I cannot believe we have 2 more weeks of school and the summer holidays are upon us already. In the last month, we have just been busy with life. We can all relate to a busy life. The good news is, this busyness is a good kind of busyness, a choice. I got to volunteer as a chaperone at my kids' school field trips and spend a really fun day with them individually. We also kick-started our new home building process (we are so excited), and along with our usual after-school activities, we are also preparing for Bella's first upcoming piano recital. These are some fun times so I reckon I should say we are attempting to live a full life. And not forgetting Kian taking over for 4 days while I went on a girls' trip to Nashville for some girlie fun.

It is possible to live a well paced & present life and we should allow ourselves to slow down and live a full life. That is why I love quick and easy recipes for dinners that are still delicious. And might I add that there is literally no clean up? So, instead of slogging in the kitchen to make a meal and cleaning up after the meal, I am able to be present at the dinner table with my family and not have to rush through the meal.

Take this Broiled Pineapple Salmon recipe for example. The flavors are so vibrant and palatable with just a handful of ingredients and preparing it is such a breeze. I definitely got the thumbs up from the family and had made this recipe multiple times already. I definitely recommend you bookmark this recipe.

Broiled Pineapple Salmon
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, adapted from Delish

Recipe
Ingredients
8 slices of Fresh Pineapple
1 Salmon Filet (about 1-1.5 lbs & I used Sockeye)
Salt & Pepper
3 tbsp Butter (melted)
3 tbsp Sweet Chilli Sauce (I used Lee Kum Kee)
2 tbsp Cilantro (chopped)
3 cloves Garlic (chopped)
2 tsp Ginger (grated)
2 tsp Sesame Oil
1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Sesame Seeds
Green Onions (thinly sliced)
Cooking spray

Cooking Method
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking tray with foil and ​coat with cooking spray.
2. Place pineapple slices in an even layer in the middle of the tray and bake for 20 minutes in the middle rack.
3. Season the salmon filet with salt and pepper and place it on top of the pineapple slices.
4. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, sweet chili sauce, chopped cilantro, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and crushed red pepper flakes. Brush it evenly all over the salmon.
5. Broil on high on the second highest rack for 6 to 8 minutes, depending on the size of your fish and doneness preference. This should charr the pineapples and fish slightly and keep the middle of the filet medium rare and pink.
6. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion and serve over rice, if desired.

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

One of Bella's & Jamie's favorite week night dinner is Spaghetti Bolognese and because it is such a quick & easy recipe, I make this dish as often as every other week. However, trying to stay on a low carb diet with a pasta meal makes it rather difficult to adhere to it. And we were starting to get tired of zucchini noodles or "Zoodles". So, I decided to try spaghetti squash instead.

I roasted the spaghetti squash and paired it with my usual bolognese sauce. It was delicious! The stringy squash resembled regular spaghetti and has a slight sweet flavor to it. Both Bella and Jamie loved it and have since requested that I make the squash as a pasta alternative for them too. 

Spaghetti Squash Bolognese
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
1 Medium Spaghetti Squash
1 lb Minced Beef (20% fat, 80% lean)
3 Carrots
3 stalks of Celery
1/2 Large Onion
5 cloves Garlic
1 28 oz Can Tomato Sauce
1/4 cup White Wine or White Wine Vinegar
Salt & Pepper
3 tbsp Olive Oil
Parmesan Cheese

Cooking Method
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut the spaghetti squash into half, remove the seeds and rub 1 tbsp of olive oil and a little salt on the inside.
3. Place the squash cut side down onto a baking tray, add a little water in the tray and bake for 40 to 60 minutes (depending on the size of the squash and if you prefer it more al dente or softer).
4. In a food processor, mince the carrots, celery, onion and garlic (separately)
5. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pot and stir fry the minced onion and garlic until fragrant.
6. Add minced carrots and celery and continue stir frying for a few minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
7. Add white wine into the vegetables and mix well.
8. Add the minced beef and stir fry until meat is cooked, breaking up the minced meat.
9. Season with salt and pepper. Allow it to simmer for 20 min.
10. When the squash is done and cooled slightly, use a fork to fluff the squash to make the insides resemble spaghetti. Serve with bolognese sauce and parmesan cheese, if desired.

