A Creed For Those Who Had Suffered .....

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve.
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey...
I asked for health, that I might do great things.
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things...
I asked for riches, that I might be happy.
I was given poverty, that I might be wise...
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men.
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God...
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life.
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things...
I got nothing I asked for - but everything I had hoped for;
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am, among men, most richly blessed!

--- Attributed to an unknown Confederate soldier

When You Thought I Wasn't Looking .....

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking, saw you make my favorite cake for me and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in God.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking, learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, "Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking."

--- Author Unknown

A Gift From God

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd."

I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.

As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him so I jogged over to him. As he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.

As I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives."

He looked at me and said, "Hey thanks!" There was a big smile on his face.

It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before now. I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.

We talked all the way home, and I carried his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play football on Saturday with me and my friends. He said yes.

We hung all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him. And my friends thought the same of him. Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said, "Darn boy, you are going to really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!" He just laughed and handed me half the books.

Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. When we were seniors, we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a football scholarship.

Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak.

Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than me and all the girls loved him!

Boy, sometimes I was jealous. Today was one of those days. I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!" He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. "Thanks," he said.

As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began.

"Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach ... , but mostly your friends. I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story."

I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile. "Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."

I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize its depth.

Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person's life; for better or for worse. God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way. Look for God in others.

Each day is a gift from God! Don't forget to say, "Thank you!"
--- Author Unknown

The Colour of Friendship

Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel. All claimed that they were the best. The most important. The most useful. The favorite.

Green said:
"Clearly I am the most important. I am the sign of life and of hope. I was chosen for grass, trees and leaves. Without me, all animals would die. Look over the countryside and you will see that I am in the majority."

Blue interrupted:
"You only think about the earth, but consider the sky and the sea. It is the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea. The sky gives space and peace and serenity. Without my peace, you would all be nothing."

Yellow chuckled:
"You are all so serious. I bring laughter, gaiety, and warmth into the world. The sun is yellow, the moon is yellow, the stars are yellow. Every time you look at a sunflower, the whole world starts to smile. Without me there would be no fun."

Orange started next to blow her trumpet:
"I am the color of health and strength. I may be scarce, but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life. I carry the most important vitamins. Think of carrots, pumpkins, oranges, mangoes, and papayas. I don't hang around all the time, but when I fill the sky at sunrise or sunset, my beauty is so striking that no one gives another thought to any of you."

Red could stand it no longer he shouted out:
"I am the ruler of all of you. I am blood - life's blood! I am the color of danger and of bravery. I am willing to fight for a cause. I bring fire into the blood. Without me, the earth would be as empty as the moon. I am the color of passion and of love, the red rose, the poinsettia and the poppy."

Purple rose up to his full height:
He was very tall and spoke with great pomp: "I am the color of royalty and power. Kings, chiefs, and bishops have always chosen me for I am the sign of authority and wisdom. People do not question me! They listen and obey."

Finally Indigo spoke, much more quietly than all the others, but with just as much determination:
"Think of me. I am the color of silence. You hardly notice me, but without me you all become superficial. I represent thought and reflection, twilight and deep water. You need me for balance and contrast, for prayer and inner peace."

And so the colors went on boasting, each convinced of his or her own superiority. Their quarreling became louder and louder. Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightening thunder rolled and boomed. Rain started to pour down relentlessly. The colors crouched down in fear, drawing close to one another for comfort.

In the midst of the clamor, rain began to speak:
"You foolish colors, fighting amongst yourselves, each trying to dominate the rest. Don't you know that you were each made for a special purpose, unique and different? Join hands with one another and come to me."

Doing as they were told, the colors united and joined hands.

The rain continued:
"From now on, when it rains, each of you will stretch across the sky in a great bow of color as a reminder that you can all live in peace. The Rainbow is a sign of hope for tomorrow."

And so, whenever a good rain washes the world, and a Rainbow appears in the sky, let us remember to appreciate one another.

--- Author Unknown

Dry Noodles

Was feeling famished whilst doing housework when I realised I had not had breakfast and had a sudden yearning for dried noodles Singaporean version.

Proportions depending on your choice and preference.

