Recipes for September ~ Month Dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. Due to her feast day on September 15, the month of September has traditionally been set aside to honor Our Lady of Sorrows. All the sorrows of Mary (the prophecy of Simeon, the three days' loss, etc.) are merged in the supreme suffering at the Passion. In the Passion, Mary suffered a martyrdom of the heart because of Our Lord's torments and the greatness of her love for Him. "She it was," says Pope Pius XII, "who immune from all sin, personal or inherited, and ever more closely united with her Son, offered Him on Golgotha to the Eternal Father together with the holocaust of her maternal rights and motherly love. As a new Eve, she made this offering for all the children of Adam contaminated through his unhappy fall. Thus she, who was the mother of our Head according to the flesh, became by a new title of sorrow and glory the spiritual mother of all His members." ~ Catholic Culture


September 3, Feast of St. Gregory the Great (New.):

• Enjoying Chant with St. Gregory the Great
• St. Gregory's Cherries (Crisp)

September 4, Feast of St. Rosalia and St. Rose of Viterbo (Trad.):
(The following posts would work nicely!)

• Rosy Treats for the Feasts of St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe
  
• Chocolate Roses for St. Thérèse
  
• Rose Cake and Punch for St. Therese

September 5, Feast of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta :

• Feast Day Plans

September 8, Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (New, Trad.):

• Blueberry Cheesecake for Our Lady
• A Birthday Cake for Our Lady! (Lemon Blueberry Cake)
• A Blueberry "Waffle Cake" for Mary's Birthday!

September 12, Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary (New, Trad.):

• Holy Name of Mary Cookies
  
• Holy Name of Mary, "Ave Maria"
  
• Mary Blue Jell-O Cake
• Feast of the Holy Name of Mary (Jello Jigglers)

September 13, Feast of St. John Chrysostom (New):

• The Golden-mouthed Saint
  

September 14, Feast of the Triumph of the Cross (New, Trad.):

• Looking for ideas for the Triumph of the Cross?
  
• From Thy Bounty Fair - Feast of the Triumph of the Cross
• Monkey Bread Cross
• An Easy Pesto Recipe...
• Tomato Basil Mozzarella Salad
• Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad

Autumnal Ember Days ~ Wednesday, Friday and Saturday following the 3rd Sunday of September (after the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross) :

• Ember Days
• Ember Days and Autumnal Fasting
• Interesting Ember Day Food

September 15, Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows (New) or The 7 Sorrows of Our Lady (Trad.):

• Tears of Our Lady
  
• September Dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows

September 19, Feast of St. Januarius (Gennaro) (New, Trad.):

• San Gennaro or St. Januarius
  
• The Blood of St. Januarius

September 20, Feast of Sts. Andrew Kim Taegon, Pr., Paul Chong Hasang, Catechist & Companions (New):

• In Honor of the Korean Martyrs

September 23, Feast of St. Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio) (New):

• Cappuccino Mousse for St. Pio
  
• Feast of Padre Pio - Italian Sausage and Pasta
  
• Cappuccino Mousse Trifle
  

September 28, Feast of St. Wenceslaus (New, Trad.):

• Eagle Cake
  

September 29, Feast of Sts. Michael, Gabriel & Raphael, Archangels (New) Michaelmas Day (Trad.):

• Upcoming From Thy Bounty Fair: Angels (With ideas and suggestions!)
• Michaelmas Feasting from Wales
  
• Apple Chicken
  
• From Thy Bounty Fair - Feasting with the Angels!
• Instant Gnocchi for Michaelmas
• St. Michael's Waffles

September 30, Feast of St. Jerome (New, Trad.):

• Memorial of St. Jerome, September 30
  

O most holy Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ: by the overwhelming grief you experienced when you witnessed the martyrdom, the crucifixion, and the death of your divine Son, look upon me with eyes of compassion, and awaken in my heart a tender commiseration for those sufferings, as well as a sincere detestation of my sins, in order that, being disengaged from all undue affection for the passing joys of this earth, I may sigh after the eternal Jerusalem, and that henceforward all my thoughts and all my actions may be directed towards this one most desirable object. Honor, glory, and love to our divine Lord Jesus, and to the holy and immaculate Mother of God. Amen.

