Foodstuffs

February 2009

Opposites Do Attract!

Last month, Karen Yoneda sent in many SPAM recipes for our food page (see Foodstuffs in Northwest Hawai`i Times Jan’09) Along with it, we also wondered if there were recipes combining SPAM with tofu, unlikely culinary partners...or so we thought. Within days of the January pepa distribution, we received this email below:

Dear Karen and RdC,

I enjoyed all of the January 2009 NWHT but I always enjoy the FoodStuffs in every issue. Having visited the SPAM Museum in Austin, Minnesota ( http://www.spam.com/museum/spam_history.aspx) I knew they had a recipe file and I found a recipe that satisfied your question asking "if there are any SPAM and tofu combinations." Of course there are many SPAM and tofu saimin combos in every plate lunch establishment, but this recipe for Goya Champlu (Bitter Melon Stir Fry) was a little fancier. http://www.spam.com/eatspam/recipe_detail.aspx?Id=4354

Goya Champlu

(Just one delicious SPAM® recipe of thousands.)

Wash all vegetables and cut them as you would for stir-fry. After you have sliced the bittermelon, salt it, rinse in cold water and drain. Heat large pan or wok with 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and fry until lightly browned; set aside. Add remaining oil to the pan. Add the bittermelon and onion; stir fry for 1 minute. Add remaining vegetables and SPAM; stir-fry until vegetables are crisp-tender and SPAM is lightly browned (about 5 minutes.) Return tofu to pan and season with salt, pepper and dashi if desired. Before serving, season with soy sauce.

Ingredients:

2 pieces bittermelon
2 ½ cup coarsely chopped cabbage
½ cup coarsely chopped green bell pepper
½ cup sliced carrot
1 (7-oz) can SPAM, coarsely chopped
4 cups chopped tofu
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup bean sprouts
2 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
1 teaspoon salt
Dash of black pepper
½ teaspoon dashi (optional)
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce

Keep up the good work!!

Your fan in Spokane - Bob Boyer

So all you need now is a pot of rice which we know we don’t have to tell you how to cook. But then as luck would have it, we also received another recipe of opposites for a dessert that would be the perfect way to end your sumptuous SPAM, tofu and bittermelon meal:

Li Hing Mui Chocolate Fudge

4 cups sugar
1-1/3 cups coconut milk
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
4 teaspoons corn syrup
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons li hing mui powder
4 teaspoons butter
1 teaspoon coconut extract
½ c. shredded coconut (optional)
Candy thermometer
1- 8 x 11 pan

Combine sugar, milk, chocolate, corn syrup, salt and li hing mui powder in a saucepan. Cook at medium heat, stirring constantly until chocolate is melted and sugar is dissolved. Continue to cook until mixture reaches 234º on the candy thermometer, or until mix forms into small balls when dropped into a cup of cold water.

Remove from heat and add the butter. Continue to stir until butter is completely combined into mixture.

Cool to 120º without stirring. Next add coconut extract and beat vigorously with wooden spoon until thick and no longer glossy. (If you want to, stir in shredded coconut at this point.) Pour into pan and cool. Cut into 1 – 1 ½ inch squares and serve. SOOO!!! ONO!!! You try.

Aloha. I hope you like this recipe. I was bored with the traditional fudge and thought this would spice things up a bit. Everyone at the Hawai`i 50th Club loved it and hope you do too.

A hui hou – Stanley Palms in Bucoda, Washington

Sue's Squash

Sue Suenishi of Selah, WA. grew this squash in her garden. Scary yeh? so we ate it.

Photo by NWHT

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