Japanese cuisine has always been very popular in Singapore and is also one of my family's favorite. The Japanese cuisine offers such a great variety of dishes and regional specialties. Needless to say, Japan is one of our favorite countries to visit.

Kian and I have visited multiples times but Bella and Jamie have yet to do so. Although, we have stopped over at Narita Airport a few times and the both of them always enjoy what ever little time they have immersing in the language, culture and of course the food. With their love for Japanese food, we think they are absolutely ready to tour the country.

I've mentioned before in my other Japanese inspired recipes, Chicken Donburi and Pork Katsu Curry, that the cuisine is more than just raw seafood and sushi. And one of my children's favorite is Chicken Karaage. This simple recipe calls for chicken thigh meat that is cut into small bite size, marinated and then coating them with corn starch prior to deep frying. An easy recipe that is so versatile, it can be served as an appetizer, side dish or as a main meal with rice or noodles.

Chicken Karaage
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, adapted from No Recipes

Recipe
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs Chicken Thighs (skinless and boneless)
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Sake or Japanese Cooking Rice Wine
2 tbsp Minced Ginger
1 cup Corn Starch
Vegetable Oil for Frying
Lemon Wedges

Cooking Method
1. Cut chicken thighs into small bite sizes. Marinate it with soy sauce, sake or Japanese cooking rice wine and minced ginger for 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator.
2. Heat vegetable oil in wok until the oil reaches approximately 350 degrees F.
3. Dredge the chicken pieces in corn starch and coat each piece evenly.
4. Deep fry the coated chicken pieces in batches. Once the chicken is golden brown and crispy, remove from oil and allow the chicken to rest on tempura paper or paper towels for a few minutes before serving.
5. Serve with lemon wedges.

Makes 4 servings

The summer holidays have officially come to an end with Bella and Jamie starting school last week. I hope everyone had a great summer. We definitely had a great one that was filled with fun camps, birthday celebrations and traveling. 

You may have noticed that I took the entire summer off from blogging and some of my friends have been asking why haven't they seen any post from me lately. We have been busy having fun and making memories but now, I am back in the swing of things. However, I still like to take things easy. So, I'm just going to start by sharing a super simple recipe, or rather more like a serving suggestion, that my family loves.

Melon with Prosciutto di Parma is a perfect summer dish. It is so easy to put together that I cannot even recall how many times we had this dish as an appetizer or side dish this past summer. Honestly, we will be happy to have this all year round. That's how much we love it. And since it still feels like a thousand degrees here in Houston, we are going to save the Fall and pumpkin talk till later and indulge in this sweet and savory classic dish.

Melon with Prosciutto di Parma
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
Half a Cantaloupe
6 to 8 slices of Prosciutto di Parma (thinly sliced)
1/2 cup of Arugula

Cooking Method
1. Cut cantaloupe into 4 slices and remove skin.
2. Wrap each slice of cantaloupe with prosciutto di parma.
3. Dress a serving plate with arugula.
4. Place the wrapped cantaloupe on the bed of arugula.
5. Feel free to double to triple the recipe for more servings.

Makes 4 servings