Happy Call Pan Recipe - Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pancake)

I have not stepped into the supermarket for more than a week now and had to make do with what's left behind in the fridge. With only potatoes, carrots and some left over cabbage in the kitchen, I couldn't think of a more ideal time to make an okonomiyak for dinner! An okonomiyaki is a typical Japanese pancake made using whatever ingredients you have or would like to include! Seafood, meat, mushroom, vegetables, you name it. What I have here is a super simple vegetarian version but please feel free to experiment, appropriately of course!

Serves 4
Ingredients:

2                             eggs, beaten
2 cups                     flour
1/2 head                  round cabbage, shredded
1 large                    carrot, shredded
1 large                    potato, shredded
1 teaspoon              sea salt
1 to 2 cups              water
                               Japanese mayonnaise to taste
                               Worchestershire sauce to taste

Method:

Mix all ingredients together. Heat the Happy Call Pan on high heat for a minute.

Pour in the mixed batter and close the lid, locking it.

Unlock the lid, leaving the lid partially open. Cook for another 8 minutes.

Close and lock the lid again, flipping the pan over.

Unlock the lid and leave the lid partially open. Pan fry for another 10 minutes.

Cut into pieces and serve with Japanese mayonnaise and Worchestershire sauce to taste.

Tomato and Cheese Panini

I have to clarify that this sandwich tastes MUCH better than it looks here. Pardon me for my poor photography, but I'm no professional anyway. Unbelievably easy, I made this for breakfast one morning and decided that I just HAD to share this recipe even though the pictures looked horrendous. The easiest way to do this is to ensure that you've got a good nice herb foccacia. A good bread already ensures that the sandwich will taste superb nonetheless. I used the common packet cheddar cheese here but please feel free to substitute it with gruyere or any of your favourite cheese.

Ingredients:

1 individual portion                         foccacia bread (you can also substitute it with a cabiatta instead)
1                                                    tomato, sliced thinly
2 pieces                                         cheese

Method:

Heat a grill or a frying pan on medium heat.

Sliced the bread lengthwise and place the cheese and sliced tomato evenly in it.

Place the bread with the filling on the grill or pan and press it down, using the bottom of another clean pan. The trick to a panini is to ensure that the bread is compressed enough. Fry for a good 2 to 3 minutes and repeat on the other side.

There, here's a panini for you!

Steamed Egg with Clams 蛤蜊蒸蛋

As peculiar as this may seem for us Singaporeans, this is apparently a very common dish in Taiwan. 'Infused' with the juices from the clams, the steamed egg is naturally flavoured by the 'seafoody' taste and is definitely not something that you will wanna try if you are not a fan of that sweet, sea clamly taste. Then again, playing a little adventurous at times will bring certain surprises in your kitchen too.

Serves 2
Ingredients:

2                              eggs, beaten
1/2 tablespoon          light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon             ground white pepper
1 teaspoon                sesame oil
1/2 cup                     water
1 thumb sized            ginger, sliced
1 tablespoon             chinese rice wine
200g                         clams, soaked in water for at least an hour
1 stalk                       spring onion, chopped (optional)

Method:

Bring a pot of water to pot with the sliced ginger and 1 tablespoon of chinese rice wine. Add in the pre-soaked clams and remove them the moment the shells are opened.

Mix in a separate bowl, 2 eggs, 1/2 tablespoon of light soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of ground white pepper, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and 1/2 cup of water. Pour into a plate with depth and place the clams on top of it.

Bring the steamer to boil. Add in the prepared egg mixure with clams and steamed on medium heat for 8 minutes or until the egg is set. Garnish with some chopped spring onion, if desired.

蛤蜊冬瓜汤 Clam and Winter Melon Soup

I first tried this soup in a small traditional Taiwanese restaurant in Kaohsiung, Taiwan and was instantly bought over by the intense flavour of the clams in the soup. This is something pretty novel to us but it was apparently a very common every day dish in Taiwan, given how simple it is to make and the little ingredients it requires. The key step to this dish is soaking the clams in water for a good amount of time in order to get rid of the sand in the clams. Do take note not to overcook the clams too or it will be chewy like rubber.

Serves 2 to 3

Ingredients:

1 slice                          winter melon, skin removed and cut into small pieces

500ml                          chicken stock or water with boulillon cube

300g                            clams, soaked in water for at least 2 hours

1 thumb sized               old ginger, julienned

2 tablespoon                rice wine

Method:

Bring the chicken stock to boil with the winter melon and ginger. Lower heat to simmer for another 5 minutes.

Add in the clams and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes or until the clams open up.

Switch off the fire and add 2 tablespoons of rice wine just before serving.

Century Egg and Minced Meat Congee

A common but much-loved porridge, the Century Egg and Minced Meat Congee is not favoured by most for no obvious reason. It is easy to cook with little ingredients, comforting and of course, super yummy. Personally, I love that sharp combination of extra ginger with the century egg and minced meat. Enjoy this recipe.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 cup                                         rice, rinsed and soaked for an hour
2                                               century egg, roughly chopped
400g                                         minced meat
1 thumb sized                            old ginger, julienned
2 tablespoons                            light soy sauce
1 teaspoon                                sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon                             ground white pepper
1 stalk                                       spring onion, sliced (optional)

Method:

Season the minced meat with 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of ground white pepper and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil.

Bring the rice to boil with 3 cups of water and lower the heat to a simmer for an hour.

Add in the chopped century egg, sliced ginger and minced meat into the congee, breaking the meat up with a spatula. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

Season with 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce and serve hot. Garnish with spring onion if desired.

Chicken Mustard Salad with Broccoli and Cherry Tomatoes

Lest you think that healthy food are usually bland and tasteless, this chicken vegetable salad is here to prove that wrong! I cheated though, with the usage of a bottled mayonnaise but then again, that can be easily replaced by a bottle of light healthier version. This is a warm salad so it is best to consume right after preparation. I tried keeping it in the fridge but it just doesn't taste right.

Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 head                        broccoli florets, broken into small pieces
1 packet                     cherry tomates, halved
2                                 skinless boneless chicken thigh or chicken breast
1 cup                          mayonnaise
1 tablespoon              tarragon
1/4 cup                       grainy mustard
1 tablespoon              salt

Method:

Blanche the broccoli in salted boiling water. Strain and set aside.

Using the same water, add in the chicken and poached on low heat for about 15 minutes or until fully cooked. Strain and shred them into small pieces.

Mix 1 cup of mayonnaise with 1/4 cup of mustard and 1 tablespoon of tarragon leaves.

Serve the dressing with the blanched broccoli, cherry tomates and shredded chicken.