I must be honest with you. I’ve had three drafted posts thus far containing nothing but edited photographs and jotted recipes. It seems I may have been struck by the writer’s block, though it feels a little more solemn than that. Somewhere along the line I had lost my mojo, both in the culinary aspect and that pertaining to the written word. In fact, even my unspoken words these days, much of which my years had pivoted on all these while, sound a tad lacklustre in my head.

I’ve had requests to share the recipes to specific posts on my Instagram, but it has become apparent that blogging is possibly the last thing on my mind, since I rarely bother measuring out ingredients these days, opting for the oft-mentioned agar-ation, its Malay equivalent being campak-campak;- the act of uncalculated throwing of random ingredients to whip up something in the kitchen. I’ve actually had thoughts of just dropping the blog, and resume my social media life through square-formatted photos and ramblings of 140 characters. However, coming across these photos of honey-soy grilled chicken, it reminded me of the primary reason I had set up this blog. And as selfish (and possibly offensive to you, dear readers) as it may sound, I’m sorry, but it’s not so much to share, but more to preserve. To memory, that is.

I remember vividly the mister taking a bite from his plate, he looked up and said, “Please, please, don’t forget this recipe!”. And that right there was the it moment, if you may call it that, for me; a trusty tried-and-tested recipe book without its yellow pages and dog-ear folds, this blog to me is the repository of my kitchen escapades interspersed with precious moments I hold dear each day. I’m sure fellow food bloggers can attest to this; times you refer to a recipe from your blog, and go “Ah, I remember that day. The smiles and laughter made all the cake effort worth it”. And the beauty of sharing the recipe(s) is the promise of a possibility to press replay on that etched memory, to a rekindled smile and laugh.

Thus, as much as I know I am horrid at keeping a regular blogging schedule, and though words may keep failing me each time, this blog is here to stay, and by the taste of it, this juicy sweet honey-soy grilled chicken recipe is too.

Honey-Soy Grilled Chicken

2 boneless chicken breasts
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons kecap manis
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Combine the garlic, soy sauce, kecap manis, honey and black pepper in a bowl.
Add the chicken breasts, and toss to coat completely.
Leave the chicken to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on a preheated grill pan.
Using a brush, baste the chicken with the remaining marinade.
Repeat on both sides until chicken is fully cooked.
Serve warm with pasta (I had mine with spinach fettuccine here), or some yummy mash.

I’m afraid this is going to have to be a short and quick update. Almost as quick as it takes to bring random nondescript pantry ingredients together to become what is possibly the easiest fix for a peckish tummy with only so much time to spare while her little one catches her (cat)nap. In fact, it took such a short time to bring these from stove to plate that I was convinced enough to do a repeat act the very next afternoon. In my defence though, I had some leftover cinnamon sugar from the first day, and my momma taught me never to waste a delicious thing food. Another thing she taught me? The best things in life never had a need to be fancy shmancy; so whilst the purist in you can grab the piping bag and have pretty long churros, the rest of us can easily enjoy the same crispy-on-the-outside-chewy-on-the-inside churros in a simpler, no-fuss, pop-in-your-mouth way.

Churro Balls
(adapted from here; makes about 15-20 balls)

1 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
oil for frying (vegetable, canola)

For the cinnamon sugar:
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine water, 1 tablespoon sugar, and vegetable oil.
Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in flour until mixture forms a ball.
Heat oil for frying in a deep skillet to 190°C.
Using two spoons, or just your good ol’ hands, form churro balls the size of a doughnut hole, and drop them into the oil.
Fry for about 4-5 minutes, until the churro balls are golden brown.
Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
Roll drained churro balls in cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Barely five years ago, whilst finding myself elbows deep in mixer rumblings, greasy butter and flying flour, traipsing alone in the kitchen in the dark of the night working on orders, a thought that would constantly fill my head was the day when, God willing, I will have someone to bake for. A little someone, to be precise. That the day will come when all this practice of working on adorable cartoon-themed, rainbow-coloured sweet treats topped with hand-moulded sugary figurines will come in handy for my own little one. The day I will get to see the tiny-toothed smile, cheeky grins my clients had always told me of; only this time, it will be the best gift to myself, to see my own child enjoy my work.

