The #1 Secret of Ancient Chinese Cooking
A HIDDEN SECRET?
The basic concept of ancient Chinese cooking is that you lightly and quickly cook your food to make it easier for your body to digest and absorb the nutrients in the food, without destroying the micro-nutrients.
Digestion + Nutrients
How do you know when your vegetables are lightly cooked?
The colors of the vegetables will be brighter and enhanced and the texture will be softer while still slightly crunchy.
By lightly cooking your vegetables (especially hard vegetables), you make it easier for you body to digest them. It is easier for organs such as the stomach and spleen to break the food down once the fermentation process of the food has already begun (cooking food accelerates this process).
Anti-nutrients can also be reduced by cooking and fermentation. Anti-nutrients are compounds that interfere with the absorption of nutrients. Anti-nutrients can be predominant in raw plant foods as a defense mechanism against being eaten, although they are only present in very small amounts.
By lightly cooking and not over cooking your vegetables you do not lose any of the nutrients. Lightly cook or steam your vegetables over a medium to low heat but never boil.
I love to make a quick stir-fry using carrots, cabbage, broccoli, red bell pepper and zucchini!
Liezl Jayne xo
Photograph by Ross Charnock – for liezljayne.com – styled by Liezl Jayne
