Chicken Rice Using Happy Call Pan

My inspiration of this dish came from my boy who loves to eat chicken rice but he hates those bits and pieces of crashed garlic or ginger that are hidden in between the rice which some of the chicken rice stalls added. So in order to let him enjoy his favourite food and at the same time prepared it in a more healthier way by reducing the oil and salt used, I decided to incorporate my HCP Claypot Rice method into this cooking this dish.

And to cut short the cooking process and get everything ready for meal in a quicker time, Happy Call Pan (HCP) method definitely comes in handy for those who owns one. But don't worry if you don't because you still can apply this recipe using your rice cooker(use broth according to rice cooker method) as well as normal claypot which would produce similar result too.

STEAMED CHICKEN RICE

(using Happy Call Pan)

My Happy Call Pan version of Steamed Chicken Rice which is done in less than 30 minutes.

(Serves: 2- 3 |       Preparation: 5 minutes |        Cooking: 25 minutes)

Ingredients:
1/2 Portion of Chicken, around 500 - 550g
3/4 Teaspoon of Sea Salt
3/4 - 1 Tablespoon of Ginger Juice
1.5 Cup Cooked Long Grain Rice
3 Cups Chicken Broth(refer to the broth recipe below)
1 Stall of Lemon Grass, cut into 2 sections and lightly pound
4 Garlic Cloves, lightly pound
3 Slices of Ginger
1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
2 Knots of Pandan Leaves

Method:-

1. Clean and rinse the chicken, pat dry with kitchen paper towel and rub the sea salt all over the chicken together with the ginger juice(the marinade helps to tenderise the meat of the chicken during cooking).

2. At the meantime, rinse the rice thrice and drained well. Add 1 teaspoon of sesame oil in the Happy Call Pan (HCP), saute the garlic, ginger and lemon grass till fragrant, stir in the drained rice together with the pandan leaves, 1/4 teaspoon salt and continue to pan-fry for another 1 to 2 minutes till the rice is fragrant and dry(grains can be seen separated individually).

3. Slowly pour in the chicken broth and give the mixture a quick stir. Cover the pan(don't lock) and let the mixture simmer on the lowest heat for about 3 - 5 minutes till the soup broth reduce by half.

4. Next open the HCP, place the marinated chicken on top of the rice. Cover(lock) and continue to simmer for another 15 - 20minutes depend on the size of the chicken. (try pushing a skewer or chopstick into the flesh of the drumstick if the juices run clear out of the hole its cooked)

5. Off the heat and the chicken rest in the HCP for another 5 minutes before serving.

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Tips:-

~ Use the same measuring cup(from the rice cooker) to measure both the rice and broth for this recipe.

~ 4 Chicken Drumsticks or 6 wings can be used to replace 1/2 portion of the chicken according to your preferences.

CHICKEN CABBAGE SOUP

This is one of my favourite childhood soup which my great-grandmother used to cook together with her signature Hainanese Chicken Rice. Often she would choose between using Napa Cabbage or just normal Cabbage together with some minced meatballs or fish balls to enhance the flavour of the soup. And since then, this is one of my favourite soup which I would cooked to go with my chicken rice.

(Makes: 1.5 Litres      | Preparation: 5 minutes         | Cooking: 20 - 25 minutes)

Ingredients:
1 Medium Size Napa Cabbage (Chinese Cabbage)
2 Chicken Drumstick or 3 Sets Chicken Bones
2 Slices of Ginger
4 Garlic Cloves
2 Stall of Spring Onion, cut into sections
1 Teaspoon of Cooking Oil
1.8 Litre of Water
Some Fish balls, optional

Method:-

1. Remove the leaves of the Napa Cabbage, rinse with water and cut it into thick slices. Set aside.

2. Using a medium stock pot, saute garlic, ginger and spring onion with 1 teaspoon of cooking oil until fragrant. Add in half portion of the Napa Cabbage and fry till almost wilted.

3. Add in water and bring the mixture to boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes and you can use some of the stock for cooking the chicken rice above and reserve the rest for later use.