Fast forward four years later, whilst finding myself pinned down on the stomach by a determined one-year-old trying to snatch my glasses by the bedside, yanking my hair and nose in the wee hours of the morning, a thought that plays in my head is that the day has come, all praises to God, when I have my own little someone to bake for. And as fate would have decreed it, those years of practice did not exactly come to play the way I had imagined it to be ever since I donned the mommy badge. With my oven dead and replacement plans on halt till our new place comes along, and with the realisation that I am not exactly comfortable with loading my child with refined sugars, food colourings and dirty dozens, baking for my little A comes with a twist; from the airfryer, and with no added (refined) sugar, and no egg and dairy (under one year old).  And with every baking day, I get to see that tiny-toothed smile, cheeky grin, and excited hand-flapping action accompanying “Mmmm!”, and deep inside, I know that I have given her the best gift I can, a healthier (yet still fluffy and delicious) version of one of my favourite baked goods.

No-Sugar, No-Egg, No-Milk Banana Bread
(adapted from here)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup mashed overripe bananas (about 3 large or 5 small)
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin coconut oil

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
In a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas and oils.
Fold in the flour and baking powder into the wet mixture, being careful not to overmix.
Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan, and bake for 30 – 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

The last few weeks had been whizzing past, with the days merely denoted as pre- and post- Baby A’s birthday. That’s right, it has been a year (and a week now) since I became a parent, and what a wonderful year it has been! Needless to say, a great birthday celebration was in order, though really much more down-scaled and intimate than it might sound, since the birthday parties (yes, two) were really just with my immediate family (A’s the youngest of tiny lil cousins!), and the mister’s. Amidst handmade decor and birthday cake(s) by yours truly, and self-designed birthday invites and goodie bags by the mister, along with being on 24/7 baby watch, it is no wonder that the past month felt like it flew before its time. But enough of the birthday for now, I hope to share with you more soon, once I’ve filtered through photos. Rookie parent mistake: too busy preparing for everything, not enough proper photos!

Now on to today’s recipe: I know what you’re thinking. Either I really love my french toast, or I really love my breakfast food. The former, not so much, though I have to be honest it has really gone up the list of things-to-do-when-your-bread-is-expiring, knocking my much beloved bread pudding off its pedestal, thanks to the ease and quick gratification. The latter, a huge resounding yes, I do love my breakfast food, and given a choice, I would probably have it for every meal of the day. That is, until you tempt me with something along the lines of pasta, or chicken, or pasta with chicken; owh yeah.

Oats, or specifically rolled oats, has become such a large part of my life that I’ve started to Nutella it. That’s right, I’m using Nutella as a verb, because it is that important. Much like Nutella, I’ve begun to add rolled oats in practically everything;- my morning smoothie, my nightly warm malted drink, my pantry-clearing salad, and my sweetest desserts. And so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I had inadvertently decided to throw in some rolled oats one morning while preparing my french toast. Now, I know french toast is somewhere up there with eggs;- every one has a specific type they prefer. Some prefer their french toasts fluffy and soft, some like it moist and almost gooey, and others prefer it with just a bit of bite to it. These oat-crusted french toasts would satiate the tastebuds of the first and third camps. The crisp crust promises a grainy, nutty flavour with every bite, concurrently easing you into the smooth fluffy bread itself. As for the strawberry compote? It really is just the proverbial show-stopping icing on the cake.

Oat-Crusted French Toast with Strawberry Compote
(serves a very hungry one)

Strawberry Compote
1/2 cup strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 – 4 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon cornflour, mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine strawberries, sugar and water.
Stir frequently, and bring to a low boil.
Slowly stir in the cornflour mixture.
Simmer until the sauce reaches your desired thickness. Add more sugar if needed.

Oat-crusted french toast
2 slices thick bread (I used multigrain here)
1/3 cup low-fat milk
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/3 cup rolled oats

Whisk milk, egg, cinnamon and vanilla in a bowl.
Heat a lightly-greased skillet on medium high heat.
Dunk each slice of bread into the egg mixture, coating both sides.
Dunk it into the rolled oats, pressing slightly, coating both sides.
Place in pan, and cook on both sides until golden. Serve warm with strawberry compote.

