I decided to think of better things by thinking what to cook for dinner. Step one was to picture what I already have in the fridge/freezer/cupboard/storeroom so I don’t have to spend money to order more ingredients while I havent used what I have. And so I remembered I have a pack of no-nitrates no chemicals/preservatives bacon from Jill’s Sausages in my freezer. But since I was going to blog, I couldn’t possibly cook bacon and pasta and call it a day. So since everyone’s not feeling too good, a bowl of comforting bacon potato corn chowder sounds really nice, I think!

And here’s how to make it – no flour needed! Best part? It cooks in one pot for incredibly easy washing up. Check out my other soup recipes.

The post One Pot Bacon Potato Corn Chowder Soup – No Flour! appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

Here’s another version of my oyster sauce chicken! This time it’s with lots of dark sauce gravy (my niece loves this) so you can slurp it up with rice. Sorry for the less-than-fabulous pictures under poor lighting conditions!

My big tummy nowadays means I prefer to settle dinner using my slow cooker. Just prep everything the night before, add water and turn on the slow cooker on before leaving for work. Remember to cook this on low so the chicken doesn’t end up tough. Contrary to belief, meat doesn’t necessarily get more tender the longer you cook it! Overcook it on high, and the the ‘boiling’ water will overcook the meat. Same goes for cooking soup over the stove top. Simmer instead of boil for long hours to get the meat soft and tender.

The post Slow-Cooked Oyster Sauce Chicken and Potatoes (with lots of gravy!) appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

If you’ve read Munch Ministry‘s interview with me on Homecooks Spotlight, you’ll know that I grew up eating “a creamy chicken stew cooked using roux, red onions, potatoes and carrots”. You’re in luck, because I’m gonna share this family recipe today!

This is my favourite childhood dish. My aunt used to cook this often. I loved it because it is creamy and hearty.. the gravy is just perfect ladled over a plate of steaming hot rice. Years later, this dish also became Cheng Wu’s favourite (he is my little-st brother. We have a 14-year age gap) and he gets heart palpitations every time he sees this on the dinner table.

I have a funny story to tell about this dish. The siblings and I have known it as “goy see tu” since we were toddlers cos that’s what Ah-mm says it is, and you never question the cook. One day when we were all grown up, we sat around in the living room talking about random things, and the topic came to “goy see tu”. “Why the *** is it ‘goy see tu’?” We pondered, trying to solve the most mind-boggling mystery of the universe. We could understand “goy” cos obviously it means “chicken”, but “see tu”? See tu see tu see tu….. OMG S-T-E-W! “Goy see tu” is CHICKEN STEW! Eureka moment. I still rank this as one of the greatest discoveries of our lives.

(not the prettiest picture, but trust me it’s yummy!)

Ah-mm used to cook this over the stove top. It took constant stirring because of the roux, and because she has a bad knee, she no longer cooks this anymore. My sister-in-law has mastered the dish – she cooks her version in the slow cooker for at least four hours. The gravy of the stew comes from the onions which are cooked till soft, melted and savoury.

This dish can be cooked in the pressure cooker, slow cooker and over the stove top. I like using the Philips All-in-One Cooker. It took me only 30 minutes to achieve the same rich, creamy and tender results (note that actual cooking time may vary due to model, heat source, size and quantity of food. you will need to add more water if your pressure cooker has a bigger capacity).

The post Creamy Homestyle Chicken Stew appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

Oyster sauce chicken has always been one of my favourite dishes. There’s a stall in Clementi market and hawker centre that sells a really yummy version, but when you can cook it yourself at home, why not?

This dish is comfort food, a familiar favourite. I usually only cook this on days that I can eat rice.. I eat very little carbs and no rice/noodles/bread Mondays to Fridays. All I can say is: 如果你没有肥过，你是不会了解的。Haha. I like this dish with lots of gravy so I can spoon it generously over my precious bowl of rice on weekends. Sooo good!

I had some leftover chicken drumlettes in my freezer and thought to use them up in this dish. You could also use mid-joint wings or chopped chicken pieces. I recommend chicken thigh as the tender meat goes very well with the soft potatoes, carrots and glorious gravy. This dish is super easy to cook. In a nutshell: fry onions, add chicken, wine, carrots and potatoes, seasonings, cover and simmer. Don’t add the cooking wine together with the seasonings but directly to the chicken, before the rest of the seasonings. You’ll see how a splash of wine creates magic in the hot wok, instantly lifting the overall aroma and flavour of the dish.

