Winter melon is known to be effective for weight loss, and duck meat is easily digestible. "Braised Winter Melon with Duck" is a common dish in northern China. The main ingredients are winter melon and duck, which have the effects of nourishing the stomach, nourishing yin, promoting diuresis, and reducing swelling. It is mainly made by braising.
【Ingredients】
Winter melon (300g), prepared duck meat (500g), ginger, green onion, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, dried chili pepper, cooking wine.
【Steps】
1. Wash the duck meat and drain it, then cut it into pieces. Peel and wash the winter melon, and cut it into slices about 2 centimeters thick. Slice the ginger, cut the green onion into sections, and shred the dried chili pepper.
2. Put some water in a pot, add the duck meat, a few slices of ginger and green onion, and a little cooking wine. Turn on the heat (do not cover the pot) and blanch the duck meat until it changes color. Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the pot, rinse off the blood foam on the surface with clean water, and drain.
3. Heat a pan with a little oil (if the duck meat is fatty, you can skip the oil), add the duck meat, and stir-fry until it changes color and releases oil.
4. Add cooking wine, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce (one teaspoon each), and a suitable amount of salt. Stir-fry until the meat is evenly colored.
5. Add the winter melon, ginger slices, green onion sections (white part), and dried chili pepper. Stir-fry until well mixed.
6. Add hot water that covers the ingredients in the pot. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer until there is only a little broth left in the pot. Remove the lid, add the green part of the green onion, and stir-fry before serving.
【Nutritional Value】
Duck meat has a low melting point for fatty acids and is easily digestible. It contains more B vitamins and vitamin E compared to other meats, which can effectively resist beriberi, neuritis, various inflammations, and also has anti-aging effects. Duck meat is rich in niacin, which is one of the components of two important coenzymes in the human body and has a protective effect on patients with heart diseases such as myocardial infarction.
【4 Benefits of Eating Winter Melon Seeds】
1. Reducing fat and losing weight
The malic acid in winter melon can effectively control the conversion of sugars in the body into fat, prevent fat accumulation, and consume excess fat in obesity, which has a good effect on preventing and treating hypertension, atherosclerosis, and weight loss. The dietary fiber content in winter melon is very high, which can effectively improve blood sugar levels. In addition, dietary fiber can also reduce cholesterol, lower blood lipids, and prevent atherosclerosis.
2. Beauty and skincare
The winter melon seeds contain oleic acid, which can inhibit the deposition of melanin in the body and have good moisturizing and beautifying effects. In addition, the protein and cucurbitacin in winter melon seeds can moisturize the skin, and also inhibit the formation of melanin.
3. Diuresis and reducing swelling
Winter melon is rich in various amino acids, and the content in the seeds and peel is higher than that in the flesh. These substances can help the body eliminate free ammonia toxicity and have diuretic and anti-swelling effects. The rough fiber in winter melon can stimulate intestinal peristalsis and quickly eliminate carcinogens accumulated in the intestines.
4. Clearing heat and relieving summer heat
Winter melon has a cold nature and a sweet taste, which can clear heat, generate body fluids, and relieve irritability. It is especially suitable for consumption in summer, and is often used for edema and bloating caused by physical weakness.