]]> http://ovenhaven.wordpress.com/2013/03/09/put-an-oat-on-it-recipe-oat-crusted-french-toast-with-strawberry-compote/feed/ 4 ovenhaven oat crusted french toast oat crusted french toast 1 oat crusted french toast 2 http://ovenhaven.wordpress.com/2013/02/19/rise-shine-carnival-a-giveaway-recipe-cranberry-oatmeal-muffins/ http://ovenhaven.wordpress.com/2013/02/19/rise-shine-carnival-a-giveaway-recipe-cranberry-oatmeal-muffins/#comments Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:45:53 +0000 ovenhaven http://ovenhaven.wordpress.com/?p=2969 Continue reading →]]>

Rise & Shine is a movement started by a group of mothers with the mission to provide parents and educators an opportunity to learn, share and identify holistic approaches in raising healthier and happier children. The Rise & Shine Carnival – Singapore’s Largest Breakfast Fiesta is happening this March 3rd, and in true blue Singapore fashion, it will be an attempt to set the new record for the biggest breakfast picnic turnout. With a fun-filled line-up of gigantic bouncy castles, balloon sculpting, face-painting, and sports tryouts (fencing, golf, soccer and wushu) for the little ones ones, as well as pediatric massage and nutritional food demonstrations for parents, there is surely something for every one at the Rise & Shine Carnival.

The Rise & Shine Carnival kickstarts the movement’s efforts which include outreach to parents at public libraries and preschools, access for parents to a panel of experts, extensive online resources, and its flagship activity – the Rise & Shine Expo, the only children’s healthcare and development expo in Singapore held from 27 to 29 September 2013 at Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre Hall 401.

Now, in my previous post, I had mentioned about the inaugural Rise & Shine campaign;- or more specifically their breakfast campaign which resulted in that yummy granola berry parfait;- along with a little surprise for my readers. As some of you might have guessed, I have a little giveaway: TWO sets of TWO adult tickets for the upcoming Rise & Shine Carnival!

Event: Rise & Shine Carnival
Day/Date: Sunday, 3 March 2013
Venue: The Lawn@Marina Bay (open space between Marina Bay Financial Centre and The Sail)
Time: 8:30am to 12:30pm
Price: $8 per adult (Free for children under 12)

Here’s how to win yourself a pair of tickets:

1) Simply leave a comment on this post with “I <3 Rise & Shine!”

2) You may also double your chances for winning by ‘liking’ my post on my Instagram account, AND leave a comment with “I <3 Rise & Shine!”

Contest applies only to those residing in Singapore, and will close on Friday, 2pm Singapore time. Winners will be notified on the same day.

And for those who can’t wait to purchase their own tickets to the carnival, simply register online here, and to sweeten up the deal, how about I suggest you sneak some of these delicious cranberry oatmeal muffins in your picnic bag as well? Moist, hearty, and just the right size to munch on while enjoying the carnival!

Cranberry Oatmeal Muffins
(adapted from here)

1/2 cup wholemeal flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup organic rolled oats
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup olive oil
1 egg, beaten
1 cup soy milk

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease a muffin pan, or line the wells with paper muffin cups.
Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Stir in the oats and dried cranberries.
Whisk the olive oil with the egg and milk. Stir the liquid into the dry ingredients just until combined.
Fill the prepared muffin cups 2/3 full with the batter. Bake for 15 – 18 minutes.

]]> http://ovenhaven.wordpress.com/2013/02/19/rise-shine-carnival-a-giveaway-recipe-cranberry-oatmeal-muffins/feed/ 5 ovenhaven POSTER(bigger) cranberry oatmeal muffins cranberry oatmeal muffins 1 http://ovenhaven.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/rise-shine-recipe-granola-berry-parfait/ http://ovenhaven.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/rise-shine-recipe-granola-berry-parfait/#comments Fri, 08 Feb 2013 12:27:56 +0000 ovenhaven http://ovenhaven.wordpress.com/?p=2947 Continue reading →]]>

As some of you would have realised by now, breakfast is possibly my favourite meal of the day. I’ve had more “on today’s breakfast table” photos on my instagram, than any other meals in fact. A good breakfast gets me started on the right foot, and sets the mood for the rest of the day. I’m sure everyone understands by now that a good breakfast keeps you alert, energised and focused all the way till lunch, although I’m also pretty sure most of us have had our fair share of experiencing the midday slump a little too early, glancing ever so eagerly at our watches waiting for lunch hour, amidst stifling tummy growls, all thanks to skipping this most important meal of the day.

I must admit though, I haven’t always liked breakfast. As a child, I remember my mother would nag at me as I pushed my food around my breakfast plate, or attempt to hide the egg beneath whatever little crumb of toast I had left (I do love my toast!). As I grew older, the “I’m late for school” excuse would come much too often, yet in typical maternal premonition of sorts, she would already have had my breakfast in a sandwich bag. And I am ashamed to say, there were days when that sandwich bag would just remain in the depths of my backpack for days’ end.

