How to make steamed milk pudding and chee cheong fun with nearly expired milk and other panic-hoarding food items

Maybe you or your parents were one of those who frantically stockpiled groceries when Singapore turned Dorscon Orange, and now you have too much food that's taking up space and needs getting rid off.

Some of them might even be almost near their date of expiration. But, wait! Before you toss them out, here are some creative recipes that might help with food wastage. 

Financial consultant and self-admitted foodie Leslie Koh, who went viral for his Valentine's Day dinner idea involving coronavirus panic-hoarded items is back again with two new, quick and fuss-free recipes. 

STEAM MILK EGG PUDDING

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Got quite some milk left in the fridge that will turn bad in a couple of days? No, problem. Just turn them into yummy Hong Kong-style steamed milk pudding dessert. 

The recipe calls for just three ingredients that can be found in every household: milk, egg whites and sugar.

All you have to do is boil 400ml of nearly expired milk, and let it cool to room temperature.

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Then add one egg white per 100ml of cooled milk, and half a tablespoon of sugar per 100ml of milk and egg mixture.

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Stir everything well to make sure the sugar dissolves, then steam the mixture for 10 minutes and let it rest in the steam for another five minutes after turning the fire off. 

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And voila! Desserts for the entire family that will be good enough to stop them from teasing you about being so kiasu and kiasi during this period. 

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I never knew how easy it was to make steam milk pudding, and will definitely be trying out this recipe even if the milk in my fridge isn't close to expiring. Just look at how silky it is!

SINGAPORE-STYLE CHEE CHEONG FUN

Bought too much rice and regretting it now? Well, besides making fried rice every day and stuffing your face silly with rice all three meals of the day — which is a bit of an overkill — here's a better idea. 

Koh suggested making Singapore-style chee cheong fun with rice and leftover canned mushrooms and luncheon meat from the Valentine's Day's dinner.

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The recipe isn't as straightforward as the steamed milk pudding, and it requires a blender to make a paste-like texture from the rice that's been pre-soaked in water for five hours. 

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You'll also need a sieve to get the rice slurry separated from the paste.

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At this stage, the canned mushrooms and luncheon meat should be diced, so make sure you prep in advance. 

Then, add some oil to a bowl. You can agar-agar (estimate) the amount as it'll be used for oiling the tray to prevent the rice rolls from sticking. 

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Moving on to the exciting part! Pour a thin layer of rice slurry and sprinkle the ingredients on top. You don't want the rice slurry to be too thick or you'll just be biting into the rice roll.

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Steam for three minutes, then roll it neatly, making sure it doesn't clump up into a ball of mess.

Tip: If it's too sticky, you can drizzle some sesame oil on the chee cheong fun to make it easier to work with, plus it makes it fragrant too. 

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Now for the chee cheong fun sauce, which is a concoction of soy sauce, water and sesame oil, heated up in a wok.

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The final product may not look very presentable, but practice makes perfect. Anyway, you'll have more than enough rice to keep working on honing your cooking skills. 

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What do you think of these recipes? Will you be trying them out?

melissagoh@asiaone.com