~ Saint Bonaventure

Honey Granola for St. John the Baptist

Today we celebrate the Martyrdom of John the Baptist . The saint who was blessed to not only be related to our Lord Jesus but to be able to baptize Him as well! One of the things St. John the Baptist was famous for was his diet. While I do not recommend a diet of locusts and honey, I will offer you this family friendly breakfast you can have in his honor!

It is very simple to make and yummy! If you do not have agave nectar you can substitute 1/3 cup of brown sugar. Also, if you can, get really good honey. Blackberry honey is quite divine!

Amy Caroline’s Honey Granola

· 4 cups oatmeal (quick is usually best, but since I rarely buy that stuff you can use the other kind)

· 1 cup to 1 ½ cups chopped nuts (any you love – I use a mixture of walnuts, pecans, almonds and sunflower seeds)

· ¼ cup vegetable oil

· ¼ cup agave nectar

· approximately ¼ cup good honey

· 1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix oats and chopped nuts in bowl. Pour oil over it and toss. Then add agave and mix. Then honey. I am not sure on this measurement. I usually just drizzle it all over until I think, “Oh yummy!” Mix in the honey. The honey will make clusters, which is very yummy, but you may wan to break them up a little with your hands. Smooth this out on a LARGE foil covered baking pan. This makes a lot of granola, so if you don’t have a big pan you can make two batches. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until it start to turn golden brown, especially along the edges.

While this is baking pour raisins (you can definitely do more than 1 cup and you can add other dry fruit too) into the bottom of a LARGE bowl. When the oats are done pour them on top of the raisins. Mix nicely and let sit for just a few minutes. This will soften the raisins and make them oh so nice.

You can serve this warm or put in a big ol’ storage bag and serve the next day. Not sure how long it will last in storage. It has never lasted more than a day around here… if even a meal!

Hope you all like it!

St Rose of Lima Cookies

I had left over cookie dough from our cooking for St Augustine and St Monica's double feast, so I wondered what I could create with such a small amount for St Rose's feast tomorrow. I naturally was thinking about St Rose's symbols of a crown of thorns and roses...

Here is a lovely image of St Rose wearing a crown of thorns, which was part of her penitent life...

Which were really mystical roses in the eyes of her Heavenly Bridegroom...

I knew that I had a cookie cross cutout to use, so I decided on cross cookies with a wreath of thorns and roses encircled within.

The cookie recipe I used was this one:

Heat the oven to 315F (160C)
Beat together 4 oz (125g) cubed butter and 1/2 cup (125g/4oz) caster sugar until creamy.
Add 1 egg and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence and beat well.
Sift 1 cup (125g/4oz) plain flour & 1 cup (125g/4oz) self-raising flour & fold to form a soft dough.
Roll out dough and cut out cookie.
Bake for 10/15mins until lightly golden. Cool on wire rake until firm.

I saved a bit of dough for each cross cookie and rolled out a very thin strip to use for making the crown of thorns, I wanted them to have a lovely three dimentional look.

Here is my cooked cookie, the crown of thorns turned out well.

Here is a close up above and below is the little iced roses I made with a small icing tube of red icing, any floral color would do.

All dished up on favourite my 'Peirre de Ronsard Roses' serving plate!

"Catholic Cuisine" Apron Giveaway

I am so excited to be hosting our very first giveaway, sponsored by Catholic Embroidery, for a lovely "Catholic Cuisine" apron!

CatholicEmbroidery.com, a special branch of Precision Embroidery LLC, was founded in 2007 as a family-owned and operated business in order to provide customers with high quality embroidery and monogramming. What started as a sewing hobby for the oldest daughters in our family has turned into an enterprise that, we hope, will continue to help provide for them as they work in a positive, Christ-centered fashion with a passion! Thank you for sharing in their endeavor.

One lucky visitor will win this beautiful Apron:

This navy blue apron is made of 100% cotton twill and features the Marian symbol of Our Lady topped with a cross. Durability is guaranteed and its heavy-duty construction with adjustable strap make it adaptable to any body type. Measures 26" by 26".

To enter this give-away:  Please leave a comment on this post before Midnight (PST) on Monday, September 7, 2009.   I will randomly draw a name and announce the winner on September 8th, the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary!