4. Before serving the soup with the chicken rice above, bring it to boil and add in the remaining cabbage and fish balls if using and let it simmer for about 5 minutes, season with salt and it's ready to be served.

In about 30 minutes of time, you can enjoy a pan of quick and easy homemade chicken rice which is healthy, less greasy and plus points are you don't need to do a lot of washing for this. For more short-cuts method, you can even replace the chicken broth with water or ready bought stock broth(eg: Swanson Chicken Broth) from the supermarkets.

Hope you would enjoy my version of Steamed Chicken Rice which is prepared using Happy Call Pan. For more recipe on using Happy Call Pan you can refer to the link HERE.

Bibimbap ( 비빔밥)

Bibimbap(비빔밥) which means "mixed rice" is a healthy and hearty everyday dish that consists of steamed rice, vegetables and meat. And before the rice is placed in the bowl, the bottom of the bowl is coated with sesame oil making the layer of the rice forms a crispy crust at the bottom(a bit similar to our Asian Claypot Rice) while the dish is often serve with a dollop of gochujang.

BIBIMBAP

(비빔밥)

There are a few common of vegetables used in Bibimbap such as julienne cucumber or zucchini, mushrooms, soy bean sprouts, carrots, spinach and etc. And if for health reason or personal preference, beef can often be substituted with chicken or seafood too.

(Serves: 2          | Preparation: 15 minutes          | Cooking: 15 - 20 minutes)

Ingredients:
2 Serving Portions of Cooked White Rice
4 Medium Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms, cut into thin slices
60g Bean Sprout
1 Small Carrot, julienne
1 Small Zucchini, julienne
100g Spinach, blanched
Some Cabbage Kimchi, optional
2 Eggs
3 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped

Drizzling Sauce:
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1/2 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds
Pinch of Salt

To Serve:
Gochujang/Bibimbap Paste
1 Teaspoon Toasted Sesame Seeds
Extra Sesame Oil

Method:-

1. Fill a medium saucepan or pot with water and bring to boil. Blanch the spinach for about 1 minute, drain, rinse with cold water and squeeze out any excess liquid.

2. Roughly cut spinach into section and add in half of the drizzling sauce and mix well. Set aside.

3. Repeat the same produce as above with the bean sprouts.

4. Add 1 teaspoon of sesame oil in a small frying pan/saucepan, saute the zucchini with some chopped garlic till zucchini soften. Remove and set aside.

5. Repeat the step with carrot and mushrooms, keeping them separate.

6. Using individual heatproof casserole dish, grease inside lightly with some sesame oil, add 1 portion of the rice and place over high heat for 3 minutes to sear the rice.

7. At the meantime, prepare the pan and fry the sunny-side up egg.

8. To serve, remove casserole from heat, place egg in the center and arrange the prepared vegetables alternatively around the egg. Sprinkle with extra sesame seeds and sesame oil, serve immediately with some gochujang paste on the side.

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NOTE:-

~ If you have time, prepared all the side vegetables ahead in the morning and keep them in the fridge so that you would be able to get the dish ready in 10 minutes during lunch or dinner.

Often a raw/fried egg together with sliced meat (usually beef) are the two commonly additions to Bibimbap but for my version, I have adapted most of the common ingredients except meat which I have left out for this recipe. To start the meal, just give the mixture a few stirs to combine the ingredients and enjoy.

Happy Call Pan Recipes - Baked Sweet Potato, Sizzling Tofu and Claypot Rice

It's Happy Call Pan(HCP) recipes again! As I have mentioned before this is an "IN" kitchen gadget which is it one of the hot discussion topic in forum and facebook. With it's quick and easy pressure cooking method, this pan has won the hearts of many people especially homemakers who aim to cook healthier dishes for the family.

In this post I would be sharing another 3 recipes using this HCP to Bake Sweet Potato, cook Sizzling Tofu and our favourite Claypot Rice(without using claypot).

