Kian and I have been on Tim Ferriss's "Slow Carb Diet" for 3 months now and it has been going really well for the both of us. I have lost 13 lbs in total and I am currently maintaining the weight loss with exercise as well. I love how we are making good choices with our meals now but still get to enjoy (with whatever we want to eat) once a week on our cheat days. Not to mention also, how I fit so much better in my clothes now. Goodbye, muffin top!
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I found this "Chicken Lettuce Wraps" recipe online that I tweaked slightly to fit into our diet. I do not have to make separate meals for the children as they can have it with rice while we have it with lettuce. It uses a slow cooker so it is easy to prepare and dinner will be ready for you at the end of the day.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, adapted from "The Comfort of Cooking"

Recipe
Ingredients
2 lbs Minced Chicken
2 Red Bell Pepper (cored and finely diced)
1 Yellow Onion (finely diced)
5 cloves Garlic (chopped)
1 cup Hoisin Sauce
4 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
2 oz Ginger (minced)
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper Powder
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Spring Onions (thinly sliced for garnishing)
1 head Butter Lettuce (rinsed and dried)

Cooking Method
1. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a wok and stir fry minced chicken, breaking up the meat into small chunks, until it is no longer pink.
2. Drain off the liquid and transfer the meat into the slow cooker.
3. Add in red bell pepper, onion, garlic, hoisin sauce, light soy sauce, ginger, salt and pepper and mix well.
4. Cook on low for 2 hours or until the chicken is tender.
5. Garnish with spring onions and serve with rice or lettuce.

Recently, Kian's youngest sister Elena (or Ellie, as we fondly know her as), had confirmed her wedding date with her long time fiancé, Federico. They are both actors living out in New York and Federico is Italian. We have had the pleasure of having them spend a couple of holidays with us in our home over the last few years. Federico is also very passionate about cooking and was very generous in sharing his grandmother's recipes with me. I can definitely see a Singaporean and Italian cuisine collaboration in the future. *grin*
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One of our all time favorite recipe that he taught me is "Spaghetti Bolognese". Bella and Jamie absolutely love this dish and would often clean out their bowls. It is a simple recipe with very basic ingredients and I often make a large batch (by doubling the recipe portion) whenever we plan to have it for dinner. They can been refrigerated or frozen in individual serving portions. Perfect for those busy week nights when you need to have dinner prepared quickly. Buon Apetito!
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Spagetti Bolognese
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
1 lb Minced Beef (20% fat, 80% lean)
3 Carrots
3 stalks of Celery
1/2 Large Onion
5 cloves Garlic
1 28 oz Can Tomato Sauce
1/4 cup White Wine or White Wine Vinegar
Salt & Pepper
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Spaghetti or Choice of Pasta
Freshly Chopped Basil
Grated Parmesan Cheese

Cooking Method
1. In a food processor, mince the carrots, celery, onion and garlic (seperately)
2. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pot and stir fry the minced onion and garlic until fragrant.
3. Add minced carrots and celery and continue stir frying for a few minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
4. Add white wine into the vegetables and mix well.
5. Add the minced beef and stir fry until meat is cooked, breaking up the minced meat.
6. Season with salt and pepper. Allow it to simmer for 20 min.
7. Toss in spaghetti or choice of pasta with chopped basil and grated parmesan cheese.

Makes 4 Servings
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Banana Leaf Wrapped Sambal Halibut, a variation of the Sambal Chilli Stingray which is one of the best food that every Singaporean enjoy is from the hawker centers, particularly the seafood stalls. The Sambal Chili Stingray, or more commonly known here as skate fish, wrapped in banana leaf and cooked over a barbecue grill, is one of my favorite dishes.
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Stingray is rather difficult to get here in Houston so I replaced it with halibut. And I baked it in the oven for ease of preparation.

Banana Leaf Wrapped Sambal Halibut
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, inspired by "Simply Ming in Your Kitchen"

Recipe
Ingredients
4 pieces Halibut Fillets (approx. 6 oz each, center cut)
2 Red Chilies (approx. 4 oz)
1 oz Ginger
1/2 Red Onion (approx. 8 oz)
2 tbsp Fish Sauce
1 Lime (juiced)
1 oz Belachan (Dried Shrimp Paste)
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
4 Banana Leaves
Toothpicks (soaked in water) 

Cooking Method
1. Blanch banana leaves in hot water for a minute to soften the leaves so it will not break or tear when you wrap the fish fillets later. Dry and set aside.
2. In a food processor, blend the red chillies, ginger, red onion, lime juice and fish sauce until a smooth paste is formed. Set aside.
3. In a wok, toast the belachan and using a spatula or wooden spoon, break up the belachan until it resembles bread crumbs. Toast for a few minutes until it is fragrant.
4. Add the chili paste and mix well, stir fry until it is slightly dry.
5. Add the oil and stir fry for a few more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
6. Place halibut fillet on a piece of banana leaf and smear the sambal chili paste on the top of the fillet. Carefully wrap the fillet up in the banana leaf by folding in the sides to enclose the fillets. Secure with toothpicks.
7. Bake at 400 degrees F for 8 to 10 min.
8. Open the packages when ready to serve and serve with lime wedges on the side, if desired.