My version:

Sauce

1. Chinkiang Vinegar
2. Tomato sauce
3. Chili Sauce
4. Oyster/light sauce or both
5. Pork lard preferably* or onion oil

Before adding cooked noodles into sauce, ensure you have added at least three tablespoons of hot stock or hot water to the sauce, mix well before adding noodles of your choice.
This will ensure there is enough gravy for the noodles to absorb the full flavour of the sauce.

Serve with ingredients of your choice.

Warm Potatoes with Gravlax

Ingredients:
1. Half an onion cut into rings
2. Gravlax or smoked salmon
3. Creamy horse radish sauce
4. Canned or bottled New Potatoes, Jersey Royal New Potato
5. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6. Fresh ground pepper
7. Good quality sea salt
8. Fresh coriander and/or spring onions, roughly sliced
9. Juice from half a lemon and a wedge for serving separately (optional)

Method:
1. Slice fresh onions into rings. In a bowl, mix with sea salt, fresh lemon juice, freshly ground pepper, coriander, and spring onions (if using), mix well and set aside at room temperature.
2. Bring water to a boil, just enough to cover potatoes, add a pinch of salt. Boil potatoes for about seven minutes and drain on colander.
3. Add to dressing, mix well and adjust seasoning.
4. Serve with gravlax, creamy horse radish sauce and wedge of lemon on the side.
Note:
Would have liked to add capers but didn't have any.

Boiled Egg

Simple way to enjoy a boiled egg; a quick fix for hunger pangs ....
1. Place egg at room temperature with just enough water to cover egg.
2, Bring water to a boil and simmer for about nine minutes, or longer, depending on how you like your egg cooked.
3. In the meantime, mix some light soya with white pepper in a saucer.
4. When egg is cooked, shell and dip into the sauce.
5. Enjoy whilst egg is warm.

Vegetable and Ham Soup

Was clearing the fridge of food as we will be away for two weeks in UK. Simultaneously, I am trying to eat as much home grown herbs as possible as they will rot during our absence.
Ingredients
What ever winter vegetables you have stock. Vegetables in this recipe were one turnip, 4 carrots, half an onion, spring onions and two cucumbers.
Chicken or vegetable stock
Herbs of your choice (I used fresh thyme, basil, coriander and a dried bay leave)
Dried oregano - a pinch
Half an onion and one clove of garlic roughly sliced
Chicken stock
Ham
Method
Cut vegetables approximately the same size so that they cook at the same time.
For vegetables that take a shorter time to cook, introduce them in the pot at a later stage.
In a pot, medium heat, sweat vegetable, add herbs, ham and garlic till it's aromatic. Approximately less than twenty minutes. To get the most flavourful soup pay care and attention in sweating the vegetables properly. Half way through, add vegetables that take a shorter time to cook.
Add just enough stock to cover the vegetables. Bring to the boil; simmer till desired softness of vegetables.
Note:
The additional fresh basil in the serving bowl added another dimension to this simple and delicious soup.
Omit the ham if you do not have any or are vegetarian.

Friendship

Quote:
"A friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil but it needs a little mulch of letters and phone calls and small silly presents every so often just to save it from drying out completely." Pam Brown

Unquote:
Dear Karen and Cousin Katherine, thank you for being pillars of strength and always there for me unconditionally. I am, forever, in both your debts. Both of you are best of the best, and I am so blessed to have friends like both of you.

Peppered Steak

Steak of your choice.
1. Press the coarse pepper firmly onto both sides of steak.
2. Heat pan on high heat, place steak and lower to medium heat. Cook for two minutes on each side or depending on thickness and taste.
3. Sprinkle salt on steak before turning over once. Season other side once you have flipped it over.
4. Do not try poking or prodding the steak as searing in the favour is important during the cooking process.
5. Use tongs and sear steak on all sides/edges.
6. Rest steak for up to five minutes depending on thickness before serving.
7. Serve with vegetables of your choice.

The best portion of a good man’s life ......

Quote:
“The best portion of a good man’s life is in his little nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love.”
William Wordsworth

.........

Unquote
Pass it on ....

