Home-baked Oats and Honey Granola, reduced sugar of course

I tidied up my pantry and found many small packages of leftover nuts, seeds and dried fruits. I decided to do my own granola at home based on what I've seen my pastry chef do at the social enterprise. Call this the recipe to clear snack scraps.

Ingredients:
- 1 cup Rolled Oats (higher fibre and less processed than quick cooking oats)
- 1/2 cup Raisins and Cranberries
- Handful of leftover almonds, walnuts, pecan nuts, brazilian nuts, figs, apricots, dates (no quantity, just scraps to clear)
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes (choose this over the sweetened version)
- 2-3 Tbsp Manuka Honey or any good quality pure honey (more if you like it sweeter)
- 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar (very little compared to store-bought granola)
- Some leftover buckwheat crackers that had already gone soft in the fridge
- And..and..and....Sticks and Twigs!

I used a very simple method - just mix everything together and bake in the oven at 200C for 12-15 minutes, depending on oven performance and personal taste. Like all first loves, there's a beautiful tinge of sweet-bitterness if you get it ever so slightly, just a tad burnt.

Here's the before and after look.

How gloriously resurrected are the soft nuts and limp crackers.

Yes, use baking paper so they don't stick to your tray.

Expect clumps and clusters when the brown sugar and honey caramelise beautifully with these wholesome ingredients. Allow to cool completely before serving with plain yoghurt or milk, topped with your favourite fruit. You can also sterilise a bottle and store them airtight. They should keep for weeks. Or they could finish in one afternoon!

Remember these rascals below? Yes, they found their purpose in life. Now, they give off a beautiful crunch in the teeth and taste absolutely divine!

This combo meal of 10 different nuts, seeds and fruits gave off a wonderful aroma when I pulled open the oven door. I particularly enjoy the crunch of every bite, and the occasional cranberry or raisin gave me temporary respite whenever my soft palate needed it.

It brought great cheer to me on a dull and gloomy morning, you know, one of those mornings when you wake up and wonder WHO AM I AND WHAT THE HEAVEN AM I DOING?? It made my day to know I've cleared out all the annoying small leftover packages. Yes, the small joys in my life now.

And now, to stock up on fresh inventory - I'm thinking pine nuts, hazel nuts and some Middle Eastern figs. Speaking of Middle Eastern, did you know it's Independence Day for Israel this week, 15 May?

Luan's 'perfect' omelette

An egg-cellent recipe. I'll have to ketchup on all of them.

I made this in class today. Does it look good? Recipe and instructions at the bottom of this post.

A perfect omelette is pale in colour. Any sign of brown means it's overcooked and becomes a fried egg. Mine's a bit rough on the edges but the shape is good. Folding it into half when it was still runny was the most tricky part. 'Gordon' walked in even though he's not the Executive Chef today and the kitchen atmosphere changed.  Some people make sure their presence is felt when they enter a room. Gordon is undoubtedly one of them.  

He walked towards my station just as I was about to fold the omelette. "Faster. Faster. Faster," he deliberately breathed down my neck and whispered. Gordon's way of egging someone on. Somehow with Gordon, even a whisper is as intimidating as his holler. I made a flash decision to ignore him and focus on the task at hand. A split-second prayer and I did it! No breakage. The chef in charge was pleased with my omelette and a few chaps came round to look at it. Gordon stared at me expressionless. Silence from him is a compliment, I decided, and went about my way.

Days later, Gordon told the class that eggs coagulate at 63.5C. The window to fold it is a matter of seconds, that's why he was egging me on. He said I almost missed that window of opportunity. Also, omelette is one of those things that is easy to cook but difficult to master and an elementary culinary student will never be tested on.

We learned to "close down" the kitchen, checking all safety equipment and washing and sanitizing all utensils. I want to go buy a sanitizer for my home kitchen. It has live enzymes that eat up bacteria. Just spray and leave them overnight. No wipes needed. Sorry to have this in a food post but I wanted to show you the sanitizer we use in school.

Well, this ends my second week in at-Sunrice. From here on, we will be in the kitchen much more now that we have passed the Food Handling Safety and Hygiene module and are certified food handlers deemed "Fit for the Kit" as I call it. Did I tell you I scored full marks for my Food Safety exams? 

I also heard from the grapevine we may be making a foie gras dish too in the coming weeks. How exciting. Unlike most corporate executives, I am looking forward to Monday.

Meanwhile, here's the recipe.

Omelette Recipe

4 servings

Ingredients:

1. 8 eggs (about 2-3 eggs per person)

2. 8 bacon strips, diced. (Or sliced mushroom or diced tomatoes for vegetarians. Or whatever you want to get rid of in your fridge.)

3. 120 ml milk (optional)

4. 30g chives, chopped. Leave a few long strands for garnishing

5. Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Heat non-stick pan with oil, cook bacon till crisp (I left out the oil as there is already animal fats in the bacon)

2. Remove bacon to paper towel to drain, discard drippings

3. In a small bowl, beat eggs with a whisk. Add milk, chives, salt, pepper and bacon

4. Add some oil and pour egg mixture into same pan. (Instead of oil, we used clarified butter, also called ghee in Asia. This is how we made it. I like it as it has a higher smoke point and doesn't burn easily.)
5. Cook over medium heat. As eggs set, about 40 seconds, lift edges, letting uncooked portion flow underneath. When eggs are set, about another 10 seconds, fold omelette into a semi-circle. It still looks runny and uncooked but this is when you have to remove it from the heat to maintain the pale colour. A few more seconds and it will turn brown, making it a fried egg instead. It is still cooking even when you remove it, so don't worry about it being raw.

See how Jamie Oliver does it and try it for your weekend breakfast.