Flower season on the dining table! You know, nutrition newspapers
All kinds of flowers bloom in turn all year round in Taiwan Province Province, which makes people feel relaxed and happy. Not only pleasing to the eye, many flowers can also be used in dishes and tea, and become beautiful and delicious specialties on the table. Cooking, making soup or making cold salad or tea can also enhance fragrance and keep health.
Eating flowers does have many benefits. Huang Shuhui, a nutritionist at Taipei Post Hospital, said that the most well-known cruciferous plants, such as cauliflower, have many health benefits. Other common flowers, such as rape, leek and betel nut, are also widely used as vegetables, and cucumbers, cockscomb melons and loofah are gradually regarded as beautiful side dishes. While pleasing to the eye, the unique floral fragrance also helps to enhance the aroma of cooking, or fried into Japanese tempura, loofah and so on.
Phytochemicals have high nutritional value and low calories.
The health function of edible flowers comes from the phytochemicals contained in their colorful colors, and different colors represent different nutritional values. Some of them play the role of antioxidants, while others have the functions of anti-inflammation, anti-aging, scavenging free radicals and regulating body functions.
"For example, green rape flowers, leeks, and sunless lilies have high vitamin A content, which can protect skin mucosa and protect eyesight; Red, purple and yellow flowers, such as chrysanthemum, butterfly bean flower, rose, Luoshen flower, etc., are high in β-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin and anthocyanin, which can prevent macular degeneration, help blood flow, maintain vascular elasticity and prevent three diseases. " Huang Shuhui pointed out.
"On average, every 1 00g edible flower contains about 2-3g of protein, with a relatively low fat content, about below1g, a sugar content of about 3-4g, and some high contents of vitamin C, B group and dietary fiber." Huang Shuhui explained that the calories of edible flowers themselves are not too high, and they can enjoy good nutritional value.
Pay attention to buying principles and cleaning skills.
Although pleasing flowers can be viewed and cooked, Huang Shuhui specially reminded that "it is a safe choice to buy brand flowers specially planted for food and verified to be free of pesticide residues. It is best to avoid buying bulk products from unknown sources, because general ornamental flowers, such as flower arrangement, use chemicals to extend the viewing time. In Japan, many supermarkets can buy special flowers, so you can often see Japanese cuisine decorated with flowers, all of which are edible. In recent years, some supermarkets in Taiwan Province Province have also found flowers specially used for eating.
In addition, some flowers, such as luoshen flower, lily flower and wild ginger flower, can also be bought in traditional markets. It is recommended to buy in the peak season to avoid stale or premature harvest. After buying it home, it can be refrigerated for at least one day to allow the possible residual pesticides to volatilize and decompose. When cleaning before cooking, it is recommended to rinse thoroughly with tap water for 3 to 5 minutes to improve food safety.
Edible flowers should not be cooked for a long time. There are three ways to eat them.
How to cook a flower quilt after eating it? Huang Shuhui suggested that, generally speaking, the stamens of flowers are slightly bitter, so people who don't like them can pull them off and wash dishes. Flowers are not suitable for long-term cooking, but there are many methods and the difficulty is not high. It is best to quickly blanch and sterilize, and if you have time, you can add ice water to enhance the crisp taste. Now that summer is here, you can buy edible chrysanthemums, quickly blanch them, twist dry mixed spinach, and add Japanese grapefruit vinegar sauce to make a refreshing and delicious cauliflower.
Huang Shuhui also specially reminded that some flowers are inedible to avoid poisoning, such as oleander, azalea, daffodil, foxglove, lily of the valley, morning glory, wisteria, periwinkle and hydrangea. They are all toxic and can't even be decorated. Once eaten by mistake, there will be symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.
Three Skills of Bringing Flowers into Vegetables
What are the cooking methods of flowers? Huang Shuhui taught the following three skills:
Into the soup: dried flowers such as chrysanthemum and osmanthus can be directly into the soup. Sprinkle some flowers before the soup, which not only enhances the fragrance, but also adds aesthetic feeling and characteristics, such as lotus root ribs soup. Sprinkle some dried chrysanthemums after stewing; Stew beef soup or chicken soup, add some dried osmanthus, which looks better and increases the aroma; Or directly use flower stew soup, such as fresh lily stew ribs soup.