Egg Plants

Ingredients
1. Two egg plants, sliced into wedges
2. One fresh chilli, optional
3. Spring onions/coriander, optional
4. One and a half tablespoons fermented chilli bean paste or yellow bean paste
5. Three tablespoons onion oil
6. Thumb of ginger, roughly chopped
7. Two cloves of garlic, roughly chopped – divided into two portions
8. Two dried mushrooms, soaked in boiling water for at least twenty minutes, optional
9. Pinch of sugar
10. Dash of white pepper
11. One tablespoon of oyster sauce or light soya sauce or both optional
12. One cup water or stock from dried mushroom - with a pinch of potato flour added. Mix well.
13. Sufficient water to cover egg plants
14. Tablespoon of Huo Tao wine or equivalent - optional

Method
1. Add water to pot and bring to a boil. When water boils, add a pinch of salt and egg plants and cook for about two minutes. Drain on colander.
2. On a medium heated pan, add two tablespoons of onion oil, pan fry ingredients separately in the same pan, start with the mushroom first, and then ginger followed by the rest of the ingredients. Gradually mix all the ingredients together and pan fry till fragrant then dish them up on a plate.
3. Do not wash the pan. Reheat with another tablespoon of onion oil, pan fry the garlic still fragrant, increase heat, add egg plant, stir fry on high heat for about a minute, add dash of white pepper, fried paste, sugar, light/soya sauce and mix well. Fry for about a minute. Scrape bottom of pan if necessary.
4. Add water/stock, mix well and leave it to simmer till the softness is to your preference. Add more stock if necessary.
5. If using wine, increase heat to high, splash wine at edges of egg plants, mix well.
6. Adjust seasoning and serve immediately with white rice

Caramalized Onions

Ingredients
1. Two Spanish onions or any red skinned onions
2. One cup of vegetable oil
3. Small pot, just sufficient to cook onions

Method
1. Finely slice onions.
2. Heat pot, when pot is hot, add oil.
3. When oil is smoking, add onions slices and stir around gently on high heat.
Add more oil if necessary, it will not be wasted.
4. Onions are done when they turn golden brown, remove from stove and place on rack as it will still continue to brown if left on the same ring.
Do not burn onions as it will taste bitter.
5. When it has completely cooled down, pour in a jar. Store at room temperature as it keeps very well

Note:
Occasionally I will add roughly chopped garlic into the caramelized onions at the very last stage when the onions are slightly golden.
I absolutely love it. Use loads when cooking vegetables, marinade/grilling/pan-frying meat, fish, in soup, salads or simply let your imagination run riot.
Top up oil in bottle when it's running low. The caramelized onions will still continue to 'perfume' the oil.

WERE YOU COLDER THAN THIS?

This was a true story shared by Tinkerbell from Singapore Women Abroad.
I was so moved and cried.

Quote.

It was Christmas Eve in Korea. An expectant mother walked through the snow to the home of a missionary friend where she knew she could find help.
A short way down the road from the mission house was a deep gully spanned by a bridge.
As the young woman stumbled forward, birth pains overcame her.
She realized she could go no farther. She crawled under the bridge.

There alone between the trestles she gave birth to a baby boy.
She had nothing with her except the heavy padded clothes she was wearing.
One by one she removed the pieces of her clothing and
wrapped them around her tiny son - around and around, like a cumbersome cocoon. Then, finding a discarded piece of burlap, she pulled it over herself, and lay exhausted beside her baby.

The next morning the missionary drove across the bridge in her Jeep to take a Christmas basket to a Korean family.
On the way back, as she neared the bridge, the Jeep sputtered and died, out of
gas.
Getting out of the Jeep she started to walk across the bridge, and heard a faint cry beneath her.
She crawled under the bridge to investigate.
There she found the tiny baby, warm but hungry, and the young mother frozen to death.

The missionary took the baby home and cared for him.
As the boy grew, he often asked his adopted mother to tell him the story of how she had found him.
On Christmas Day, his 12th birthday, he asked the missionary to take him to his mother's grave.
Once there he asked her to wait a distance away while he went to pray.
The boy stood beside the grave with bowed head, weeping.

Then he began to disrobe. As the astonished missionary watched, the
boy took off his warm clothing, piece by piece, and laid it on his mother's grave.
Surely he won't take off all his clothing, the missionary thought.
He'll freeze! But the boy stripped himself of everything, putting all his warm clothing on the grave.

He knelt naked and shivering in the snow.
As the missionary went to him to help him dress again, she heard him cry out to the
mother he never knew: "Were you colder than this for me, my mother?" And he wept bitterly.

