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Passion Fruit Curd

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This exotic curd made with passion fruit is so aromatic, creamy, tangy…goes perfectly almost everywhere…cake, ice cream, yogurt, pancakes…

I have a passion fruit vine for two years…last year it I harvested around 20 fruits, but this year, the vine was loaded with flowers…I already harvest so many fruits, close to 90-100 and I still have a lot of fruits.

Back in Brazil, passion fruit was available year around…and we always had fresh passion fruit juice. I learned about the purple passion fruit here in US as in Brazil we were used to see only the yellow ones, nevertheless they taste and smell very similar.

Since it takes almost 3 months until the fruits are ripe, I just got to enjoy them recently. I had to freeze (juice/pulp) for later enjoyment. I wait until the fruit falls from the vine and let it sit on the counter until slightly wrinkled before using it.

– Why passion fruit curd is so good?

If you care for lemon curd, you will love passion fruit curd. The passion curd like the lemon is super rich and creamy. The aroma is so enticing…and so pretty with the seeds in it.

– How do I serve the passion fruit curd?

The same way you serve lemon curd, over ice cream, yogurt, cake, pancakes and so on.

– Is it easy to make passion fruit curd?

Yes, you just substitute the passion fruit juice/pulp for lemon juice as to making lemon curd.

– Are you ready to try this exotic curd?

Ingredients:

  • 100 g sugar
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 1 whole egg
  • 200 ml of passion fruit juice/pulp
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 50 g butter

Method:

Mix the egg yolks with the egg and pass it through a fine sieve directly to a small pot or alternatively place it directly to the pot (I did it both way, and did not find any difference…just more things to wash).

Add the lemon juice and the sugar, combine well.

Cook over low-medium heat, stirring constantly until the passion fruit mixture thicken, add the butter and mix until the butter melts. The passion fruit curd will be a bit thinner/liquid, but it will thicken as it cools.

Remove the passion fruit curd from the pan and pour into a glass jar. Place a plastic wrap directly to the passion fruit curd to avoid a film to form. Once it cools completely, place the jar in the refrigerator.

Serve cold.

– Looking for more easy recipes using fresh fruits? Check these out…

Did you know that passion fruit is a fruit native to Brazil? It is called maracuja…

Passion fruit is super fragrant, the fruit contain a lot of fibers, minerals and beta carotene. Moreover, it is very rich in vitamin C, therefore a healthy fruit.

Thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!



Light Sourdough Waffle

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This super light, crispy waffle is made using sourdough starter leftover, a very different texture from the classic waffle.

Apparently due to Covid-19 everyone is baking bread at home, especially sourdough bread, so I decided to adjust a recipe that I have shared a few years ago…using sourdough starter to make waffle…the recipe is very similar…using less butter not compromising the super light and crispy texture.

– Sourdough starter in waffle batter?

Yes, although you will need to have some overnight preparation for the waffle batter, still a very simple recipe, especially if you have extra sourdough starter, which is commonly named as “discard”.

– Sourdough discard?

Somehow, I do not like to call the extra sourdough starter a “discard”, sounds a reject, no good…which it is not…it is just extra that you will not use…

– How different it the sourdough starter waffle when compared to the classic waffle?

The sourdough waffle has a lighter and crispier texture, it is very hard to describe, you really need to try it…it is loaded with small holes due to the starter (yeast).

– Why is sourdough different?

The slow fermentation breaks down the carbohydrate in the wheat making it easier on your gut, so your gut works less during digestion.

– Ready to try?

Ingredients:

  • 100 g sourdough starter
  • 100 g all-purpose flour
  • 100 g water
  • 4 tablespoons melted butter
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • Powdered sugar
  • Maple syrup

Method:

Combine the sourdough starter, water, and flour in a medium bowl. Cover and leave at room temperature on the countertop overnight.

In the morning, when ready, whisk together the eggs, melted butter, sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and the baking soda together.

Fold gently the egg mixture into the sourdough.

Preheat and grease a waffle iron. Pour approximately ⅓ cup of the waffle batter into the center of the iron. Close and bake until golden brown, by following the instructions of your waffle iron.

Dust the top of the waffle with powdered sugar and serve warm with maple syrup.

