We recently had some beautiful weather over the last weekend and since we still preferred to stay home and social distance, we just spent the afternoon swimming and chilling in our backyard. Dinner was already in the grill and the table was set for us to dine out in our patio. But knowing my kids, whenever they swim or are just playing in the pool, they seem to get extremely hungry the moment they step out of the water. Since dinner won't be ready for another 20 minutes or so, I quickly whipped up these super delicious Chinese Scallion Pancakes for them to have as an appetizer and to tide them over until dinner was ready.

These Chinese Scallion Pancakes are so easy and simple, you can make it in no time with just some pantry staples. Served hot straight off the skillet, my family literally devoured it in 60 seconds!

Chinese Scallion Pancakes
by Miss Crumbs A lot, adapted from food52

Recipe
Pancakes Ingredients
1 cup All Purpose Flour (unbleached) with extra for dusting
1/2 tsp Sea salt
1 tbsp Ghee or Clarified Butter
1/4 cup Water
2 tbsp Milk (I used 2%)
1/2 cup Scallion (thinly sliced)
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil

Dipping Sauce Ingredients
2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Sesame oil
Dash of White Pepper Powder

Cooking Method
1. Please refer to the pictures above throughout the recipe. Make dipping sauce by whisking all the ingredients together and set aside. You may also use store bought dumpling sauce. In a mixing bowl, combine flour and salt.
2. Combine 1/4 cup of water and 2 tbsp of milk in a microwavable bowl or measuring cup. Warm it up in the microwave for 1 minute. Pour the mixture into the flour and mix with a spatula until a soft dough is formed. You may add more warm water or flour but do not rush to do so yet. Use your hands to mix the dough until it is soft and does not stick to your hands. You may find that with some patience and kneading, no additional water or flour may be needed at all.
3. Lightly dust clean counter top or clean surface with some flour, knead the dough for about a minute or two. Divide the dough into 2 pieces and allow it to rest, covered with a slightly damp paper towel for about 5 minutes.
4. Keeping counter top light dusted with flour, roll out one dough into a 8"round circle with a flour dusted rolling pin, to about 1/8" thick. Repeat with second ball of dough.
5. Using your finger tips, smear the ghee or clarified butter over rolled out dough. From the edge of the circle, roll up the dough into a tight log. Then, roll up the log into a tight spiral ball. Repeat with the second rolled out dough. Allow it to rest, covered with a slightly damp paper towel for about 5 minutes.
6. Keeping counter top light dusted with flour, roll out one spiral dough ball into a 8"round circle with a flour dusted rolling pin, to about 1/8" thick. Repeat with second spiral ball of dough.
7. Sprinkle the thinly sliced scallions on top of the rolled out dough. From the edge of the circle, roll up the dough into a tight log again. Then, roll up the log into a tight spiral ball again. Repeat with the second rolled out spiral ball of dough. Allow it to rest, covered with a slightly damp paper towel for about 5 minutes.
8. Keeping counter top light dusted with flour, gently roll out one spiral dough ball with scallions into a 8"round circle with a flour dusted rolling pin, to about 1/8" thick. Repeat with second spiral ball of dough with scallions. Set aside covered with slightly damp paper towel until ready to fry.
9. In a non-stick frying pan or skillet, heat up 2 tbsp of vegetable oil over medium to medium high heat. Carefully lay one pancake into frying pan. Fry until the underside is golden brown, gently flip and cook the other side until it is golden brown as well.
10. Remove from heat and onto a chopping board. Cut into 8 triangle slices and serve hot with dipping sauce.

Makes 2 pancakes

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

The last couple of weeks had been rough on our family. Seasonal allergies were on an all time high in Houston for us, and everyone in our household has been dealing with some really bad allergy symptoms. From extremely congested noses to itchy and watery eyes that later developed to fevers and asthmatic symptoms. It has gotten so bad for us that both Bella and Jamie had to stay home from school for a few days.

While caring for sick children at home, I found that this Smoked Salmon Quinoa Bowl recipe, that I actually make all year long, came in really handy. A fresh and easy salad that can be enjoyed as a meal or as a side. Deliciously simple, packed with flavor and lots of fresh vegetables, this is the perfect easy lunch or dinner.

