Luncheon Meat and Baked Beans

The other day, I posted a picture of Luncheon Meat and Baked Beans I’ve cooked on the HCP Facebook page. It is a very common dish, often cooked at home or found in cooked food stalls. So when it gathered over 50 likes and folks were asking for the recipe, I was surprised. I think it was the camera on my new phone that made it look so good haha.

A overseas Singaporean friend had posted of his take on this dish and we all agreed this is the dish that everyone had and loved when they were kids. Quick, inexpensive and makes you gobble down lots of rice. Now that I am a mom, I came to accept any dish that is fast, easy and get my kids to eat quickly is gem.

Here is my take on this homely dish enjoyed by many of my friends when we were kids.

Luncheon Meat and Baked Beans

1 small carrot – cut into cubes

1 small potato – cut into cubes

Half a tin of luncheon meat – cut into cubes

1 small tin Heinz baked beans

Handful of peas

1-2 tablespoon Lee Kum Kee tomato sauce

Some water

Oil

Black Pepper to taste (estimate 3 turns)

Sugar to taste (estimate 1-2teaspoon)

Method

1. Half cook the carrots and potatoes the HCP with some water (estimate half a mug) and set aside.  

HCP how-to: When cooking potatoes and carrots, close the lid and lock it. Switch on the fire. After it has been boiling for 2-3 min, off the fire. Leave it alone for 5mins or so before opening the lid to check. Cooking time n water is dependent on the type of potato n size of cubed vegetable.

2. Clean up HCP. Lightly coat HCP with oil (estimate half teaspoon). Add luncheon meat cubes and fry til all sides are golden.

HCP how-to: When frying the luncheon meat, heat the pan, lay them flat, close the cover but do not lock it. There is a tiny gap n this prevents moisture forming yet minimize oily fumes from getting into kitchen. Open the lid to check when to flip the cubes. I flipped them individually so all sides are nice and golden.

3.  Add potatoes, carrots, peas and black pepper. Fry for a bit. Add baked beans, tomato sauce, sugar and some water. Mix it up n let it come to a gentle boil. Adjust the taste to your liking.

HCP how-to: After mixing in baked beans, water and sugar, close the lid n lock it. Let it heat through. For this dish, I do not flip n toss the food with the lid closed as doing so spoils the look of the cubes.

This dish is meant to be a topping for rice. Suitable for school lunch boxes. Freezing not recommended.

The luncheon meat can be replaced by hot dogs and it becomes Hot Dogs and Baked Beans. Totally awesome too.

Ngoh Hiang inspired by my late Ah Ma - Recipe in progress

4th quarter of 2014 has been hectic and the 1st quarter of 2015 looks crazy too. I've not been doing much in the kitchen and when I do, it's mostly trying out recipes found in books or online. That's how I unwind from all the crazy 16 hour days.

For this year's Chinese New Year, I'm inspired to cook at least 1 dish from each of the dialect group close to my heart - Hokkien, Teochew and Nonya.

This recipe is inspired by my late paternal grandma, who is a Hokkien Nonya lady who married a true blue Teochew man (my late grandpa) from Swatow. As most Nonyas of her time, her cooking was amazing. Unfortunately, I did not have many chances to be with her when she was in the kitchen. I do not know if able to recreate even a fraction of the taste of  Ah Ma's Ngor Hiang but I continue my research and keep trying. Thus this recipe is a work in progress.

The recipe here is a result of what I heard from my parents, recipes I saw in books and a little of everything I have learn from my own cooking. It has got the stamp of approvals from the picky tasters in my family, namely Dad, Mum and my 2 kids. In addition, Hubby polished off 2 whole Ngor Hiang on his own. That's what makes this recipe a keeper for me.

Ngoh Hiang inspired by Ah Ma for my family
Ingredients A
300g minced pork
20g pork liver (optional)
6-8 prawns deshelled

Ingredients B
1/2 yellow onion - diced
1/2 medium size carrot (optional) - grated
5 water chestnuts - chopped into cubes 0.5cm by 0.5cm
1 egg - save some egg white as glue for the rolls
1/2 tablespoon bread crumbs
2 tablespoon water

Ingredients C 
Oil
Beancurd Skin - Cut into the size you like your rolls. I cut mine approx 7 in by 9 in. One packet gives 9 sheets. Before wrapping, rinse 1 piece in a big container of water and gently wipe.

