Oatmeal Cookie with Raisins and Walnuts

Looking for sweet healthy treat? Yes, you can’t go wrong with oatmeal, raisins and walnuts…all wrapped in a lightly sweet oatmeal dough.

Lately I have been baking a lot these cookies and when I feel like having something sweet in between meals I go for one of these cookies and I am happy.

– Why are these cookies so good?

Well, these cookies are slightly crispy and chewy, and the combination of raisins and walnuts are amazing…sweet and nutty.

– How easy is to make these cookies?

Super easy, by the time the oven is at the right temperature I can guarantee you that the cookies are ready to go in…no wasting time.

– How to make the raisins soft, juice and plump?

Before anything else I like to soak the raisins in water, rum or brandy…and lightly heat in the microwave, so when added to the cookie dough they are soft and very moist. Do not worry about children eating these cookies as the alcohol will be totally evaporated.

– Why should you give this recipe a try?

Okay, I am sure that you all made oatmeal cookies before, and I am sure that they were all very good…but I urge you to try this one and you can tell me what you think about this recipe…do we have a deal?

Ingredients:

1 stick of unsalted butter (113 g)
40 g brown sugar
10 g sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
70 g all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
100 g old-fashioned oat
100g raisin, pre-soak in approximately 4 tablespoons of water, brandy or rum draining before adding to the cookie batter
100 g walnut, small piece and slightly toasted

Method:

Preheat the oven to 375^oF.

In a small bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg (if using) salt and baking soda.

In the bowl of an electric mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat together the sugars and butter until creamy and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and the egg, make sure to scrape the bowl occasionally.

Add the flour mix it into the creamed mixture, mixing until just combined. Mix in the oats until just combined.

Add the raisins and the walnut into the oatmeal batter.

Use the 3 tablespoons size cookie scoop to portion and drop it onto baking sheets, spacing them a couple inches apart.

Turn the temperature to 350^oC and bake until slightly dark and chewy, 10 to 12 minutes.

If you like a crispier cookie, let them bake longer.

Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and let them cool on a wire rack.

– If you enjoy this healthy and simple recipe, please take a look on these…

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

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin

This muffin recipe is super easy, literally anyone can make it…it is moist, crumby, and burst with lemon flavor.

Yes, after almost two years of break, I am coming back to share more recipes…during this time, I got to spend enormous amounts of quality time with Mochie, our little fur baby.

Now, going back to this super simple and yet delicious lemony muffin recipe…if you are like me that get crazy with anything lemon you will enjoy this recipe.

As always, my recipes when possible are lower in sugar and salt without jeopardizing the taste and this one is not different.

– Why do you need to try this lemony muffin recipe?

Because it is loaded with lemon zest, lemon juice…calling summer from the first bite to the last.

– How hard is to make these muffins?

Super, super easy, no need of any complicated technique. If you can mix flour into an egg mixture you are good to go.

– How many muffins can I make with this recipe?

This recipe you will be able to make 8 standard size muffins, therefore feel free to double the recipe.

– Are you ready to give this recipe a try?

Ingredients:

Streusel for topping

7 g butter
15 g sugar
15 g all-purpose flour

Lemon batter

190 g all-purpose flour
70 g sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Fresh lemon zest
1 large egg
Milk, approximately 80- 100 ml
70 g neutral vegetable oil such as canola, corn, sunflower
60 g fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon lemon extract (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 375^oF.

Streusel topping

In a small bowl place, the butter, sugar, and flour. Mix by cutting the butter into small pieces.

Set aside.

Lemon batter

In a bowl mix all flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, lemon zest and poppy seed.

In a measuring cup add egg, oil, lemon juice. Complete with milk until 250 ml plus 2 tablespoons.

Place all the liquid ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well. If using lemon extract, now it is time to add to it.

Pour the flour mix into the egg mix and mix gently until there is not dry flour. Do not over mix.

Scoop into pre-prepared muffin pans.

Cover the top of the batter with streusel topping.

If there are empty cavities in the muffin pan, fill ⅓ – ½ with water, this way the baking process will be more even.

Bake for 15 – 17 minutes or until an inserted wood toothpick comes out clean.

Remove the muffins from the pan and let them cool in a wire rack.

– If you enjoy this lemony muffin recipe, you might want to take a look at these…

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

Sauté Sweet Potato Leaves

This is a very simple yet healthy dish using sweet potato leaves…you only need olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper…super delicious!