BAKED SWEET POTATO

Who can resists these pipping hot yummy sweet potato especially in raining days. With the help of Happy Call pan you could easily baked a few of these for breakfast, snack or supper. And it taste just as good as those baked using charcoal whenever you had BBQ or those baked Taiwan golden sweet potato. So for a change, rather than steaming your favourite sweet potato, perhaps you could try using this easy HCP method.

(serves: 2 - 4 | Preparation: 5 minutes | Cooking: 20 - 25 minutes)

Ingredients: 
4 - 6 Medium Japanese Sweet Potato

Method:-

1. Scrub and clean the dirt on the outer skin of  the sweet potato. Pat dry with kitchen paper towel and arrange it in the Happy Call Pan.

2. Cover, lock and cook over lower heat for about 20 minutes(depending on the size of the sweet potato, sometime you might need more than 20 minutes to cook it), flipping every 5 minutes to evenly cooked from both sides.

3. When times up, open the pan and test it with a skewer insert to check whether the sweet potato has cooked through(usually when cooked, the outer skin will be slightly char-grilled black in colour) and soften.

Some readers from Facebook do share with me that whenever they baked sweet potato using HCP it tends to have some black residue on the pan whereas I don't really encounter that. Perhaps that might due to the sugar content from the varies of sweet potato used which breaks out and stick to the pan when heated. In this case, one of my friend told me that we could actually line the pan with aluminum foil to facilitate the cleaning.

SIZZLING TOFU

This Sizzling Tofu is quite similar to the Hotplate Tofu(铁板豆腐) that we often ordered from those Cze Cha(煮炒摊) stalls. But my version was rather simple without the minced meat, prawns and sauce.

(serves: 2-3 | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 10 minutes)

Ingredients:
1 Tube of Egg Tofu
2 - 3 Fresh Shittake Mushroom, cut into thick slices
1/2 Small Carrot, cut into slices
1 Pack Sweet Peas
2 Eggs, light beaten
2 Slices of Ginger
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon of Cornflour
Some chopped Spring Onion And Chilli

Seasoning:
1/2 Teaspoon Chicken Powder
Splash of Cooking Wine

Method:-

1. Cut the tofu into equal pieces(around 6 - 8 pieces), lightly coat them with cornflour and set aside.

2. Preheat HCP on low heat for 1 minute, drizzle 1 teaspoon of oil in the pan, arrange the prepared tofu on the pan, cover and lock.

3. Fry tofu for 2 minutes(flip after 1 minute) or till slight golden brown. Remove and set aside.

4. Next add in 1/2 tablespoon of oil, add in minced garlic, ginger, mushroom and carrot. Lock and cook on low heat for 1 minute, open and add in sweet peas together with 1/2 teaspoon of chicken powder and splash of cooking wine, give a quick stir and cook for another 1 minute.

5. Lastly, arrange the cooked tofu in the pan, slowly drizzle beaten egg around the ixture. Cover the pan and cook for 20 - 30 seconds depending on your preference. (the egg mixture will continue to cook due to the heat of the pan so do not overcook the egg)

6. Turn off the heat, remove the pan and serve hot with some extra spring onion, freshly ground black pepper and cut chilli scattered on top.

As you can see my sizzling tofu was rather simple as my boy don't prefer sauce and minced meat in his egg and tofu dish. But if you want something similar to those sold in the cze cha stall you could add in minced meat in Steps 4 above together with some oyster sauce and water(to create the sauce).

CLAYPOT RICE

This was a last minute dish using HCP as I meant to cook this using claypot until I realise it was gone from my kitchen cabinet(I must have thrown it away during spring cleaning). So with all the ingredients marinated and prepared, I have no choice but to find another method to prepare our lunch.

And thank God, I managed to replicate this dish using HCP(at first I still double whether could it be done) in less than 20 minutes. Below is the recipe for this claypot rice which is one of the Chinese New Year dish using Arrowhead(Cigu - 钱菇).

