1. Dumplings:
The winter solstice is also the traditional Chinese day for eating dumplings. The dumpling symbolizes reunion because its shape resembles an ancient copper coin, symbolizing the gathering of wealth. It is believed that eating dumplings will bring good luck and add warmth and happiness.
Recommended method: sour soup dumplings
Ingredients: Dumpling filling: 300 grams of minced pork;1 green onion;1 tablespoon of minced ginger;1 scoop of cooking oil;Light soy sauce 2 scoops;Salt and pepper to taste.
Dumpling wrapper: 300 grams of flour;Water to taste.
Sour soup stock: 500 ml of stock;White vinegar 50 ml;Light soy sauce 2 scoops;Salt and sugar to taste.
Garnish: shredded greens (e.g. lettuce, green peppers, etc.).
Steps:1Making the dumpling filling:
1) Put the minced pork in a bowl, add the chopped green onions, minced ginger, add light soy sauce, salt and pepper and stir well.
2) Slowly add the cooking oil and continue to stir until the filling is sticky.
2.Dumplings:
1) Stir the flour and water into a dough, knead until smooth and let stand for 15 minutes.
2) Take a small piece of dough, roll it out into a thin crust, wrap it in the filling, and knead it into the shape of a dumpling.
3.Make a sour broth:
Add the stock, white vinegar, light soy sauce, salt and sugar to the pot, bring to a boil and stir well to make a sour broth.
4.Boiled dumplings:
Cook the wrapped dumplings in boiling water, remove and drain.
5.Combo:
1) Place the boiled dumplings in a bowl and pour over the pre-prepared sour broth.
2) Add some shredded greens according to personal taste.
6.Enjoy:
The delicious sour soup dumplings are ready to eat, and the fragrant and tender dumplings are paired with a sour and refreshing sour soup for a rich taste.
Tips: 1) Dumpling fillings can be filled with minced shiitake mushrooms, shrimps, etc. according to personal taste.
2) The acidity of the sour soup can be adjusted according to personal taste, and if you prefer more acidic, you can increase the amount of white vinegar appropriately.
2. Tangyuan:
Tangyuan is one of the traditional delicacies of the winter solstice, because its round shape symbolizes reunion and represents the happiness of family reunion. In the south, people are accustomed to eating tangyuan on the day of the winter solstice, symbolizing the warm time spent together as a family.
Recommended method: Wine-brewed glutinous rice balls
Ingredients: glutinous rice flour: appropriate amount;Water: Appropriate amount;Wine: Appropriate amount;Rock sugar: to taste;Peanut flour (optional, as a spread): to taste.
Steps:1Prepare the wine: Prepare the right amount of wine. You can choose from a ready-made brew in the market, or you can make it yourself by fermenting it with glutinous rice and yeast. Remove the brew and set aside.
2.To make the dumpling skin: Add the glutinous rice flour to the water and stir well until there are no particles. Pour into a pot and heat slowly over low heat, stirring constantly, until it becomes a glutinous rice paste. Take it out, wait for it to cool a little and then roll it into a small round ball, which is the dumpling skin.
3.Wrap the stuffing with wine: Flatten the dough with your hands, wrap in an appropriate amount of stuffing, and then roll it round.
4.Boiled rice balls: Put the kneaded rice balls in hot water, boil them until they float, then remove them, and put them in cold water to cool.
5.To make the syrup: Add an appropriate amount of water to the pot, add rock sugar, and slowly boil over medium-low heat to make the syrup.
6.Seasoning: You can add an appropriate amount of liquor according to your personal taste, and boil the sugar water until the sugar is completely melted.
7.Bowling: Scoop up the boiled rice balls, put them in a bowl, and pour in the flavored sugar water.
8.Sprinkle with peanut flour (optional): If you like, you can sprinkle some peanut flour on top for added texture.
Tips: 1) Glutinous rice ball skin making: The glutinous rice ball skin should be made thinner, so that it tastes better.
2) Filling pairing: The stuffing is sweet, and the sugar water can be reduced in an appropriate amount according to personal taste.
3) Flavor with syrup: Adding sake to syrup can enhance the flavor, but be careful not to add too much to avoid being too sweet.
4) Peanut Flour Dosage: Peanut flour sprinkled on the surface is optional and added according to personal preference.
3. Mutton:
Lamb is also an indispensable delicacy on the table on the winter solstice. The mutton has a sweet and warm taste, which helps to keep warm from the cold. In addition, mutton also means that "the plan of the year lies in spring", and after eating mutton, I hope that everything will go smoothly in the coming year.
Recommended method: Stir-fried lamb
Ingredients: Lamb: 500 grams (you can choose the leg or tenderloin part);Ginger: to taste, sliced;Green onions: to taste, cut into sections;Garlic: to taste, minced;Green pepper: to taste, cut into cubes;Red pepper: to taste, cut into cubes;Cooking wine: to taste;Light soy sauce: to taste;Salt: to taste;Refined salt: to taste;Sugar: to taste;Pepper: to taste;Cooking oil: to taste.
Steps:1Lamb Processing: Cut the lamb into thin slices, add cooking wine and light soy sauce, stir well, and marinate for 15-20 minutes.
2.Heat the pan with cold oil: Heat the pan, add an appropriate amount of cooking oil, add ginger slices and stir-fry after the oil is hot to bring out the fragrance.
3.Stir-fried mutton: Put the marinated mutton slices into the pan, stir-fry until it changes color, add an appropriate amount of cooking wine and continue to fry until the mutton changes color.
4.Add seasoning: Add sliced ginger, green onion and minced garlic and stir-fry evenly.
5.Add the green and red peppers: Add the chopped green and red pepper cubes and stir-fry well.
6.Seasoning: Add an appropriate amount of salt, refined salt, and sugar, and continue to stir-fry well.
