Recipes
On this page, I’ve gathered some recipes to (hopefully!) help inspire you to try some of the foods suggested in Chinese medicine food therapy. Whether you’re someone who follows recipes to the letter or just reads them for inspiration, I hope everyone will be able to find something to try!
Scroll down for some links to help you find ingredients and inspiration!
Porridges
Rice (congee, jook, juk, etc.)
Basic Congee (Jook) (GF)
Instant Pot Congee (GF, V with adaptations)
Vegan Congee (Jook) (GF, V)
Japanese Rice Porridge (Okayu) (GF, V)
8 Treasures Congee (V, GF)
Millet
Simple Millet Porridge (GF, V)
Creamy Vanilla Millet Porridge (GF, V)
Pumpkin Millet Porridge (GF, V)
Creamy Coconut Millet Porridge (GF, V)
Millet & Sweet Potato Porridge (GF, V - can adapt to Instant Pot)
Oats
Savory Oatmeal (GF, Vg-eggs)
Blueberry Overnight Oats (GF, V) - or strawberry…any frozen berry could be used for this recipe, really!
Chocolate Overnight Oats (GF, V) - feel free to skip the chia if it’s too much fiber, and customize the flavor to suit your taste.
Lentils
Coconut Curry Golden Lentils (GF, V)
Dal Palak (GF, V)
Lentil Nut Meatloaf (GF, V)
Vegan “Barbacoa” (GF, V)
Warming Red Lentil Sweet Potato Soup (GF, V) - Instant Pot friendly
Vegan Lentil Fesenjān (Pomegranate Walnut Stew) (GF, V) - one of my favorites 😊
Marinated Lentils with Lemony Broccolini and Feta (GF, V if vegan feta is substituted)
Beans
Sweet Black Soy Beans (Kuromame) / Instant Pot Kuromame (GF, V)
Red Bean (Adzuki) Soup with Mochi (GF, V - mochi in the recipe is available online)
Chickpea Sunflower Sandwich (GF, V)
Super Nourishing Beans & Greens (GF, V)
Seeds
Black Sesame Soup (GF, V)
Black Sesame Tofu (Kuro Goma Dofu) (GF, V)
Banana Black Sesame Muffins (GF, V)
Black Sesame Hot Chocolate (GF, V)
Soup
Chinese Herbal Chicken Soup (GF - let me know if you need help sourcing the herbs!)
Vegan Miso Soup (GF, V)
Zosui (Japanese Rice Soup) (GF, V - with adaptations)
Red Bean (Adzuki) Soup with Mochi (GF, V - mochi is available online)
Easy Pumpkin Soup (GF, V - can use canned squash/pumpkin puree)
Sweet Potato Soup (GF, V - again, canned sweet potato puree works great!)
Kabocha Squash Soup (GF, V option - can sub other winter squashes)
Napa Cabbage Tofu Soup (GF, V - both with adaptations)
Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup (GF, V)
Charred Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Soup (GF, V - also works great with butternut squash, including frozen!)
Mushrooms
Introduction to Japanese mushrooms (including shiitake, oyster, and enoki)
Japanese Mushroom Rice (GF, V option)
Warm Mushroom Salad with Sesame Dressing (GF option, V - sub other mushroom varieties if you’d prefer!)
Greens
An Introduction to Chinese Greens (if you’d like to grow some of these greens, Kitazawa Seed Co is a great source for seeds!)
Spinach with Sesame Sauce (GF option, V)
Garlicky Sauteed Greens (GF, V)
Supergreen Vegan Kale Pesto (GF, V)
Coconut Curried Collard Greens (GF, V)
Kale Lentil Roasted Beet Salad (GF, V)
Grains
Rice
Gobo and Miso Takikomi Gohan (Burdock and Miso Japanese Mixed Rice) (GF, V without fish cake)
Creamy Vegan Butternut Squash Risotto (w/ Instant Pot option) (GF, V)
Quinoa
Labels
GF = Gluten Free (some adaptation may be required, ex. use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari)
Vg = Vegetarian (may include eggs, dairy)
V = Vegan (or easy to adapt to vegan, like substitute butter for vegan butter)
Cookbooks
Browse your local library for cookbooks - they often have a great selection! You can also request titles, if there is one you’re looking for in particular.
You can also check out my Bookshop for suggestions (many of the books are in local libraries, too!). I also have a few cookbooks in the clinic library to look through!
Quick Tips
Use frozen or precut veggies to speed things along!
Use canned beans and lentils or canned pureed squashes if you’re short on time or energy. (You can find canned Adzuki and black soybeans at Natural Grocers.)
Try out some fresh, high-quality spices to increase the flavor of your food.
Figure out what kitchen tools may help you in the kitchen! Some of my favorites are the Instant Pot, an immersion blender, and a garlic car.
Find inspiration (and ingredients):
I love finding places that source their ingredients or products from small-batch makers, artisans, farmers, and people doing really interesting things - somehow, it seems to make the food taste better! Here are some links to stores and companies that sell some of the ingredients mentioned in the recipes above:
The Japanese Pantry is a great source for high-quality misos, seaweeds, togarashi, and much more. They also sell black sesame paste!
Kim’C Market sells Korean pantry items, including freshly milled Korean-grown rice and Korean millet. You can also find seaweeds, dried mushrooms, and many other condiments.
Yun Hai sells Taiwanese pantry items sourced directly from small farms and artisans in Taiwan. A great source for fermented black beans and gluten-free soy sauces (check ingredients), sesame pastes, and more.
Rancho Gordo heirloom beans (and more!) - a fantastic source for heirloom Mexican ingredients, in addition to their huge collection of heirloom dried beans. If you think beans are boring, this will prove you wrong!
Eden Foods sells a wide variety of imported Japanese foods under their own brand, including seaweeds, umeboshi plums, vinegars, sesame oil, dried mushrooms, and other pantry items (for Des Moines locals - Campbells has a good selection of Eden Foods products!).
Bokksu Market sells a large variety of (primarily) Japanese foods and ingredients (and some housewares).
Milk Street carries a variety of useful ingredients and tools, as well!
Weee! is a one-stop-site for Asian and Hispanic foods.
Yami sells a wide variety of East Asian food and pantry items - they even have a whole category for Chinese-style canned/instant congee!
Well-seasoned food is delicious food! Using fresh spices and seasonings can make a huge difference in the flavor of your food, and trying something new can help spark some creativity when you’re cooking. Here are some spice and condiment companies that have delicious products:
Curio Spice Co. operates as a B-Corp and sources directly from farmers, with an emphasis on women farmers. They carry many difficult-to-find herbs and spices, so check them out if you’re struggling to find something locally!
Diaspora Co. sells insanely fresh, flavorful Indian and SE Asian spices and masalas (spice blends) and pays their partner farmers above-market wages. I sell the Pragati turmeric and Chai Masala in the apothecary!
NY Shuk sells harissas, preserved lemon paste, and amazing spice blends for your Middle Eastern meals. The Shawarma and Za’atar blends are my favorites.
Omsom has amazing sauces - the yuzu miso glaze is one of my favorite meals! You can also find some of their sauces at Target.
Fly By Jing sells iconic Sichuan-style seasonings and chili crisps. You can find some at Target too!
Burlap & Barrel sells a wide variety of ethically sourced spices and seasonings.