I used Taiwan carrots and spring onions for this recipe. Chicken drumlettes (frozen) and potatoes from Giant and yellow onions – 4 for $4.65 杀人放火 from Cold Storage. I bo bian have to buy cos I needed it for a last-minute dish and the only accessible store was Cold Storage.

This portion is enough for the four people in my family. My pictures just show half a portion. This recipe yields two plates with lots of gravy! We eat quite simply. Most of the time, I cook one all-in-one dish or soup and the husband laps it up with rice. As an average family of four, 三菜一汤 is too much for us as an everyday meal.. (I’m not talking about Chinese New Year.. we go allll out *guffaws*).. how do people finish the food?

The post Oyster Sauce Chicken 蚝油鸡 appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

What is the one thing that you never fail to order at a Hong Kong cafe? For me, on cheat days, it is always Pork Chop Baked Rice. Think melted gooey cheese on top of pork chops in a creamy tomato sauce with fried rice underneath.. it is carb heaven right there! This dish is relatively easy to make, but the tomato sauce can sometimes be runny or not tasty enough. I experimented with quite a few versions before settling on this one. My must-have ingredient? Tomato puree (I use Ayam Brand) and Worcestershire sauce.

Some recipes only call for ketchup, but I find that combining tomato puree with ketchup, along with some Worcestershire results in a creamy (but not overly so) and tangy sauce that goes so well with the fried rice. I can’t quite put a finger to Worcestershire sauce. Growing up, I was never familiar with it because what Ah-mm mostly used in her kitchen were oyster sauce, light soy sauce and chinese cooking wine. It was only when I started cooking on my own that I was introduced to it, in western-type roasts, grills and marinades. It is now a staple in my kitchen as it enhances the taste of many gravies and meats. I love it.

For tomato puree, I used to always buy Hunt’s, but recently I decided to try out this one by Ayam Brand. The small size is just perfect for cooking one dish which means no wastage, and at $1, it fits right into my budget. I like its consistency- reasonably thick but not overpowering, and how it isn’t quite as sour as Hunt’s. I might get the larger can next time as I think I saw a “Healthier Choice” logo (lower sodium) on that- not sure if the lower sodium version is available for the smaller can.

For the pork chops, I used frozen shoulder butt chops (a little more fat than pork loin chops) from Giant. $4.20 on promotion for 5-6 slices. For a 3 person- serving, 2-3 slices are sufficient. And of course, I cooked it in my trusty airfryer for low fat cooking.

Makes 3 servings

What I used:

1 and a half cups rice grains, cooked the day before and refrigerated
3 slices pork shoulder butt,  marinated in 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon cornstarch and some pepper for at least an hour
Half yellow onion, chopped into small wedges
2 tomatoes, chopped into small wedges
3 eggs, beaten
Shredded Mozzarella/ cheddar cheese (I bought mine at cold storage for $2.99 a packet and used half)
2 frankfurters, sliced into cute circles (there is no other way to describe it)
A handful of frozen vegetables
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
Cornflour for dusting pork chops
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the gravy (Combine all and set aside):

8 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons tomato puree
125ml water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2. From the bowl of beaten eggs, remove 2 tablespoons to coat pork shoulder chops. Dust in cornflour and airfry for 12 minutes at 180 degrees or pan fry til done. When cooled, cut into half-inch strips with a pair of scissors and set aside.
3. Now to fry the rice. Heat up half the oil and pour in the eggs. Scramble til almost cooked then add in the rice, frankfurters and light soy sauce. Mix everything together and set aside.
4. In the same pan, heat up the remaining oil. Add the onions and fry for a minute til slightly translucent. Add the tomatoes, frozen vegetables and sauce, and cook til the tomatoes are soft, about 3 minutes. Allow the sauce to simmer for a bit til it thickens slightly.
5. Now to assemble! In a clear baking/ pyrex dish, layer with all the rice, followed by cut pork chops, tomato gravy and finally top with shredded cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or til cheese melts.

How much I spent:

$2.10 for pork shoulder chops
$1 for tomato puree
$0.30 for frankfurters
$0.60 for tomatoes and onion
$0.75 for eggs
$1.50 for cheese
Everything else from my pantry!

Total cost per serving: $2.09

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This recipe is quite lengthy but it is because we have to cook all the components (rice, pork chops, sauce) separately. You don’t have to use separate pans! Just cook systematically. If you don’t have an airfryer, fry the pork chops first, then lightly clean off excess oil, then cook the fried rice. Cook the gravy last. This way, washing up will be less tedious and you can spend all your energy tucking in to your yummy creation! If you decide to cook this over the weekend, let me know if you enjoyed it!

The post HK Pork Chop Baked Rice 焗豬扒飯 appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.