7.Sprinkle with pepper: Sprinkle with an appropriate amount of pepper and stir-fry well before removing.
8.Plating: Place the sautéed lamb on a plate and garnish with chopped green onions.
Tips: 1) Mutton processing: When marinating, you can add some cooking wine to mutton, which can not only remove the fishy smell, but also improve the freshness.
2) Master the heat: When frying the lamb, the heat should be moderate, not overheated, so that the lamb does not become too dry.
3) Seasoning: When seasoning, you can adjust the amount of salt, pepper and sugar according to your personal taste.
4) Vegetable Pairing: Other vegetables such as onions, cauliflower, etc., can be selected according to personal preference to increase the taste and color.
Fourth, dried incense:
Xianggan is a food rich in protein, calcium, phosphorus and other nutrients, and its crispy texture is suitable for stewing, frying, boiling and other cooking methods. Serving it on the day of the winter solstice symbolizes a bright future, and the aroma of dried incense can also add color and fragrance to the family.
Recommended method: Stir-fry celery until fragrant
Ingredients: celery: appropriate amount, wash and cut into sections;Dried fragrant (vegetarian hairy tripe dried tofu): appropriate amount, cut into pieces;Green onions: to taste, cut into sections;Ginger: to taste, mince finely;Garlic: to taste, minced;Cooking oil: to taste. Light soy sauce: to taste;Salt: to taste;Ground white pepper: to taste.
Steps:1Preparation: Wash and cut the celery into sections, cut the dried vegetables into cubes, cut the green onions into sections, mince the ginger and mince the garlic for later use.
2.Stir-fry until fragrant: Heat the pan with cold oil, put the fragrant cubes into the pan, fry over medium-low heat until golden brown on both sides, remove and set aside.
3.Stir-fry coriander: Add an appropriate amount of cooking oil to the same pot, add minced ginger and minced garlic and stir-fry until fragrant, then add celery segments and stir-fry until the celery is cooked.
4.Seasoning: Add an appropriate amount of light soy sauce and continue to stir-fry evenly.
5.Add the fried dried fragrant meat: Add the previously fried dried fragrant pieces and stir-fry evenly so that the dried fragrant is evenly coated with celery flavor.
6.Add seasoning: Sprinkle with salt, add white pepper and continue to stir-fry evenly.
7.Add the green onions: Finally, add the green onion segments and stir-fry well to mix all the ingredients.
8.Remove from the pot: Wait until the celery is fried until it is dry and cooked thoroughly, and the color is uniform, and then it can be removed from the pot.
Tips: 1) Dried fragrant treatment: When frying fragrant and dry, the heat should be mastered well, and not too old to maintain its fresh and tender taste.
2) Seasoning: When seasoning, you can add or decrease light soy sauce, salt and white pepper according to your personal taste.
3) Celery Processing: Celery should not be stir-fried for too long to maintain its crisp and tender texture.
4) Add green onions: Add the green onions at the end to keep their fragrance and taste.
5. Beef:
Beef is a great winter nourishment. Beef is rich in protein and iron, which helps to replenish stamina and boost immunity. Enjoying beef on the day of the winter solstice signifies strength and vitality throughout the year.
Recommended method: Seasonal vegetable steak
Ingredients: Steak: 2 pieces;Olive oil: to taste;Salt: to taste;Black pepper: to taste;Seasonal vegetables (e.g. cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, etc.): to taste;Butter: to taste.
Steps:1Steak Handling: Remove the steak in advance and refrigerate and return to room temperature. Use a kitchen paper towel to blot moisture from the surface. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper and massage evenly over the surface of the steak.
2.Heat the olive oil: Heat an appropriate amount of olive oil in a pan and when the oil is at the right temperature, add the steak to the decoction. Depending on personal taste, decoction is carried out to the desired doneness, usually 2-3 minutes per side.
3.Vegetable Handling: Meanwhile, blanch seasonal vegetables such as cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, etc., in a separate pot without overheating, to maintain the crisp and tender texture of the vegetables.
4.Blanching after quenching: Remove the cooked vegetables and immediately put them in ice water to cool to preserve their color and texture.
5.Grilled steak: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Place the cooked steak in the oven and bake for 3-5 minutes to make it more tender.
6.Serve with vegetables: Once the steak is grilled, serve the seasonal vegetables on a plate and serve them next to the steak.
7.Add the butter: Once the steak is served, melt a small piece of butter over the hot steak to enhance the taste.
8.Plating: Plate grilled steaks and stewed vegetables, drizzling with some steak juice or black pepper sauce depending on your preference.
Tips: 1) Master the heat: The cooking time of the steak needs to be decided according to personal taste and thickness, be careful not to overdo it, so as not to overshoot the steak too dry.
2) Vegetable selection: Fresh seasonal vegetables can be selected according to the season to add layers of texture and color.
3) Serve with sauce: You can pair it with some black pepper sauce, mushroom sauce, etc., to enhance the taste.
4) Rest: Once the grilled steak is out of the oven, it's best to let it rest for a while to keep the juices well distributed.
On the night of the winter solstice, the dinner table is filled with aromas, and the family sits around to spend a warm time together. Dumplings symbolize reunion, dumplings symbolize happiness and sweetness, lamb warms the body and mind, and dried beef represents the coming of a better future. These five delicacies not only fill our stomachs, but also entrust us with beautiful expectations for a happy life. On this winter solstice, let us taste these five flavors of food together, feel the warmth of the family, and inherit the beautiful vision of Chinese tradition. May this winter solstice reunion dinner not only fill the stomach, but also enrich the soul, and open the door to blessings for the coming year. The winter solstice is coming, blessings are coming, and I hope every family will have warmth and happiness in this cold season. Autumn and Winter Check-in Challenge