Winter is coming, and the earth is gradually falling silent. And in this cold season, there is a precious ingredient that is praised as the pearl of winter health - chestnut. There is an old proverb that says, "Eat chestnuts in winter, and beat the old hen." This traditional proverb expresses people's belief in chestnut health care. Chestnut is not only a delicious nut, but also a highly regarded ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. Its rich nutrients and unique medicinal value make chestnut an indispensable and valuable ingredient on people's tables in winter. Let's explore the magic of chestnut to strengthen the spleen and kidney, invigorate qi and blood, and feel the warm power of this winter health standard.
Nutritional benefits of chestnut:
1) Nourish the spleen and stomach: Chestnut has a sweet and warm taste, has the effect of warming the spleen and stomach, is suitable for consumption in the cold season, and helps to improve the cold constitution.
2) Kidney and aphrodisiac: Chestnut is rich in nutrients, which has a certain role in promoting the maintenance of kidney function and aphrodisiac.
3) Nourishing Yin and Nourishing Blood: The iron in chestnut helps to replenish the body's iron, which has a positive effect on alleviating anemia and nourishing yin and blood.
4) Boost immunity: Rich in vitamin C and other antioxidants, it helps to improve the resistance of the immune system and reduce the occurrence of colds and other diseases.
5) Digestion: The dietary fiber in chestnuts helps to promote intestinal peristalsis, improve digestive system function, and reduce constipation symptoms.
Four delicious ways to make chestnuts:
1. Stir-fried chestnuts in sugar
Ingredients: 500 grams of raw chestnut, sugar: appropriate amount, water: appropriate amount
Method:
1. Preparation: Wash the raw chestnuts and use a knife to make a cross on each chestnut to allow the syrup to penetrate better.
2. Blanch: Put the chestnuts with crossed marks into a pot, add enough water, bring to a boil over high heat, turn to low heat and blanch for 5-8 minutes to soften the skin of the chestnuts slightly.
3. Drain: Drain the blanched chestnuts and rinse them with water to make their surface cleaner.
4. Stir-fry the sugar juice: Take a frying pan, add an appropriate amount of white sugar, slowly heat over low heat, add a small amount of water when the sugar begins to melt, and continue to heat.
5. Add the chestnuts: When the syrup starts to thicken, put the drained chestnuts into a pan and stir-fry over medium-low heat to coat the chestnuts evenly.
6. Continue stir-frying: Continue to stir-fry slowly over low heat, making sure that the juice evenly covers the surface of the chestnuts until the chestnuts are golden brown.
7. Cool: After turning off the heat, remove the fried sugar-fried chestnuts and place them on a cool rack to cool to make them more crispy.
8. Enjoy: Once the chestnuts have cooled completely, enjoy the sweet and crispy sugar-fried chestnuts.
Tips:
(1) Master the heat: When frying sugar, the heat should be moderate, so as not to overheat and change color of the sugar juice, which will affect the taste.
(2) Use water: Add a small amount of water many times to ensure that the sugar juice is thick and even.
(3) Stir-fry evenly: When stir-frying chestnuts, be gentle and uniform to prevent chestnuts from breaking.
2. Chestnut roast chicken
Ingredients: Whole chicken: 1 piece (about 1200g), raw chestnut: 300g, onion: 1 piece, diced, carrot: 1 stick, diced, ginger: to taste, garlic: to taste, sliced, cooking wine: 2 tablespoons, light soy sauce: 3 tablespoons, brown sugar: 1 tablespoon, salt: to taste, chicken essence: to taste, water: to taste, cooking oil: to taste
Method:
1. Handle chestnuts: Peel off the shell of raw chestnuts, blanch them with boiling water, remove the film on the surface, and set aside.
2. Handle the chicken: Wash the chicken, cut it into pieces, stir well with cooking wine and salt and marinate for 15 minutes.
3. Heat the pan with cold oil: Heat the pan, add an appropriate amount of cooking oil, add the green onion, ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant.
4. Fry the chicken nuggets: Place the marinated chicken pieces in a pan and fry until golden brown on both sides.
5. Add seasoning: Add light soy sauce, cooking wine, brown sugar, and stir-fry evenly.
6. Add water and simmer: Add enough water, add the chopped onions, carrots, and chestnuts to a boil.
7. Simmer: Reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes until the chicken is crispy.
8. Seasoning: After checking how cooked the chicken is, add salt and chicken essence for the final seasoning.
9. Serve: Serve on a plate, sprinkle with some chopped chives and enjoy.
Tips:
(1) Chestnut treatment: Blanching and removing the film can make the chestnut easier to absorb the flavor and make it more crispy when fired.
