It's been three days since I started using my new toy, the Happy Call pan to prepare for our daily dinners. Can't deny the fact that I'm still working my way around the use of this pan. Have been used to cooking on frying pan and I still need some getting use to with the Happy Call. But I'd say, it's been fun thus far!
One major lesson I've learned about using this pan is that timing and heat control is utmost important in preparing my meals successfully.
Remember the charred teriyaki salmon I cooked? Well, I guess, I was too aggressive, thinking that this pan works like any other frying pan that needs extreme high heat in order to make fragrant crispy fish. Nothing could be further from the truth. The pressure cooking technology helps retain heat within the pan and hence food gets heated up very quickly, therefore this pan only requires low to medium low heat in most food preparation.
You'd need to trial and error with the use of this pan and don't be afraid to open up the lid if you need to. That's what I did when cooking the vegetables because I'm still learning to master the right timing with the correct heat control. I believe this pan is designed to help and since I've dumped in the $63, I should not make it a white elephant. Instead, I should overcome the odds to make this tool work for me! :)
Just thought I'd throw this out in the open. I have read in some forums and have also heard from a friend about her mom-in-law's experience when using this pan, the common complaint was that some how the sauces/oils leaked out in the process of flipping the pan; I've experienced tiny bits of onions spilling out of the pan while flipping. I realize that it's through the air vent that such leakages/spilling happen. To overcome the problem, you might want to tilt the pan a little upwards while flipping instead of tilting it downwards. So far, I've not experienced leakage of oil/sauces not even with the grilling of the lambchops. Given some practice, I guess such incidence of leakage would be kept to the minimum.
The recipe for this simple vegetable is - Green leafy vegetable (cai xin or xiao bai cai), 1 carrot (sliced), 2 cloves of garlic chopped, salt to taste, 2 tbsp of water. I didn't add oil while cooking this dish so the vegetables' natural nutrients were kept intact because it was steamed within the pan instead of fried. To cook this, just place all the ingredients (except the salt) into the pan. Fire up your stove to low heat. Set your kitchen timer to 3 mins. To be doubly sure that the vege is not overcooked, open up the lid to check and add salt at this point in time. Give it a swirl and flip to the other side and set the timer for another 2 mins. Before the time is up, you should be able to smell the aroma of garlic seeping through the pan. Give it another swirl and then flip the pan back to its original side and open the lid, by this time the vegetables should be cooked otherwise just close the lid and cook for 1 more min.
Fried rice is the EASIEST to cook :) The ingredients used for this meal were - steamed rice, 2 eggs (beaten and fried as omelette), 2 salted egg yolks steamed and chopped (optional), 6 prawns shelled and deveined, carrots (diced), 2 chinese sausages 腊肠 (diced), 1 onion (diced), 1-2tbsp (based on your preference of saltiness) soya sauce to taste. Prepare the steamed rice in a rice cooker; meanwhile, fry the omelette on the pan on low heat for 1 min and flip the pan and cook for another min. Dish out the omelette and set it aside. Add 1 tbsp oil and fry the onions for 1min (without closing the lid) in medium low heat, after which add in ALL the ingredients, close the lid, keep the heat at medium low. Set the timer to 3 mins. When the time's up, open the lid and add the soya sauce. Close the lid and give the pan a swirl or two, then flip over. Set the timer for another 2-3 mins, once the time's up, give the pan another swirl and flip over to its original side. Serve with shredded omelette and chopped spring onions!
Grilled lamb chops on greens. Marinate lamb chops
(you may use pork chops too) with salt, pepper, rosemary for at least 30mins. For the vegetables I've used broccoli, cauliflower and carrots
(for variation, you might want to use celery and carrot). Place chopped garlic, sliced carrots, broccoli and cauliflower into the pan with 2 tbsp of water cook it under low heat for 4 mins on one side, when the time's up, open the lid and add in salt to taste, close the lid and swirl the pan before flipping over. Give it another 3-4 mins before swirling and flipping back to its original position. Once cooked dish out the vegetables set it aside. Clean the pan and prepare to grill the lamb chops.
Fire up the stove on low heat and place all the lamb chops into the pan
(no oil is required as the lamb meat itself has loads of fats). Close the lid and cook for 5 mins. When the timer goes off flip over to the other side of the pan and cook for another 5 mins. Flip the pan back to its original position and turn up the heat to medium high and cook for another 1-2 mins
(my lamb chops were made medium well). If you prefer the meat to be medium, then you need to cook the meat only 3-4 mins on each side of the pan on low heat and then 1-2mins on medium high.
If you'd like brown sauce for the meat, on medium low heat, add 1 tbsp of butter into the pan
(with the brown remnants from cooking the meat) scrape up the brown stuff from the pan with a wooden spatula then add 1 tbsp of worcester sauce stir in 1/2 cup beef broth and bring to a boil. If you like a thicker consistency, you may drizzle some cornstarch solution into the pan. Once done, you may scoop up the sauce and pour it over the meat.
The grilled lamb chops were served with brown rice, but if you like you may serve it with mash potatoes as well.
Bon Appetit!
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