Sea Cucumber Millet Congee

 Sea cucumber millet congee is a premium nourishing traditional Chinese health porridge.

 Smooth and fragrant millet simmered soft and thick, paired with tender and chewy sea cucumber. 

It is mild, nourishing, easy to absorb, great for health conditioning, breakfast and nourishing supper.

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

100g millet

2 fresh soaked sea cucumbers

Auxiliary Ingredients

2 slices ginger

2 stalks green onion

A handful of wolfberries

Seasonings

A pinch of fine salt

A little white pepper

A few drops of sesame oil

Moderate clear water

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preprocess millet

   Rinse the millet repeatedly with clean water, soak it in warm water for 20 minutes to soften it, which makes the congee thicker and creamier after cooking. Drain and set aside.
2. Treat sea cucumbers

   Clean the soaked sea cucumbers, remove internal impurities, rinse well and cut into thin strips or small sections. Put into a bowl, add ginger slices and a little warm water to soak briefly to remove fishy smell.
3. Cook millet congee base

   Pour plenty of clean water into a pot and bring it to a boil. Add soaked millet, turn to low heat after boiling again. Simmer slowly for 35 minutes, stir occasionally to prevent sticking, until the millet grains are fully bloomed and the soup turns thick.
4. Add sea cucumber

   Take out ginger slices from sea cucumbers, put sea cucumber strips into the millet congee. Continue to simmer on low heat for 8 minutes to fully cook the sea cucumber and infuse the fresh flavor into the congee.
5. Season and match ingredients

   Add an appropriate amount of salt and a little white pepper to adjust the taste, stir evenly. Put in wolfberries and simmer for another 2 minutes.
6. Finish and serve

   Turn off the heat, drizzle a few drops of sesame oil, sprinkle with chopped green onions. Stir gently and serve hot directly.

Cooking Tips

1. Soak sea cucumbers fully in advance to ensure tender and elastic texture.
2. Do not cook sea cucumbers for too long, otherwise the meat will shrink and become tough.
3. Keep the taste light, simple seasoning can highlight the natural umami of sea cucumber.
4. Simmer on low heat all the way to make the congee warm and mellow.
5. It is best to eat it in the morning or evening for better nourishment and absorption.

Cold Mixed Andrographis Paniculata

 Cold mixed andrographis paniculata is a classic refreshing Chinese cold dish.

 It is crisp, fresh and slightly bitter with a unique herbal flavor.

 Mixed with simple seasonings, it is appetizing, cool and nourishing, and is a popular summer healthy side dish.

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

300g fresh andrographis paniculata

Aromatics

4 cloves garlic (minced)

A little chopped coriander

A few red chili rings (optional)

Seasonings

1.5 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

Half teaspoon fine salt

1 teaspoon white granulated sugar

A pinch of chicken essence (optional)

A little sesame oil

A moderate amount of chili oil

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Clean the ingredients

   Pick off the old roots and yellow leaves of fresh andrographis paniculata, keep tender stems and leaves. Rinse repeatedly with clean water to remove dust and impurities, then drain all water thoroughly.
2. Blanch to remove bitterness

   Boil an appropriate amount of water in a pot, add a little salt and a drop of cooking oil. Put in andrographis paniculata and blanch quickly for 20 to 30 seconds. Take it out immediately and soak it in ice cold water to lock the crisp texture and bright green color.
3. Drain well

   Take the chilled andrographis out, squeeze out excess water gently, put it into a large mixing bowl for later use.
4. Prepare the cold dressing

   Put minced garlic into a small bowl, add light soy sauce, rice vinegar, salt, sugar and chicken essence. Stir evenly until all seasonings are fully dissolved.
5. Mix evenly

   Pour the prepared seasoning sauce over the andrographis paniculata, add coriander segments and chili rings. Drizzle with sesame oil and chili oil according to personal taste. Toss all ingredients evenly.
6. Marinate and serve

   Let it stand for 3 minutes to make it fully absorb the flavor. Arrange it on a plate and serve cold directly.

Cooking Tips

1. The blanching time must be short, too long will cause the vegetable to turn yellow and lose crisp taste.
2. Ice water soaking can effectively reduce the bitter taste of andrographis paniculata.
3. The collocation of sugar and vinegar can neutralize the bitter taste and improve the fresh taste.
4. Do not add too much heavy seasoning to retain its original herbal fragrance.
5. It tastes better after being refrigerated for a period of time in hot summer.