but we don't have it often because of the calories.  So when a famous one was opening near us, we are happy but before we had a chance to visit, it was closed due to the Covid 19.

Anyway, we used to live happily without it and now we won't die without it too.  For fun sake, I embarked on this little project.

This time, I cut down the quantity to suit just the 3 of us.  Actually this amount lasted us two servings each.

Also I am happy to found a way to cut the rolling time by half.

If you are bored and have plenty of time to kill, try this!

Learning Experience: Once you cook the black pearl in the syrup, it kind of turn soft and lost its QQ texture.  We are not sure whether this needs to consumed immediately though.

Our second attempt, I actually cook the pearl first for about 10 mins.  Remove and place in ice water.

Then I prepare the syrup and let it cool before adding to the pearls.  We find that this way, the pearls still maintain its QQ texture. 

Nevertheless, the next round, we will try the first method and consumed immediately.

What you need:

Serve 6

40g Black Sugar

45g Water

25g + 50g Tapioca Flour

Syrup

50g black sugar

175g water

Method:

Dissolve black sugar with water.  Bring to a brisk boil.

Add tapioca flour into the pot and using a chopstick, stir until it has thicken.

Add in the remaining tapioca flour and stir until dough is formed.

Transfer to mat, using hand gloves, knead until smooth.  It should be able to stretch.

Roll into cylinder and cut small.

Roll the small dice into a ball.   Place into a plate with tapioca starch and swirl round to coat the ball with flour (prevent it to stick).

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add in tapioca ball.

Let it boil until the balls floats and then off heat, let it sit for 15 mins.

Transfer to a bowl of ice water. (this is to make it more chewy)

To make the syrup, combine black sugar and water and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, add in black pearl, and cook until thickens.

Enjoy!

Apple and pear drink 滋潤蘋果雪梨熱飮

Circuit breaker Day 21

By now, I believe everyone is settling into a routine and should not be feeling so frustrated and cooped up.  

The weather is getting hotter by the day and because we are staying in the house and lack the sun and fresh air.  It is good to drink something "moisturizing" to keep our lungs healthy. 

Let's try this Apple and pear drink 滋潤蘋果雪梨 which is very good for moisturizing the lungs.  

My family loves this so much that it is a standard beverage in our fridge now.

What you need:

Yield 6 cups

80g rock sugar (to taste)

2 apple, cored

2 pear, cored

800g water

Method:

Cut apples and pears into quarters.  

In a pot, combine fruits, water and rock sugar.

Bring to a boil and cook for 15 mins.

Transfer to a blender and liquefy it.  (Caution of hot water).

Serve hot or chilled

TM Method:

Add in rock sugar into TM bowl.  Turbo 2 sec.

Add in apples, pears and water.  Cook 15 mins/100°C/Sp 2

Once done, 1 min/Sp 10 to liquefy it.

Serve hot or cold.


Enjoy!

Dalgona Coffee (Mocca and original)

Time really flies.  I wasn't even aware that I had neglected this space for a year or so.  

So let's start with the most trended news besides the COVID 19.  Dalgona Coffee! 

All because of a Korean Variety show that had Jung Il-woo drinking it in Macau and he said it tasted like ppopgi (뽑기) aka Dalgona.   

I actually did a little research and realised that many countries had this confectionery too.  It is widely popular in the post-80s where baking soda is added into the melted sugar. 

Anyway, Jung Il Woo replicated it back in Korea and this took many you-tubers and people to try it too.  

I hesitated to try initially because I am afraid it is very sweet.  After checking with friends who attempted it.  I think the sweetness is manageable.  Also since the only hubby is a coffee drinker in this household.  

Anyway, I went ahead to try it for my hubby.  With modern technology, I shall not waste my time whisking it 400 times!  I seriously wonder how one can count that long without missing a beat.

Now, I wonder what the Macau owner named this drink?

Learning experience: 

Done two version for him and during sampling, we all agree that the Mocca one is much better.

As I was using strong coffee powder, hubby said it will be alright to reduce it.  

Original
What you need:

2 tsp instant coffee powder
2 tbsp castor sugar
2 tbsp hot water
Milk

Method:

Dissolved instant coffee powder and sugar with hot water and whisk with an electric whisk until it is thick and glossy.  

Add it into cold milk.

Mocca
What you need:

1 tsp instant coffee powder
2 tbsp castor sugar
1 tsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp hot water
Chocolate milk

Method:

Dissolved instant coffee powder and sugar with hot water and whisk with an electric whisk until it is thick and glossy. 

Then add in the cocoa powder and continue to whisk 

Add it into cold chocolate milk.


Enjoy!

Taro Milk 芋頭鮮奶

After seeing FT posted her attempt on Taro milk 芋頭鮮奶, I wanted to try it too because I love Taro!