– More recipes using sourdough starter? Check these out…

Did you know that many sourdough bread sold in the grocery stores are not authentic sourdough? They found that many uses different kind of agent to create the sourness such as yogurt, vinegar and so on.  Therefore, be very careful when selecting your bread.

Thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!



Egg Tart

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Have you ever had these little gems? Each bite comes with a slightly sweet flaky crust with a creamy egg custard…so good!

– Before the post…a few words regarding today’s situation.

During this uncertain time, I still want to keep my blog on… cooking/baking is a therapy for me.  I have been sharing bread and even meals with friends and neighbors. This is the time where compassion and kindness are the greatest human emotion.

As we are all living the unthinkable, I wish you all faith, courage, patience and love…may this situation be over soon.

– Back to the post…

I still remember when my son was about 1 year and we were in a local dim sum…he loved these egg tarts…but only the custard…he would spoon all the egg custard and leave us the crust…similar to what he did with the Oreo cookies. One day I found all the Oreo cookies in the jar without the cream and all of chocolate wafer cookies had his teeth marks…

– Where are these egg tart originated?

Apparently, these are a lighter version from the Portuguese egg tart (pastel de nata) and were introduced to Hong Kong and Macau by the Portuguese colonizers.

In my opinion the Portuguese tarts custard are denser and milkier as compared to the Chinese one, which has less milk and are shinier.

– Where can I find these egg tarts?

They are usually found in Chinese bakeries and dim sum…and best when served warm.

– Is it a lot of work to make these egg tarts?

For the longest time I want to make these egg tarts but the thought of molding each tart by hand individually was too intimidating…until this past Saturday when nothing was planned, and I decided to work on it…

To my surprised it was a piece of cake…and not as laborious as I thought…making the crust was easy, molding it too a bit of time since it had to be done one by one, and the egg custard was super, I repeat super easy.

– How can I store the leftover egg tarts?

You can store them in the refrigerator and use a toaster oven or an air-fryer to warm them since they are better when served warm.

– Are you ready to try?

This recipe was inspired by Kathrine Kwa YouTube video  with minor adjustments.

Ingredients:

Crust dough

  • 100 g butter, slightly softened
  • 30 g sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 200 g all-purpose flour

Egg custard

  • 4 large eggs, I used extra large eggs
  • 250 ml boiling water
  • 100 g sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 100 ml milk

Method:

Crust dough

Using a hand mixer, soften the butter until creamy, add the sugar and continue to mix, stopping occasionally and scrap the sides of the bowl.

Gently whisk the egg and add to the butter mixture, half at the time until creamed mixture.

Slowly add the sieved flour into the creamed mixture and use a spatula to mix until resembles a coarse crumble.

Using your hands put together the coarse crumble into a ball. Wrap the dough with plastic film and refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes.

In the meantime, make the egg custard.

Egg custard

Dissolve the sugar into the hot water, mix well until all the sugar is dissolved. And set aside until cool to room temperature.

Whisk eggs gently, add the milk and vanilla extract. Pour the sugar water to the egg mixture and stir it. To avoid bubbles do not whisk vigorously.

Strain the egg mixture to a very fine mesh strainer.

Assembly

Preheat oven to 300oF.

Remove the crust dough from the refrigerator and using a roller pin flat the dough to approximately 2 mm (⅛ in).

Cut dough with a cookie cutter that is just a bit larger than your tart tin in size. Line dough in the middle of tart tins, one by one.

Lightly press the dough with your thumbs, starting from the bottom then up to the sides. While pressing the dough, turn the tart tin clockwise/anti-clockwise in order to make an even tart shell. Trim away any excess dough.

Alternatively, you can weight approximately 25-28 g of the of the dough, make a ball and place in the center of the tart tins and with your thumbs press until the dough covers the tin like the method describe above.

Use a fork and poke holes the bottom of the dough. Pour the egg mix into the tart shells and bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges of the tarts are lightly browned. Turn the oven temperature down to 275oF and continue to bake for another 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the tarts and once the egg custard starts to puff up, open a little the oven door to avoid the custard to over bake.

To make sure the egg custard is done, poke a toothpick at the center of the tart and if the toothpick standstill, the tarts are done.

Remove form the oven and let cool on the wire rack.

Serve warm.

– Care for more dessert recipes? Check on these…

Thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!



Blueberry Tart

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This blueberry tart is simple and loaded with lots and lots of blueberries…every bite is an explosion of a combination of tangy and sweet flavor.