Unquote:

Kleenex here for you .........

Four Seasons Hotel

Feast with your eyes especially on the eggs benedict and foie gras .....

Prawns and Avocado Salad

Ingredients
1. Six medium sized fresh prawns
2. One just ripened avocado
3. A packet of mixed salad or vegetables of your choice
4. Quarter of an onion, roughly sliced
5. A wedge of lemon
6. Enough water to cover prawns

Method
1. In a pot, bring water to a rapid boil, add prawns, when water reboils, turn off the heat, and cover pot with a tight fitting lid. Remove from stove and set it aside for about one minute. Prawns will turn pink. Do not let prawns overcook.
2. Shell some prawns but leave some with tails/heads intact. De-vein prawns.
3. Slice avocado in half. Using a sharp knife, gently tap into the seed, then with a twisting action, and remove the stone. Squeeze or rub fruit gently with lemon juice or lemon wedge to prevent discolouring.

Dressing
1. Two tablespoons of creamy horse radish sauce
2. One tablespoon of caramelised onion
3. Two tablespoon EVO
4. One tablespoon onion oil
5. Pinch of sea salt
6. Freshly ground mixed pepper
7. Juice from half a lemon
8. Half teaspoon honey
9. Half stalk of spring onion and few stalk of coriander including stem. Roughly sliced.
10. Chilli flakes - optional
11. Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning according to taste

To serve
1. Toss salad ingredients gently with the dressing first.
2. Add prawns and avocado and toss lightly.
3. Serve immediately

Note:
I have a few pots of different herbs and will add into the salad whenever it takes my fancy.

Lamb Chops

Ingredients
1. Lamb chops - marinade with some light soya sauce, freshly ground pepper and rosemary. Mix well.
2. Two medium sized potatoes - slice into chunks
3. A clove of garlic - sliced
4. A pinch of fresh grated nutmeg
5. Three tablespoons of milk, double cream, light cream or what ever is available.
6. Knob of butter
7. A stalk of spring onion roughly sliced
8. Chicken stock or water, just enough to cover potatoes
9. Mint sauce

Method
1. Marinade lamb chops for a minimum of twenty minutes or overnight.
2. Add potatoes, garlic, and a pinch of salt to chicken stock or water. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium and cook till just tender. Strain potatoes in a colander, place potatoes back in pot. Add knob of butter, dash of white pepper, freshly grated nutmeg if used. Add milk, mash together till about smooth. Add spring onion and mash to desired consistency.
3. On a smoking pan, a drop EVO, swirl oil round pan, place lamb chops, do not crowd pan. Lamb chops cook very quickly. When slightly brown, turn over once. Cook other side for less than a minute, remove from pan and let them rest for a few minutes before serving.
4. Serve on warm plate with mint sauce and vegetables of your choice.

Note:
The Spanish version is cut pathetically thin and it takes less than three minutes to cook the chops. Cooking time varies according to thickness of the cut.

I prefer mashed potatoes wee bit chunky as opposed to really smooth. If the potatoes are a bit dry after mashing, gradually add more milk/cream to desired texture.

Who Is Your Guardian Angel ....?

This is so beautiful that I would like to share .....

Quote:
You never know when your guardian angel will be there for you so I have to try...
Pay attention to what you read.

Here goes:

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.
When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.
Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die.
Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.
Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.
LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
Thank you for being a part of my life, whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime.
I wonder what mine will be.

Unquote:
Pass it on and may God bless you and your family.

"People may forget the things you do but they will always remember the way you make them feel ..."

Walking Away ....

Handle every stressful situation like a dog.
If you can't eat it or hump it.
Piss on it and walk away.

My Neighbour's Cats

There are two fat cats but I do not know which species they belong to.
In particular, a white cat.
Sometimes I find her in the living room eyeing the fish in the fish tank and I say 'No kitty, that's not your dinner'.
She will escape through the living room.
But oh boy, she is one smart Alec.
She will re-enter the house through the utility room, kitchen, passage way and re-enter the living room.
Should I encounter her at the entrance of the living room, she walks away nonchalantly as if 'tomorrow will be another day'.
I actually have to laugh at her demeanour.
Other times, she escapes when she sees me walking into the room.
Next thing I know she will be pawing at the patio door wishing to get at the fish tank.
Other times, I find her in the garden ... meow meow she says to me and in reply I say 'You are not having my fish for dinner'.
I love eating fish and usually cook for myself but the kitty has stolen many meals from my kitchen while my back was turned.
HBH reminds me to close the utility door or kitchen door before I go to bed but the tendency to forget is great as I enjoy fresh air in the house.
It's to the cats' benefits for they will ransack our dust bin for food.
I am allergic to cats; medically proven, and it irritates my nose uncontrollably, yet I cannot bring myself to be mean to the cats.
What would you do in my position?
Thanks.

