SPAM !

Ahh good old SPAM - it's one of those products, just like Marmite, that a large percentage of the British population love to hate ! It's so notorious that Monty Python even dedicated a whole sketch to it. The modern-day "tribute" is that frequent unsollicited messages by email or in internet chatrooms are called spam (although I still have no idea why !). Although generations of kids in post-war Britain were probably sick to death of eating SPAM (because it was pretty much the only meat that was available and cheap enough for mums to buy at the time), it's actually had a bit of a makeover and is quite trendy again. There's even an annual SPAM Cook of the Year competition, backed by none other than the cheeky chef Phil Vickery.



In the spirit of the competition, and to give you an idea of just how versatile SPAM is, I've come up with a couple of quick recipes to tickle your tastebuds ! (But there are many more on the SPAM website.)

First up, one for the kids :



Turtle-tastic SPAMwiches


Ingredients (per turtle):

1 pitta bread
2 tbsp mayonnaise or cream cheese
1 slice SPAM
1/2 apple
1 lettuce leaf
2 raisins


In a bowl, finely chop the apple and SPAM, mix in the cream cheese or mayonnaise (to stick it all together) and put in the fridge to chill.


Gently toast the pitta bread then (as quick as you can so it stays slightly warm), cut in half widthways. Cut a 1cm strip off one pitta pouch and chop the strip in half (to make the feet). Use the lettuce to line the pitta bread so it doesn't go soggy then stuff both pouches with the SPAM filling.


Stand the two pitta pouches up on a plate next to each other, use a tiny amount of mayonnaise or cream cheese to stick raisin eyes on the smaller pouch (the head). Place the four pitta feet around the turtle.


And one for the grown ups :


Hawaiian SPAMelloni


Ingredients :

1 tin SPAM
3 slices pineapple, fresh or tinned
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed (or 1 tbsp Very Lazy Garlic)
1 onion
3 big mushrooms
cannelloni
cheese sauce (home made or from a packet - the choice is yours !)
grated cheese
salt, pepper
1 chilli, deseeded or pinch chilli powder (optional)
2 tbsp olive oil


Preheat the oven.


Chop the SPAM, pineapple, onion and mushrooms into fairly small pieces.


Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Gently fry the onions and garlic for 2 minutes, add the mushrooms, cook for a further 2 minutes, add the spam, cook for 3 minutes, add the pineapple and cook for a further 5 minutes.


Make up the cheese sauce, from scratch or using the instructions on the packet.


Use the SPAM mixture to fill the cannelloni and place the filled tubes in an ovenproof dish. Pour a generous amount of cheese sauce over the top. (If you haven't got enough to totally cover the cannelloni, they won't cook properly so add a bit of milk or cream.)


Cook in the oven on 180° or until the cannelloni are cooked through (pierce with a knife and it should go through easily).


For more information or to take part in the SPAM Cook of the Year competition, go to http://www.spam-uk.com/