Be sure to visit Catholic Embroidery:  Mary Serafino, the founder of CatholicEmbroidery.com, in addition to sponsoring this awesome giveaway, has generously extended the following offer as well.

I would also like to offer your readers a coupon code, so everyone can walk away a "winner". If they use the coupon code: CATHOLICCUISINE I will give them FREE SHIPPING on any order. This coupon is valid until the feast of St. Michael, September 29th.

I've already placed an order for a few ribboned aprons which I am planning on giving my girls for Christmas. (As well as another one for myself!)   And they don't just carry aprons...  You can also purchase beautiful Bookmarks, Handkerchiefs, Totes, Mass bags, and so much more!

Feasts of St Augustine & St Monica

Today is the feast of St Augustine ~ a wonderful saint, who was raised from great sinner to greater saint..by the prayerful tears of a mother....St Monica.

It is a tremendous tribute to the prayers of a mother and as St Ambrose the Bishop advising St Monica said, "A son of so many tears cannot be lost"

Those prayers didn't just save the soul of her son Augustine, no, she raised up a mighty bishop and Doctor of the Church!

So our feast day cake for the family is based on this beautiful reality..a mother's tears and prayers brought forth a saint and bishop!

This sweet involves some cookie and cake making..The lovely image you see above of St Augustine is what I used as the template for cutting out a big cookie, so if you click on the image it will enlarge, save it to your computer and print up ready for cooking.

Here is the cookie already cut out, the template is next to it. Here is my very simple recipe:

Heat the oven to 315F (160C)

Beat together 4 oz (125g) cubed butter and 1/2 cup (125g/4oz) caster sugar until creamy.

Add 1 egg and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence and beat well.

Sift 1 cup (125g/4oz) plain flour & 1 cup (125g/4oz) self-raising flour & fold to form a soft dough.

Roll out dough and cut out cookie.

Don't let the dough be too thick or you will end up with a stout St Thomas Aquinas instead!

Bake for 10/15mins until lightly golden. Cool on wire rake until firm.

I also cut out a strip of cookie dough to use as a support behind the St Augustine cookie when sitting on top of the cake.

*If cooking the cakes is enough, and all you can do, just print up the image above onto cardboard instead.

I then cooked up two round, white chocolate mud cakes, I used this recipe which gives me a yummy and moist cake every time. I cut out a template in paper, a tear shape in order to cut the round cakes into individual tear drops.

You can cook one cake only and just cake it in half horizontally, the only reason I cooked two cakes was due to having guests joining us to enjoy it as well.

Each cake is iced with icing made up using icing sugar, butter and water mixed together with blue food dye added to give a pale blue.

I one of the cakes I iced in these words, "A son of so many tears cannot be lost"...I suppose you have guessed by now that these two cakes represent St Monica's prayerful tears.

Here is the finished sweet, I have iced the St Augustine cookie, giving him lovely definition. St Augustine is propped on top of the tear drop that has no writing. The second tear drop is in front with the famous, comforting words of St Ambrose.

This was a very effective symbol for the children to discuss with their friends today. Whose tears are they? Why were they shed? Who said the quote and why? Why is St Augustine standing on top of one of the tears? Why is he in his bishop's vestments?

Placing St Augustine on top of the tears tells us that he was raised to the priesthood and to sainthood through the prayerful tears of his mother.

This was hughly successful, it was a VERY yummy catechetical instruction, to say the least!

It is also a wonderful way to combine these two saints together as they should be.

Chicken Chop With Broccoli & Cheese

Take a look at this interesting dish which will capture your taste bud with 3 different combination of flavour:- (1) Lemon Scented Chicken Chop, spread with a layer of (2)Olive Flavour Broccoli paste and finally baked with a layer of (3) Cheesy Shredded Cheddar.

This is a very interesting sauce that I have ever tried using the combination of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and cooked Broccoli. Broccoli is closely resembles cauliflower, which is a different cultivate group of the same species. It is high in vitamins such as C, K, and A as well as containing multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties,

Ingredients of Broccoli Paste:
100g Broccoli Florets
20ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
10g Of Butter, soften

Method:
1. Trim and Washed the Broccoli Florets then blanch in boiling water(add pinch of salt in the water) until soften.
2. Removed, drained well and blend in the food process together with olive oil and butter until it became a smooth paste.
3. Scrap out from the blender into a bowl and set aside for later use.