Now that I’m a breakfast convert (if you may call it), and have my own little one, I would hate for karma to bite me in the sandwich bag in the future. And that is the reason I am honoured to be an ambassador for the inaugural Rise & Shine, the world’s largest children’s health and developmental expo.

Did you know that 1 in 3 primary school students go without breakfast daily? Neither did I. Alarming, isn’t it? With ambient installations and cooking demonstrations for parents, as well as story-telling sessions and school performances for the little ones, the Rise and Shine team hopes to educate parents and children and inculcate the love for healthy breakfast in children aged 4 – 12. Interested to know more? You can find more information, along with listing of events, and ongoing giveaways on the Rise and Shine Facebook page here. Also, stay tuned for a little surprise next week for my dearest readers!

As part of the Rise and Shine Breakfast Campaign, I had received a nifty breakfast kit, which includes this delicious granola from the talented Sherie of Maameemoomoo, and as much as I would have loved to just dig into it immediately (trust me, it was that good), a parfait sounded more, errr, ladylike.

Granola Berry Parfait
(serves one)

125 grams (mini tub) low-fat blueberry yoghurt
8 – 10 strawberries sliced
a handful of raw almonds
1 tablespoon dried cranberries
1/2 cup granola

In a tall glass, alternate the layers beginning with strawberries, then yoghurt, then granola.
Finish off with strawberries, almonds, and dried cranberries.

Have you had one of those days when you feel like it’s absolutely imperative to start the day on a sweet note, but a nondescript french toast dusted prettily with powdered sugar just simply won’t cut it? Yet at the same time, a voice;- Skinny Conscience, I believe his name was;- tells you no one gets away with having chocolate for breakfast, without having judgmental peering eyes, and the inevitable guilt to last till lunch time. And then you wonder who to listen to; the enticing sweet palate you had found yourself waking up with, or the aforementioned nagging voice raining on your sweet parade.

And then, an a-ha light bulb moment: well, it isn’t technically considered having bad, over-the-top decadent chocolate for breakfast, if it involves some sort of fruit, does it?

Let’s just say I had one of those days, and I don’t know if it was the half-baked reasoning I had conjured, or simply because these stuffed french toasts were that good, but guilt was the furthest from my mind. In fact, just between you and me, I’m already looking forward to the next time I welcome a day-old bread. Thick crusty bread enveloping juicy tangy strawberries, perfectly juxtaposed with occasional bursts of sweet melted chocolate-hazelnut spread;- if that’s not tantalising enough for you, I really don’t want to know.

Strawberry & Nutella Stuffed French Toast
(serves two)

2 burger buns, or any thick bread
1 egg
1⁄3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon
6 – 10 pieces of strawberries, sliced
4 tablespoons Nutella

Slice the buns midway to create a pocket, being careful not to cut all the way through.
Drop 2 tablespoons of Nutella in each pocket you’ve created, and spread it on both sides.
Stuff the sliced strawberries in the pocket all the way in. Do not overfill.
In a bowl, combine the egg, milk, vanilla and cinnamon together.
Heat a lightly-greased griddle or skillet over medium-high heat.
Dunk each burger bun in the egg mixture, soaking both sides.
Place on pan, and cook on both sides until golden. Serve warm.

My mention, and therafter photo, of a jar of homemade honey almond butter on my instagram account yesterday had sparked quite a bit of interest. In fact, enough for (at least) one reader / viewer (?) (Aside: so the right coined term ought to be follower, but it sounds too cult-ish, doncha think?) to attempt it immediately, and drop me a mail with queries. I wasn’t planning on sharing a recipe, but since I had taken (bad) shots of the process, here’s for you, NA, and anyone else having a mine-doesn’t-become-creamy problem.

Depending on the strength of your food processor, roasted almonds take around 10 minutes, while raw almonds take around 15 minutes to break down completely into this lovely nutty spread. So don’t say I didn’t warn you. Once the ground almonds have reached the clumpy ball stage, you can heave a sigh of relief, for it won’t be too long before the doughy mixture releases its natural oils, and your food processor won’t sound like he’s choking anymore. Also, unless your blender has an industrial strength or you’ve used it to grind nuts, I wouldn’t recommend using a blender, as the blades are not as sharp as a food processor’s.

