Ming Terrace Recipes: 坐月子 Confinement Period Week 2
Week 2, the focus during this time is on 调 gently restoring your Qi and blood. At this stage, we focus on foods and TCM herbs that support the spleen and stomach, helping digestion and nutrient absorption so recovery is smoother and faster. Enjoying nourishing foods and TCM herbs can support your spleen and stomach, improve digestion, and help your body absorb nutrients more effectively. It’s all about giving yourself the care and warmth you need to recover smoothly, just like generations of mothers in our family have done before. These nourishing foods are full of essential nutrients that support a mother’s recovery and help promote healthy milk production during the postpartum healing period.
Breakfast: Confinement Porridge 月子粥
Week 2 we continue the confinement porridge to support overall health. Together, these ingredients are thought to restore energy, nourish blood, and support postpartum recovery.
Millet: Nourishes the spleen, kidney, and stomach.
Black rice: Strengthens kidneys and liver, improves blood circulation, and helps treat anemia.
Pink skin-on peanuts: Nourish the blood and may support lactation.
Adzuki red beans: Strengthen spleen and kidneys, reduce fluid retention, support digestion, and may stimulate milk production.
Chinese red dates (jujubes): Replenish qi and blood, reduce fatigue, and support digestion and sleep.
Longan fruit: Tonifies blood, soothes nerves, and benefits the heart and spleen (optional due to possible constipation).
Ginger: Adds warmth to rebalance the body after childbirth.
Goji berries: Protect the liver, reduce fatigue, and boost immunity.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup millet (小米)
1/4 cup black rice or black glutinous rice (黑米/黑糯米)
1/4 cup raw skin-on peanuts (红衣花生)
1/4 cup red (adzuki) beans (红豆)
6–8 cups water
12 Chinese red dates (红枣), pitted
8 dried longan fruits (optional)
2 slices ginger
2 tablespoons dried goji berries (枸杞)
Instructions:
Rinse millet, black rice, peanuts, and red beans. Soak all grains and nuts in 6–8 cups water for 1–2 hours or overnight.
Cut red dates open to remove pits. Add dates, longan (if using), and ginger to the pot.
Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 1 hour. Avoid stirring too much to prevent sticking.
Turn off heat and let the porridge sit for another hour on the stove.
Stir in goji berries and brown sugar, then simmer 10–15 minutes until porridge reaches your desired thickness.
Lunch: Mee Sau 家常米线湯
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), ginger, sesame oil, and rice wine are all herbal remedy ingredients that help the body recover after childbirth.
Ingredients
1 whole chicken
4 Tbsp black sesame oil
2 oz ginger (sliced with skin on)
2 cups of Shaoxing wine 绍兴酒
2 cups of chicken broth
10 red dates
Instructions
Heat 2 Tbsp sesame oil in a wok. Add sliced ginger and stir-fry until fragrant.
Add chicken pieces and more sesame oil; stir-fry until lightly browned.
Add rice wine and chicken broth and simmer.
Add red dates and bring to a boil.
Season with a pinch of sugar and serve!
Dinner: Silkie Chicken Soup 乌骨鸡汤
An important meal after every birth, every long illness, and during every cold winters, this fragrant Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) soup includes ginger, dong quai, and red dates. It is made with black silkie chicken broth to help restore energy, improve circulation, and strengthen the body. A medicine for the soul.
🐓 Ingredients
1 whole silkie (black) chicken
3 slices fresh ginger
10 Chinese red dates
4 Chinese black dates
¼ cup goji berries
3–4 slices dong quai (Angelica sinensis)
6 chuan xiong
10 astragalus roots (huang qi)
12 small codonopsis roots (dang shen)
🍲 Instructions
1. Place dong quai, chuan xiong, huang qi, and dang shen into a mesh bag for easy removal.
2. Rinse the silkie chicken and remove the head and feet (optional).
3. Bring everything to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for about 1 hour until chicken is tender.
4. Stir in goji berries after cooking and let them soften for a few minutes.