Saw small taro available in the supermarket and I decided that today I shall try it.

Handling Taro must be careful with some people tends to be very sensitive to Saponins juice which is present in yam.  So if you have sensitive skin, do wear a glove when handling.  If you developed rash while handling, try to rub lemon juice or vinegar on your hands.

I normally buy Thai yam as I find the taste better and it is softer and "powdery".  It is rounder and has less "lines"  It is very suitable for making a paste or fillings.

For Malaysia Taro, it is more longish and more lines which is suitable for stew as it is harder.

When choosing yam, look for those that are hard and heavy.

To store yam, do not refrigerate, just wrap it in newspaper and place it on the floor.

Learning experience: 

Next time, to add some colours to this drink, I shall rehydrate some taro powder.

What you need:

150g fresh milk

25g castor sugar

200g cooked yam

Method:

On a non-stick shallow pan, combine milk, sugar and cooked yam.  Roughly mashed the yam with a fork.  (do not overdo so that you will still have some bits to it).

On low heat, mix and stir until it thickens and when draw a line, the yam mixture will take a few secs to come together. 

Once cooked, transfer into a bowl, cling wrap and let it cool.

In a glass, add the yam mixture, spread around the glass.

Pour in cold milk and serve.

Note: you can serve with yam boba too but since I don’t have and am too lazy to make a batch, I am doing without.


Enjoy!

Sugar free Soy milk

It has been a while I last made soy milk for my family and since I am going to the organic shop soon, I better finish up my pack of existing soybeans prior to the trip.

My hubby bought me a box of dates which I did not really like as I prefer Medjool dates.

To think of a way to finish up this box of dates quickly, I was wondering whether it will be a great idea to marry off these two.

Served it during our meal and I was surprised that my fussy son gave a thumbs up for it.  Only suggestion is that he tasted "particles" in his drink.  So next time. I will go through the muslin bag as for this serving, I actually set aside the remaining without dates.

Soy milk benefits:

protein, vitamin A, vitamin B-12, potassium, and isoflavones.

Dates benefits:

antioxidant, low glycemic, brain booster and yet maintain bone mass

So happy to be able to give a glass Sugar-free soy milk to the family, seeing them happily drinking without a fuss. 

Soy milk recipe can be found here.

I added 25 dates (without pits) 

Enjoy!

Breakfast smoothie (menopause #1)

I am documenting a series of recipes that is good for menopause (更年期).  To counter the imbalance of our hormone, one of the component that we need in our system is soybean isoflavones.

You might be aware that most soybean is related to GMO, I would highly suggest you use organic soybean going forward.  In fact, I have reduced about 90% of soy milk intake from outside source as I am concern about their origin.

So let me share with you this breakfast smoothie that is so ideal to start the day.

Findings: Initially, I thought this might be hard to drink or even slimy but it turned out pleasantly tasty.  It has a hint of soy bean fragrance and it is thick due to the huai shan.  I am sure my hub will prefers it sweeter but I am fine with it.

Overall, a good substitute for breakfast or even lunch beverage for me.

What you need:

150g soy bean, cooked

150g Huai Shan (淮山), steamed and skin removed

1 tbsp raw sugar

550 boiling water 

Method:

Combine soy bean, huai shan and rock sugar and hot water.

Blitz until smooth.



Enjoy!

Ginger Lemon Tea

Some time back, while out with my long time friend, I had this really nice Ginger Lemon Tea in a food court

Then recently, a friend who recently visited a TCM, shared that it is good to drink ginger tea on a regular basis.  Apparently, you don't need to get sick to consume ginger.

His advice was to buy those from either Indonesia or Thailand.  Refrain from buying from china.

That is hard as I usually buy mine from the supermarket.  Upon screening, I realized that all are from China!

I don't know where I can find ginger that is from Indonesia in my area.  I guess I will have to make an effort to hunt it down.

A friend also told me that you can only drink ginger in the day and not in the night.  I have yet to find out why.  Do you know why?

After soaking in spring temperature for more than a week, I feel irritated in this "summer" heat.  Though doctor said I cannot drink cold beverage, I guess if I let it "sit out" for 5 mins is fine.

What you need:

100g old ginger, skinned and cut into chunks
1 litre of water
1 lemon, juice
Honey to taste

Method:

Toast the ginger lightly to release the flavour.

Pulse the ginger into pulp and add water.

Bring to boil and lower to simmer for 15 mins.

Add honey to taste.

Serve chilled.

Roselle Plum Tea 乌梅洛神花茶 (2)

My son used to love drinking Roselle Tea.  I like making it for him as it can protects his liver but recently after I bought a big packet of the dried roselle, he seems to lost interest in it.  

I have brewed Roselle Plum Tea 乌梅洛神花茶 before but recently I discovered a way to make it taste even better.