Smoked Salmon Quinoa Bowl
by Miss Crumbs A lot

Recipe
Ingredients
1 Cup  Dry Quinoa
1 Cucumber (peeled, cored and diced)
1 Avocado (peeled and diced)
1 Red Bell Pepper (diced)
15 Cherry Tomatoes (halved)
3 tbsp Shallots (finely diced)
1 15.5 oz Canned Black Beans (rinsed and drained)
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Juice of 2 Limes
1 1/2 tsp Dill Weed
Salt & Pepper
Smoked Salmon (or any other protein of choice)

Cooking Method
1. Run cold water over 1 cup of dry quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer.
2. In a 1 1/2 qt pot, add in 1 cup of rinsed quinoa and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil.
3. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 15 to 20 min or until all water is absorbed.
4. Fluff gently with a fork and allow it to cool slightly.
5. Gently toss the cooked quinoa with diced cucumber, avocado, red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, shallots, black beans, olive oil, juice of 2 limes, dill weed and season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Top with smoked salmon or any other protein of choice and serve.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

It has been quite a while since Kian and I started the Slow Carb Diet, reducing carbs, sugar and dairy. Having lost a significant amount of weight, we have since kept up with the diet loosely and also started experimenting with others as well. We recently introduced intermittent fasting into our routine and have taken interest in the Ketogenic diet. Having read up a little about it, I found so many delicious and interesting recipes out there.

I made a Almond Flour Bread recipe that was very similar to the Flourless Almond Butter Bread that I had shared some time ago. However, this recipe produced a more spongy texture and is less dense. I personally felt it was more bread-like. It is very easy to make and keeps very well wrapped up in foil in the refrigerator. And the bread makes an awesome avocado toast or sandwich while maintaining a low carb count.

Almond Flour Bread
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, adapted from FatForWeightLoss

Recipe
Ingredients
1/2 cup Butter (room temperature)
2 tbsp Coconut Oil
7 Eggs
1 tsp Baking Powder
2 cups Almond Meal / Flour
1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
1/2 Tsp Salt

Cooking Method
1. Preheat oven to 355 degrees F. Grease and line a bread pan with parchment paper.
2. Melt 1/2 cup butter slowly using the microwave in 30 second intervals. Mix in 2 tbsp coconut oil. 
3. Using an electric mixer, beat 7 eggs until light and fluffy. Add in melted butter and coconut oil. Mix well.
4. Add in 2 cups almond meal, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp xanthan gum and 1/2 tsp salt. Mix well.
5. Pour batter in lined bread pan and smooth out the top.
6. Bake for 45 min in 355 degrees F. Insert a skewer into the middle of the bread and ensure it comes out clean. Cool on a cooling rack.

​Makes 1 loaf

Some time ago, I made a fusion version of the traditional Hokkien dish, Braised Pork Belly Taco. Braised Pork Belly is originally served in lotus leaf buns, and they are usually cooked over a long time until soft and extremely fragrant. 

I wanted to make a less fatty version for my kids so with the same base marinade, I made these delectable Asian Pulled Pork Buns for dinner when we celebrated Mid-Autumn Festival at home last month. These flavorful buns were like mini sliders that were so delicious and versatile, perfect as an appetizer, or as a hand-held pass around at parties or on its own as a meal. 

Using the slow cooker also made this recipe extremely easy and fuss free to make. Just prepare the ingredients and let the slow cooker do the rest of the work. At the end of the day, simply pull the meat apart and pop them back into the fragrant sauce. The recipe also freezes very well and you'll get a few meals out of this this large batch recipe.

