Asian Cucumber Salad is a quick, easy and healthy recipe that is so versatile, it is perfect as an appetizer or side dish. Using only a handful of ingredients and spices, this dish can be whipped up within minutes. My one tip would be to avoid inexpensive soy sauces and go for good quality ones instead. A premium brand soy sauce that I really like and use often is Lee Kum Kee's Double Fermented Light Soy Sauce. It is naturally brewed and has an amazingly rich color and taste. The double fermentation process results in a flavor that has the delectable aroma of soy and not just empty saltiness.
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With the summer weather that we have been experiencing here in Houston, this refreshing salad helps beat the heat and will definitely be a frequent dish in our household.

*This is NOT a sponsored post. All opinions are my own*

Asian Cucumber Salad
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Ingredients
1 Cucumber (approx. 1 lb)
2 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1/2 tbsp Sesame Oil
1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1/4 to 1/2 tbsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (more if you prefer a spicy version)
1 Large Sprig of Spring Onion (chopped)
1/2 tbsp Sesame Seeds
Dash of White Pepper Powder

Cooking Method
1. Thinly slice the cucumbers and set aside
2. In a small bowl, combine the rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, light soy sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, chopped spring onions, sesame seeds and white pepper powder. Mix well.
3. In a medium bowl, toss the sliced cucumbers with the salad dressing.
4. Place in a serving bowl and garnish with more chopped spring onions and sesame seeds.

Serves 4

Asian Edamame Salad, a healthy and delicious salad that is a perfect accompaniment for your summer meals. Having said that, Kian and I love salads and while they are a great summer fare, we enjoy them all year round.
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This salad is a copycat recipe that I recreated. This dish is one of my favorite Corner Bakery Cafe menu item. It is not available as a full salad dish but only as one of the trio selections. I could never quite get my fix whenever I order it as one of the 3 small portion salads for lunch. Hence, I decided to recreate this salad and make a big bowl of it to enjoy. It is so easy to prepare and so delicious, it will definitely be a frequent item I'll volunteer to bring to potluck parties.

Asian Edamame Salad
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
1 Cucumber (diced)
1 cup Julienned Carrots
1 cup Purple Cabbage (thinly shredded)
1 Red Bell Pepper (finely diced)
2/3 oz Basil (roughly chopped)
2/3 oz Mint (roughly chopped)
1 cup Shelled Edamame
2 tbsp Olive OIl
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Rice Vinegar
Salt
Pepper

Cooking Method
1. In a large bowl, combine diced cucumbers, julienned carrots, shredded purple cabbage, diced bell peppers, chopped basil & mint and edamame. Set aside.
2. Make the dressing by whisking the olive oil, sesame oil, light soy sauce and rice vinegar together.
3. Pour dressing into the bowl of prepared vegetables and toss.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Cloud Eggs have been one of the latest food trends that have been flooding social media. Cloud Eggs are basically prepared by puffing up the egg whites to a marshmallow-like texture, like clouds. You can add in additional ingredients like in this recipe, scallions and bacon. Other options include parmesan cheese, chives, ham etc.
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I made this super quick and easy breakfast for my family and the kids loved them. They do not usually like runny egg yolks but in this case, the fluffy egg whites soaked  up the egg yolks like gravy and they did not mind that at all. Most recipes would caution you from over baking to prevent the eggs from browning too much. But it is our personal preference to have it a little browned. Do watch it as it bakes if you prefer a lighter color "cloud".

Cloud Eggs
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
2 Eggs
1/4 cup Chopped Scallions
1/3 cup Chopped Bacon (cooked)
Pinch of Salt
Dash of Pepper

Cooking Method
1. Separate egg whites into a chilled bowl and set the egg yolks aside, individually.
2. Whisk egg whites until a firm peak is formed.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add in chopped scallions and bacon.
5. Fold in gently.
6. Place egg white mixture onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Form two "clouds" and create an indent in each one.
7. Bake at 450 degrees F for 3 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and add egg yolks into the indents. Bake for another 3 minutes.
9. Serve warm.