Makes 4 servings

I have always liked Ree Drummond's (aka The Pioneer Woman) recipes. Her recipes are always so delicious and easy to follow. Last week, I decided to get some shrimps for dinner. We don't often have shrimps for our meals and I thought I'd change things up a bit. And I immediately thought of an episode of "The Pioneer Woman" where Ree made this super easy Oven Baked Lemon Garlic Shrimps.

It was so quick and easy to prepare. And because I like to keep after meals clean up to a minimum, I popped in a tray of broccoli that was drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with black pepper, salt and oregano leaves together with the shrimps in the oven.

In 20 minutes, dinner was ready and boy, were the shrimps delicious! I served the shrimps and broccoli with some bread for the kids to dip into the hot and bubbly butter sauce. They absolutely loved it!

Oven Baked Lemon Garlic Shrimp
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Recipe
Ingredients
2 lbs Raw Shrimps (deveined, shells on)
1 cup Cold Butter (2 sticks)
1/4 cup Chopped Cilantro
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
4 cloves Garlic
Juice of 1 whole Lemon
Bread for serving

Cooking Method
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Arrange the shrimps in a single layer on a baking tray.
2. Cut the cold butter sticks into small chunks and place them in a food processor. Add in 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper. 4 cloves garlic and juice of 1 whole lemon. Pulse until they are combined.
3. Sprinkle the cold butter crumbles over the shrimp.
4. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes or until the shrimps are cooked (opaque looking) and the butter sauce is hot and bubbly.

Makes 4 servings

One fresh produce that I have learnt to enjoy after living in Houston for almost 9 years now is collard greens. A staple vegetable in Southern U.S. cuisine, it is often prepared with other similar green leafy vegetables such as mustard greens, spinach, kale and turnip greens in a dish called mixed greens. And it is usually seasoned with smoked and salted meats, which reminds me so much of a traditional Asian dish (Hakka, to be specific), Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard Greens (Mui Choy Kau Yoke).

Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard Greens is not an easy dish to prepare as it is pretty time consuming and I have not been able to find preserved mustard greens here yet. But when I made these Slow Cooked Sausages, Greens and Beans, not only was it quick and easy to prepare, it reminded me so much of that traditional Hakka dish. Moreover, it could be prepared with simple and basic ingredients that are readily available. So, if you enjoy a savory and hearty dish that is easy to make and clean up, this recipe is for you!

Slow Cooked Sausages, Greens and Beans
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, adapted from Kaylyn's Kitchen

Recipe
Ingredients
10 Fresh Bratwurst Sausages
8 oz Shredded Collard Greens (I used the packaged ones from HEB, so convenient)
1 19 oz can White Cannellini Beans (drained and rinsed)
1 cup Chicken Stock
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder

Cooking Method
1. Place 10 bratwurst sausages on a baking pan and broil on high on the 2nd top rack of the the oven for 10 minutes or until browned. Turn the sausages over once and broil further for another 5 minutes or until browned.
2. Place 8 oz  shredded collard greens and 1 19 oz can white cannellini beans in a slow cooker and season with 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper powder.
3. Place sausages on top of the greens and beans. Pour in 1 cup chicken stock and the juice from the baking tray.
4. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

Makes 5 servings
 ​

Wow! What a month February has been and now we're in March! I cannot believe how quickly we are approaching the end of the first quarter of the year already. But first, a deep breath after the whirlwind of the last 2 months.

My family who visited from Singapore left mid of January along with Kian jetting off to London and Singapore for work for more than 2 weeks. That left me caring for the kids and household all by myself. Shortly after he returned, I plunged straight into preparing for Chinese New Year. We did all that while still maintaining after school activities. To add on to our busy schedules, Bella is also in a competitive team for the Destination Imagination Tournament that has been working on and practicing their challenges since October. With the upcoming competition this weekend, they have been practicing more frequently this couple of weeks. She is really excited about it. 