(serves: 2-3 | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 20 minutes)

Ingredients: 
2 De-boned Chicken Drumstick, cut into bite size
3 - 4 Arrowhead (Cigu), skin removed and cubed
4 Fresh Shittake Mushrooms,
2 Small Preserved Chinese Sausage, skin removed and cut into slices
Some Baby Bok Choy
2 Slices Ginger
3 Clove Garlic
1/2 Teaspoon Chicken Powder
1 Cup Uncooked Rice, rinse
1 1/2 Cup Water
1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
Some Dark Soya Sauce

Method:-

1. Preheat HCP over low heat, add in 1 teaspoon of oil together with garlic and ginger and saute for 10 seconds before adding in the mushrooms. cover and cook for 1 minute.

2. Open the pan, add in baby bok choy together with chicken powder cover and cook for another 1 minute.

3. Open the pan give the vegetables a quick stir, and remove them onto a plate.

4. Add in the uncooked rice(which has been rinse a few times) together with water and arrowhead cubes, cover(lock) and simmer over low heat for about 3 - 5 minutes till the water almost adsorb.

5. Next arrange the marinated chicken, Chinese sausage and mushroom on top of the rice, cover(lock) and cook for another 5 minutes till the chicken is cooked through and done.

6. Lastly, turn off the heat, open the pan, arrange the bok choy on the side drizzle some sesame oil and dark soya sauce over the rice mixture. Cover and stands the rice for another 5 minutes before serving.

It amazing how HCP could actually produce a moist and yet a bit burnt effect texture(you could see from the photo above the button of the rice which is a bit on the burnt side) of rice just like those serve using Claypot. With this efficient pan, I could cook different kinds of claypot rice dishes in just minutes away before dinner.

Lastly I am submitting this Claypot Rice dish to this month Aspiring Baker #15 - Auspicious Dishes for CNY (January 2012) that is hosted by Wen of Wen's Delight.

[S$20 Budget Meal] Steamed Glutinous Rice Parcel, Stir-fry Spinach and Apple with Dual Fungus Soup

Remember our S$20 Budget Meal event (read more HERE). Here is another set of our quick and budget meal for the week with Steam Glutinous Rice Parcel, Stir-fry Spinach and Apple with Dual Fungus Soup. Even though sometime with a controlled budget, I am sure we still could make something simple into a presentable dish that makes cooking and dining a fun way to live with.

My family simply adores soup irregardless of those quick and easy canned soup, double-boiled herbal soup or any combination of ingredients that I could thought of. But usually my boy will request for his favourite ABC soup because he loves the natural sweet and sour taste of the soup with lot of sweetcorn and potatoes.

APPLE WITH DUAL FUNGUS SOUP

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

5 Medium Size Apple
8 - 10 Big Red Dates
2 - 3 Cluster of Black Fungus
1/2 Cluster of White Fungus
1 Piece of Dried Tangerine Peel, soaked till soften
* 1/2 Piece of Candied Tangerine
350g Lean Pork
1500ml Hot Water

Method:-

1. Soaked apples in warm water for 2 - 3 minutes, give it a good rub, rinse and cut into 6 - 8 wedges per apple depending on it's size.

2. Soak the dried tangerine peel in water till soften, use a small spoon scrapped out the white pith from the peel to prevent bitterness.

3. Blanched the lean pork in boiling water, rinse well and get ready a soup pot with 1.5 litres of water.

4. When the water boils, add in all the ingredients and let it simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes before low the heat and let it simmer for about an hour or so till the fungus are soften and soup is flavourful. OR

5. Add in all ingredients except apples and let the mixture simmer for about 30 - 40 minutes before adding the apples and continue to simmer for another 15 - 20 minutes till the soup is flavour and fragrance.


Note:-
~ As I am using those whole piece, round type of white fungus, I used only half portion for this recipe.

~ For this recipe I add in extra 1/2 pieces of candied tangerine to enhance the taste of the soup.


