Confinement Food - Varity Nutrition Soup for Wk#1, 月子餐 - 第一周-各类补汤

Forgive me for the inconsistency of my photo quality recently. The time is approaching - it is just around the corner - trying to post as many things as I can. But it doesn't work so well for a clumsy pregnant woman.

After getting advices from elderly women and reading some articles about confinement food, I have come up with a few choices of nutritional soup for my first week's confinement. It is not recommended to consume meals cooked with alcohol (even wine) and sesame oil in the first week post-partum because it will lead to unfavorably high vaginal blood discharge (恶露). The meals for the first week should be balanced, neutral and nourishing.

Here I came up with 3 types of nutritional soup first. I will update more whenever I have chance. It has been really exhausting recently, so I am trying to catch some rest. I would appreciate if some of you could share some tips with me about your confinement experience too.

大肚婆临盆在即, 动作迟钝, 没花什么心思拍照片了, 有拍到交货就好了啦! 照片品质不好, 请大家多多体谅哦...又要采购, 又要试煮, 又要记录食谱, 又要更新网志, 又要在生产之前赶工作进度....累啊!!!

今天先来几道温和的补汤, 还有一些要等以后有机会再整理了...目前争取时间休息最重要.

听 了一些过来人的意见和参考了许多医疗书籍, 结合了老人家的传统和医学上的资料, 我整理了几道产后第一周所要喝的补汤. 根据书上说的, 产后第一周的重点在於排除恶露, 除了服用生化汤, 饮食方面以均衡清单为主, 由于酒精会使血管广张促进血液循环, 而使出血更多, 所以饮食不加酒禁麻油为宜, 中药补汤也需要等到第二或第三周开始. 老人家说的, 第一周要"温补". 以下几款补汤其实也适合在平时褒来補一補, 做法简单, 是属于比较温和的補汤, 不会燥热. 还有其它补汤等我有机会在UPDATE吧, 大肚婆超忙的!!!

月子餐尽量少盐, 要不然水肿消不掉哦! 自己也是在学习, 也恳请有坐月经验的读者们多多留言分享, 感激不尽哦!!!


Soup # 1. - Mushroom & black fungus chicken soup - 香菇木耳鸡汤

1. 1/2 free range chicken chunks (approx. 600g), 半只土鸡(切大块) - pre-washed with boiled water, 川烫备用
2. 4~5 pre-soaked mushrooms - cut to chunks
3. 1" of fresh ginger chunk (can use bigger chunk if you like it)
4. 4~5 pre-soaked black fungus
5. 1 fresh oyster mushroom (sliced) - optional, can omit if it is not available.
6. Some wolfberries
7. 1000~1200ml water.
8. Salt to taste

Steps :

1. Boil the water, add in chicken and mushroom.
2. Bring boil again, simmer over low heat for approx. 40~60 minutes.
3. Add in black fungus, oyster mushroom slices, wolfberries.
4. Bring to boil again, simmer another 20 minutes.
5. Remove from heat, season with salt.


Soup# 2 : Black Bean Pork Rib Soup (黑豆排骨汤)

1. 400g Pork ribs (can substitute with pork knuckles chunks), pre-washed with boiled water, 川烫备用.
2. 2/3~1 cup black beans (wash and sauteed over medium heat (without oil/grease) until the bean's skin begin to crack), remove from heat and set aside.
3. 1" ginger chunk
4. 1200 ml water.
5. Salt to taste.



Steps :
1. Boil the water, add in ingredients # 1~3.
2. Bring to boil again, simmer over low heat for 80~90 minutes.
3. Salt to taste.


Soup# 3 : Chicken in Brown Sweet Rice Soup - 糯糙米汤炖土鸡
(recipe from Sister Lisa)

1. 1 cup (use rice cup) of brown sweet rice
2. 1400~1500 ml water.
3. 1/2 free range chicken chunks (approx. 600g) (1/2 只土鸡块), 川烫备用.
4. 6~8 Black dates/red dates 黑枣/红枣 (optional)
5. Salt to taste (can be omitted)

Steps :
1. Cook the sweet rice until it is the consistency of congee.
2. Separate the rice from the liquid. (I keep some rice)
3. Add in chicken chunks and dates
4. Bring to boil, simmer over low heat for 45~60 minutes.

Luo Han Guo & Winter Melon Tea (罗汉果冬瓜茶)

HOT!!! HOT!!! HOT!!!!!45C !!!

Tom was working outdoor to fix the house during the weekend. Even though he drank a lot of water, I still worry about the heat. I made this tea to prevent him from getting heatstroke. I believe Luo Han Guo beverage is not strange to any Malaysian. You can easily get it from any coffee shop, food court or road side stall.

Luo Han Guo (Siraitia grosvenorii) is commonly used for medicinal purposes and as a sweetener. It is normally available in dried form. It's nature is cool and not toxic. The fruit can act as a remedy for heat stroke, wet the lungs, remove phlegm, stop cough and aid defecation. - source from wikipedia.

It is actually very cheap if you make this heat relief beverage by yourself.

Recipe and steps :

1. 1 Luo Han Guo (place in a cheese cloth, tie up, and crushed)
2. 500g winter melon, cut thin to 2" length strips
3. 1500ML water
4. 1tbsp brown sugar
5. 20g~25g rock sugar (can skip or add as desired because Luo Han Guo itself is sweet)
6. 20g dried longan (can skip it or try not to use much as it will bring up " internal heat" of your body)


Steps :
1. Boil the water, add in Luo Han Guo (wrapped in cheese cloth) and winter melon.
2. Bring to boil again then simmer over low heat for 20~30 minutes.
3. Scoop out the winter melon strip to a bowl with a small strainer, immediately add in brown sugar over winter melon, lightly stir to well absorb, let it marinate and set aside.
4. Add in dried longan, and cook for another 10~15minutes.
5. Add in rock sugar, stir until it is melted.
6. Switch off the heat.
7. Scoop a spoonful winter melon in your glass and pour the tea. Can be served warm or cold (fridge it when it is cooled).

