It’s time for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), nourishing Fall recipes! 

The Fall equinox is around the corner and Starbucks has already brought back the pumpkin spice latte. You might have noticed the shift in the seasons already as our bodies usually sense the change in nature before our minds do. Plants and crops have slowed their growing phase and are starting to draw inward and ripen instead. A cool breeze is becoming more common, and we find ourselves less inclined towards cold drinks and foods. 

TCM believes that in fall, as grains ripen for harvesting, there is a pivot from growing outwards (more yang energy), to drawing inwards (more yin energy) both in nature and in the body. To stay healthy through this season, resting with the sunset and rising with the dawn is recommended. The fall season also makes us more vulnerable to feelings of grief and depression. Doing things that serve us and help us remain calm and peaceful will set us up for a smooth transition between seasons. Practice deep breathing and keep your neck covered with a scarf to help promote a calm mind and prevent a dry cough!

Most importantly, eat foods that nourish and moisten your body!

We’ve compiled a few awesome and simple TCM nourishing Fall recipes that will help you feel cozy and strong. 

Ginger and Green Onion Congee

You can’t do Fall without congee! Here’s Eden’s go-to recipe. 

Ingredients: 

1-2 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger (peeled and minced)

¼ cup of sticky or glutinous rice. Normal white rice is also okay!

2 ½ -3 cups of water (you can always add more if you like your congee more runny)

3 green onions (sliced into ¼ inch pieces)

Directions:

1. Wash rice thoroughly in cold water until water runs clear. 
2. Combine ginger, rice, and water in a small pot and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes while partially covered or until the congee is at your desired consistency. Stir occasionally to keep it from sticking to the bottom. 
3. Turn off heat and add green onion and stir. 
4. Season with rice vinegar, a bit of soy sauce, or sesame oil and enjoy!

Poached Pears

Adapted from acupuncturist Elizabeth Hazzard and our Qi Gong teacher Liu He: Here’s Laura’s take on Poached Pears.

Ingredients:

2-4 Asian pears or regular pears (peeled, cut off the top about a 1/2 inch from the stem, scoop the core out with a melon baller)

1 tsp-Tbsp of Honey per pear

Water

Juice of 1 lemon

Zest of 1 lemon

3  Slices of peeled fresh ginger

1  Cinnamon stick

1  Cardamom pod or a dash of cardamom

Directions:

1. Fill the hole of the cored pear with honey and attach “the lid” of the pear to the base with toothpicks.
2. Put the pears and pear peels in the pot along with lemon juice, lemon zest, fresh ginger slices, the cinnamon stick and cardamom. Cover pears with water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes and remove the pears when they’re soft.
3. Remove pears from the pot and add 2-4 more cups of water to the poaching liquid and boil for 10 more minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes before straining the solids out of the liquid.
4. Eat the pear when it is warm. Drink the poaching liquid throughout the day.

Spinach and Egg Drop Soup 

Referenced from Nutritional Healing with Chinese Medicine; makes 4 servings. 

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Avocado Oil

2 Green onions cut into 1-inch pieces

½ cup Cherry tomatoes, cut in half

½ cup of rice wine like sake

8 oz spinach, trimmed

3 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce

2 Large eggs, beaten

4 cups water

Directions: 

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add green onions and cook, stirring for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add cherry tomatoes and rice wine, cook for 3 minutes. 
2. Stir in 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, stir in spinach and tamari and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes or until spinach is wilted. 
3. Turn off the heat. Gently drizzle eggs around the edge of the pain into the soup, stirring once or twice until the egg is just cooked. 
4. Ladle into serving bowls and enjoy!

In addition to the recipes, try incorporating the following ingredients in your meals!

Foods for nourishing Fall recipes:

-Fresh Ginger

-Garlic

-Cinnamon

-Spinach

-Okra

-Almonds

-Seeds and Soybeans (if you can tolerate them)

-Grapes

-Apples

-Adzuki beans

-Tofu

-Mushrooms (like shiitake, oyster, and crimini)

-Chicken, lamb, beef

-Whole oats, millet, and rice

-Onions

-Leeks

Foods to Avoid:

-Overly fatty, greasy and oily foods

-Foods in their raw form, excess dairy and cold foods

-Processed and artificial sugars

I hope you enjoy incorporating these foods and recipes this Fall season! If you’d like to read more on Fall and the Autumn season, check out our previous blog post here.