Besides all its vitamins and minerals properties, apparently, roselle not only aid you to sleep better, it also has a slimming properties.  Since I wasn't able to sleep well lately, I brew a pot of this tea to help with my insomnia. It also can lower blood pressure too.

Now I can kill many birds with one stone! 😀

Having mentioned its benefit, if you are pregnant, please do not drink this tea.  Or if you have intestinal issues, also do not drink this.  This is also not suitable for the sick.  This is also not suitable if you are having cough.

There are two schools of thoughts, one being it is okay to drink 200ml daily as it claimed that studies had shown that it can lower blood pressure after a few weeks.  The other being that Roselle has cooling properties, it can be bad for those who has unbalance yin and yang.

Then again, excessive has never been good for the body even if it is a good source.  Right?  So drink randomly will be the safest, at least that is how I view it.

Here is a list of benefits that you can listen to.

Seems like this will be a perfect time to drink this after loading so much CNY goodies which is known to be heaty.

What you need:

50g dried roselle

1.5 litre of water

5 - 6 pcs dried plum 乌梅
5 -6 pcs licorice roots (optional)
5 - 6 pcs dried hawthorn (optional)
Rock sugar to taste

Pinch of salt

Method:

Bring to boil the water and add in dried plum.  Continue to bring to a boil for 5 mins.

Add in dried roselle, cover.  Turn off heat and let it sit for 3 mins.

Turn on heat again and remove the dried roselle.

Add in rock sugar and salt.

Serve hot or cold.


Enjoy!

Lotus Root Sweet Soup 莲藕羹

This post marked the 700 recipes that I have tried and tested since 2013.   I actually felt good that I am able to persevere during these 4 years going 5.  Unlike my old blog which documents my parenthood and kitchen experience, this blog focuses really on my kitchen experience and happy things.

Currently, I am experiencing some issues with me not being able to link all these recipes onto my FB page as well as on Instagram I have sought google to look into it and I do hope that I will not have to shut down this blog.

I am also finding time to repost those photos that I have lost due to Photobucket in my old blog.  It is really a lot of work to be done, considering that I have blogged for 7 years over there.  If you need clarification on those, give me a buzz.

In the meantime, I shall not sweat over that.

I have not made Lotus Root Sweet Soup 莲藕羹 for many years.  Recently, I heard many are suffering from prolonged coughs.

So happy that I saw some fresh-looking lotus roots in the market and bought one home to make this.

Lotus Root is known to nourish the lungs so it will be good if you have been coughing badly.

What you need:

4 segment of lotus root.  Scrub clean and remove skin.
Rock sugar to taste
1 cup water

Method:

Cut lotus root into small chunks.

Add into a blender with one cup of water.  Blitz until very fine.

Strain through a muslin bag.

Divide into 3 bowls and steam for 30 mins.

Serve hot.



Cheers!

Butterfly Pea Tea

The weather had been really great for my Butterfly Pea (Clitoria Ternatea) plants.  It has been blooming so well that I started to collect the flowers on a daily basis.  

Like green tea, Butterfly Pea Flower tea is full of potent antioxidants, and I read that it even has the ability to help protect the skin against premature aging.   Great for my age!

You can brew a big pot and drink it throughout the day or serve it cold on a humid day.

For some "magic", you can add a few drops of lemon juice and see how it turned into purple.

What you need:

10 dried Butterfly Pea flower
1 cup boiling hot water

Method:

Rinse flower, place into a cup and pour boiling water.  

Cover and let it seep for 10 mins.

You can add honey or drink it plain like I do.


Enjoy!

Black sesame Soy Milk

Black sesame has many good benefits.  For my age this is good for burning fats as well as balance my hormone.

These days, I also presoak all my beans and just store it in the freezer.  I can easily whip out a jar whenever I wanted to have soy milk.  

So today, I shall brew a pot of Black sesame soy milk.

What you need:

200g soy bean (pre-soak overnight )
60g black sesame
1200g water
4 pandan leaves
60g raw sugar (to taste)

Method:

Rinse black sesame and using a non stick frying pan, gently toast the black sesame.  It is ready when it is slightly puffed up.  DO NOT OVER FRY as it will be bitter.  (if you cannot gaudge, add 10g of white sesame seeds to the black sesame, if it browns, it is ready).

Put soaked beans and black sesame into a blender with 600g water.  Blend until smooth.
(Put soaked soy beans and black sesame into TM bowl with 600g water and pulverize for 1min/Sp 9)

Add remaining water and blend again.
(Add remaining water, mix for 10sec/Sp 4)

Strain through a muslin bag and pour into a clean pot together with the pandan leaves.  Add sugar and bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 10 mins.  (be careful of over flow)
(Strain through a muslin bag and pour back into TM bowl and add in sugar and pandan to boil for 15mins /100°C/Sp 2, add a varoma)


Enjoy.