Garlic Lemon Butter Salmon is such a breeze to prepare, making it a perfect weeknight dinner as it is fairly effortless to make. I whip up this recipe once every few weeks and my family never gets tired of it. Using just a foil lined baking try and popping it into the oven to broil, it makes cleaning up after dinner fuss-free as well. You don't even have to plate it on a serving plate. You can just serve it in the tray for a rustic feel.

My family have always enjoyed salmon and I've always felt that salmon is a good source of protein and omega-3 fats. It is also my personal preference to only purchase and consume wild caught sockeye salmon. One little challenge with cooking salmon is the unappealing white substance that oozes out of the salmon every time I cook it. So, I researched and found that the white substance, known as albumin, is totally harmless and will happen to all salmon, regardless of what you do. But there is a way to significantly reduce the albumin collection; with a quick brine. I tried it out and lo and behold, my filet of salmon had no albumin at all and looks extremely pleasing to the eye.

Bella and Jamie loves this recipe. The flavors of the herbs come together so well with the butter and lemon. It was so tasty that they did not even mind the cilantro garnish. Bella even said that the cilantro adds a smokey flavor to the salmon and that she actually likes it.

Garlic Lemon Butter Salmon
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb Salmon Filet
4 cups water
4 tsp Salt
1/4 cup Butter
1/2 tbsp Lemon Juice
2 cloves Garlic (chopped)
1/4 tsp Oregano
1/4 tsp Thyme
1/4 tsp Rosemary
2 tbsp Chopped Cilantro
Salt & Pepper
Lemon Wedges

Cooking Method
1. Brine the salmon filet in 4 cups of water and 4 tsp of salt for 10 minutes.
2. Pat the salmon filet dry and remove all bones from it. Set it on a foil lined baking tray.
3. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a microwave for 30 seconds and mix it with 1/2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 cloves of chopped garlic, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp thyme and 1/2 tsp rosemary.
4. Pour melted herb butter over the salmon filet and spread it all over the fish.
5. Broil on high on the second highest rack in the oven for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the fish is cooked to your preference of doneness.
6. Garnish with chopped cilantro and lemon wedges. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Makes 4 servings

Halloween Eyeball Punch is a simple and delicious way to spook up your Halloween night with these creepy fruit eyeballs. A fun way to get the whole family involved in the kitchen with this easy recipe.

To create the eyeballs, I used the popular Southeast Asian fruit, lychee. Lychee is a small fleshy tropical fruit with a rough textured and inedible soft shell that is pinkish red. It is usually eaten fresh but with this recipe, I used the canned one as they are more readily available in supermarkets. As for the pupils, I used blueberries. I had initially planned on using blackberries but unfortunately, the lychees were not large enough as I had 'Texas-sized" blackberries. You may also consider using black seedless grapes.

This kid friendly punch is a simple mix of cranberry juice, pineapple juice and ginger ale. To make it into a adult drink, you may consider adding vodka.

Halloween Eyeball Punch
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
1 20 oz can Lychees
1 cup Blueberries / Blackberries / Black grapes
10 fl oz Cranberry Juice
6 fl oz Pineapple Juice
7 1/2 fl oz Ginger Ale

Cooking Method
1. Place 1 blueberry in each lychee for it to resemble an eyeball and set aside.
2. In a pitcher, mix cranberry juice, pineapple juice and ginger ale to make the punch
3. Pour punch into glasses and add in a few blueberry-lychee eyeballs in each glass.
4. Serve chilled or with ice.

Makes 4 servings

Strawberry Mummies and Ghosts, or Straw-boo-ries! A fun and easy sweet treat that you can get your family, especially the kids involved with.

We are a week from Halloween Day and I have always felt that it is the kick start to all the holidays that follow. Fall is my favorite season of the year, it is such a festive time with Thanksgiving and Christmas not too far away. The only thing that is missing here in Houston is the consistent "real" Fall weather.

This year, one of the fun Halloween activities that I did with Bella and Jamie was to make these Strawberry Mummies and Ghosts. They are so easy to make and Bella had fun decorating them. And Jamie was hands down, the most excellent taste tester!

I used Wilton Candy Melts as the dip and got some eyeball candy and mini chocolate morsels to decorate them. All items can be found in the baking aisle of your supermarket. This is not a sponsored post. I am just sharing with you the exact brands and products that I used.

