The Soup Queen

Each Sunday I try to find a new herbal recipe to test. I love my Sundays when I lounge at home, listening to the jazz channel and sipping homemade herbal tea while reading. Today I dug out some wolfberries or "kei chi" or goji berries from the fridge. I am usually running out of space in my fridge because all my herbs go into the fridge. In this tropical weather, herbs will either dry out or go mouldy if you keep them too long in the cabinets. One distinct way to know if your wolfberries are deteriorating is to see their bright red colour becoming a dull, dirty red. That's why you know your wolfberries can go into the compost bin! (Or maybe you can stick them into some soil and grow your own goji berry plants. I might try this though finding available space in my already thriving garden can be tough!) This packet of wolfberries is considered Super Grade because each wolfberry is larger than regular itty bitty ones you see in most pre-packed herbal soup packets. My r...

While I've gone ahead and got my eyes iLASIK-ed , my dear husband is doing it the natural way. He says he can train his eyes to see better with a combination of eye exercises, nutrition and Bates pinhole glasses. I'm OK with whatever he chooses to do. He supported me when I told him I needed to laser my eyes and get back my vision before I turn 40 in 4 years' time. Supported me as in financially, he paid for my vision correction surgery. So of course I am supporting him in his endeavour. He diligently does his eye exercises and of late, he can actually sit at our living room sofa and read the time on our Astro decoder (which is like 7 feet away!). I'm really happy for him because it will be so good when he does not need to rely on his glasses anymore. On this note, I told him I'd make him nutritious stuff to help him improve his eyesight. Wolfberry in soups is one of those methods. Wolfberries are great for the eyes and as any Chinese mom will tell you,...

Here's a quickie soup for those of you pressed for time (aren't we all? Sometimes I think we're like ants. Busy busy and busier!) Melon, Kei Chi and Carrot Soup is my invention but it tastes pretty good I must say! I made it two nights ago, after a long day at work. But the beauty of this soup is that it takes all of 30 minutes or less to boil and you can get instant soup (my other instant soup lifesaver is instant miso which I dump into hot water, add some tofu cubes and spring onions and I am ready to go. But that's another story for another day, ya?) Melon, Kei Chi and Carrot Soup You need: 1 small melon (you know the fat, green ones - peel skin and cube, with seeds on. Do not throw away the seeds.) 1/2 a carrot, cubed or sliced, up to you 1 tablespoon kei chi/wolfberries, soaked in water to hydrate 1/2 cup minced pork, marinated with 1 tsp cornflour, some salt and pepper and some sesame oil 1 liter water 2 cloves garlic, smashed with back of a cleaver 1 slice ginge...