Makes 2 servings

Bacon Wrapped Enoki Mushrooms with Masago Mayo combines two of my favorite foods - mushrooms and bacon! And adding a hint of Masago (capelin fish roe) into the Japanese mayonnaise gives your condiment a pop of texture and flavor. All the ingredients are readily available at any Asian supermarket, although I have seen the fish roe and Japanese mayo at my local HEB supermarket as well. So simple and easy to prepare, it will be a crowd favorite at your next dinner party.

Bacon Wrapped Enoki Mushrooms with Masago Mayo
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
2 packets Enoki Mushrooms 
5 to 6 slices of Bacon
1 tbsp Masago (capelin fish roe)
2 tbsp Japanese Mayonnaise ( I used the brand Kewpie)
Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

Cooking Method
1. Prepare the condiment first by mixing the masago and mayonnaise together. Set aside.
2. Cut of roots of enoki mushrooms, rinse and dry them.
3. Divide the mushrooms into 10 to 12 little bunches.
4. Cut each bacon slices into halves.
5. Wrap each half slice of bacon around each little bunch of enoki mushrooms, season with black pepper and place on backing tray.
6. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 to 15 min or until the bacon is cooked.
7. Serve with condiment.

Makes 10 to 12 pieces

Gula Melaka Banana Pancakes will take your breakfast or brunch to a whole new level by combining the classic pancake with a Southeast Asian twist! Gula Melaka, otherwise known in English as palm sugar, is a type of sugar derived from the sap of flower buds from the coconut tree. In the Southeast Asia region, Gula Melaka is used in some savory dishes but mostly in desserts and cakes. Gula Melaka, in a liquid state, can be very dense and sticky, which makes it a great substitute for your traditional maple syrup in your pancakes. It is readily available in most Asian supermarkets or the Asian/ international foods aisle at your local supermarket.
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This easy pancake recipe will have you whipping up an amazing weekend breakfast or brunch in less than 30 minutes. Topped with the rich flavor of the Gula Melaka syrup, you may just make this your weekly breakfast go -to!

Gula Melaka Banana Pancakes
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Pancake Ingredients
1 cup All Purpose Flour (sifted)
2 tbsp Sugar
1 cup Milk
2 tbsp Salted Butter (melted)
1 Egg
1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 large Banana (sliced)

Syrup Ingredients
1 pkt Gula Melaka / Coconut Palm Sugar (approx 8.8 oz)
3 Pandan Leaves (screwpine leaves) (knotted)
1/2 cup Water

Cooking Method
1. Make the syrup first by grating the Gula Melaka with a grater. Combine the grated Gula Melaka with water in a small pot. Mix till the sugar has dissolved.
2. Add the knotted pandan leaves and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and allow it to thicken slightly for a few minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Set your oven to the warming function or preheat it to 140 degrees F, to keep cooked pancakes warm before you serve them.
4. In a bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter and egg until well mixed. Add in the sifted flour and sugar and mix well.
5. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Lightly grease the pan with the vegetable oil using an oil brush or paper towel.
6. Spoon 2 to 3 tbsp of the batter onto the pan for each pancake. Cook until the surface of the pancake begins to bubble, about 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully flip the pancakes and cook until browned on the other side.
7. Place the cooked pancakes onto a baking tray and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.
8. Top pancakes with sliced bananas and Gula Melaka syrup before serving.

Serves 4

Steamed Tofu with Minced Meat is a simple and light side dish that packs in a lot of flavor with a few basic ingredients. A favorite with my children, they love just simply having this dish alone with rice. Steam cooking this dish allows the marinated meat to retain its tender texture and flavors. Tofu is also a great source of protein that is naturally gluten free and low calorie.

Steamed Tofu with Minced Meat
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, adapted from The MeatMen SG

Recipe
Dish Ingredients
1 18oz packet Silken or Soft Tofu
1/4 lb Shrimps (shelled, deveined and minced)
1/4 lb Ground Pork
2 Water Chestnuts (chopped) (I used canned water chestnuts)
2 tbsp Chopped Spring Onions
1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1 tsp Chinese Cooking Wine (I used Hua Tiao)
1/2 tsp White Pepper Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
8 Wolfberries (rehydrated)
1 sprig Spring Onions (for garnishing)

Sauce Ingredients
1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1 tsp Chinese Cooking Wine (I used Hua Tiao)
1 tbsp Water
1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
1 tsp Sesame Oil

Cooking Method
1. Cut tofu into 8 small rectangular cuboids and set aside.
2. In a bowl, mix the minced shrimps, ground pork, chopped water chestnuts, spring onions, light soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, white pepper powder and salt together. Mix well.
3. Place some minced meat mixture on top of the tofu pieces in a dish.
4. Place a rehydrated wolfberry on top of each piece.
5. Prepare the sauce by mixing the light soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, water, oyster sauce and sesame oil together. Drizzle onto the tofu.
6. Steam cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.
7. Garnish with chopped spring onions.

