Winter Melon Soup

Ingredients

• 2 lb winter melon (peeled and cube)
• 1 lb chicken or pork
• 4 quarts water
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 slices ginger

Instructions

• Bring water to a boil, place meat into pot, and allow it to simmer for 30 minutes.
• Place winter melon into pot and let it simmer until the melon becomes translucent.
• Then add ginger and salt to flavor.

Chou Chou Potstickers

Ingredients

• 1.5lb ground pork
• 6 peeled, chopped water chestnuts
• 2 cups of chopped long chives
• 6 tbsp of soy sauce
• 1 tbsp of salt
• 1 tsp of sugar
• 1 packet of potsticker skin (50 count)

Instructions

• Blanch long chives to heighten flavor.
• Mix ground pork, water chestnut, chives, soy sauce, salt, and sugar.
• See video how to wrap a potsticker.

• Once dumplings are wrapped, you can either boil or pan-fry them. To boil, just add the potstickers into a pot until they float atop. To pan-fry, coat the pan with oil and flour, and let the bottom of the potstickers brown. Then, add a little bit of water, place a cover, and allow to them to steam until the skin becomes translucent. 
• TIP: cook one potsticker in advance to make sure the filling has enough flavor.

Lotus Root Soup

Yum, more wintry soup!

Ingredients

• 1- 1.5lb lotus root 
• 5-6 red dates
• 1 cup black-eyed peas
• 1 slice of ginger
• 3 quarts of chicken or pork broth

Instructions

• Peel and cube lotus root.
• Bring broth to a boil, then add lotus root. Adjust to medium heat and let it cook for 30 minutes or until lotus root is cooked.
• Add black-eyes peas, red dates, and ginger. 
• Let it cook for another 15-20 minutes, or until the black-eyes peas are cooked.
• Add salt to flavor. 

Chinese Watercress Soup

A great wintery soup I learned from my Po Po's (grandmother's) kitchen! Light, warm, and good for your health. :o)


Ingredients

• 3 chicken drumsticks (leave skin on) or you can also use 1/3 lb of pork shoulder
• 2-3 bundles of watercress
• 8 cups of water
• 3-4 dried red dates
• 3 chopped medium-sized carrots
• 2 thin slices of ginger
• 6 peeled fresh water chestnuts (don't use the canned ones!)

Instructions

1. Wash watercress thoroughly.
2. Bring water to a boil, then place meat and boil at high/medium heat for 45 minutes to an hour.
3. Place carrots, red dates, and water chestnuts into pot. Bring heat to medium and let it cook for another 15-20 minutes.
4. Place watercress and ginger in pot for about 5 minutes.
5. Add salt for flavor.

Ginger Yam Tong Sui ("Sweet Soup")

My mom always makes this during the winter and it's a great, healthy dessert!

Ginger Yam Tong Sui ("Sweet Soup")

Ingredients

• 1 large yam (my mom likes to use both regular and japanese yams)
• 1 piece of ginger
• 1 stick of Chinese brown candy (it's basically a brick of brown sugar that you can find at any Chinese market)
• 5 cups of water
• 8-10 red bean or sesame glutinous rice balls (optional)

Directions

1. Bring water to a boil.
2. Peel and cube yam.
3. Place the yam into the water, bring it to medium heat for 30 minutes (or until the yam is soft).
4. Add the ginger, sugar, and glutinous rice balls.
5. Tong Sui is ready once the glutinous rice balls float atop.