Solomon Islands Recipe of the Week: Tina’s easy cook corn beef and veggies

Okay, so Tina, my ever patient and caring local colleague, has agreed to share her ingenious recipe of corned beef and veggies.  Now, in the Sollies, beef protein is hard to come by and expensive EXCEPT in one form: tinned corn beef.  Tina feeds a family of five and she has found pretty good ways of saving money and ensuring her family a balanced diet of protein, fats and carbs.  Canned meats are pretty much universally used in Melanesia as a way to supplement diets.  In Hawaii, consumption of Spam has turned into an art form.   

Now, I prefer the corn beef that Ox and Palm makes, with its classic retro styled cans and key top opener.  Bonus: you can use the cans as decor when finished.   Tina, however, says you can really use anything.  While some people might balk at eating tinned meats, I say give it a chance!  It’s not as bad as you think. 

Tina cooked me this recipe when we went to Gizo and I have to say, it’s pretty damn tasty. 

So anyway here it is:

Tina’s Easy Cook Corn Beef and Veggies

Ingredients:

·        

2 or 3 medium sized capsicums

·          ½ chili pepper

·         1 onion
           1 clove of garlic

·         1 tin of corned beef

·         5 tomatoes

·         Salt and pepper to taste and some fresh ginger
·      

Directions:

·         Start the rice on stove or in rice cooker.

·         Chop up the veggies.  Put to one side.

·         Put oil and garlic in a heated pan.  Brown the garlic.

·         Add onion.

·         Add the veggies and ginger, salt and pepper.

·         Open your Ox and Palm tin of corn beef.  Mix with veggies.

·         Heat for five minutes and serve on a bed of rice.

And that's it!  It takes about 20 minutes all up and it is pretty yummy.  So don't be afraid to open up a tin of Ox and Palm and go for it!

TIl next week, lukim ui!

S