Makes 8 pieces

Spicy Tom Yum Popcorn, so good that you just cannot stop! A word of caution though, this recipe definitely packs a punch and could set your mouth ablaze before you can say "sawadee"! Fortunately, since you are making it on your own, you can always adjust the spiciness to your liking. And you can make it fun too! Simply place the popcorn in a ziploc bag or a brown paper bag, season it with the recipe, close it up and give it a couple of good shakes to get an even spread of the seasoning onto the popcorn. Try it for your next movie night; spice & shake things up with some Tom Yum Popcorn!

Spicy Tom Yum Popcorn
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
1 1/4 tsp Ginger Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Red Cayenne Pepper (adjust accordingly to your liking, 1 tsp is pretty spicy)
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Chicken Bouillon 
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Dried Parsley Flakes
Butter Flavored Popcorn

Cooking Method
1. Make the Tom Yum seasoning by combining the ginger powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red cayenne pepper, red chilli powder, chicken bouillon, salt and dried parsley flakes in a small bowl. Mix well.
2. Place butter flavored popcorn in a large ziploc bag or brown paper bag, season with a couple of teaspoon of the Tom Yum seasoning (according to your preference of spiciness), close up the bag and shake it to get an even spread of the seasoning onto the popcorn.
3. Pour seasoned popcorn into a bowl and serve.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala made easy in a slow cooker or crock pot. Just throw everything in the slow cooker, set it and dinner will be ready in a few hours. Just the perfect recipe for your family be it for a busy week night dinner or for when you are out and about with the family having some summer fun!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
2 lbs Chicken Thighs (skinless and boneless, cut into bite size)
1 large Onion (finely diced)
5 cloves Garlic (finely minced)
4 tbsp Tomato Paste
3 tbsp Garam Masala
3 tsp Paprika
3 tsp Salt
1 can 28oz Diced Tomatoes
14 fl oz Coconut Milk
1 head Cauliflower (cut into bite size)
Cilantro (for garnishing)

Cooking Method
1. Mix all the ingredients together in a slow cooker, except for the coconut milk and cilantro.
2. Cook on high for 5 hours.
3. 45 minutes before the end of the cook time, add in coconut milk.
4. Continue cooking. You may do so uncovered if you prefer a slightly thicker sauce.
5. Serve with rice.

Serves 4 to 6 

Sweet Potato Soup is a sweet dessert that is traditional to the Singaporean Chinese. This dessert is commonly found in the dessert stalls in Singapore's many hawker centers and food courts. It is also one of my mom's favorite desserts. This sweet treat will be a frequent dish in our home whenever she visits. Needing only 4 ingredients, this simple and easy to make dessert is also said to be very healthy and nourishing. The Chinese believe that ginger can help relieve digestive problems such as nausea, loss of appetite, motion sickness and tummy aches due to gas.

Sweet Potato Soup
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
2 Medium Orange Sweet Potatoes (approx. 12 oz)
3 oz Ginger 
1 bunch Pandan Leaves (screwpine leaves) (tied into a knot)
1/3 to 1/2 cup Chinese Rock Sugar (They are not as sweet as regular sugar. You may substitute with lesser amount of regular sugar)
4 cups Water

Cooking Method
1. Peel and rinse the sweet potatoes and cut them into medium bite sized chunks.
2. Skinned and slice the ginger.
3. Place the sweet potatoes, ginger, pandan leaves and water in a pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and allow to cook until the sweet potatoes are soft and tender.
4. Add rock sugar to taste.
​5. Serve warm or cold

​Makes 4 to 6 bowls.