The best part about almond butter for me is its versatility. The add-ins are entirely up to you. I was tempted to stir in mini chocolate chips or melted dark chocolate this time round, but a basic sweet-salty spread pleases everyone, and also acts as the perfect base for dips and even smoothies.

Honey Almond Butter

1 cup roasted almonds (I roasted raw almonds)
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey

In a food processor, grind the roasted almonds, scraping it down often.
It will go through different stages of breaking down (refer to 2nd photo above), so be patient and have faith!
Once the mixture has released its natural oils and looks creamy, your almond butter’s ready.
Stir in salt and honey. Add more salty/sweet according to your preference.
Transfer to a small jar, and keep refrigerated.

These days I find myself reaching out for a smoothie almost every other day, albeit not consciously for health reasons as it is for the sheer convenience of it all. My mornings are usually rushed, so when I do find the time to make myself breakfast, or brunch more likely, I try to fix something quick and filling that will tide me over till after lunch hour. While pancake breakfasts are still my favourite, there are days when a perk-me-up needs to come in five minutes or less, and that’s where smoothies come in.

My first homemade smoothie was a blueberry-yoghurt, whizzed in a spur amidst whines of the heatiness and humidity the pregnant me felt one late afternoon. I remember watching the mister try to lick the bottom of his paper cup, and thinking to myself, how could I not have made smoothies sooner! And from then on, as they say, the rest is history. In my case, history involved transitioning to frozen bananas (in place of ice cubes), adding organic rolled oats (for thickener and galactagogue), and enjoying green smoothies (with spinach) once a week.

There really is no need for a recipe actually, but I just thought I’d share one of the easiest smoothies I love. No yoghurt, no additional sugar; just the delicious natural sweetness of fruits, coupled with the creaminess of rolled oats to set you off on a great start to your day.

Apple-Banana Oat Smoothie

1 red apple, cored and cut into chunks¹
1 banana, peeled and cut into slices ²
1⁄2 cup rolled oats
1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup soy milk
3 ice cubes

Combine all the ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.
Add more soy milk if you prefer a thinner consistency. Serve immediately.

Notes: ¹ If you are using frozen bananas, you can omit the ice cubes.

Dearest friend,

I hope you are doing well right now. I’m sure you’re privy to everyone’s excitement today, and I understand how you must feel a tad slighted and somewhat lost, not unlike a flower having lost her bloom. But I hope you do know that deep in our hearts, you will always be remembered for all the joy and laughter you have brought us, for all the fears you have walked us through, and for all of those times you have stood by us, good and bad.

You sat there watching me grow to be the mother that I am today; a far cry from this exact day ten months ago, carefully cradling my newborn, very much in disbelief of my overnight change in status, tears of joy interlaced with relief and anxiety. Ever so often, in my trying times, you remind me how long and endless the days may seem, but how inevitably short the months and years will fly by. And with that, I hold close and cherish every moment with my loved ones, learning to find my footing again within my repository.

The path laid before me had undeniably taken on a different hue, much to my trepidation; but with unrelenting guidance and support from my loved ones, along with new relationships forged, and the faith in old strengthened, it has become easier to see where my priorities are, and which battles I must choose.

You have stood witness through it all, saw the best and worst in me, and for that, I thank you, 2012. You have been a good friend, and will always be remembered.

With love,
the one with cacophonic (and gastronomic) thoughts

Cinnamon Rolls
(adapted from here)

1 cup warm milk
8 grams active dry yeast
2 eggs
1⁄3 cup butter, melted and cooled
3 1⁄2 – 4 cup bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 cup white sugar, divided

For the cinnamon filling:
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1⁄3 cup butter, softened

For the sugar glaze (optional):
1⁄2 powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon melted butter

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and 1⁄4 cup white sugar in the warm milk.
Set aside for about 10mins, until it is frothy.
Stir in the eggs, melted butter, salt and the remaining sugar.
Add the flour and knead, until a rough ball of dough is formed.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl, covered with a damp towel.
Leave for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
Punch the dough, and roll it out into a 16×21 inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
Spread butter onto the surface, and sprinkle the brown sugar cinnamon mixture evenly.
Roll up the dough from the longer end, and slice into 12 pieces.
Place rolls in a greased baking pan.
At this point, you can let it rest for 30mins, or bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 15-20mins.
For the glaze, simply combine the ingredients together, and drizzle over the baked rolls.