During this past summer holiday, one particular Singapore classic food that I have been making often is Satay. These little hand held meat skewers are such a versatile dish. They are perfect for parties as an appetizer, as a tray pass food or as a light meal! I even made them for Jamie's 5th birthday pirate themed party. I called them "Pirates' Peg Legs" and not only were the guests amused, they were impressed with this quintessential Singapore street food.

And they are easy to prepare too, although one should plan ahead of time for marinating and cooking. I typically marinate the meat the night before and skewer the meat the next day before grilling them over my Satay grill, which is a long rectangular grill using charcoals. But you can grill them over any type of grill or even bake them in your oven if a grill is not available. The skewers are flipped frequently to ensure even cooking while basting it with a mixture of coconut milk and vegetable oil. Boldly seasoned and lightly charred over the grill, these Satays are so flavorful and delicous. Definitely one of my family's favorite recipe that I have made so far!

Satays are typically served with cucumber, shallots, ketupat (a type of Malay style rice dumpling packed in a diamond shaped woven palm leaf pouch) and a peanut sauce in Singapore. Unfortunately, Bella is allergic to peanuts and so we usually do not have it with peanut sauce. However, I do have a bottle of a store bought Satay peanut sauce that I'd let friends sample with the Satay if they wish to. The sauce is readily available in the Asian supermarkets. So, if you are thinking of grilling this weekend or on Labor Day here in the US, perhaps you might want to shake things up with this favorite Singaporean hawker food!

Singapore Satay
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Satay Ingredients
3 1/2 lbs Beef Filet Mignon or Chicken Thighs
8 oz Shallots
6 cloves Garlic
1 1/2 inch slice of Turmeric
1/4 inch slice of Galangal 
4 1/2 stalk of Lemongrass (white portion, sliced thinly)
1 1/2 tbsp Coriander Powder
1 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
1 1/2 tbsp Tamarind Extract
1 1.2 tsp Anise Seeds
6 tbsp Sugar
3 tsp Salt
6 tbsp Vegetable Oil
Skewers (soaked in water for 20 min)

Basting Sauce Ingredients
1/3 cup Coconut Milk
4 1/2 tbsp Vegetable Oil

Cooking Method
1. Cut beef and/or chicken into small 1/4 inch cubes and set aside.
2. In a food processor, blend the shallots, garlic, turmeric, galangal, lemongrass, coriander powder, cumin powder, tamarind extract, anise seeds, sugar, salt and vegetable oil until a smooth paste is formed. 
3. Mix the marinade with the meat and allow it to marinate for 3 -4 hours or overnight if time permits.
4. Prepare the charcoal grill, use charcoal sparingly as too much heat will burn the Satay easily.
5. Skewer the marinated meat and prepare the basting sauce by mixing the coconut milk and vegetable oil together.
6. Cook the Satay over the grill, flipping frequently to ensure even cooking and baste it with the coconut milk and oil mixture. Lightly char it, if desired.

Makes approximately 200 Satays

This year's summer holidays came and went by in a flash! I had taken the entire summer off from blogging and had the most wonderful time with my family traveling, boating, swimming and just about any family-fun activity there is. The kids are now settled back in school and I am feeling refreshed & excited to share with you what I have been up to all summer.

Every summer, as a fun family tradition, I try to get my kids involved in the kitchen. Inviting your kids into your kitchen to help with meal preparations or to make a special recipe not only helps them learn and refine some basic skills, it is also a wonderful way to spend quality time together. They get to explore new foods & learn about nutrition and also develop math and reading skills as they help measure and read directions.

So, for the 4th of July, we decided to bake some cookies together. This recipe is so simple & easy to follow and yet, they bake up so tender and delicious! We used red, white and blue M&M's in honor of America's Independence Day but any colors will work just fine. In fact, Bella said that we could make another batch in August with just red and white M&M's for Singapore's National Day. Orange and black would be perfect for Halloween. Orange, yellow and brown for Thanksgiving or any Fall festival party. And not forgetting Christmas with red and green. The possibilities are endless!

For more of my favorite recipes to make with kids, go to:

Gem Biscuits - These adorable "Gem Biscuits" promises fun and color in every bite! Kids will have so much fun icing the biscuits and learning about colors
Homemade Wontons - With the little extra hands helping, this batch recipe will leave you with ready made meals for days to come.
Sweet Potato Balls - A great recipe to include for Thanksgiving as the kids lend a hand and talk about what they are thankful for.

Candy Coated Chocolate Cookies
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, adapted from Robbi's M&M's Cookies

Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup Brown Sugar (packed)
1/2 cup White Sugar
1 cup Butter (cold)
2 Eggs
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1 1/2 cup Candy Coated Milk Chocolate Pieces (We used M&M's)

Cooking Method
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, brown and white sugar together.
2. Add in eggs, vanilla extract and mix well.
3. Add in the sieved all purpose flour, baking soda and salt and mix well until a soft dough is formed. Add in 3/4 cup of candy-coated chocolate pieces and set the rest aside. Mix well.
4. Drop dough by spoon onto a baking tray. Push a few candies gently on top of each dough ball with the candies that was set aside.
5. Place the trays of dough in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes before baking.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 36 pieces