As most of the readers know, I love to cook soup using different kinds of ingredient and my biggest challenge was the "Double-Boiled Durian Chicken Soup - 榴莲炖鸡汤" which I have made last year. Since I saw some really good and cheap apples in the market, I decided to make this "Apple with Dual Fungus Soup" which cost about S$6.50 with breakdown shown below:-

Cost of Ingredients:
~ 5 Apples = S$2.00
~ Red Dates = S$0.50
~ White and Black Fungus + Dried Tangerine Peel = S$1.00
~ Lean Pork = S$3.00

* I am submitting this to Aspiring Bakers #5 : Fruity March (March 2011) hosted by Jess @ Bakericious.


There are a few types of Asian Spinach available in the supermarkets such as Round Leaves, Long Leaves, Purple Leaves and etc. According to the vegetable seller(s) in the wet market usually different type of spinach is used for different purpose like stir-fry or soup. But despite of all the different varieties, our favourite is still the Round Leaves Spinach.

STIR-FRY SPINACH

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

1 Packet of Round Leave Spinach(苋菜)
15g Dried Whitebaits(银鱼), rinse and drain
1 Tablespoon Oil
3 Cloves of Garlic, skin removed
1 Small Chili, sliced
1/2 Teaspoon Chicken Stock Powder/Dash of salt

Method:-

1. Trim the spinach into leaves and stems, soak it in water for 5 - 10 minutes, rinse twice to get ride of the sand and dirt.

2. Heat up oil in a flying pan, add in whitebaits and fry over low heat till golden brown, remove and set a side.

3. Using the same frying pan, add in garlic cloves, chili and saute till fragrance before adding in the drained vegetables.

4. Give the vegetables a quick stir together with chicken stock powder and stir-fry till leave wilted and cooked. Remove

5. Sprinkle fried whitebaits on top and serve.

This can also be a changeable dish where you can either do a stir-fry or soup version according to your preference.  Total cost for this dish is about S$1.40 with breakdown shown below:-

Cost of Ingredients:
~ 1 Packets of Round Leaves Spinach = S$0.70
~ 15g Dried Whitebaits = S$0.70


Using of dried lotus leaves to wrap and steam this glutinous rice adds-on an extra traditional taste and fragrance to this dish.

STEAM GLUTINOUS RICE IN LOTUS LEAF

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

2 Debone Chicken Drumstick with Thigh, cut into bite sizes
250g Glutinous Rice, soaked overnight
3 Fresh Shittake Mushroom, cut into slices
1 Teaspoon Minced Garlic
1 Stalk of Spring Onion, sliced
2 Pieces of Dried Lotus Leave

Seasonings:
1 Tablespoon Oyster Sauce
1/2 Tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
1/2 Teaspoon Dark Soy Sauce
1/2 Tablespoon Cooking Wine
1/2 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Five Spice Powder
3 Cloves of Garlic, lightly pound
Dash of Pepper


The reason to cook and soak the dried lotus leave is to make is soft and easier for wrapping as well as cleaning purpose.

Methods:-

1. Rinse and soak the glutinous rice over night or at least 6 hours prior cooking time. (this will help to cut down the steaming time of the glutinous)

2. Marinate the chicken with seasonings for at least an hour or more in the refrigerator.

3. Pre-heat a small frying pan, saute minced garlic with 1/2 tablespoon of oil till fragrance then add in the mushroom. Cook till mushroom is soft and absorb the flavour from the garlic. Remove and set aside.

4. Drain the glutinous rice well, transfer to a big mixing bowl, add in cooked mushroom and seasoned chicken, stir till mixture is well-mixed and set aside while preparing the lotus leaves.

5.To prepare the lotus leave, bring a big pot of water to boil and immerse the leaves in the water and cook for about 1 minute or till leave is slightly soft. Remove and soak in water for another 1 minute before use.

6. Drain the leave well. Fold it into half to get a fan shape, lay a sheet of baking paper on it, spoon half portion of the rice mixture on top and fold the sides of the baking papers to form a rectangle parcel. (refer to the 3 photos on the top row)

7. Next place the rice parcel near the edge of the lotus leaves and repeat the same folding procedure to wrap up another layer for the rice parcel.