This is the "Star" of the dish which is the Lemon Scented Chicken Chop. The grated Lemon rind and juice give the chicken an extra tenderness and citric fragrant. While preparing the chicken chop, you need to marinate it for at least 30 minutes or more then you can choose either to shallow pan-fry it or Grill it on a grill-pan.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
2 Pieces Chicken Maryland, without bone
1/4 Teaspoon of Crushed Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Oyster Sauce
Rind of 1 Lemon
1/2 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Plain Flour

Method:
1. Trim, wash and pat dry the chicken portions then combine all the seasoning and marinate it for at least 1 hour or so. (if you are running out of time, you can leave it to marinate for at least 20 - 30 minutes)
2. Removed the chicken from the fridge 5 minutes before cooking to bring it to around normal room temperature.
3. Preheat a pan with about 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil to shallow-fry the marinated chicken chop(skin side down first) over medium high heat until golden brown and cooked through.
Dish up and set aside.

Note:
~ Chicken Maryland simply refers to a butcher's cut comprising the thigh and leg of the chicken.

Lastly come the interesting part of the dish where you get to assemble the prepared ingredients together to present the final product.

Ingredients:
2 Pieces of Cooked Chicken Chop
Prepared Broccoli Paste
Some Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Method:
1. Place the cooked chicken chop on a baking tray wrapped with aluminium foil.
2. Spoon some broccoli paste on top of the chicken chop and spread it out evenly.
3. Sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese on top.
4. Pop into the toaster oven and baked for about 5 minutes till the cheese melt and turn golden brown.
5. Serve immediately with some lemon wedge, fries or potato gems.


From the view of the pictures, you will find that this dish is towards the "Greenish" side which my son named it as "Tortoise". He said the end-bone of the drumstick resemble the tortoise "head" while the golden brown effect cheese and greenish broccoli paste look kind of like a tortoise shell. So from his perception, in certain angle this dish resemble like a "Tortoise" to him. So after looking at the picture, what is your opinion on his allegation?

Baked Herbal Spare Ribs

Most of us would have heard or tried the Steam Herbal Chicken(药材鸡) from either local food stalls or Chinese Restaurant. The chicken is usually wrapped in foil together with some assorted Chinese herbs(eg: dang gui, wolfberries, red dates and etc.) and steam until tender for about an hour plus or so.

This round, instead of the usual Steam or Deep-fried Herbal Chicken I would like to share with you this Baked Herbal Pork Ribs which creates another new fusion of herbal taste. So if you love the taste and gravy of the usual Herbal Chicken, don't hesitate, come and join us to explore the new taste of this Baked Herbal Pork Ribs with just minimum requirement of ingredients from you kitchen pantry.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
8 Pieces of Spare Ribs(排骨)
3/4 Tablespoon Oyster Sauce
1/2 Tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
1/2 Tablespoon Grated Ginger Juice
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper

For Wrapping:
8 small slices of Dang Gui (当归)
1 Tablespoon Wolfberries (枸杞子)
1 Sprig of Coriander, leave only
8 Pieces of Aluminium Foil
8 Pieces of Baking Paper

Method:
1. Wash, trim and pad dry the spare ribs then marinate it with the above mentioned ingredients and set side in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to an hour.
2. At the meantime, cut the Aluminium Foil and Baking Paper to the size of about roughly 15 x 20cm each and set aside for later use.
3. Place a piece of the baking paper on top of the aluminium foil, place a few wolfberries, 1 leaf of the coriander, top with 1 piece of marinated spare rib, add another leaf of coriander, 1 slice of dang gui and a few more wolfberries.(refer to the above picture for more detail of the placement)
4. Fold the baking paper into a parcel shape to wrap the spare rib then double-wrapped it wth the foil layer.
5. Repeat the same procedure for the remaining spare ribs, bake the wrapped parcel in pre-heated 200 degree oven for about 20 - 25 minutes (remove a parcel from the oven, use a chopstick to pierce and test whether the meat is cooked through before removing the rest of the parcels)
6. If it is not cook through, continue to bake for another 5 - 10 minutes.

Note:
~ You can also drizzle some of the marinated sauce on top of the spare ribs before wrapping.