Take care and stay cool my friends!!

Pak Cheng Soup - 八珍养颜汤, 八珍面线

My friend in China is bugging me to post this recipe for her in Mandarin, as she doesn't speak English. I was thinking to take this as an excuse to skip my English lesson for one post. :-p. I thought that it might be easier for me to post this recipe in Mandarin too because it is related to Chinese medication. Anyway, I will still post bilingually.

I was suffering from the pain of PMS(Premenstrual syndrome) long time ago, my mom kept nagging me about consuming this traditional Chinese herbal medicine soup. It is to ease my pain and help to improve my blood circulation. The "Pak Cheng" prescription contains ligusticum wallici, Angelica Sinensis, Paeonia Lactielora, Glutinosa, Coponosis Tangshen....etc. You may cook this with some pork ribs or chicken. Or, you may substitute the meat with eggs too.

I bought few packs of "Yew Chian Haw" brand Pak Cheng soup ingredients from Penang. When I can't finish the whole pot of soup, I will do some creative cooking by adding the wheat flour vermicelli (mee sua), mushroom and vegetable in the soup, it becomes another yummy and healthy meal.

对许多女性来说, 经痛是个挥之不去的恶梦. 以前的我是其中之一. 比较普遍的解决方法就是吃止痛药, 可是我总是担心会有副作用.

终 于, 在妈妈一再唠叨下, 好几年前开始, 每次月事一完, 我就会自己炖一锅的八珍汤来调养身体, 这配方不但可以改善经痛的问题(当然啦, 生冷食物尽量避免), 而且对血液循环也有帮助, 让我们脸上气色比较红润. 我都是买现成包好的配方 (成份有川弓, 当归, 熟地, 防党参, 大枣等等), 特别喜欢"游建好"这品牌, 就算不加骨头,不加肉,汤喝起来也很甘醇, 不会苦. 在马来西亚的超级市场都可以买到.




我每次煮一锅, 都要分好几次才能喝完. 所以就动脑筋想到不如加点面线, 香菇, 蔬菜, 搞搞新花样, 效果还不错哦, 喜欢吃素的人可以试试看. 如果想吃荤的, 就加点排骨或鸡肉.



我个人觉得不加肉类真的蛮好喝的, 甘醇而不腻. 我都加鸡蛋 (妈妈说可以补充钙质哦) 想滋补又怕肥的朋友,不妨试试看吧.

材料:

1. 一包(120gm) "游建好" 八珍养颜汤配方
2. 2~3 个鸡蛋 (如想吃荤就以排骨或鸡肉代替)
3. 枸杞 - 随意(我自己另外加的)
4. 1000ml 水 (包装上是2000ml), 我比较喜欢浓一点的味道, 可依个人口味调整, 如果是要加面线的汤就要浓一点.

如果想加面线,另外准备以下材料:
1. 面线
2. 香菇 (先泡软)
3. 枸杞 - 少许
4. 当季蔬菜
5. 香菜(芫荽) 或芹菜少许
6. 麻油或蒜油少许
7. 绍兴酒-随意(不喜欢可以不加)
8. 盐少许


步骤 :
1. 把水烧开, 加入配方和鸡蛋, 中小火炖15分钟.
2. 把鸡蛋捞起来, 拨掉壳, 再加入汤里, 再炖多45分钟就可息火.
3. 如果只想喝汤, 不加盐也可以.


4. 如想加面线的话中途可以把一半的材料分到另外一个锅, 再加香菇和 枸杞一起煮.
5. 面线和蔬菜再另外烧水煮熟.
6. 汤煮好以后加点盐调味即可.
7. 把汤淋在面线, 撒点香菜, 滴几滴麻油或蒜油, 和绍兴酒, 又是一道美味可口的药膳面食啦!!!

Ingredients :

1. 1 pack (120gm) "Yew Chian Haw" Pak Cheng
2. 2~3 eggs (may use some pork ribs or chicken)
3. Wolfberry (lycium chinense) - optional
4. 1000ml water (instruction - 2000ml, I like stronger taste, so, you may adjust the volume to personal preference)

For adding noodle :

1. Noodle
2. Mushroom (pre-soaked)
3. Some wolfberries
4. Some vegetable
5. Some cilantro or chinese celery
6. some sesame oil or garlic oil
7. Salt to taste
8. Shao Xing wine (optional)

Steps :

1. Boil the water, add in "Yew Chian Haw" Pak Cheng ingredients and eggs.
2. Return to boil, simmer over low medium heat for 15 minutes.
3. Remove the eggs from the soup and peel the shell, then return to the soup.
4. Continue to simmer for 45 minutes.
5. Serve warm. Season with some salt if desire.

To add wheat flour vermicelli (mee sua)

1. Split the soup to 2 pots.
2. Add in mushroom and wolfberry.
3. At the meantime, cook the mee sua and vegetable in a separate pot.
4. Season the soup with some salt.
5. When serve, top few drops of sesame oil or garlic to taste.
5. Garnish with cilantro or Chinese celery



"游建好" 八珍养颜汤. 之前从PENANG带过来的, 最后一包咯....., 要空运过来咯....