8. Place the wrapped parcel in steaming with boiling water and steam it over medium heat for about 45 minutes to an hour. (open one of the rice parcel to check after 45 minutes to test the softness of the rice)


Note:-
~ You can buy dried lotus leaves from major Chinese Medical Hall or grocery stalls from the traditional wet market.


Lovely rice parcel that serves individual with extra topping such as chopped spring onion and dried shallot to enhance the flavour. For another version and taste, perhaps I shall replace chicken with pork belly and add in an extra salted egg yolk to lift up the taste of this dish. Total cost for this dish is about S$6.10 with breakdown shown below:-

Cost of Ingredients:
~ 2 Debone Chicken Drumstick with Thigh = S$3.60
~ 250g Glutinous Rice = S$0.80
~ 3 Fresh Shittake Mushroom = S$0.60
~ Garlic and Spring Onion = S$0.30
~ 2 Pieces of Dried Lotus Leave = S$0.80

Steamed Glutinous Rice Parcel


With a total of S$14.00 we have a great dinner that consists of 1 Rice dish, 1 Vegetable and 1 Soup which can feed a family of 3 - 4. I am sure this quick and easy dishes will bring smiles and satisfaction to both you and your family members. So perhaps you can drop down the ideas of buy S$3 Chicken/Duck Rice, Laksa, Fishball Noodles etc but starts your own planning today with some quick and budget meal for the family too.




Closing Date: Sunday, 27 March 2011, 2359 Hours.

[Valentine's Day Dish] My Sweetheart ~ Orange Scented Rice

Most of us loves the nice and fragrant aroma filling up from our kitchen while cooking one of our usual staple food, "steamed rice". But other than the usual white rice that we consume daily there are still many different varieties of ways and recipes whereby you can turn this simple food into simple interesting and nutritious.

This year for our Valentine's theme dish, I have made these "Orange Scented Rice" to pair with another "Stir-fried Chicken with Mandarin Orange" where fresh orange zest and juice are used in both dishes.

ORANGE SCENTED RICE

Preparation: 20 Minutes                                     Cooking Time: 10 - 15 Minutes

Ingredients: (serves 2)

1 Cup Uncooked Rice
4 Cloves
3 Green Cardamom Pods
2cm Long Cinnamon Stick
2 Cloves Garlic
2 Shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Rind of half Mandarin Orange, thinly shred
1 Teaspoon Chicken Stock Powder
100ml Fresh Mandarin Orange Juice
1 Cup Water

Garnish:
1.5 Tablespoon Golden Raisin
1.5 Tablespoon Almond Flakes, lightly toasted
1/2 Tablespoon Sliced Spring Onion, optional


The adding of spices such as "Cloves, Cinnamon and Cardamom" infused the rice dish with a special fragrant that blends well with the fresh orange juice and zest. And it makes this rice taste similar to those "Biryani" rice which cooks with similar spices.

Method:

1. Preheat the frying pan with oil and saute Onion, Garlic, Cloves, Cinnamon and Cardamon until the onion slices turned soft and slightly golden brown.
2. Toss in shredded Orange peel and saute it for another 10 seconds before adding in the rice and chicken stock powder, stir well until the rice is coated with oil.
3. Transfer the rice into rice cooker or thermal pot, add in orange juice and water then cook until the rice is done.
4. Open the cooker lid, stir in golden raisins, cover and let it stand for another 5 minutes.
5. To serve, remove the spices(Garlic, Cloves, Cinnamon and Cardamom) from the cooked rice then using a folk to fluff in almond flakes and spring onion till well mixed.
6. Spoon the rice mixture into "heart shape" sushi mould and shaped into "Onigiri(rice ball)".


This "Orange Scented Rice" has a sweet taste from the orange juice and golden raisin together with a nutty flavour complements from the Almonds. And this goes perfectly well with the "Stir-fried Chicken With Mandarin Orange"(recipe HERE) where you can makes good used of those left-over Mandarin Oranges from Chinese New Year.

I am also submitting this post to "Aspiring Bakers #4: Love In The Air! (Feb 2011)", hosted by Me(Cuisine Paradise) at this link HERE.