Seasoning 
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 teaspoon sugar
3 teaspoon five spice powder. Use more or less according to preference
a few dashes of white pepper
a pinches of salt

Method
Stir fry onion in oil til it is translucent and set aside.
Stir fry carrots in oil til it is almost cooked and set side.
Mince ingredients A together on a chopping board til it is finely minced and well mixed together. Place ingredients A into a big bowl.
Add in ingredients B and the seasoning to ingredients A and mix them well. This is our meat mixture.
Prepare the beancurd skin by cutting them to the size required and wiping both sides with a damn cloth.
Place meat mixture near the bottom end of the beancurd sheet, leaving an inch space from the edges. Lift the bottom end over the meat and fold the sides in. Continue rolling and seal the ends with the reserved egg white.
Lightly oil the steaming tray and put the meat rolls in. Do not let the meat rolls touch each other or the sides of the tray. The steaming tray should have holes to allow the cooking liquid to escape.
Steam meat rolls for 10mins.
Let it cool complete on a tray (I used the cooking rake for my cookies).
Deep fry the meat rolls til beancurd skin is golden brown.
Slice and serve with your favorite sauces. I use a sweet flour sauce.

The meat rolls can be frozen for 1-2 weeks. Reheat them using a toaster or over pan.

Apple Pork Soup for baby & preschooler

As #2 moves into stage 2 of weaning, I start to find myself exploring recipes that is suitable for both a baby and a pre-schooler. Time is a constraint as #2 transforms from a sleep all day baby to a nap for 30 minutes super light sleeper. To add to the challenge, #1 is a very picky eater who insists on eating the same thing everyday.

Today, I've decided to try out noobcook's recipe Apple Pork Rib Soup with some tweaks of my own to make it baby friendly. The original recipe is found here: http://www.noobcook.com/apple-soup/.

Here's my version of Apple Pork Soup for baby & preschooler.

Ingredients
300g pork for soup - I used 龙肉 aka 龙骨. A wet market vendor will know what this is.
3 red organic apples
1 onion
1.2 liters of water

Method
Thermos Thermal Cooker

Time
10 mins prep, 6 hours total. Time away from baby - 15 mins.

Quarter and removed the core of 3 apples. Quarter and remove outer layer of the onion. Bleach pork in hot water and set aside. Place all ingredients and water into the thermal cooker's inner pot. Bring to a boil for 10mins then lower the fire to a small boil for another 20mins. Remove from heat and place pot into thermal cooker and wait for 5-6hours. Before serving, bring to a boil for 10mins.

I would do this at night after the kids are asleep and the soup will be ready in the early morning for me to convert it onto what the menu was for the day or served as-is with a pinch of salt for #1.

The result was 2 happy kids who wolfed down their lunch and a very satisfied mummy.

Macaroni and Cheese

I've always loved Mac n Cheese. So when the time came to test recipes on my picky eater #1, I decided give Mac n Cheese a go. First recipe test was Annabel Karmel's Macaroni & Cauli Cheese. #1 loved it, #2 was allowed a lick n wanted more. But the Daddy refused to touch it, calling it baby food.

So when Ina Garten started cooking her Mac and Cheese on TV, I thought "why not"? I've got the cheese (v expensive!) and #1 did say "I want cheese sauce" for dinner.

I followed Ina's method, added in Annabel's cauliflower and came up with a "Daddy thumbs up" recipe.

Here it is, my Macaroni Cheese with hidden Cauliflower.

250g macaroni (I used chifferi rigati)
handful of cauliflower, cut into florets
150ml milk
2 dessert spoon corn flour
2 dessert spoon butter for the sauce
1 dessert spoon butter for the bread crumbs (optional)
3 slices of white bread, crust removed (optional)
3 oz Gruyere, grated
3 oz Mature Chedder, grated
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Water

Cook macaroni and cauliflower til al dente. While that is happening, grate the gruyere and chedder til you get 2 oz each.
Drain the macaroni and blend the cauliflower with a little water.
Add milk and cauliflower in a saucepan and heat (do not boil).
In a non-stick pan, melt 2 dessert spoon butter and add corn flour. Mix and cook over low heat for a minute. Pour heated milk into the butter/flour mixture and mix over low heat til it is slightly thickened.
Switch off the heat and add grated cheese, salt and pepper. Mix til cheese is melted.
Add macaroni and mix. Put macaroni in a baking tin if you are making the topping. If not, dish and serve.

For the topping, make bread crumbs by adding white bread to chopper/food processor. In a pan, melt 1 dessert spoon of butter and add the bread crumb. Mix and top the macaroni.

Put into oven and set it to grill on high for 2-3mins or til bread crumbs are golden brown. Dish and serve!

Serves: 1 Preschooler and 1 Hungry Daddy
Time: 45mins

Preschooler Rating: Thumbs Up
Hungry Daddy Rating: Thumbs Up

Links to Recipes that inspired me.
Annabel Karmel's Macaroni & Cauli Cheese
Ina Garten's Mac and Cheese