Both of these recipes appeal to my tastebuds as hearty restorative meals post pregnancy. After delivery and labor many women suffer from anemia and chronic fatigue which can lead to all sorts of other health complications. In Chinese medicine, chicken (especially when it is cooked for a long time in broths) helps to build the blood and restore energy. Salmon and seaweed are also extremely high sources of protein and minerals. Seaweed in particular is an excellent source of potassium, iron, and iodine which if deficient all contribute to fatigue. Follow it up with a cup of cinammon or ginger tea and take a nap…..

Cognac Chicken Essense (this recipe comes from Ng Siong Mui’s book “The Chinese Pregnancy & Confinement Book”).

Ng Siong writes, “I used to have rashes whenever I drank wine. But when my “pui-yuet”* prepared this Cognac Chicken Essence for me, she told me that the alcolhol would have evaporated during cooking and that I would not get rashes. The essence is sweet and delicious and is said to improve general circulation. You can really feel the warmth and glow running through your body after drinking it.”

*In traditional Chinese postpartum care, the mother is assigned a “pui -yuet” or “companion for a month” for the 30 day confinement period — a vital period in a woman’s recovery period postpartum to ensure the roots of various ailments will not establish or resurface in her middle age. Traditionally it is the role of the mother-in-law to attend the mother after she has given birth (I know, not everyone’s favorite cup of tea) but many women today hire a confinement nanny who is usually a middle-aged woman who has a great deal of knowledge about post-natal matters by virtue of her experience.

1 black chicken (most of you will not be able to get hold of a black chicken — so any whole chicken for making soup will do and ideally get an organic chicken or one that hasn’t had hormones and antibiotics injected into it)

300ml (1 1/2 cups) cognac

1. Gut chicken and wash thoroughly. Remove skin completely (this might be easier to do once you have scalded the chicken). Scald chicken in hot water for 3 minutes. Rinse and drain.

2. Put cleaned chicken and cognac into a double boiler or any strong cooking pot. Cover lid and on a low heat, boil the chicken for 3 hours.

3. Drain cognac chicken essence into a big bowl. Drink essence warm, preferably before bed time. Throw away chicken.

Fish Soup with Seaweed (this recipe comes from Dean Raffelock’s book “A Nutritional Guide to Pregnancy and Postpartum Health”)

1/3 package (1.76 ounces) of hiziki-style seaweed (you can find seaweed at many health food stores)
1/3 package (1.76 ounces) kombu-style seaweed
2 large carrots, preferably organic, raw (unpeeled)
2 scallions (green onion) arw
1/4 cup of snow peas
1/4 fresh cilantro (coriander)
2 cas (14.5 oz each) organic chicken broth
1/2 pound fresh salmon

1. Place the seaweed in a bowl and add just enough water to cover it. Allow it to soak for 20 - 30 minutes.
2. While the seaweed is soaking, chop the carrots, scallions, snow peas, and cilantro into bite-sized pieces, and place them in a sturdy 4-quart cooking pot.
3.Cut the salmon into cubes and addthem to the pot.
4. Add the chicken broth to the pot.
5. Add the soaked seaweed. Allow all the ingredients to sit for 20-30 minutes.
6. Gradually bring the mixture to a simmer over low heat and allow it to simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Serve hot.

Variations
If you prefer, you can substitute a total of 2.5 cups of any chopped vegetable or vegetables of your choice for the carrots, cilantro, scallions and snow peas. Other good choices include celery, red peppers and zucchini (courgette0.

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January 25th, 2007 | Permalink