Stews have become a "star" on the winter dining table for being easy to digest, high in moisture, and nutritious. Chinese people eat stews in winter for nourishment. So, what are the benefits of eating stews in winter? Below, the editor will introduce the benefits of eating stews in winter and a few stew recipes.
Benefits of Eating Stews in Winter
1. Stews mainly use water as the heating medium, so the temperature does not get too high, basically not exceeding 100°C. Therefore, they are not overheated to produce harmful carcinogenic substances.
2. The ingredients in stews become very soft after being simmered over low heat for a long time, making them easier to digest and absorb.
3. The long cooking time of stews allows various seasonings to fully infuse the ingredients, making them more flavorful and delicious.
4. Stews are cooked with the lid on, which isolates them from oxygen. Therefore, most of the antioxidant components in the ingredients can be preserved. Additionally, studies have found that after stewing for two and a half hours, the cholesterol in meat decreases significantly, while beneficial unsaturated fatty acids increase.
5. Stews are often eaten along with the broth, ensuring that minerals are fully absorbed without loss.
6. Stews often combine multiple ingredients at once, making it easy to achieve a variety of food types and convenient to add various health-boosting ingredients.
Winter Health-Stew Recipes
1. Beef and Potato Stew
Ingredients: 400g potatoes, 200g beef, 20g cooking wine, 10g soy sauce, 3g salt, 2g MSG, 3g chicken essence, 10g spiced water, 1g baking powder, 100g starch, 200g broth, 1g pepper, 800g salad oil.
Method: Peel and wash the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into irregular chunks. Cut the beef into small pieces. Marinate the beef chunks with 10g cooking wine, 1g salt, 1g chicken essence, spiced water, baking powder, and pepper until flavorful. Heat salad oil in a wok to 50% heat, add the potato chunks and fry until golden brown, then remove. When the oil temperature returns to 50% heat, coat the marinated beef pieces with wet starch and fry until slightly firm, then remove. Leave 30g of oil in the wok, add scallions, ginger, and garlic to sauté until fragrant, then add cooking wine, soy sauce, and broth and bring to a boil. Add the potato chunks and fried beef and simmer until the sauce thickens. Thicken with starch, drizzle with bright oil, and serve on a plate.
2. Catfish and Eggplant Stew
Ingredients: 600g catfish, 300g eggplant, 30g green onion, 30g garlic, 30g ginger, 30g green pepper, 7g Sichuan peppercorn powder, 10g soy sauce, 10g cooking wine, 5g salt, 3g MSG, 10g sugar, 50g broad bean paste.
Method: Clean and prepare the catfish, then cut into sections. Remove the stems from the eggplant, wash, and cut into sections. Cut the green onion, crush the garlic, slice the ginger, and cut the green pepper into rings. Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add green onion, garlic, ginger, and green pepper and stir-fry until fragrant. Add soy sauce, cooking wine, broad bean paste, Sichuan peppercorn powder, and sugar, stir-fry for one minute, then add boiling water. Turn to high heat, add the eggplant and catfish. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Add salt and MSG before serving.
Benefits: Catfish and Eggplant Stew is a classic dish from Northeast China. Catfish has few bones, delicate meat, and a delicious flavor. It is believed to be beneficial for qi, nourishing yin, promoting lactation, stimulating appetite, and promoting urination. Eggplant has the effects of clearing heat, stopping bleeding, reducing swelling, and alleviating pain.
3. White Radish and Lamb Stew
Ingredients: 200g white radish, 200g lamb, appropriate amount of green onion, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns.
Method: Thaw the lamb, cut into pieces, and soak in cold water to remove blood for about two hours, changing the water frequently. Bring the treated lamb to a boil in cold water, then turn off the heat, remove the lamb, and rinse off the scum. Slice ginger, crush garlic, and cut the green onion. Place them with Sichuan peppercorns and the lamb in a pot to cook. Wash the white radish, cut into chunks, add to the pot, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Then simmer on low-medium heat for one and a half hours. Add a small amount of white pepper and salt before serving.
4. Pork, Sauerkraut, and Vermicelli Stew
Ingredients: Northeast vermicelli, pork belly, Northeast sauerkraut, ginger slices, salt, dark soy sauce, cooking wine as needed.
Method: Soak the Northeast vermicelli in warm water (around 70°C) for 7-8 minutes. Cut the pork belly into small cubes. Shred the Northeast sauerkraut. Remove the soaked vermicelli, rinse with cold water, and separate with hands to prevent sticking. Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the pork belly and pan-fry until just cooked. Then add ginger slices and stir-fry until fragrant. Add half a spoon of salt, dark soy sauce, and cooking wine to color the meat. Add the sauerkraut and stir-fry, then add enough water to half-fill the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Finally, add the vermicelli, another half spoon of salt, and mix well. If the color is not deep enough, add a little more dark soy sauce. Season with a small amount of chicken essence and pepper. Simmer until almost all the liquid is absorbed, then serve.
5. Chicken and Mushroom Stew
Ingredients: 100g pine mushrooms, 1 yellow-feathered chicken, 15g green onion and ginger slices, 1 star anise, 1 small piece of cinnamon, 1 spoon of yellow wine, 2 spoons of light soy sauce, salt as needed, a pinch of chicken essence, 1 spoon of oil.
Method: Rinse the pine mushrooms, soak them in advance for half a day. Once soft, rub them and change the water several times until all the sand is washed away. Cut the chicken into pieces, rinse clean, and place in a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil. Remove the boiled chicken pieces, rinse again with clean water, and drain. Heat a pot, add oil, and stir-fry the chicken pieces. Add green onion and ginger slices. Pour in the yellow wine, add light soy sauce, star anise, and cinnamon, and stir-fry evenly. Add the drained mushrooms to the pot and stir-fry. Transfer all the stir-fried ingredients to a clay pot. Add pre-boiled hot water until it covers the chicken. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer until the chicken is tender. Add salt in the last 15 minutes before turning off the heat. Add chicken essence to taste after turning off the heat.
6. Chicken and Chinese Yam Stew
Ingredients: 1 chicken, one section of Chinese yam (about 300g), 30g goji berries, salt, green onion, ginger, cooking wine as needed.
Method: Clean and butcher the chicken, chop into small pieces. Wash the green onion and ginger. Tie the green onion into knots and slice the ginger. Add a sufficient amount of cold water to a pot, add the chicken pieces, and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam. Add cooking wine, ginger slices, and green onion knots. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat, cover, and simmer until the chicken is very tender. Peel the Chinese yam, cut into small pieces, and add to the pot. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the goji berries, cover, and cook for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and serve.