Colors of health

As summer fades with the tans, it's time to booster up for winter with food that puts color in yourcheeks and a sparkle in your eyes. Pauline D. Loh shares her recipes.

Got your flu shots yet? As the weather cools and the days alternate between cold and dry andcold and wet, the viruses are waking from their hibernation. This may be John Keat's season ofmellow fruitfulness, but it's Beijing's season of sniffles and sneezes.

One way to avoid an uncomfortable transition into the winter cold is to make sure your body isequipped to fight off the bugs. That means making an extra effort to eat more greens, yellowsand oranges.

Your shopping list should include lots of green vegetables like spinach, mustard greens andbroccoli. Add color to the basket with bunches of yellow or red cherry tomatoes or huge globesof the bigger reds, and, finally, add a bunch of carrots and a large pumpkin.

Modern food gurus all agree that we should eat more vegetables and fruits, and use meat onlysparingly. The Chinese have been eating healthily for the last 10,000 years, and our diet isbased mainly on grains or cereals, plenty of vegetables and a supplement of meat that is usedto add flavor and as seasoning.

Of course for us, it was always been a matter of economy and sustainability, even though thathas suddenly become the trend all over the world as urban diseases pop up more and more. InChina, thankfully, we are not yet so far removed from traditional cooking and eating, and if wekeep our guard up, we probably will continue to be relatively healthy.

Green vegetables should be cooked, but lightly so. The best way is to do a stir-fry, a flashcooking method that uses hot oil infused with an aromatic that quickly cooks and flavors thevegetables.

Many Western cooks pile too much into a small pan and try to stir-fry. That will only stew thevegetables. You need a large frying pan, preferably a Chinese wok, and the vegetables mustnever be more than one-third of the capacity. That gives you the space and freedom to toss frythe food, a crucial element in stir-frying.

Another secret to stir-frying is the use of what I call the "aromatics". The most commonly usedare chopped or minced garlic, finely shredded ginger and chopped shallots or small red onions.

Stir-frying is all about quick cooking in minutes, so the only requirement is to prepare all youringredients waiting, stove-side. Vegetables must be thinly sliced, and of even lengths andthickness so the whole lot cooks evenly.

Heat up the wok, add oil and then toss in the chopped garlic, letting it bubble merrily until itstarts to turn color. Add your vegetables and toss until the color turns glossy green. Quicklyseason with salt or soy sauce. It's ready, and you should remove it onto the plate. Remember,residual heat will continue to cook the greens.

Both carrots and pumpkins advertise their goodness with their color, and the bright orangeindicates the presence of the antioxidant beta-carotene - a plant carotenoids that converts tovitamin A in the body. Research indicates that beta-carotene may reduce the risk of developingcertain types of cancer and offers protection against heart disease, and some degenerativeaspects of aging.

Pumpkin is also a good source of vitamins C, K and E, and includes minerals like magnesium,potassium and iron.

Here are a few recipes that will add color to your cooking, and I'll be happy to answer anyquestions you have if you email me at paulined@chinadaily.com.cn.

Recipe: Roasted pumpkin wedges

Ingredients (serves 4):

400 g pumpkin, scrubbed and cut into wedges, skin on

50 g butter, or 2 tbsp olive oil

1 red chili, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, skinned and minced

1 small bunch coriander

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Scrub the pumpkin, remove seeds and cut into wedges.

2. Pre-heat oven to 180 C.

3. Butter or oil a deep baking pan and place pumpkin wedges in it.

4. Dot with butter or drizzle with olive oil, scatter with minced garlic, cut chili and choppedcoriander. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

5. Bake for 25 minutes until pumpkins are tender and slightly scorched around the edges.Serve as a side dish or a vegetarian meal.

Food note:

If your oven gets overly hot, sprinkle a tablespoon of water over the pumpkins to keep themtender and prevent them drying out.

Recipe: Pumpkin jiaozi(Dumplings)

Ingredients (serves 2):

400 g pumpkin, skinned

200 g minced pork or lamb

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp cooking wine

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Pepper

20 dumpling wrappers

Method:

1. Season the minced meat with the sesame oil, soy sauce, wine and pepper. Mix well and putaside to marinate while you grate the pumpkin.

2. Finely grate the pumpkin and mix it into the seasoned mince. Add the tablespoon of oil.

3. Wrap the dumplings and lay them neatly on a floured tray.

4. You can either fry them into pot-stickers, or cook them in boiling water and serve with avinegar and garlic or ginger dip.

Food note:

It's much easier to buy the dumpling wrappers, but you can also make your own and roll themout. I find dumpling making is fast food only if you have a stash of ready-made wrappers waitingin the chiller. Keep your wrappers tightly wrapped in cling film. I divide my wrappers into stacksof 10s or 20s for easy reference.

Recipe: Pumpkin rice pudding

Ingredients (serves 4 to 6):

600 g pumpkin, skinned

100 g Yunnan ham, finely diced

100 g dried shrimp

6 dried Chinese shiitake mushrooms, soaked

Salt and pepper

1 cup rice flour

2 cups water

Method:

1. Grate the pumpkin and set aside.

2. Pick through the dried shrimp to remove any hard bits of shell or the occasional grit.

3. When the mushrooms are softened, dice them.

4. Heat up some oil in a deep frying pan and stir-fry the dried shrimp, diced mushrooms andYunnan ham until lightly fragrant.

5. Add the grated pumpkin and toss to mix.

6. Add the water to the rice flour and stir well. Pour this slurry onto the grated pumpkin mixtureand stir over medium heat until thickened.

7. Pour mixture into a well-oiled baking tray and steam over high heat for an hour, making sureyou replenish the steamer with plenty of hot water to keep the water level from going dry.

8. Let cool after steaming so the rice pudding settles and hardens. Slice and serve hot.

9. If you like, you can also cut up the rice pudding and fry the slices so they crisp up along theedges.

Food note:

This is a very typical Fujianese snack. Pumpkins, or golden melon, are very much a staplevegetable along the coastal regions of south China and used widely in the cuisine. This goldenpumpkin cake is prepared during festivities, such as the Lunar New Year, the birth of agrandchild or the birthday of a venerable member of the family.

Recipe: Indian pumpkin curry

Ingredients (serves 4):

500 g butternut pumpkin, cut into large cubes

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 stalk fresh or 1 tbsp dried curry leaves (kurupillai) (optional)

1 red chili, split lengthwise

2 green chili, split lengthwise

500 ml coconut milk (or low-fat evaporated milk)

Method:

1. Heat up a little oil and fry mustard seeds and cumin until the spices pop. Add curry leavesand fry until they turn color and crisp.

2. Add pumpkin cubes and toss to coat. Add turmeric and chili powders and stir to combine.

3. Pour in the coconut milk and simmer until pumpkin is tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Do not boil or coconut milk will split and curdle. Season with salt and add the chili toward theend of cooking.

4. Serve hot, with rice or Indian breads.