Quick stir-fry: Wash the flowers quickly and stir-fry with shredded pork, such as fresh lily, wild ginger flower and betel nut flower, which are delicious. Or wash the fresh Luoshen flower and use it instead of tomato sauce to make common sweet and sour dishes. After cooking, pick up Luoshen flowers and add some sugar to thicken them. Suitable for sweet and sour pork ribs, sweet and sour fish and goo goo meat. The color is pleasing to the eye, sweet and sour.
Cold salad: Wash fresh edible flowers and add lettuce salad. For example, eating rose petals is a good match, pleasing to the eye and very distinctive.
Bloom's season is coming! In China's food culture, "flowers as food" has a history of more than two thousand years. This summer, we might as well take advantage of the flower season and try a delicious and suitable flower feast at home!
Let your heart blossom! Five kinds of flowers are eaten like this.
There are five kinds of flowers commonly used in Taiwan Province Province, such as rose, chrysanthemum, osmanthus, Luoshen flower and lily flower. Huang Shuhui, a nutritionist from Taipei Post Hospital, and Yahui Zhuang, a Chinese doctor, were specially invited to analyze the nutritional value and health-preserving efficacy of flower food, and to teach the edible efficacy and practical know-how of flowers as vegetables and tea. Learn quickly and have a good summer!
rose
Roses are warm, which helps to relieve depression and has the effect of promoting blood circulation and relieving pain. Because it is warm, it is recommended to mix it with cool herbs, which will not be thirsty after drinking, and will also help soothe the liver and relieve depression and dredge qi and blood.
Rose soothing refreshing tea
Ingredients: rose 12, rosemary, 3 yuan in North Point, 3 yuan in Polygonum multiflorum, 3 yuan in Lily.
Efficacy: invigorating qi and nourishing blood, improving intelligence and brain, enhancing physical strength and relieving stress.
Rose lettuce salad
Ingredients: rose petals, lettuce salad.
Practice: Wash the rose petals and mix them into the lettuce salad.
chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum, cool in nature, can clear liver and improve eyesight. Chrysanthemum tea can also soothe grumpy temper, or it is very common for modern people to use their eyes too much to cause redness, itching or dryness. However, people with bad stomachs should pay special attention to not drinking chrysanthemum tea alone. It is better to eat some red dates.
Chrysanthemum eyesight nourishing liver tea
Ingredients: Chrysanthemum, Eucommia ulmoides, Lycium barbarum, Mulberry, Perilla frutescens.
Efficacy: nourishing liver and kidney, enriching blood and improving eyesight.
Japanese grapefruit vinegar sauce chrysanthemum mixed with spinach
Ingredients: chrysanthemum, spinach 1, Japanese pomelo vinegar sauce.
Exercise:
1. Peel the chrysanthemum petals, wash them, blanch them quickly and let them cool. Wash spinach, cut into sections, blanch and drain.
2. After mixing chrysanthemum and spinach, finish with Japanese grapefruit vinegar sauce.
osmanthus flowers
Osmanthus fragrans has the effect of invigorating stomach and regulating intestines, especially when summer heat is easy to infringe on appetite, you can drink Osmanthus fragrans with cool medicinal materials.
Guihua Jianpi Yangwei Tea
Materials: osmanthus fragrans 1.5 yuan, mint 1.5 yuan, Polygonatum odoratum 1 yuan, longan 1 yuan, bergamot 3 yuan.
Efficacy: invigorating qi and spleen, nourishing stomach and promoting fluid production, and maintaining gastrointestinal function.
Guihua beef soup
Ingredients: beef tenderloin 1, ginger and onion, rice wine, dried osmanthus 1 spoon.
Exercise:
1. After removing fascia from beef tendon, stew it in boiling water, and add onion, ginger and rice wine to remove fishy smell.
2. When it's slightly cooked, pick up the beef tendon, cut it into pieces with a thickness of about 1 cm, and then pour it into beef soup to continue stewing for about 40 ~ 50 minutes.
3. Season with salt, add 1 tbsp osmanthus, continue to cook for 10 minute, and sprinkle with chopped green onion.
Tip: In addition to clear soup, you can also try osmanthus wine and honey to make black tea. Osmanthus wine is also delicious in jiaozi.