Every day in your life is a special occasion ...

Quote:
A friend of mine opened his wife's underwear drawer and picked up a silk paper wrapped package:
'This, - he said - isn't any ordinary package.'
He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box.
'She got this the first time we went to New York, 8 or 9 years ago.
She has never put it on, was saving it for a special occasion.
Well, I guess this is it. He got near the bed and placed the gift box next to the other clothing he was taking to the funeral house, his wife had just died.
He turned to me and said:
'Never save something for a special occasion. Every day in your life is a special occasion'.
I still think those words changed my life.
Now I read more and clean less.
I sit on the porch without worrying about anything.
I spend more time with my family, and less at work.
I understood that life should be a source of experience to be lived up to, not survived through.
I no longer keep anything. I use crystal glasses every day... I'll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket, if I feel like it.
I don't save my special perfume for special occasions; I use it whenever I want to.
The words 'Someday...' and 'One Day...' are fading away from my dictionary.
If it's worth seeing, listening or doing, I want to see, listen or do it now.
I don't know what my friend's wife would have done if she knew she wouldn't be there the next morning, this nobody can tell.
I think she might have called her relatives and closest friends.
She might call old friends to make peace over past quarrels.
I'd like to think she would go out for Chinese, her favourite food.
It's these small things that I would regret not doing, if I knew my time had come.
I would regret it, because I would no longer see the friends I would meet, letters..... that I wanted to write
'One of these days'.
I would regret and feel sad, because I didn't say to my brother and sisters, son and daughters, not times enough at least, how much I love them.
Now, I try not to delay, postpone or keep anything that could bring laughter and joy into our lives.
And, on each morning, I say to myself that this could be a special day.
Each day, each hour, each minute, is special.
If you are reading this, it's because someone cares for you and because, probably, there's someone you care about.
If you're too busy to share this with other people and you say to yourself that you will send it 'One of these days', remember that 'One day' is far away... or might never come...
No matter if you're superstitious or not, spend some time reading it.
It holds useful messages for the soul.

Unquote:

Don't keep this message, pass it on …………..

Chicken Wrapped in Bacon and Cheese

Chicken Thigh


Chicken breast













Ingredients

1. One piece of chicken breast – Rub breast with olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground mixed pepper.

2. Mixed cheese of your choice

3. One piece ordinary ham

4. Basil leaves roughly torn

5. Sea salt and freshly ground mixed pepper

6. Streaky bacon

Preparation
1. Season cheese with mixed pepper and torn basil leaves. Mix well, place on cling film, squeeze tightly, make knots at both ends and place in fridge for about an hour.

2. Slit chicken breast, tuck in cheese, wrap with ham and secure with toothpicks.

3. Pan on medium heat, a drop of oil. Oil will exude from bacon and chicken skin.

4. Pre-heat oven on maximum and place tray to cook the chicken in later.

5. Place chicken on a hot pan and brown gently on all sides, less than seven minutes.

6. Dish up and place in oven.

7. Chicken is cooked when firm to the touch. Do not be tempted to slice chicken lest the cheese oozes out.

Sauce
1. Add some stock from the cooked vegetables after the chicken had been removed from the pan.

2. Scrape off any burnt bits; they add character to the sauce.

3. Heat up gently; add a knob of butter into the sauce before serving.

4. No seasoning needed as the fat residue from the bacon would be salty.

5. Prepare sauce only when chicken is resting.


Note:

It is not really necessary to flatten the chicken breast before adding the cheese.

Cook it as is but be mindful of securing all edges to prevent cheese from oozing out during the cooking process.

Use as many toothpicks as required to secure the chicken piece.

Make sure that you remove all the toothpicks before serving.

Serve on a warm plate.