Strawberry Mummies and Ghosts
By Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
1 lb Strawberries (rinsed and dried very well)
12 oz Wilton Candy Melts (Bright White)
1 Pkt Wilton Eyeball Candy
1/4 cup Chocolate Mini Morsels (I used Nestle Tollhouse)
Piping Bag or Ziploc Bags
Parchment Paper

Cooking Method
1. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Place candy melts in a stainless steel bowl over a double boiler (over a pot of hot water) on low heat. Stir constantly until it is smooth and melted. Do not allow water to boil.
3. Scoop out 5 tbsp of the candy melt and put it in a piping bag or ziploc bag for later use.
4. Dip strawberries into remaining melted candy and place it on the parchment paper lined baking tray. You may wish to allow the melted candy to drip onto the tray for the ghosts (to resemble the tail).
5. Place candy eyeballs on for the mummies and chocolate mini morsels for the ghosts.
6. Snip off the tip of the melted candy filled piping bag or ziploc bag and pipe the candy over the dipped strawberries to resemble mummy wraps.
7. Allow it to set for 30 minutes. They are best consumed on the day they are made.

Five Spice Bacon Wrapped Pork is an extremely flavorful entrée that is quick & simple to make and yet still fancy enough for guests at your next dinner party at home.

Two weeks ago, we had a friend visit from Singapore and Kian had invited him over for dinner that Friday. I was pretty exhausted that day considering that I had just returned from the Saveur Bloggers Awards event in Charleston, SC that Tuesday night, hosted a dinner at home for another couple from Kian's work industry on Wednesday and attended a fashion event on Thursday night. It was one of those weeks that something was happening everyday.

However, regardless of how tired I am, I always enjoy having company and making dinner for my family and friends. You don't have to always serve complicated dishes at dinner parties anyway. So, I thought about what to make that will be fairly effortless and yet still presentable enough to be served to guests. Kian suggested that I make a bacon wrapped pork tenderloin, a frequent dish on our weeknight menu.

Pork tenderloins are a lean cut of meat and will risk being dry especially if it is overcooked. Wrapping the tenderloin with bacon provides a layer of fat, protecting the meat from drying out and adds an immense amount of flavor. With just four ingredients (and basic salt & pepper seasoning, of course), I was able to put together a fairly decent dinner entrée that I served with a side of salad and roasted broccoli & cauliflower. The meat was so juicy, moist and tasty, Bella had three servings that night. She often jokes and calls this dish "pork wrapped pork".

I usually make this recipe with 2 whole pork tenderloins because it is one of my family's favorite and everyone always goes for seconds, but you can absolutely half the recipe and just use 1 tenderloin.

Five Spice Bacon Wrapped Pork
by Miss Crumbs A lot

Recipe
Ingredients
2 Whole Pork Tenderloins (approx. 3 lbs)
20 pieces Bacon
1 1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice (divided)
2 tbsp Honey
Salt & Pepper

Cooking Method
1. Season the pork tenderloins with a pinch of salt, pepper and 1/2 tsp of Chinese five spice each. Rub in the seasoning. You may even omit the salt especially if you are not using low sodium bacon.
2. Wrap the seasoned pork tenderloins with the bacon strips, slightly overlapping each other.
3. Mix 2 tbsp of honey with 1/2 tsp of Chinese five spice.
4. Place the bacon wrapper pork tenderloins on baking trays and baste them with the honey mixture.
5. Roast at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes on the middle rack. Then broil on medium for 10 minutes on the middle rack.
6. Cut into thick slices and serve. Juice from the meat at bottom of the tray can be served as au jus with the pork.

​Serves 6 to 8

Chinese Lion's Head Soup is a healthy and nutritious meatball soup that is cooked with napa vegetables. Growing up, I have always had this soup at meal times and quite honestly, never knew they were called Lion's Head Soup. I have always just simply called them pork meatballs.

Chinese Lion's Head meatballs or stewed meatballs is a dish of Huaiyang cuisine from eastern China, consisting of large pork meatballs stewed with vegetables. The meatballs are called Lion's Head because of its resemblance to the shape of the head of the Chinese guardian lion. The dish eventually became part of the Shanghai cuisine with the influx of migrants in the 19th and early 20th century.