Asian Pulled Pork Buns
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
3 to 4 lb Pork Shoulder or Boston Pork Butt
6 oz Shallots (thinly sliced)
18 cloves of Garlic (lightly smashed)
5 tbsp Cooking Oil
2 oz piece Ginger (lightly smashed)
12 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
3 Cinnamon Sticks
6 Star Anise
10 Cloves
3 tbsp Chinese 5-Spice Powder
1 1/2 tbsp Cumin Powder
1 1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 White Pepper Powder
3 tsp Sesame Oil
3 oz Rock Sugar
5 cups Water
Lotus Leaf Buns (available in most Asian supermarkets, in the frozen section)
Cilantro

Cooking Method
1. In a wok, heat up 5 tbsp of cooking oil. Once heated, brown the whole pork shoulder or Boston pork butt on all sides. Set aside.
2. In the same wok with the leftover oil, add in thinly sliced shallots and light smashed garlic. Stir fry until fragrant and soft.
3. Add in dark soy sauce, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, Chinese 5-spice powder, cumin powder, salt and white pepper powder. Mix well.
4. Add in water, sesame oil, rock sugar and lightly smashed ginger. Mix well.
5. Bring to a boil and lower heat to allow it to simmer for 10 min.
6. Place browned pork shoulder or Boston pork butt in the slow cooker. Pour the marinade over the meat. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours.
7. Once ready, remove the pork shoulder or Boston pork butt from the slow cooker onto a chopping board. Shred the meat and place them back into the sauce.
8. Serve with cilantro in lotus leaf buns.

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

It has been more than 2 weeks since we returned from our Spring break vacation and one of the hardest thing for me after a week long holiday is to try and get right back into our routine and diet. It certainly did not help with the long Easter weekend that we just had. While it has been an amazing time spent with family and friends, it was difficult to exercise control with those yummy chocolate eggs that the Easter bunny left behind for us.

So, determined to still eat healthy while trying to get out of this funk, I made one of my go-to dishes, White Bean and Broccoli Meatballs. They are so quick and easy to make, even when you feel like you need a vacation after a vacation, these little puppies are still not difficult to churn out. You can make a large batch, store them in the refrigerator or freezer and make several meals out of them.

Kian and I prefer to keep our meals low carb, so these White Bean and Broccoli Meatballs are perfect as I omitted breadcrumbs in this recipe. We love them over a bed of zoodles (spiralized zucchini noodles) that we sauté with pesto while Bella and Jamie enjoy theirs with pasta in Alfredo sauce. It makes such a flavorful and satisfying  meal. You can even toss the meatballs in Go-Chu-Jang sauce (Korean hot and sweet sauce) and have them as an appetizer or side dish.

White Bean and Broccoli Meatballs
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
2 lb Ground Beef (85% lean, 15% fat)
8 oz Broccoli
1 19 oz can White Cannellini Beans
1 Egg
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp White Pepper Powder
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Onion Powder

Cooking Method
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Using a food processor, chop the broccoli until it is a fine mince and set aside.
​3. Rinse and drain the white cannellini beans and grind them with the food processor until a smooth mash is formed. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, minced broccoli, mashed white cannellini beans, egg, salt, white pepper powder, dried oregano, garlic powder and onion powder. Mix well.
5. Shape them into 1 inch round balls and place them on a baking tray.
6. Bake at 375 degrees on the middle rack for 20 minutes. The broil on high for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown on the middle rack.
7. Serve with your favortie sauce or choice of pasta or sauce.

Make approx. 60 meatballs.

I love scallops! And I love bacon too. So, the combination of these two ingredients is definitely a match made in heaven, in my opinion. The smokey flavor of bacon complements and enhances the sweetness of scallops when paired with it. Drizzled with a fermented black bean aioli, it adds a layer of complex flavor and a delicious boost of umami.

Fermented black beans, also known as salted or dried black beans, are made from soy beans that have been dried and fermented with salt and some other spices such as chillies, garlic, ginger etc. They can be easily found in Asian supermarkets and are sold in jars. If you do not live near an Asian supermarket, black bean sauce is often available at the international or Asian foods aisle. And you can substitute the fermented black beans with the sauce instead. One of my favorite brands that I often use is "Lee Kum Kee". And they can be found in my local HEB store.

