One fresh produce that I have learnt to enjoy after living in Houston for almost 9 years now is collard greens. A staple vegetable in Southern U.S. cuisine, it is often prepared with other similar green leafy vegetables such as mustard greens, spinach, kale and turnip greens in a dish called mixed greens. And it is usually seasoned with smoked and salted meats, which reminds me so much of a traditional Asian dish (Hakka, to be specific), Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard Greens (Mui Choy Kau Yoke).

Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard Greens is not an easy dish to prepare as it is pretty time consuming and I have not been able to find preserved mustard greens here yet. But when I made these Slow Cooked Sausages, Greens and Beans, not only was it quick and easy to prepare, it reminded me so much of that traditional Hakka dish. Moreover, it could be prepared with simple and basic ingredients that are readily available. So, if you enjoy a savory and hearty dish that is easy to make and clean up, this recipe is for you!

Slow Cooked Sausages, Greens and Beans
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, adapted from Kaylyn's Kitchen

Recipe
Ingredients
10 Fresh Bratwurst Sausages
8 oz Shredded Collard Greens (I used the packaged ones from HEB, so convenient)
1 19 oz can White Cannellini Beans (drained and rinsed)
1 cup Chicken Stock
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder

Cooking Method
1. Place 10 bratwurst sausages on a baking pan and broil on high on the 2nd top rack of the the oven for 10 minutes or until browned. Turn the sausages over once and broil further for another 5 minutes or until browned.
2. Place 8 oz  shredded collard greens and 1 19 oz can white cannellini beans in a slow cooker and season with 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper powder.
3. Place sausages on top of the greens and beans. Pour in 1 cup chicken stock and the juice from the baking tray.
4. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

Makes 5 servings
 ​

One of the fun things that I often do whenever I bake Pineapple Tarts, especially during Chinese New Year, is to make these super easy Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies with the extra pastry. They are so simple and easy to make on its own too. And it can be a fun family activity for the kids, with them helping you dip the cookies into chocolate and sprinkles.

The shortbread cookie is not too sweet and hence, goes perfectly well with the pineapple jam in the Pineapple Tart recipe, and in this case, the sweet melted chocolate and sprinkles. You may also sprinkle them with colored sugar while they are cooling too.

We made these heart shaped ones with pink and red sprinkles for Valentine's Day last month. But you can pretty much cut the cookies out into any shape and use any color sprinkles to match the occasion. You can have clover leaf shaped with green sprinkles for St. Patrick's Day or egg shaped with pastel pink, blue and yellow for Easter, just to name a few.

Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
​5 cups All Purpose Flour
4 tbsp Cornstarch
1/2 tsp Salt
​8 tbsp Powdered Sugar
2 cups Butter (4 sticks)
4 egg Yolks
Dark Melting Wafers (I used Ghirardelli Chocolate)
Colored Sugar or Sprinkles.

Cooking Method
1. Sieve flour and cornstarch into a large mixing bowl. Cut cold butter sticks into small cubes and place them into the flour.
2. Using your finger tips only, rub the cold butter cubes into the flour, until it resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Add in salt, powdered sugar, egg yolks and mix until a soft dough is formed. The dough should not stick to your hands. More butter may be added if it is too dry.
4. Roll out the dough till it is about 1/2 inch thick and use your choice of cookie cutter to cut out the dough and place onto a baking tray.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 25 min.
6. Place wafers in a top pan of a double boiler over low heat. Stir constantly until smooth and melted. Do not allow water to boil.
7. Once cookies are baked and cooled, dip them into the melted chocolate and sprinkles. Place on parchment line tray to allow them to set.

Makes approx. 100 pieces (depending on size of cookie cutter)

Wow! What a month February has been and now we're in March! I cannot believe how quickly we are approaching the end of the first quarter of the year already. But first, a deep breath after the whirlwind of the last 2 months.

My family who visited from Singapore left mid of January along with Kian jetting off to London and Singapore for work for more than 2 weeks. That left me caring for the kids and household all by myself. Shortly after he returned, I plunged straight into preparing for Chinese New Year. We did all that while still maintaining after school activities. To add on to our busy schedules, Bella is also in a competitive team for the Destination Imagination Tournament that has been working on and practicing their challenges since October. With the upcoming competition this weekend, they have been practicing more frequently this couple of weeks. She is really excited about it. 

With such an active schedule, one tray bake meals are my go to for dinners. They are quick and easy to prepare, I can set them on the oven timer and have a hot, delicious meal ready for when my hungry and tired family get home after a long day.

I derived this Soy Chicken and Chinese 5-Spice Vegetable one tray bake recipe from a popular Singapore hawker food, Soy Chicken. It is usually served with rice or noodles. One Singapore hawker even earned a Michelin-star with this dish. Read more about it here. With this one tray bake recipe, a few simple ingredients are tossed with seasoning and then baked on a tray. 

Soy Chicken and Chinese 5-Spice Vegetables
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
4 to 5 lbs Chicken Thighs (about 8 pieces)
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp Sesame Oil
Dash of White Pepper Powder
1 lb Brussel Sprouts (washed and cut into halves)
5 Carrots (cut diagonally)
1 tbsp Honey
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Tsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp Chinese 5-Spice Powder

Cooking Method
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Marinate chicken thighs with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1/2 tsp sesame oil and a dash of white pepper powder. Set aside.
3. Toss brussel sprouts and carrots with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp honey, 1/2 tsp sesame oil and 1 tsp Chinese 5-spice powder. Mix well to evenly coat and place them onto a baking tray.
4. Place marinated chicken thighs onto tray as well.
5. Bake at 375 degrees F on the middle rack for 30 minutes.
6. Broil on medium for 10 minutes on the 2nd top rack to brown the chicken before serving.

Makes 4 to 6 servings