I have always made these Chinese Lion's Head meatballs for my family and they absolutely love it. The meatballs are made from marinated minced pork molded into balls and cooked in chicken broth. Throw in some vegetables and serve it with rice or noodles, you'll have a well balanced meal.

Chinese Lion's Head Soup
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
1 lb Minced Pork
1 Egg
1 tbsp Cornstarch
1 tbsp Minced Ginger
1 tbsp + 2 tsp Minced Garlic
1 tsp Light Soy Sauce
1/4 tsp Salt
4 tsp Sesame Oil (divided)
1 Head Napa Cabbage (cored & cut)
2 Carrots (cut)
8 cups Chicken Stock
1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 Green Onions (chopped and divided)

Cooking Method
1. Marinate 1 lb of minced pork with 1 egg, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tbsp minced ginger, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tsp light soy sauce, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 tsp sesame oil and half of the chopped green onions. Mix well and set aside.
2. In a pot, heat up 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Add in 2 tsp minced garlic and stir fry until it is fragrant. Add in cut napa cabbage, carrots and stir fry for a few minutes.
3. Add in 8 cups of chicken stock and bring in to a boil. Once boiling, lower temperature and simmer on medium/low heat. 
4. Mold marinated minced pork into 1 tbsp sized meatballs and drop them into the broth and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper, if neccessary.
6. Dish out into bowls, garnish with chopped green onions, dash of white pepper powder and drizzle some sesame oil.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Slow Cooker Garlic Sesame Chicken is a great recipe for your busy week nights. Simply prepare the ingredients and allow the slow cooker to do its job. At the end of the day, you will have a delicious and wholesome meal waiting for you.

A couple of weeks ago, Kian was in Singapore for work. While he was away, preparing dinners at home can be a little bit of a challenge. Especially if we have after school activities and both Bella and Jamie are requesting for my attention, all while I am rushing to get dinner ready before we head out for Bella's Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class. And I always want my kids to be able to have a hot meal soon after we get home from after school activities. They will be starving and will have no patience to wait for me cook them a meal. It is like having Chef Ramsay yelling at you on Masterchef, "You have 5 minutes left on the clock! Why isn't the food on the plate yet!?"

So, I broke out the busy mom's best friend, the slow cooker. With some time management and planning, dinner preparation can really be a breeze. With this Slow Cooker Garlic Sesame Chicken recipe, all I needed was 15 to 20 minutes of preparation work. Right before I head out to pick Jamie up from preschool, I prepared the ingredients and set the Slow Cooker Garlic Sesame Chicken to cook and had rice on a timer in my trusty little electric rice cooker.

Shortly after we got home, Bella alighted from her school bus and I was able to give my full attention to the both of them because dinner was already cooking and will be ready in a couple of hours. This works great for my family and out schedule and I hope this easy to prepare recipe can help with your busy week nights too.

Slow Cooker Garlic Sesame Chicken
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
3 lbs Chicken Breast
1/2 cup Light Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Oyster Sauce
2 tbsp Sesame Oil
2 tbsp Garlic (chopped)
1 tbsp Ginger (minced)
1 Onion (chopped)
4 tsp Cornstarch
6 tsp Water
Steamed Cooked Broccoli Florets
Sesame Seeds

Cooking Method
1. In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup light soy sauce, 1/4 cup oyster sauce, 2 tbsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp chopped garlic, 1 tbsp minced ginger and 1 chopped onion. Mix well and set aside.
2. Place chicken breast in the slow cooker and pour sauce mixture over the meat.
3. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or until the chicken reaches a temperature of 165 degrees F. Remove chicken pieces and cut them into bite size chunks or shred them, whichever way you prefer, then set them aside.
4. Pour sauce into a pot and turn heat on to medium. Mix 4 tsp of cornstarch and 6 tsp water. Once the sauce is boiling, stir in cornstarch mixture and allow it to thicken.
5. Serve chicken and steamed broccoli over white rice, drizzle sauce over and garnish with sesame seeds.

Serves 4 to 6

Red Bean Sago Sweet Soup, a classic warm sweet soup that is typical served as a dessert at the end of a meal in Cantonese cuisine. Collectively known as "Tong Sui" literally translated as "sugar water" from Cantonese, there is a huge variety of these sweet soup desserts. Red bean soup is classic favorite.

