1. Sweet potato:Sweet potatoes are a nutritious root vegetable that is especially popular in winter. It is rich in vitamin C, carotene and fiber, which help to strengthen immunity and improve digestive function. Sweet potatoes are low in calories but contain a lot of antioxidants, which help reduce inflammation and protect heart health.
Recommended method: sweet potato balls
Ingredients: 2 sweet potatoes (about 500 grams);100 grams of glutinous rice flour;50 grams of sugar;Appropriate amount of water (for boiling glutinous rice flour);Appropriate amount of oil (for decoction).
Steps:1Wash and peel the sweet potato, cut it into small pieces, and steam it.
2.Mash the steamed sweet potatoes into a puree.
3.Add sugar to the sweet potato puree and stir well.
4.Gradually add the glutinous rice flour to the sweet potato puree and stir until it forms a ball.
5.Knead the dough into small balls.
6.Heat an appropriate amount of oil in a frying pan, add the prepared sweet potato balls, and fry over low heat until golden brown on both sides.
Tips: 1) Choose sweet potatoes: Choose sweet potatoes with good quality and soft taste, so that the meatballs will taste better.
2) Dosage of glutinous rice flour: When adding glutinous rice flour, add gradually and stir well to avoid the situation that the dough is too thick or too thin.
3) Oil temperature control: When frying meatballs, the oil temperature should not be too high, so as not to burn the surface of the meatballs and the inside is not cooked.
4) Size of the meatballs: When making the meatballs, you can adjust the size according to your personal preference, but you need to keep the size basically the same to ensure the evenness of the pan-frying.
5) Creative variations: If you prefer a richer flavor, you can add a little chopped walnuts or black sesame seeds to the dough to increase the aroma and texture.
2. Pumpkin:Pumpkin is rich in vitamins A, C, and potassium, which are essential for maintaining ** and healthy vision. Consuming pumpkin in the winter helps boost immune system function, and the antioxidants it contains help reduce inflammation and promote cardiovascular health.
Recommended method: Stir-fry pumpkin
Ingredients: 500 g pumpkin;Moderate amount of cooking oil;Salt to taste;Light soy sauce (optional).
Steps:1Wash and peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds, and cut into thin slices or cubes for later use.
2.Pour an appropriate amount of cooking oil into a pot and heat over high heat.
3.Place the sliced pumpkin in the pan and stir-fry quickly to evenly heat the pumpkin slices.
4.Cover the pot and simmer over low heat for about 3-5 minutes, until the pumpkin is tender but still retains a certain texture.
5.Open the lid, add an appropriate amount of salt, and choose to add a little light soy sauce flavor according to personal taste, and continue to stir-fry evenly.
6.When the pumpkin is fully cooked, turn off the heat and serve on a plate.
Tips: 1) Choose pumpkin: Choose a pumpkin with good quality and delicate texture, and the taste will be better.
2) Cut evenly: Try to keep the size of the slice or cube even, so that it is easier to heat evenly when cooking.
3) Stir-fry skills: The heat should not be too high when stir-frying the pumpkin, so as not to scorch the surface of the pumpkin and become unripe.
4) Simmering time: The simmering time of pumpkin should be determined according to the thickness of the pumpkin, generally 3-5 minutes, to avoid overripeness caused by too long.
5) Taste adjustment: If you like a more delicious taste, you can add light soy sauce to enhance the flavor.
3. Winter melon:Winter melon is rich in vitamin C, B vitamins and minerals, which has a diuretic effect and has a certain effect on clearing heat and relieving heat. Winter melon juice or winter melon tea can help the body remove excess water in winter, help keep the body cool, and prevent colds and fevers.
Recommended method: Winter melon ball soup
Ingredients: 200 grams of winter melon;150g minced pork (or other minced meat);50 g shrimp (optional);1 egg;Moderate amount of starch;Salt to taste;Pepper to taste;Appropriate amount of chopped green onion;Appropriate amount of stock or water.
Steps: 1. Make winter melon balls:
1) Peel the melon and cut it into small pieces.
2) Put the winter melon in a blender and puree, or squeeze out the juice with a fine mesh strainer and set aside.
3) Put the pork filling in a container, add the winter melon puree, beat an egg, add an appropriate amount of salt, pepper and starch, and stir well with your hands until the meat filling is sticky.
4) Roll the minced meat into small balls for later use.
2. Make soup:
1) Bring a pot of stock or water to a boil.
2) Carefully put the meatballs into the boiling stock or water and cook until the meatballs float up, indicating that they are cooked.
3) Then add the melon cubes and cook for another 5-8 minutes until the melon is soft and glutinous.
4) Finally, add salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with chopped green onion to garnish.
Tips:1If you like, you can add some shrimp to the meatballs to increase the texture and umami.
2.When cooked, the meatballs will float on the surface of the water, indicating that the meatballs are fully cooked.
3.If you prefer a lighter soup, you can use clear water instead of stock.
Therefore, the three melons in winter - sweet potato, pumpkin and winter melon not only enrich our table in terms of taste, but also inject energy and protection into our body nutritionally. They provide a variety of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which help boost the immune system, boost metabolism, and improve digestive function. So, in the cold winter months, let's choose these nutritious melon vegetables and become a part of our healthy life. By eating sweet potatoes, pumpkins and winter melons, we can nourish our bodies, improve our immunity, and enjoy a healthy and beautiful winter life. Autumn and Winter Check-in Challenge