Weekly Recipe Planner: Cooking with cooling foods
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is packed with food for thought when it comes to dishing up meals to combat your littlie’s nasty sore throat, pesky phlegm, and other ‘heaty’ illnesses. Chemical-free dietary therapy is available with these ‘cooling’ recipes!
Chicken and Barley Soup
This recipe features barley, which is a key ‘cooling’ grain, and a range of ‘cooling’ vegetables like celery and spinach. In a pot of chicken broth (use store-bought organic broth to save time), add diced carrots, celery, onion, and skinless chicken breast. Stir in the barley grains and spinach, and simmer over 10 minutes till the chicken and barley are tender. Voila, a bowl of warm goodness to get your little one cured in no time.
Maryland Crab Cakes
Bet you didn’t know that crabs are actually considered ‘cooling’ meats! Dish out a plate of these kid-friendly crab cakes, with a side of asparagus (which also registers high on the cool-o-meter), for a healthy, delish dinner for tots. Combine shredded crabmeat with breadcrumbs and mix with mayo. Pop them in the oven for 15 minutes and they’re ready to serve.
Pork and Chestnut Rissoles
These yummy patties offer double delight with a mix of pork and water chestnuts, which are ‘cooling’ foods. In a bowl, combine minced pork (use lean pork), finely chopped water chestnuts, a beaten egg, condiments, and mix thoroughly with your hands. You can even rope in the littlies to help shape the patties while you handle the pan-frying over a medium fire. Serve up with a side of salad or steamed rice.
Teriyaki Tofu Kebabs
It’s no secret that tofu packs a load of nutrition, but now you know that it’s a great food for your tot to munch on when they’re under the weather. Feel free to mix up the tofu kebabs with other vegetables, besides zucchini, capsicum, and mushrooms, or add some meat like sliced pork. Brush the kebab skewers with the teriyaki marinade, and lightly grill or pan-fry till the tofu is golden brown and vegetables are tender. Serve with your choice of rice or noodles.
Fresh Fruit Platter
This is an easy-peasy way of serving up juicy goodness. Choose from ‘cooling’ fruits like bananas, watermelon, honeydew, pineapples, kiwi, star fruit, grapefruit, and dragonfruit. The trick is to pick a range of colourful fruits and cut them into bite-size (and adorable) shapes to get your littlie interested.