Xing Ren and Pork Soup

This is a traditional soup for coughs.

Ingredients:

4 dried scallops
1 ½ pounds pork tenderloin
¼ cup apricot kernels
3 honey dates
3 thin slices of peeled fresh ginger

Directions:

Rinse and soak scallops in water for 2 hours. Reserve the soaking liquid.

Cook pork tenderloin in boiling water for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water. Cut into large chunks (about 2 inches thick)

In a large pot combine scallops along with their soaking liquid, pork, apricot kernels, dates, and ginger with 4 quarts of cold water. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 1 ½ hours. Salt to taste. Serve hot.

Steamed Asian Pears with Xing Ren/

Almonds and Honey

Asian pears are firm, crunchy, and surprisingly juicy. I great remedy for a sore throat or a cold. Once steamed the pears become tender and the broth is soothing and not overly sweet.

Ingredients-

6 nearly ripe Asian pears

2 lemons

6 tablespoons honey

4 tablespoons Xing ren/ almond kernels (available at Asian markets or here at the clinic)

Directions-

Cut a thin slice off the bottom of each pear so that it will stand upright. Peel the pears and rub the surface with a cut lemon half to prevent them from turning brown. Cut the top squarely off each pear, slicing about 2 inches from the top, and with a melon baller or spoon, carefully remove the core and seeds. Do not cut through to the bottom of the pear. Reserve tops.
Arrange pears on a pie plate or some kind of heatproof plate. Spoon a tablespoon of honey onto each pear and sprinkle some of the almonds on top. Place the reserved tops on the pears, if necessary, securing them with toothpicks. Place the plate in a steamer tray if using.
Fill a wok or large pot with enough water to reach the bottom of the steamer tray and bring to a boil. Cover and steam 40 to 45 minutes, or until the fruit is tender when pierced with a knife. Serve the Asian pears warm, or at room temperature.

Almond cookies might be considered the quintessential Chinese desert. Its delicious with tea.

The Chinese credit Xing ren/almonds with lubricating the lungs, suppress and alleviating coughs, remove phlegm, and balance energy. Used to treat coughs, asthma, and constipation. Chinese physicians often recommend drinking a paste made with Xing ren/ground almonds and honey.

Makes 32 cookies

Ingredients-

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup Xing ren or sliced almonds
¾ cup sugar
3 large egg whites
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions-

Preheat oven to 300 F. Lightly spray baking sheet with a vegetable oil spray or brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter.
Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan and add the Xing ren. Stir over low heat until the butter and Xing ren are golden. Pour them inti a mixing bowl, whisk in the sugar and add the egg whites, flour, cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
Drop the batter by teaspoon 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Smooth the batter into circles about 3 inches in diameter with the back of a spoon. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until lightly golden. Loosen the cookies with a spatula whiles still hot and drape a number of them over rolling pin to shape them. They will set in seconds. Remove the set cookies to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining batter and cookies. Serve with green tea.