– Why you should make this blueberry tart?

Because it is super easy and super delicious.  There is nothing like homemade tart/pie crust…light, flaky, buttery and slightly sweet…topped with lots and lots of blueberries.

– Can I make ahead?

Absolutely, you can make this tart a couple days ahead and keep in the refrigerator until serving time.

– Are you ready to try this recipe?

Here we go…

Ingredients:

Blueberry Filling

  • 550 g organic blueberries
  • 100 g sugar, more or less, according to your liking
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Pie Crust

  • 50 g unsalted butter, cut into small square and cool in the freezer
  • 20 g sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 120 g all-purpose flour
  • 20 g almond flour
  • 70 ml heavy cream, keep it cold until needed

Method:

Blueberry Filling

In a medium pan, add the sugar, water, and corn starch.  Mix well until all the corn starch is well combined in the water.

Add the blueberries and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, making sure to stir constantly until thick.

Remove from the heat and let it cool.

Reserve until needed.

Pie Crust

In a medium bowl place the cold butter, sugar, salt, and the flours.  Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until resembles a coarse meal. There will be pieces small and large of butter.

Slowly add the heavy cream to the flour/butter mix and using a rubber spatula incorporate the liquid into the flour until the dough barely start to hold together.

Carefully remove the dough from the bowl and place on a piece of plastic wrap. Fold the plastic into a square and using a rolling pin roll the dough until the size of the square.

Place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to a day.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and lightly sprinkle some flour on top.  Gently roll the dough into a long rectangle. Fold into thirds twice and wrap back into the plastic wrap.

Place the dough in the refrigerator for another 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and again, lightly sprinkle a little flour on the surface of the dough.

Roll the dough into the size of your baking pan. I used a tart pan of 35 x 11 cm (13 ½  x 4 ½ in) with loose bottom. Cover the tart pan with the dough and bake at pre-heated at 425oF for 8 minutes, then lower the temperature to 400oF and bake for another 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven and brush the entire crust with egg wash. Back at 350oF for 3 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

To assemble, pour the blueberry filling on the tart crust, garnish with mint leaves and refrigerate before serving.

– Looking for more easy dessert?

Please check these out…

Did you know that blueberries are loaded, yes loaded of antioxidants? Anthocyanin, which gives the color of blueberries is a type of flavonoids (also found in grapes) is the responsible of its powerful antioxidant effect. Many studies associate the consumption of blueberries with decrease of heart disease, cancer, obesity, bone strength and lowering of blood pressure.

Thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!



Bread Butter Crisp

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These sticks of buttery bread are light, crisp with a touch of sweetness…so addictive, you will not stop eating until they are all gone.

I don’t know if this is the right name for these bread sticks, I saw the recipe on a Taiwanese channel on YouTube and could not resist to try as soon as I could. Apparently, they are very popular in Hualien, a town on the east side of Taiwan…and this is how they call these sticks of bread basted with butter and sprinkled with sugar.

From my understanding, people line up in front of bakeries to buy these bread sticks…now…you tell me if the name makes sense and if you would line up for these bread sticks…although I must tell you that these bread sticks are very addictive…and I need to control the amount I make as they can be gone in one sitting…

– Why should you try these buttery bread sticks?

Because they are super easy to make, using leftover sandwich bread, butter and sugar.  Yes, only 3 ingredients!

– How do they taste?

They are so light, so airy, and so tasty, buttery with a touch of sweetness, which can be adapted to your taste, more or less butter, more or less sugar…it is totally up to you.

– Do I need an air-fryer?

No…actually the original recipe was done in regular oven…I adjusted the recipe using air-fryer…if you own an air-fryer, this is the way to go for these bread sticks, much faster and easier…

– No more talk, ready to explore the recipe?

Ingredients:

  • Slices of sandwich bread
  • Butter
  • Sugar

Method:

Freeze the slices of bread for at least 30 minutes or overnight. By freezing the slices of bread, will facilitate the cutting.

Cut each slice of bread into five to six sticks.

Layer the bread sticks in an oven safe pan or cookie sheet and bake in a pre-heated oven of 130oC  (265oF) for 15 minutes. Flip the bread sticks and bake for another 15 minutes. Make sure the bread sticks are totally dry and crisp.