So as you can see, even with some simple ingredients on hand you can create some amazing and eye appealing dish for your guest. This is great to serve as finger food during gathering or party. I am sure your guests will be impressed by this colourful and aroma dish when they open up each of these individual treasure packet. And other than the spare ribs, you will also be able to taste the herbal gravy which expel from the meat during the baking processes from the high temperature.

Double-boiled Pork Essence

Most of us are more familiar with Essence of Chicken, which we get to drink a very small bowl of Essence extracted from the Double-boiled Chicken. Despite of either using the normal Kampung Chicken or the nutrition Black Chicken that is normally used in Confinement, you can also replace it with Lean Pork or Minced Beef.

But today we are going to try out Pork Fillet Essence. To make your Essence more herbal taste, you can add in a small amount of these herbs to have a light double-boiled Essence. But remember, don't add in too much because it will eventually absorb the liquid during the double-boiled process and you will end up with less essence. Previous post, we make use of American Ginseng Root to double-boiled chicken soup so this round, we shall try on the Stem itself which yield the Ginseng Slices.

Ingredients: (serve 1)
500g Pork Fillet, cut into thin slices or minced
1 - 2 Red Dates(红枣), cut into halves
1 Teaspoon Wolfberries(枸杞子)
4 Slices of American Ginseng Slices
150ml of DOM(法国廊酒), optional
4cm Wide of Dried Hui Shan(淮山), optional
1 Slice of Yu Zhu(玉竹), break into small pieces, optional

Method:
1. Wash and trim all the fat from the pork fillet, use the back of the knife to roughly pound the pork slices.
2. Rinse and drain all the herbs then place some of it in the middle of the double-boil pot. (refer to the photo below)
3. Use small saucer or rice bowl to cover the herbs.
4. Place the pounded pork slices over the top of the sauce(refer to the photo below).
5. Lastly sprinkler the reserved wolfberries and other herbs on top, covered and place it in the slow cooker.
6. Add enough boiling water to cover almost 3/4 or more of the double-boil pot then cook over low heat for approximately 2hrs then open and drizzle the DOM evenly on the meat.
7. Continue to cook for another 30minutes. Serve immediately or reserved till later consume.

Note:
~ If you are using American Ginseng Slices, you can omit the use of DOM and serve it this Essence to kid.


As this Essence is Double-Boiled with DOM(Benedictine DOM Liqueur), it might not be suitable for kids unless you omit the use of this liqueur. You can prepared this in the mid-afternoon and reheat it to consume it before bedtime.

Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad

Since today is the feast of St. Helena, I thought I would share another recipe containing basil since tradition says that sweet basil grew all over the hillside where Saint Helena discovered the Holy cross on which our Lord died.  This salad could also be served on September 14th, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

I made it a couple weeks ago for a family get together and it was SO delicious!  

Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad

adapted from Pioneer Woman

Dressing:

• 8 oz extra moist sundried tomatoes  (or 1 jar of sundried tomatoes, drained)
  
• 4 cloves garlic
  
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  
• 1 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  
• salt
  
• pepper
  

Salad:

• 2 - 16 ounces bags of pasta
  
• 1 jar Kalamata or assorted olives
  
• 1-2 pints ripe cherry tomatoes, halved  (I used 1)
  
• 15-20 basil leaves, chopped
  
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  

Prepare dressing by blending sundried tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, and vinegar until tomatoes are chopped. Blend while drizzling in olive oil; continue blending until mixed together.

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, and rinse with cold water until no longer hot. Pour  dressing over the pasta, add olives, and toss together. Add remaining ingredients, tossing together and adding more dressing until the salad is coated to your liking. Serve on a big platter with an extra sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Note:  To make a smaller salad, use just one bag of pasta and pour the extra dressing over a block of cream cheese.  Serve with crackers. 

Enjoy!!

Japanese Cotton Cheesecake

Japanese-style cheesecake relies upon the emulsification of cornstarch and eggs to make a smooth appearance. The texture is light, fragrant and not as greasy as the usual western baked cheesecake.

Although this recipe require a little bit more steps on the preparation but it is really worth the effort when you taste the end result. I really cannot re-called where I have taken this original recipe from, but after sharing it with one of my friend, she gave me another modify version of hers which use exactly 205g cream cheese. So upon seeing what her wonderful cheesecake, it makes me even wants to give this recipe a try.