With such an active schedule, one tray bake meals are my go to for dinners. They are quick and easy to prepare, I can set them on the oven timer and have a hot, delicious meal ready for when my hungry and tired family get home after a long day.

I derived this Soy Chicken and Chinese 5-Spice Vegetable one tray bake recipe from a popular Singapore hawker food, Soy Chicken. It is usually served with rice or noodles. One Singapore hawker even earned a Michelin-star with this dish. Read more about it here. With this one tray bake recipe, a few simple ingredients are tossed with seasoning and then baked on a tray. 

Soy Chicken and Chinese 5-Spice Vegetables
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
4 to 5 lbs Chicken Thighs (about 8 pieces)
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp Sesame Oil
Dash of White Pepper Powder
1 lb Brussel Sprouts (washed and cut into halves)
5 Carrots (cut diagonally)
1 tbsp Honey
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Tsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp Chinese 5-Spice Powder

Cooking Method
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Marinate chicken thighs with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1/2 tsp sesame oil and a dash of white pepper powder. Set aside.
3. Toss brussel sprouts and carrots with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp honey, 1/2 tsp sesame oil and 1 tsp Chinese 5-spice powder. Mix well to evenly coat and place them onto a baking tray.
4. Place marinated chicken thighs onto tray as well.
5. Bake at 375 degrees F on the middle rack for 30 minutes.
6. Broil on medium for 10 minutes on the 2nd top rack to brown the chicken before serving.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Here is a fantastic recipe that is not only healthy & delicious but also so quick & easy to prepare. And the best part about it is that cleaning up after would be breeze! Just your baking tray, cutting board and knife. Have I got your attention yet? And I believe this recipe (that is gluten-free & dairy-free) is Whole30 and SCD (Slow Carb Diet) compliant too.

As much as I love to cook, I often feel bad that I am spending my time in the kitchen preparing dinners when the kids are home from school. Sometimes, all they want is for me to play a board game with them or just make slime!

With this one tray bake recipe, I spend about 15 to 20 minutes before the kids get home from school to cut up the meat and vegetables, marinate them real quick and then onto the baking tray they go. And because I can get lose track of time easily, I pop the tray into the oven and set it on a timer for it to be cooked by dinner time. The kids and I get to spend time together and dinner is ready on time! I even have plenty left for the entire family's lunch the next day.

Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables One Tray Bake
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, adapted from The Real Food Dietitians

Recipe
Ingredients
​2 to 2 1/2 lbs Chicken Breast (boneless and skinless)
1 lb Broccoli Florets
3 Carrots (cut diagonally)
8 oz Mushrooms (sliced thickly)
1 Red Onion (finely diced)
8 oz Cherry Tomatoes
1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 cup Olive Oil
4 Garlic Cloves (minced)
1 1/3 oz Fresh Basil (I used 2 packets of HEB Organics that is 2/3 oz per packet) (chopped and divided)
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Cooking Method
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line baking tray with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
2. Tenderize chicken breast by placing them between plastic wrap and pounding it gently with the flat size of the meat tenderizer hammer.
3. Cut each tenderized chicken breast into 3 to 4 pieces and place them into a ziplock bag.
4, In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, minced garlic, 3/4 portion of the chopped basil, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper to make the marinade.
5. Use 1/3 cup of the marinade to marinate the chicken pieces in the ziplock bag.
6. Place broccoli florets, cut carrots, sliced mushrooms and diced red onion onto the baking tray. Pour the remaining marinade over the vegetables and toss to coat.
7. Placed marinated chicken pieces on top of the vegetables on the tray. Bake on 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. 
8. After 15 minutes, add cherry tomatoes and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
9. Garnish with remaining chopped basil and freshly cracked black pepper.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

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