Alternatively, you can use the air-fryer by placing the bread stick into the basket and air-fry at approximately 275oC for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bread sticks are totally dry.

Remove the dry bread sticks from the oven or air-fryer and baste with semi melted butter (for more buttery and sugary sticks) or melted butter (for a mild butter with less sugar) on two sides of the bread stick (opposite).

Dip the bread stick butter side on a dish with sugar. Repeat on the other side.

Place the buttery sugary bread stick back on the oven safe pan of air-fryer basket (sugar side facing top and bottom).

Bake again at 265oF for 15 minutes or in the air-fryer at 275oC for 10 minutes. Please adjust the temperature and time accordingly, making sure the sugar does not burn.

Remove from the oven or air-fryer. Cool completely before serving.

Store in an airtight container.

– Looking for more simple and easy recipes?  Please look at these…

Thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!



Homemade Lemon Curd

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Homemade lemon curd is much tastier than the store bought ones, it is so easy to make and only requires a few ingredients.  The color and flavor is pure summer…blasting with flavor, rich, creamy and so flavorful…

I love everything that has lemon in it…from bars to ice cream and our Meyer lemon tree was loaded with lemons, after picking them up and freezing some of them for making smoothie I still find myself with a lot of it…not to mention that we still have other kind of lemons tree in our backyard.

Since I had made pavlova recently I found myself with leftover egg yolks and I absolutely dislike throwing food away, I thought that the best way to use the egg yolks up and the extra lemons was to make lemon curd.

Ingredients:

  • 5 egg yolks
  • 1 egg
  • ½ to ¾ cup sugar depending on your taste, I used ½ cup
  • 200 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice form Meyer lemons
  • Lemon zest, approximately 1-2  teaspoons
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small pieces

Method:

Mix the egg yolks with the egg and pass it through a fine sieve directly to a small pot. I find that removing the egg membrane the curd does not taste eggy.

Add the lemon zest and the sugar, mix well and then add the lemon juice, combine well and finally add the butter.

Cook over low-medium heat, stirring constantly until all the butter melts and the lemon mixture thickens. The lemon curd will be a bit liquid but it will thicken as it cools.

Remove the lemon curd from the pan and pour into a glass jar. Place a plastic wrap directly to the lemon curd to avoid a film to form. Once it cool completely, place the jar in the refrigerator.

Serve cold.

And my favorite way to eat lemon curd…by the spoon…

or with homemade yogurt…

I hope you enjoy this simple recipe for Homemade Lemon Curd, for more desserts recipe you might want to check HERE.

Did you know that lemon contain lots of vitamin C which boost your immune system? Moreover lemon peels contain as much as 10 times more vitamin than the lemon juice itself.

Thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!



Garlic Bread

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Using your leftover French or Italian bread you will be able to create these aromatic, flavorful garlic bread. These are great just with your salad, pasta or just as an appetizer.

Before going to the recipe I hope you all had a great time with your family and loved ones…right after the New Years we took off to Cancun…where we had a great time and enjoy our “together” time, therefore my “silence” for a couple of weeks…we are now back to routine and yes, looking forward to a wonderful year ahead…

Okay, now back to the recipe…today I am sharing with you a simple recipe to make tasty garlic bread…using left over baguette or Italian bread.  It is so good when just out of the oven…buttery and garlicky…perfect with salad or a bowl of soup.

I often store sliced leftover baguettes in the freezer and when I feel like making this garlic bread/toast, I make the mix of butter/garlic and in no time we are ready to savor this garlic fragrant bread…oh so good!

Ingredients:

small loaf of stale French baguette or Italian bread

  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil

Method:

There is no secret and almost no recipe…just mix together butter, parsley, garlic, olive oil and salt.

Spread the butter garlic mix on slices of baguette, approximately 2cm (¾ inch) and take to pre-heated oven of 350F for approximately 15 minutes of until golden. Just keep you eye on it, as you do not want the garlic to burn.

Serve hot or warm.

Next time you have some leftover French or Italian bread make sure to try this…

Garlic is native of central Asia, and contains many nutrients such as manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C. Some studies suggest that garlic might have cardiovascular benefits due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!



Butter Lemon Swai, Sous Vide

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Looking for a perfect cooked fish? This lemon butter swai is cooked to perfection using sous vide method. The fish is moist and tender, loaded with flavors.