My mom loves red bean soup. Whenever she visits us from Singapore, we would always cook a pot and she would have it for dessert after dinner and even for breakfast the next day. In Singapore, there really isn't any rule as to when you should eat certain dishes. If it is available, there is no reason why you cannot have it. Hence, it is very common for Singaporeans to have warm dessert soups or a hot bowl of noodles for breakfast.

Our family tend to enjoy red bean soup a little less thick and a little more grainy. We prefer the red beans to be just broken down and not mushy. However, if you prefer a thicker consistency, you can always use a hand blender and pulse the red bean soup a few times. I added in some tapioca sago pearls for additional texture as well.

Red Bean Sago Sweet Soup
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
12 oz Red Beans or Adzuki Beans (soaked in water overnight)
4 oz Tapioca Pearl Sago
3 1/2 oz Rock Sugar
10 cups + 6 Cups Water

Cooking Method
1. Drain soaked red beans and place them in a pot. Add in 6 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium/low and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. As the beans cook, you will need to add more water, right around 30 minutes onwards, adding up to 4 more cups, as needed.
2. In another pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add in tapioca pearl sago and cook until the pearls are translucent. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Drain and set aside.
3. Once the red beans a broken down and soft, add in 3 1/2 oz rock sugar and stir until sugar dissolves.
4. Stir in cooked tapioca pearl sago and serve warm. 

Serves 4

Ginger Carrot Soup, a healthy and vitamin packed soup recipe that requires only a handful of basic ingredients. With a little hint of Asian flavor, this quick and easy to prepare soup will kickstart your Autumn season in a warm and satisfying way.
​
2 weeks ago, September 22, 2017, specifically, marked the first day of Fall. I love Fall, it is my favorite season of the year. Although here in Houston, Fall means temperatures between a high of the 80s and low of the 60s, I always looked forward to being able to boots & sweaters, sip on warm drinks and have hearty Fall recipe meals. It is during this time that the delicious bounty of Fall will often be featured. From the ever popular pumpkin spice latte to apple pies.

So last week, Kian was traveling to Singapore for work. I wished the kids and I could tag along but with school in session, it was just not possible. When he is not around, I tend to prepare smaller and simpler meals for the kids and myself. I had some carrots and celery left in the refrigerator and I asked Bella if she would like some soup for dinner. She read my mind and said it would be a healthy idea, especially if I blended the soup. She went on to admit that she is a fussy eater (she really isn't that bad) and that this was a great way to get her to have her vegetables. I was pleased we were on the same there.

I decided to add in some ginger to give the soup some Fall "warmth" and "heat". And because ginger can be very pungent and spicy, I topped the soup with some rehydrated goji berries. The goji berries would add a little sweetness to soup and tone down the zesty ginger heat a little. I made the recipe with 1 3/4 oz of minced ginger and that was a little to spicy for Jamie. He took a couple of sips and was not able to have anymore. So it was chicken and beef fajitas to save the day. Bella loved it though. She had 2 bowls of it. So if you like ginger and its heat, you can consider going with more ginger. If not, I think 1 oz of ginger would be plentiful.

Ginger Carrot Soup
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
6 Carrots (approx. 1 lb) (roll cut or diagonally)
4 stalks Celery (approx. 7 oz) (sliced)
1 onion (cut into wedges)
1 to 1 3/4 oz Minced Ginger (1 oz is plentiful, use 1 3/4 oz if you want it spicier)
3 cloves Garlic (minced)
3 cup Chicken Stock
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Goji Berries (rehydrated in water)

Cooking Method
1. In a cast iron pot or pot with a heavy bottom, heat up 2 tbsp olive oil. Add in minced ginger and garlic, stir fry until fragrant.
2. Add in onions and continue stir frying until they are about to turn translucent.
3. Add in carrots and celery, stir fry until vegetables are 'sweating" (moisture rises to the surface of the vegetables)
4. Add in 3 cups of chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium/low and simmer for  15 to 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
5. Using a hand blender, blend the vegetables until a smooth purée is formed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Garnish with rehydrated goji berries and serve warm.

Serves 4

Snow Skin Mooncakes with Red Bean Paste is another one of the many variations of mooncakes that we eat during Mid Autumn Festival. It falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, which is October 4 2017 this year and that happens to be tomorrow.