Drunken Chicken and Rice, my go-to recipe for those busy weeknights. Very often, when I get asked how am I doing, I always find myself replying "Doing really good, very busy with the family. The children's social calendar can get far more active than the adults."  And that often beckons the next question, "Where do you find time to make dinners most nights of the week?" While I do try my best to make home cooked meals for the family, I do understand that it is sometimes very tempting to just order take out or eat out.

And here is where the help of a slow cooker comes in handy. Using a slow cooker often involves quick and easy preparation and a slow cooking time, which would allow for busy families to have a warm and delicious home cooked meal at the end of the day.
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Take for example, this slow cooker chicken dish recipe that I am about to share. The chicken can be marinated in a ziplock bag the night before and placed in a slow cooker the next day before you head out to work or go about running your errands for the day. I added some baby bak chop which I popped into the slow cooker to cook for the last 20 min before serving. I also have an electric rice cooker, which is also extremely convenient as I can set the timer for the rice to be cooked and ready at a certain time. If you don't have an electric rice cooker, cooking rice over the stovetop in a pot should take no longer than 20 min. I hope this recipe will help make week night dinners more about quality time with the family over  a warm meal!

Drunken Chicken and Rice (Slow Cooker)
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, inspired by "The Slow Cooking Bible"

Recipe
​Chicken Ingredients
8 pieces Chicken Thighs (skin on, deboned)
1/3 cup Shao Xing Chinese Cooking Wine
1/2 tsp Chinese 5-Spice Powder
1/2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp White Pepper Powder
1 tbsp Oyster Sauce

Rice Ingredients
1 1/4 cup Rice (rinsed and drained)
1/4 cup Shao Xing Chinese Cooking Wine
1 oz Ginger (smashed)
3 cloves Garlic
1 cup Chicken Stock
Spring Onion (for garnishing)
Light Soy Sauce (as condiment)

Cooking Method
1. Marinate chicken pieces with Chinese cooking wine, 5-spice powder, soy sauce, pepper and oyster sauce. (May be prepared the night before and placed in a ziplock bag and refrigerated)
2. Place in slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.
3. Place rice in a rice cooker with Chinese cooking wine, ginger, garlic and chicken stock. Cook accordingly to ricer cooker instructions. If using stovetop method, bring ingredients to a boil, stir then cover the pot and reduce hear to medium low. Cook for 20 min (do not lift lid). Remove from heat and fluff with fork.
4. Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve with soy sauce.

Grilled Garlic Chicken Satays with Basil Purée, skewered food that is always so enticing. Satays are basically seasoned skewered meat, originating from Indonesia. They are also an extremely popular hawker dish in Singapore. Just a couple of months ago, I posted a "Beef Satay" recipe.
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For these satays, I used chicken tenders and drizzled a basil purée on top as a garnish. With such great ease of preparations and handling, they make excellent party bites.

Garlic Chicken Satays with Basil Purée
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, adapted from "Simply Ming in Your Kitchen"

Recipe
Ingredients
2 lbs Chicken Tenders (sliced into halves, lengthwise)
2 tbsp Minced Garlic
2 cloves Garlic (for puree)
3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
Freshly Ground Pepper
Salt
2/3 oz Basil Leaves
1/4 cup Olive Oil
24 6 to 8 inch wooden skewers (soaked in water)

Cooking Method
1. Marinate chicken tenders with minced garlic, soy sauce and vegetable oil for 1 to 2 hours.
2. Remove chicken tenders from marinade and thread a skewer straight through each strip.
3. Fill a large bowl with water and ice. Bring a pot of salt water to boil and blanch basil leaves for 30 seconds, until the leaves turn bright green. Drain the basil leaves and dunk them into the iced water. Once its cooled, remove from iced water and squeeze out excess water.
4. In a food processor, blend the basil leaves and garlic while drizzling in the olive oil. Add 1 tbsp of water and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
5. Grease a baking tray and place chicken satays on the tray.
6. Broil on medium on the middle rack for 6 min. Flip satays over and return to the middle rack, broil for 4 min. Flip the satays over once more, place tray on top rack and broil for 3 min or until the chicken is slightly charred or browned.
9. Drizzle with basil purée and serve.