Luoshenhua
It is a cool Luoshen flower, which has the efficacy of reducing blood lipid and protecting liver, and is helpful for clearing liver and purging fire for patients with hepatitis B, hepatitis C, fatty liver and chronic hepatitis. If you eat too much, drinking Luoshen scented tea as drinking water after meals can help digestion and absorption.
Luoshen Xiao Zhi Qiangxin Tea
Ingredients: Luoshenhua 1, Radix Glycyrrhizae Preparata 5 yuan, Radix Ophiopogonis 5 yuan, Lotus Leaf 2 yuan, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae 2 yuan.
Efficacy: benefiting qi and strengthening heart, nourishing yin and liver, clearing heat and eliminating fat.
Rauvolfia sweet and sour fish fillets
Ingredients: sliced fish 1, onion 1/4, half red and yellow sweet pepper, 5-6 flowers of Luoshen, and a little sweet potato powder.
Exercise:
1. Cut the fillets into tablespoons, marinate them with salt, white pepper and rice wine, dip some sweet potato powder in the pot and fry them until golden and cooked. Onions and bell peppers are cut into long slices.
2. Add 1 bowl of water to the wok to boil, then add Luoshen flower and cook until the soup is dark purple, and pick up Luoshen flower.
3. Add onion and bell pepper and stir fry. Season with a little salt and sugar to make sweet and sour Luoshen sauce.
4. Thicken the sweet potato powder slightly with water, and finally add the crispy sliced fish, stir-fry and serve.
Lily
Lily, also known as "worry-free girl", is sweet and cool, and has the effects of invigorating qi and nourishing blood, clearing away heat and drying dampness, strengthening bones and muscles, and calming the nerves. Suitable for people with autonomic nervous disorder and excessive anxiety, which are common in modern people.
Jinzhen Runfei Gushen Decoction
Materials: Acanthopanax senticosus 1 Liang, asparagus 5 yuan, red jujube 10 yuan, white lentil 5 yuan; Lily 1 bowl, fresh yam 1 bowl, half a catty of small ribs, 3 slices of ginger, rice wine 1 spoon, appropriate amount of coriander, appropriate amount of salt and appropriate amount of sesame oil (about 4-5 people).
Exercise:
1. Put Acanthopanax senticosus, Radix Asparagi and white lentils into a halogen bag; Peel and cut the yam into pieces for later use.
2. Put the traditional Chinese medicine bag, red dates, spareribs and ginger slices into the pot, add 2000 c c water, boil over high fire, skim the floating foam, and then simmer for about 1 hour.
3. Take out the traditional Chinese medicine bag, add yam and lily, boil it again, add salt and sesame oil to taste, turn off the fire after 5 minutes, and sprinkle with coriander to serve.
Efficacy: tonifying lung, moistening kidney, strengthening bones and muscles, and relieving anxiety.
Fried shredded pork with needle flowers
Ingredients: fresh lily 200g, shredded pork100g, shredded ginger.
Exercise:
1. Wash the fresh lily buds, blanch them in boiling water, scoop them up and drain them, soak them in cold water for 2 hours, and then scoop them up.
2. Put a little oil in the wok, stir-fry shredded ginger and shredded pork at low temperature, and stir-fry lilies until shredded pork is almost cooked. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Tip: Lily has many ways to cook, which is suitable for making soup and cooking. Huang Shuhui specially reminded that fresh lily contains colchicine, which may cause abdominal pain if eaten too much, but colchicine can be removed after drying or scalding, so don't worry too much.
Professor Zhuang Yahui, Doctor of Box Chinese Medicine! Tips for scented tea
Divide all the following Chinese herbal medicines into 4 parts, put them into a tea bag, take 1 part each time, put them into a thermos cup, add 250c.c boiling water, and stew for about 5 minutes before drinking.
Precautions:
◆ Patients with abdominal distension and diarrhea can add Poria 3 ~ 5 yuan.
◆ Patients with constipation can add 3 ~ 5 yuan Semen Cassiae powder.
◆ When acute inflammation, cold or serious illness occurs in the body, stop taking the medicine first, and then continue taking it after the illness is relieved.
This article is taken from the 435th issue of Changchun Monthly.