(2) Chicken frying: Fry the chicken nuggets on a moderate heat to maintain the tender texture of the chicken.
(3) Seasoning tips: The combination of cooking wine, light soy sauce and brown sugar can be fine-tuned according to personal taste.
(4) Water Availability: Add enough water while simmering to ensure that the chicken and chestnuts are cooked until crispy.
3. Chestnut pork ribs
Ingredients: Pork ribs: 500g, raw chestnut: 300g, carrot: 1 stick, diced, onion: 1 piece, diced, ginger slices: to taste, garlic: to taste, sliced, cooking wine: 2 tablespoons, light soy sauce: 3 tablespoons, salt: to taste, brown sugar: 1 tablespoon, chicken essence: to taste, water: to taste, cooking oil: to taste
Method:
1. Handle chestnuts: Peel off the shell of raw chestnuts, blanch them with boiling water, remove the film on the surface, and set aside.
2. Prepare the ribs: Wash the ribs, cut them into sections, and marinate them in cooking wine and salt for 15 minutes.
3. Heat the pan with cold oil: Heat the pan, add an appropriate amount of cooking oil, add the green onion, ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant.
4. Fry the ribs: Fry the marinated ribs in a pan until golden brown on both sides.
5. Add seasoning: Add light soy sauce, cooking wine, brown sugar, and stir-fry evenly.
6. Add water and simmer: Add enough water, add the chopped onions, carrots, and chestnuts to a boil.
7. Simmer: Reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer for 40 minutes, allowing the pork ribs and chestnuts to simmer until flavorful.
8. Seasoning: After checking how ripe the ribs and chestnuts are, add salt and chicken essence for the final seasoning.
9. Serve: Serve on a plate, sprinkle with some chopped chives and enjoy.
Tips:
(1) Chestnut treatment: Blanching and removing the film can make the chestnut easier to absorb the flavor and make it more crispy when fired.
(2) Pork ribs frying: When frying pork ribs, the heat should be moderate to maintain the tender taste of the ribs.
(3) Seasoning tips: The combination of cooking wine, light soy sauce and brown sugar can be fine-tuned according to personal taste.
(4) Water control: Add enough water while simmering to ensure that the pork ribs and chestnuts are cooked until crispy.
Fourth, chestnut bean paste cake
Material:
Group A ingredients: 120 grams of cake flour, 30 grams of chestnut flour, 5 grams of baking powder
Group B ingredients: 3 eggs, caster sugar: 80 grams
Group C ingredients: corn oil: 60 grams, milk: 60 grams
Ingredients for group D: chestnut puree: 150g, red bean paste: appropriate amount (as filling)
Method:
1. Preparation: Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Spread a thin layer of oil on the inside of the mold and cover it with a layer of baking paper.
2. Mix Group A ingredients: Mix cake flour, chestnut flour and baking powder well, sift and set aside.
3. Whip the eggs: Put the eggs and caster sugar in a container and beat them with an electric whisk until the color becomes lighter and the volume increases significantly.
4. Add Group C ingredients: Mix the corn oil and milk well and add to the egg batter and continue to stir well.
5. Add the ingredients in group A: Add the ingredients in group A to the egg batter in batches and stir well, taking care not to over-stir.
6. Add the chestnut puree: Add the chestnut puree to the batter and stir gently.
7. Pour into the baking tin: Pour the stirred batter into the baking pan and smooth the surface.
8. Add red bean paste: Sprinkle red bean paste evenly on the surface of the batter.
9. Baking: Bake the mold in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for about 35-40 minutes, until the surface is golden brown.
10. Remove and cool: Take out after baking, let it cool slightly before demolding, cut into pieces and serve.
Tips:
(1) Chestnut puree making: Chestnut puree can be made by steaming chestnuts and whipping them into a puree.
(2) Red bean paste selection: Red bean paste can be purchased in commercially available packaging, or it can be homemade.
(3) Baking time: Baking time varies depending on the oven temperature, it is recommended to observe during the baking process to keep the surface golden brown.
(4) Taste adjustment: The amount of sugar and chestnut puree can be added or subtracted according to personal taste.
In the cold of winter, when the aroma of chestnuts wafts through the kitchen, it is a thick warmth. When you eat a chestnut, you can feel the sound of an old hen crowing. The spleen and kidney tonic effect of chestnut injects an endless source of vitality into us in winter, making the body more resilient and cold-resistant. Whether stewed, grilled or boiled in porridge, chestnuts reveal their unique flavor and bring a warm feast to the taste buds. In this winter health journey, chestnut is like a wise man, leading us into a healthy situation. May every chestnut become a beacon on our health road and illuminate the warm journey of the cold season.