The process of making these Japanese Cotton Cheesecake is not really that difficult. All you need to do is to follow the steps closely and you will sure to get the right texture and colour. (click on the picture for larger view)

Ingredients: (8" Round tin)
250g Philadelphia Cream Cheese
140ml Fresh Milk
55g Unsalted Butter
30g Cake Flour
20g Cornflour
4 Egg Whites
4 Egg Yolks
1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
Grated Rinds of 1 Lemon
95g Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar

Method:
1. Dice cream cheese into cubes and soak with milk (place mixture in a glass mixing bowl or double boiler) for about 30 minutes.
2. While waiting, melt the butter and set aside.
3. Put the cream cheese mixture in a double boiler(refer to the picture above), stir until smooth and creamy then stir in the melted butter and set aside to cool.
4. After the mixture cools down, stir in the flour mixture(sieved the cornflour and cake flour together) then follow by one egg yolk at a time, whisk the mixture till well combined.
5. Next stir in the lemon juice and rind and whisk the mixture till smooth then set aside.
6. In another clean bowl, add cream of tartar into egg white and whisk until foamy.
7. Divide the sugar into 3 portion and whisk into the egg white mixture until it becomes stiff peak form.(refer to the picture above for the egg white texture, this takes about less then 5 minutes or so)
8. Slowly blend the egg whites into the cream cheese batter and mix well until colour combines.
9. Place the mixture in a greased prepared tin and give it a big bang to released the bubbles.
10. Bake the cake in hot water bath at 170 degree for 15 minutes then reduce the temperature to 150 degree and bake for another 40 - 45 minutes.
11. Cool the cake in the pan completely, then set aside in the fridge for about 1 hour or more before serving it for a better texture and taste.

Notes:
~ Water bath is a pan of hot water placed into an oven. The hot water provides a constant, steady heat source and ensures even, slow cooking for recipes.

~ The best type of pan to use for a water bath is a roasting pan or other pan with sides at least 1-1/2 to 2 inches high. That will allow you to put enough water into the pan so it won't all evaporate before your pudding or cheesecake has baked.


I used to love Fiesta Cheesecake (which is now come under Ichiban Sushi Restaurant) that comes in 3 different flavour like original, coffee and can't remember the last one....... So with that soft and irresistible texture of Fiesta Cheesecake, I decided to give this recipe a try and after all those effort and steps. My final products do pay off with a good, soft and cotton like texture cheesecake.

American Ginseng Chicken Soup

American ginseng is not a stimulating herb. As a cooling herb it will take a period of time to build up the body before you will "feel" a difference.

Due to the hectic work schedule, tiredness of our mind and body as well as the "heaty" weather recently, I decided to set on this American Ginseng Chicken Soup to revive our strength. Other than the American Ginseng Roots, I also add in some Yu Zhu which is Cool in nature. It influences the lung and stomach channels thus nourishes Yin, prevents internal dryness, extinguishes wind and softens the sinews. It is also commonly used to treat irritability, thirst, intense hunger, sensation of heat in the bones, and cramped and hard muscles.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
2 Chicken Drumstick, skin removed
5g of American Ginseng, root portion
4 - 6 Red Dates, removed seeds
1/2 Tablespoon Wolfberries
5g Yu Zhu(玉竹)
800ml Water

Method:
1. Wash, trim and clean the drumstick then blanched in boiling water for a few minutes, rinse and set aside.
2. Rinse the dry herbs then bring the water to boil in a pot and add in the all the herbs except wolfberries.
3. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes before adding the drumstick then continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.
4. Remove the pot from heat and transfer the content to a double-boiler shown in the picture below.
5. Place the double-boiler in a slow-cooker and cook on AUTO heat for about 3 hours. Add in the wolfberries at the very last 30 minutes.
6. You can season it with pinch of salt before serving or so.

As you can reference through the picture, this is a very easy to prepared homemade double-boiled soup which mostly suitable for everyone in the family. You can also replace the Ginseng Root with either Whole Ginseng or Ginseng Slices for different varieties of soup.

Related Post:
1. Double-Boiled Ginseng Chicken Soup
2. Ginseng Black Chicken Soup
3. Ginseng Honey Tea