Core Tip: In summer, the hot and humid weather can affect your mood more easily when you have a poor appetite. Here are a few small dishes that not only whet your appetite but also help maintain a healthy mood.
In summer, eating more appetizing small dishes is healthier. The weather is especially hot in summer, and many of us tend to lose our appetite. However, we still have to eat, so in summer, we should eat more appetizing small dishes. Therefore, we will now introduce a few suitable appetizing small dishes for summer.
Steamed Eggplant with Garlic Sauce:
There was an experiment where a substance extracted from eggplant was found to be effective in treating stomach cancer and cervical cancer. Eggplant also contains various alkaloids such as solanine, cucurbitacin, stachydrine, choline, perilla glycoside, and nasunin. Among these, solanine and cucurbitacin have been proven to have anti-cancer properties.
Preparation Method: 2 eggplants, peeled, cut into 10 cm long strips. Chop garlic and ginger and set aside. Place the eggplant on a plate and steam for 15 minutes. Pour a little oil into a pan, add the minced garlic and ginger, and stir-fry until they change color. Then add light soy sauce, sugar, salt, chopped green onions, and chicken powder to season. After steaming the eggplant for 15 minutes, remove it, drain the water from the plate, and pour the seasoning sauce over it. Mix well and serve.
Honey Bitter Melon:
The anti-cancer effect of bitter melon comes from a quinine-like protein, which is an active protein that can activate immune cells. These immune cells then act as "middlemen" to kill cancer cells or other abnormal cells. Bitter melon seeds contain a protease inhibitor that can inhibit tumor cells from secreting proteases, thereby suppressing the invasion and metastasis of cancer cells.
Preparation Method: Wash 1 bitter melon, peel it, and slice it thinly. Place the bitter melon slices in a container with ice cubes and refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove the bitter melon, place it on a plate, and drizzle with honey to serve.
Kelp and Winter Melon Pork Rib Soup:
In traditional Chinese medicine, kelp is called "Kunbu" and can prevent breast cancer and thyroid tumors. Kelp can selectively kill or inhibit bacteria in the intestines that produce carcinogens, and its fiber promotes the excretion of bile acids and cholesterol. Kelp extract also has a direct inhibitory effect on various cancer cells.
Preparation Method: Wash 200 grams of pork ribs, blanch them in boiling water to remove blood, then drain and set aside. Peel 100 grams of winter melon and cut into small pieces. Tie 100 grams of kelp into knots and wash, then set aside. Add water, ginger slices, green onions, and one star anise to a pot. Add the pork ribs, cooking wine, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 1 hour. Add the winter melon and kelp knots and cook until the winter melon becomes translucent. Serve.
Sweet Potato and Millet Porridge:
Sweet potatoes are considered an excellent food for preventing disease, prolonging life, and aiding weight loss and health care. In fact, sweet potatoes also have a powerful anti-cancer function. Recently, scientists discovered a substance called dehydroepiandrosterone in sweet potatoes, which can prevent the occurrence of colorectal cancer and breast cancer.
Preparation Method: 1 soaked wood ear mushroom, 1 sweet potato cut into small pieces. Place the sweet potato, millet, and wood ear mushroom in a rice cooker and cook for 20 minutes. Serve.