The proverb says: “Eat a melon in August, no need for Chinese medicine to grab.” After the beginning of autumn, the weather gradually turns cooler, and the body’s metabolism also begins to adjust. It is suitable to eat some foods with moistening and detoxifying effects at this time to help the body smoothly transition to autumn. Among the many melons, undoubtedly pumpkin is an excellent choice for health preservation after the beginning of autumn.
Pumpkin is not only sweet in taste and delicate in texture but also has extremely high nutritional value. Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and abundant carotene, which play a significant role in protecting eyesight and enhancing immunity. In addition, pumpkin is rich in dietary fiber, which helps promote gastrointestinal motility, prevent constipation, and also has a detoxifying effect, helping the body eliminate excess toxins, maintaining cleanliness, and health.
Pumpkin also has the characteristics of low calorie and high satiety, suitable as a daily health food. For those who want to control their weight, pumpkin is a very ideal choice. Additionally, the natural sugars in pumpkin allow it to replace some sugary ingredients, satisfying the taste buds while reducing sugar intake, making it very suitable for diabetic patients. Next, I will introduce two delicious dishes with pumpkin as the main ingredient.
Recipe 1: Pumpkin Dumplings Oatmeal Soup
Ingredients: 200g pumpkin, 100g glutinous rice flour, sugar to taste, 5 red dates, brown sugar to taste, 20g instant oatmeal flakes.
Preparation:
1. Peel and deseed the pumpkin, cut it into small pieces, place it in a steamer, steam over high heat for about 15-20 minutes until the pumpkin becomes soft. You can insert a chopstick into the pumpkin pieces, if it can easily penetrate, the pumpkin is cooked.
2. Remove the steamed pumpkin pieces, mash them into a paste while hot. For a smoother texture, you can use a blender to make the pumpkin into a finer puree, add glutinous rice flour and sugar to taste, mix well. Then knead into a smooth dough. If the dough is too dry, you can add some water; if the dough is too wet, you can add a little more glutinous rice flour.
3. Roll the dough into small dumplings, the size of each dumpling can be adjusted according to personal preference, but it is recommended not to be too large for easy cooking and eating. Place the rolled small dumplings aside. In a pot, add water, bring to a boil, then add the rolled pumpkin dumplings into the boiling water. Gently stir with a spoon to prevent sticking to the bottom. Cook until all the dumplings float, indicating they are cooked.
4. Pit the red dates and cut them into pieces, add them into the cooked dumpling soup, then add a suitable amount of brown sugar, stir well. Red dates and brown sugar not only add sweetness but also increase nutrition. Finally, add instant oatmeal flakes, boil for 1 minute until the oatmeal flakes fully absorb the soup and become soft. Turn off the heat, serve and enjoy.
Pumpkin dumplings oatmeal soup is sweet, sticky, and delicious with rich nutrition. The sweetness of pumpkin combined with the stickiness of glutinous rice, along with the fragrant sweetness of red dates and the aroma of oatmeal, gives this soup a rich texture without being heavy, suitable for people of all ages as a healthy dessert. It is particularly suitable for consumption at breakfast or afternoon tea, filling and nourishing the body.
Recipe 2: Garlic Pumpkin Steamed Ribs
Ingredients: 300g pumpkin, 400g pork ribs, 5 cloves of garlic, 1 small piece of ginger, 1 tablespoon cooking wine, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, salt to taste, a little white pepper.
Method:
1. Cut the pork ribs into small pieces, soak in clean water for half an hour to remove blood. After soaking, rinse with clean water, drain; add chopped ginger and minced garlic to the ribs, pour cooking wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, and white pepper, mix well by hand, marinate for about 20 minutes to fully flavor the ribs.
2. Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds, cut into thick slices, layer the bottom of a plate with pumpkin slices, then evenly place the marinated ribs on top of the pumpkin slices. Once the steamer is steaming, place the plate into the steamer, steam over high heat for about 30 minutes until the ribs are tender.
3. After steaming, sprinkle some minced garlic on top, steam for an additional 3 minutes to infuse the garlic flavor into the ribs. Finally, turn off the heat, take out, cool slightly, and then serve.
Garlic pumpkin steamed ribs are a delightful homemade dish with color, aroma, and taste. The sweet moistness of pumpkin combined with the savory aroma of ribs makes a perfect match. During steaming, the pumpkin absorbs the meat juices from the ribs, making it even more delicious. The addition of garlic enhances the freshness and fragrance, the entire dish is flavorful but not greasy, perfect to enjoy with rice. This dish is simple to make, yet highly nutritious, especially suitable for consumption in the autumn and winter seasons, providing a nourishing effect.