​Makes 24 Skewers

Chilli Crab Tacos, a follow up to one of my post last month where I featured a unique Singaporean seafood dish with a little twist - "Black Pepper Crab on Deviled Eggs - Singapore Style". In that post, I also mentioned another popular crab dish, Chilli Crab. This iconic dish was created in Singapore during the 1950s by the owners of the famous Palm Beach Seafood Restaurant. 
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Unlike the Black Pepper Crab dish, which has a dry consistency, Chilli Crab, on the other hand, is stir fried in a semi-thick, sweet and savory chilli-based sauce. I recreated this Singapore national dish and infused it with a little Tex-Mex element. Stir frying with shelled crab meat, I had it slightly spicy and extremely flavorful in a TACO! Who's ready for Taco Tuesday now!?

Chilli Crab Taco
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, inspired by "The MeatMen SG"

Recipe
Ingredients
2 lbs Fresh Crab Meat
5 tbsp Tomato Ketchup
3 tbsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Fermented Black Bean Paste
5 tbsp Oil
1 cup Water
2 Eggs (beaten)
Spring Onions
5 oz Shallots
8 cloves Garlic
5 oz Red Chillies (seeded)
10 Dried Chilles (rehydrated)
1 stalk Lemongrass (white portion only)
3 Chilli Padi (seeded)
6 Candle Nuts
2 slices Dried Galangal (optional - available on Amazon.com) (rehydrated)
1 Green Lime
2 tbsp Belachan (Dried Shrimp Paste)
Shredded Lettuce
Mini Tortilla

Cooking Method
1. In a food processor, blend seeded red chillies, rehydrated dried chillies, rehydrated galangal, shallots, garlics, lemongrass, candle nuts, seeded chilli padi and lime juice into a smooth paste.
2. Toast the belachan in a wok, breaking it up into small pieces.
3. Add in the chilli paste and 5 tbsp of oil. Stir fry until it is fragrant.
4. Add fermented black bean paste, sugar, salt and tomato ketchup. Mix well.
5. Add 1 cup of hot water and simmer for 8 to 10 min, covered. 
6. Add in crab meat and mix well.
7. Bring it back to a boil and add in beaten eggs. Mix well.
8. Warm up tortillas, place shredded lettuce in tortillas and top with chilli crab mix.
9. Garnish with spring onions.

​Makes 12 to 16 portions

Fried Rice Noodles with Egg Drop Sauce, or more commonly known to Singaporeans as "Hor Fun" is a type of wide Chinese noodle dish that is made from rice flour, topped with a starchy, savory sauce. It is a popular dish at a local "Zi Char" stall, a Hokkien term used in Singapore to describe a Chinese stall that provides a wide selection of common and affordable dishes that assimilates a home cooked meal.
It is quick and easy to prepare and you can prepare according to your preference with different choices of meat: pork, beef or seafood. A great one dish meal for a week night but yet special enough for your guests at your next house party!

Fried Rice Noodles with Egg Drop Sauce
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, adapted from "Singapore Hawker Food"

Recipe
Ingredients
28 oz Fresh Flat Rice Pieces or Rice Noodles
1/2 lb Shrimps (shelled and deveined)
4 pieces Jumbo Scallops (each sliced into 3 pieces)
Choy Sum (Chinese Flowering Cabbage) or Spinach
1 Egg (beaten)
1 tbsp Chopped Garlic
Seasoning Ingredients
1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
1/2 tbsp Sesame Oil
Sauce Ingredients
2 1/2 cup Chicken Stock
1 tsp Light Soy Sauce
2 tsp Oyster Sauce
1/4 tsp Dark Soy Sauce
1/4 tsp Sesame Oil
Dash of White Pepper Powder
Thickening Glaze Ingredients
3 tbsp Cornstarch
4 tbsp Water

Cooking Method
1. Mix seasoning ingredients together and set aside.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a wok and stir fry 1/2 tbsp of chopped garlic until it is fragrant.
3. Add rice pieces or noodles and seasoning in. Stir fry until rice pieces or noodles are well coated and fragrant. Remove from heat and dish out rice pieces or noodles. Set aside.
4. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wok and stir fry 1/2 tbsp of chopped garlic until it is fragrant.
5. Add in chicken stock and season with light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil and white pepper powder.
5. Bring it to a boil and add in shrimps, scallops and choy sum.
6. Bring it to a boil again. Ensure thickening glaze is well mixed and add into the wok, stirring well.
7. Lastly, stir in beaten egg. Mix well.
8. Pour seafood mixture over the fried rice pieces or noodles and serve hot.