​Scallop Satays with Bacon and Black Bean Aioli
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, adapted from "Simply Ming In Your Kitchen" Cook Book

Recipe
Ingredients
15 Large Whole Scallops
4 slices Bacon
3 cloves Garlic (minced)
1 1/2 tsp Fermented Black Beans (chopped)
1 bunch Scallions or Spring Onions (thinly sliced and divided)
1 Egg Yolk
1 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 cup + 1 1/2 tsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
Salt
Pepper
5 8" Skewers

Cooking Method
1. Soak skewers in water for at least an hour. Pat dry with paper towel.
2. Skewer 3 scallops and place them toward the top of each skewer. Refrigerate them if not using them immediately.
3. Bake bacon slices in 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, until they are crispy. Drain off fat and pat dry with a paper towel. Chop the bacon into small pieces. Set aside for later use.
4. In a pan, heat up 1 tsp of the bacon fat from the baking tray. Add in chopped garlic, black beans and 3/4 portion of the chopped scallions. Sauté for about a minute, until the vegetables are soft. Season with salt and pepper and set aside for later use.
5. Prepare the aioli by placing 1 egg yolk, 1 1/2 tsp mustard and 1/2 cup olive oil in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper. Blend until an emulsion forms. Transfer into a bowl and mix in chopped fermented black beans. Add in 1 tbsp lemon juice and stir well.
6. Heat 1 1/2 tsp olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Season skewered scallops with salt and pepper. Pan fry the scallops for about 30 seconds each side, until they are golden brown and just cooked through.
7. Drizzle the black bean aioli over the scallop skewers and garnish with chopped bacon and remaining scallions.

Makes 5 Skewers

In a blink of an eye, here we are with a week of the New Year gone already. 1 week down and 51 more weeks to go. It may seem like a long time to go but time always seem to just fly by when you're not paying attention.

I have kept myself busy by spending time with family who is visiting from Singapore, hosting parties and keeping up with our annual family traditions. And before I knew it, we were sprinting toward Christmas, Bella's birthday (which falls on December 27) and the New Year. While I took a month off from my blog, I never took a break from the kitchen. I was constantly making dinners for a household of 8 people or preparing dishes for a party.

On the topic of parties, for Bella's 9th birthday party, she wanted it to be "Harry Potter" themed. I had so much fun preparing and cooking for it. And I was so glad that my family is visiting. They helped out so much! We created letters from Hogwarts as invitations, hung battery operated candles with fishing line over my kitchen island to recreate the Great Hall, made Polyjuice Potion Slime and even made a Dementor pinata. The house was decorated with "wanted" posters of Sirius Black and Moaning Myrtle made a couple of appearances in some of our mirrors.

The refreshments had to be in theme too. I found non-alcoholic Butter Beer from my local grocery store and served it with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. A little too sweet for my liking but I think the kids had a blast! We even printed paper wings and stuck them onto Ferraro Rocher chocolates to make them look like "Golden Snitches". But the highlight had to be the Curry Puff Pastries that we named "House Elf Curry Puff Pastries" for the party. Inspired by Harry Potter's Pumpkin Pasties, I tweaked my traditional Singapore Curry Puffs recipe and made them with store bought frozen puff pastries instead. In fact, some bakeries in Singapore make them this way too. These flaky and crispy curry puff pastries were absolutely delightful and were flying off the platter at the party. A perfect finger food for any occasion really.

Curry Puff Pastries
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
5 tbsp Cooking Oil
1 Medium Red Onion (diced finely)
3 tsp Garam Marsala Powder
4 tsp Curry Powder
1 tsp Chilli Powder
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 cup Chicken Breast Meat (diced 3/8")
2 large Potatoes (skinned, boiled and diced 3/8")
1 1/2 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Salt
3 boxes Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry Sheets (6 sheets)
1 egg (beaten)

Cooking Method
1. Prepare the filling first. Heat oil and stir fry onions on medium heat until golden brown.
2. Add in 3 tsp garam marsala powder, 4 tsp curry powder, 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp turmeric powder and continue to stir fry gently.
3. Add in 1 cup diced chicken and stir fry until chicken is cooked. Add in potatoes, 1 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp salt and mix well. Set aside to cool.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
5. Remove pastry sheets from the box & packages and allow them to thaw for up to 40 minutes, until it is soft and does not crack or break when unfolding. The pastry sheet should still be cold.
6. Cut each pastry sheet into 4 squares. Place 2 to 3 tbsp of curry filling in the middle of the pastry and fold it over into triangles, sealing the edges with water. Use a fork to create a crimping pattern on the edges and brush the beaten egg over the top.
7. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown at 400 degrees F.

Makes 24 pieces.