A 3-course menu for your Yin - my 3 favorite recipes from "Cooking for Yin" on Facebook

At the beginning of 2017 we cooked for Yin on Facebook and there were hundreds at this challenge, thank you for that!

Here I would like to introduce you to my 3 favorite recipes from the Facebook Challenge, from which you can put together an entire menu that specifically strengthens your yin.

If you can't do anything with this term, you can find more information here:

Yin and Yang - do I need that at all? And what does that have to do with my food?

5 habits that harm your yin



You can also simply cook the recipes because they taste good, yin or not. :)

Soup: Black lentil soup
Wash black lentils (beluga lentils) well in cold water, then bring to the boil in double the amount of cold water
Peel a quarter tuber of celery, cut into small pieces and add to the lentils
Cook the spices: ground coriander, cumin, a pinch of fenugreek seeds (ground), herbs of Provence (according to taste)
Cook until soft for about half an hour, add a shot of tomatoes at the end
Salt well and puree everything with a dash of whipped cream
season with lemon and cress and enjoy
Cooking tip:
If you react to flatulent lenses, you can try the following to make them more digestible:

Soak them for a few hours and then pour the soaking water away, the bloating substances are in there. Or boil a teaspoon of algae (they promote the digestibility of legumes and are also good for yin). The above-mentioned spices also help, as well as caraway seeds, cardamom and a small piece of fresh ginger root (boil too).

TCM tip for digestion:
If you cannot digest something well (flatulence, abdominal pressure, diarrhea ...), your body can also build blood, juices and substance, i.e. yin, with difficulty. Pay attention to the signals from your body and only eat what is good for you. It's a myth that flatulence after legumes is normal!


Main course: Polenta slices with bean hummus and avocado
Stir in the polenta in double the amount of boiling water, let it boil for about 10 minutes at a low temperature (stir often, it gets on easily)
Salt the polenta well and add a dash of olive oil
Spread out polenta on a large board or baking sheet and let it dry for at least 1 hour
Put 1 can of kidney beans in a colander and wash off well
Put a good handful of parsley with the beans in a bowl
with a little olive oil, cumin, coriander, fenugreek seeds (all ground), salt well
Halve a soft avocado lengthways, remove the core and use a spoon to remove the pulp
add an avocado half to the beans
Puree beans and avocado and parsley with a hand blender
Season the bean hummus with lemon

Cover the polenta pizza with chopped tomatoes (from the package), herbs from Provence and salt, rub parmesan over it
Cut the pieces of the polenta pizza and fry them in a coated pan in a little olive oil for 7 minutes (or bake in a tube)
Arrange and enjoy everything together!
Cooking tip:
The polenta pizza can be prepared very well! I just cook the polenta in the morning and then just leave it there until noon or evening. Then simple chinese food recipes tip it onto a board or plate and cut cuts. Then cover and briefly into the pipe or pan. The whole thing stays in the fridge for a few days.

TCM tip:
The tomatoes are very cooling, but they get warmer through cooking / baking and are then only gently cooling. The nice thing about yin: They are very moisturizing and therefore perfect for a dry stomach (e.g. heartburn, gastritis) and dry constipation. However, they should be used with caution if you are sensitive to histamine.

Dessert: couscous with chestnut cream
You can also eat this sweet dish as breakfast or in the afternoon if you are hungry - it will be ready in 5 minutes!


Season the couscous with bourbon vanilla (black powder), pour double the boiling water over it and let it steep for 5 minutes (approx. 2-3 tablespoons of couscous per serving).
Put 100 gr chestnuts (ready, out of the pack) with 1/2 banana, 4 soft dates (possibly soak in water beforehand), 1 teaspoon honey and approx. 3 tablespoons water in a container.
Puree everything until it is a nice cream.
Arrange together, add a dollop of berry jam.
Tip: You can also leave out the honey, the cream will also be very sweet. The recipe is flexible, you could use avocado (less sweet) or coconut milk or tofu instead of banana. Just throw it together and puree it.

TCM tip:
Chestnuts are considered very valuable in traditional Chinese medicine. They strengthen both the yin and the yang and also nourish our jing, which is the essence that we get from our parents (comparable to the genes). There are few foods that feed the jing.