The scorching heat and humidity during the dog days make people often feel heavy, fatigued, and weak. During this time, adjusting our diet appropriately can help us get through the hot summer and maintain good health. Chicken and beef are favorite meats for many, but during the dog days, both meats are relatively dense and can easily make the body feel overheated, which is not conducive to cooling off. In contrast, there are three types of meat that are more suitable for consumption during the dog days, not only easy to digest but also capable of boosting physical strength and enhancing mental state.
1. Duck meat: Nourishing yin and reducing heat, moistening dryness and generating fluids
Duck meat is cool in nature and has the effect of nourishing yin, replenishing deficiency, and clearing heat and reducing fire, making it particularly suitable for consumption during the hot dog days. Duck meat is rich in protein, B vitamins, iron, and zinc, which can help enhance immunity and replenish the nutrients needed by the body.
Recommended recipe: Job’s tears, yam, and lotus seed duck soup
Ingredients: 500 grams of duck meat, 50 grams of job’s tears, 30 grams of fox nuts, 30 grams of lotus seeds, 200 grams of yam, 1 carrot, 3 slices of ginger, appropriate amount of cooking wine, and salt.
Specific method:
1. Clean and cut duck meat into pieces, blanch it to remove blood, and set aside; soak job’s tears, fox nuts, and lotus seeds in water for 30 minutes; peel and cut yam into chunks, and peel and cut carrot into chunks for later use.
2. In a soup pot, add an appropriate amount of water, place in duck meat, job’s tears, fox nuts, lotus seeds, ginger slices, and cooking wine, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 1 hour.
3. Add yam and carrot, continue to simmer for 30 minutes until the ingredients are thoroughly cooked, then add salt for seasoning, and it’s ready to serve.
This soup is light and nourishing, suitable for summer consumption. Job’s tears and fox nuts have the effect of promoting water drainage and relieving dampness, while lotus seeds and yam can strengthen the spleen and nourish the stomach. Stewing them with duck meat can both relieve heat and detoxify, and replenish physical strength, nourishing the body. Drinking a bowl not only nourishes the body but also refreshes the mind.
2. Fish: Easily digestible, supplementing high-quality protein
Fish meat has low fat content, is rich in high-quality protein and omega-3 fatty acids, and is easily digested and absorbed. Consuming fish during the dog days not only meets the body’s protein needs but also replenishes minerals lost through sweating, making it a good choice for maintaining health.
Recommended recipe: Water-boiled fish
Ingredients: 500 grams of fish fillets (grass carp or black fish), 200 grams of yellow soybeans, appropriate amount of green Sichuan pepper, dried chili peppers to taste, 3 slices of ginger, 5 cloves of garlic, appropriate amount of Sichuan pepper, 2 tablespoons of hot pot base, appropriate amount of cooking wine, light soy sauce, salt, white pepper powder, starch, chicken essence, and cooking oil.
Steps:
1. Marinate fish fillets with cooking wine, light soy sauce, white pepper powder, and starch for 15 minutes; rinse yellow soybeans and rapeseed for later use, slice ginger and garlic, and cut dried chili peppers into sections.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add ginger and garlic to sauté until fragrant, add the hot pot base to fry out the red oil, then add an appropriate amount of water, after boiling, add yellow soybeans and rapeseed, and cook until just tender before removing and placing at the bottom of a bowl.
3. When the broth is boiling, add the marinated fish fillets, quickly disperse them with chopsticks, cook until they turn white and are cooked through, remove and place them on top of the yellow soybeans and rapeseed, add chicken essence and salt for seasoning, and pour the broth over the fish fillets.