I had previously shared a variation of this recipe, Snow Skin Mooncakes with Mung Bean Paste and shared a little about this unique traditional dessert snack from Singapore. Click on the link above to find out more. This time, I made a red bean paste for the filling  instead and played around with the food coloring a little. I did not use yellow the last time so I included it this time. And I also mixed pink and blue to achieve a lavender color.

This recipe is similar to the one with mung bean paste but because red beans take a longer time to cook, the time required for this recipe would be a little longer. And I doubled the amount of snow skin wraps as I was not sure if the previous recipe would have enough for the amount of red bean paste that I would have. I had a little bit of snow skin wraps left and I saved it in the freezer for my next batch.

Bella and Jamie loved it and when I asked them if they have a preference for either the mung bean paste or red bean paste, they could not pick. They liked them both. So on a festive note, I wish you and your family a Happy Mid Autumn Festival! May you have a long life to share the graceful moonlight!

Related Posts:
Snow Skin Mooncakes with Mung Bean Paste
Easy Pandan Snow Skin Mooncakes

Snow Skin Mooncakes with Red Bean Paste
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, adapted from FOOD52 & Christine's Recipes

Recipe
Snow Skin Wrap Ingredients
90g (3.2oz) Glutinous  Rice Flour
70g (2.4oz) Rice Flour (water milled)
40g (1.6oz) Wheat Starch
80g (3oz) Sugar
360ml (12 fl oz) Unsweetened Coconut Milk
36ml (1.2 fl oz) Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup Glutinous Rice Flour (for dusting)

Red Bean Paste Filling Ingredients
1 cup Dry Red Beans or Azuki Beans (soaked in water overnight)
2/3 cups Sugar
6 tbsp Shortening

Equipment
1 50g size Mooncake Mold

Snow Skin Wrap Cooking Method
1. In a bowl, mix 90g (3.2oz) of glutinous rice flour with 70g (2.4oz) rice flour and 40g (1.6oz) wheat starch together.
2. In another bowl, dissolve 80g (3oz) sugar in 360ml (12 fl oz) unsweetened coconut milk. Then mix in 36ml (1.2 fl oz) of vegetable oil.
3. Slowly pour the coconut milk mixture into the flour mixture while whisking it gently. Mix well. Strain it once and set it aside, allowing it to rest for 30 minutes.
4. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and steam cook it over high heat for 30 minutes.
5. Once ready, remove from heat and use a pair of chopsticks or fork to stir the mixture until a soft and smooth dough is formed.
6. Once cooled, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and knead it with your hands for 10 to 15 minutes. You can also use a pestle and gently pound it. It is imperative to knead it to ensure that the wrap will be soft and smooth.
7. Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours before assembling the mooncake.

Red Bean Paste Filling Cooking Method
1. Drain the soaked red beans and place them in a pot. Add in 3 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium/low and simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes. As the water boils down, right around 30 minutes onwards, you will need to add just enough water to keep the beans submerged in water.
2. After about an hour, to ensure that the beans are ready, pinch a bean between your fingers. It should mash very easily between your fingers.
3. Once done, turn off heat, drain the beans and allow it to cool slightly. Blend the beans in a food processor until a smooth paste is formed (hummus like)
4. Pour the red bean paste into a non-stick wok or pan, add in 2/3 cup sugar and 6 tbsp of shortening. Over medium heat, mix all the ingredients together. As the sugar dissolves and shortening gets mixed it, the paste will be watery. Continue cooking, stirring constantly until the moisture has evaporated and a soft dough is formed. Once the paste can hold its shape, it is ready.
5. Remove from heat and refrigerate until ready to use.

Assembly Method
1. Toast 1/2 cup of glutinous rice flour in a non-stick wok or pan over medium heat until it turns light yellow. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
2. Measure each snow skin wrap and red bean paste to around 20g and 30g respectively. Shape them into balls and set aside.
3. Dust your hands, counter top and mooncake mold with toasted glutinous rice flour.
4. Wrap each mung bean paste ball with snow skin wrap and seal completely. Shape it into a ball first then gently mold it into an oval.
5. Place the oval into the mooncake mold, place it on the counter top and gently push the shaping tool to shape the mooncake into the mold. Remove from mold gently.

Makes 16 50g Mooncakes
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Check out Snow Skin Mooncakes with Mung Bean Paste
Check out Easy Pandan Snow Skin Mooncakes