Have you ever heard of “SWAI fish”? Swai fish is a catfish from Vietnam, which has a delicate texture and much milder taste than catfish which sometimes can have a “muddy” flavor.

Swai are moist, soft, flaky, and delicate and its flesh turns from lightly beige to whitish color once cooked. I have baked, steamed and now sous vide. You mainly can cook it anyway you like, because of its delicate texture grilling might be a bit challenging, as the fish might fall apart easily.

Apparently there was a “catfish wars” between US catfish farmers and Vietnamese farmers, many accusations were made about the swai fish being raised in polluted waters therefore being poisonous.
With all this said, I personally do not believe that US will allow untested products into the Country…therefore I believe that swai fish if safe for human consumption. I have bought swai fish at Costco and Trader Joe’s, and cook them occasionally. In my opinion, everything should be eaten in moderation, regardless of its beneficial claims as throughout time we have seen many products which were considered bad to good and vice-versa.

Okay, now that I told you a little about swai fish, let’s go to the recipe…again, the main cooking was done by using sous vide method, therefore very simple and straightforward. My sous vide cylinder, which I love it is from Anova and you can find it HERE.

Ingredients:

  • 2 swai fish fillets
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • Parsley for garnish

Method:

Preheat water oven to 56°C.

Rinse the swai fillets and pat them dry with paper towels, cut into half. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the fish. Place the swai into a 1 gallon freezer quality plastic bag.

To create a vacuum in the bag, carefully place the bag with fish fillets into the water-bath, make sure to immerse the bag until near the seal, this will create a vacuum, then seal the bag. I usually seal the bag leaving approximately 1 inch open and then immerse the bag until near the seal and finish by sealing the remaining 1 inch.

Cook for 30 minutes. Once the cooking time is off, remove the fish filet carefully as they break easily and place them in a plate.

In a small pan add the butter, lemon juice and lemon zest. Heat under medium heat until the butter is melted and starts to brown a little. Remove from the heat and pour over the swai fish. Garnish with parsley before serving. Serve hot.

Did you know that swai fish in spite of being from the catfish family is also called iridescent shark due to its resemblance to shark? Moreover, they are fresh water fish found naturally in Mekong River and Chao Phraya River, Vietnam.

Thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!



Almond Flour Chocolate Cake

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This is a very simple recipe for a rich, dense and almost gluten free chocolate cake. The cake is moist and melts in your mouth…so good!

This simple chocolate cake is made mainly with almond flour…it is very…very…very moist, almost like brownie, fudge texture. It is indeed denser than regular chocolate cake, but it is so good…a small slice goes a long way so satisfying this cake is.

The best part of it…this cake does not taste “old” even after a few days, actually it tastes better.

I hope you get to try this recipe, I can assure you that you will not regret. This recipe was adapted from Jean-Georges, Home Cooking cookbook.

Ingredients:

  • 55 g unsalted butter
  • 8 g all-purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs, separated
  • 65 g granulated sugar
  • 100 g bittersweet dark chocolate, cut into small pieces
  • 50 g almond flour
  • Confectioner’s sugar, cocoa powder or fresh cream, optional

Method:

Preheat oven to 350F. Cover a 8 inch USA baking pan with parchment paper.

In the medium sauce pan with approximately 1 inch of water and bring to simmer. Combine the chocolate and butter in a heat proof bowl and set over the simmering water. Melt the chocolate with the butter, stirring occasionally. Once the chocolate has melted, remove from the heat.

Beat 1 egg yolk into the chocolate mixture to temper it. Beat in the remaining eff yolks, then add the almond flour and the all-purpose flour. Set aside.

Beat the egg white until foam forms, add slowly the granulated sugar and continue to beat until medium-stiff peaks form.

Add a third of the whopped whites to the chocolate mixture and mix well to loosen the chocolate mixture. Gently fold in another third of the white, and them the last third just until combined.

Pour into the prepared pan and tap gently the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles.

Bake until puffed and a wood stick comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Let it cool in a wire rack for approximately 10 minutes, then invert onto the rack.

Carefully flip the cake right side up. Let cool completely. Dust with confectioner’s sugar or cocoa powder if desire, or top it with cream.

If you enjoy this simple chocolate cake recipe, you might want to check on Black Forest Cake.

Thank you for stopping by Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!