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.