I have been super busy lately…we had a new addition to our family…a furry puppy! His name is Mochie and he came to us when he was about 8 weeks…we had him for almost 7 weeks and has been a lot of joy for both of us. It is true that having a young puppy is a lot of work, especially for the first two weeks…now Mochie is potty trained and has been sleeping throughout the night.

Mochie is a Morkie, Maltese mom and Yorkie dad…he was only 1lb and 13 oz whe he came to us, now he is a bit over 3 lbs. He loves to play in the backyard and he nibbles on the sweet potato leaves…besides all the stuff he finds on his way.

Now…back to the sweet potato leaves…

– Can you eat sweet potato leaves?

Definitely, they are 100% edible, much like spinach…it can be cooked by sautéing, stir-fried, added to soup or salad. Moreover, sweet potato leaves can be used as a spinach substitute.

– Where can I find sweet potato leaves?

Well, I grow them in the backyard…and they are super easy to maintain…a small area with good soil and lots of water. The leaves grow almost vine like plants…

Other option is to get them in Asian grocery store or farmer’s market…I actually started growing sweet potato leaves after I bought one bunch from the farmer’s market and made cutting with the main stems…once the roots start to grow in water I transplanted into the soil, and now I have endless sweet potato leaves.

– How do sweet potato leaves taste?

The leaves taste like spinach, maybe a bit chewier and they do not leave the weird “spinach teeth” film from the high content the oxalic acid found in spinach.

The simplest way is to sauté them with garlic and olive oil just until they’re wilted…no secret at all…

– Are you ready to give these green leaves a try?

Ingredients:

1 bunch sweet potato leaves
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 to 1½ tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Fish sauce (optional)

Method:

Pinch the stem attached to the leaves from the main steam.

Wash and rinse many times, making sure to remove all the unwanted particles and drain the excess of water.

In a wok, heat the olive oil over medium heat, add the garlic and stir until slightly golden and aromatic.

Add the sweet potato leaves and turn the heat to high.

Stir fry, add salt and pepper to taste and fish sauce if using. If using fish sauce add less salt. Stir constantly until all the leaves are wilted.

Serve hot.

– Looking for more easy vegetable dishes…check these out…

Did you know that sweet potato leaves are very nutritious and rich in antioxidants? When compared to leafy greens sweet potato leaves contain more dietary fiber. Moreover, they are rich in Vitamin C, A, thiamin, niacin and folic acid.

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

Garden Tomato Salad with Shiso

This salad is loaded with freshly harvested tomatoes from our garden and spiked with shiso, super fragrant with citrus notes.

This summer my vegetable/fruit garden grew very well, since we had to stay home, I spent a lot of time in the backyard, watering, trimming and “talking” to the plants.

I have never had tomato bushes reaching the roof, herbs grew so large that resemble little trees, and fruit trees/vines were exceptionally fruitful…

Somehow when you make food with your harvest, they taste special. Today, I am sharing a very simple and yet refreshing salad using tomatoes and shiso leaves from my garden. Shiso leaves pair very well in salad especially when citrus flavors are added…in this recipe I used ponzu which is a citrus seasoned light soy sauce.

– Have you ever heard of shiso?

Shiso is very popular in Japanese cuisine paired with uni (sea urchin), sashimi, sushi, in salad or as a wrap. Moreover, shiso can be used in stew as well.

– How does shiso leave taste?

I found that shiso is like cilantro for many people, either you love it or you hate it…shiso has a pretty strong flavor, it is minty with hints of cinnamon, citrus, basil, cilantro and other flavors…very hard to describe. Once you had it you will never forget its flavors and fragrant.

– Is it hard to grow shiso herb?

Not at all, they are pretty much self-seed, and come back every year. The plant like sun, at least half of the day and does not require any special treatment. You can grow from cutting too, by placing in water until the roots come out and plant in well-drained soil after.

– Are there more varieties of shiso?

Yes, green and red, both are very similar in flavor, although the red ones seems to have a stronger flavor as compared to the green ones.

– Are you ready to try this recipe?

Ingredients:

Tomatoes
Cucumber
Avocado
Shiso leaves
Ponzu sauce
Fresh squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Method:

Slice tomatoes and cucumber, about ½ inch and place in a bowl. Add the cubed avocado and mix gently.

Wash the shiso leaves, dry and cut into small strips (julienned), and set aside.

In the bowl drizzle ponzu sauce, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Toss in the salad mix the julienned shiso leaves.

Serve cold.

– If you are looking so simple and refreshing recipes for the summer, you might want to check on these…

Did you know that shiso leave has anti-inflammatory properties? Moreover, shiso contain antioxidant and anti-allergy properties as well. Shiso leaves are rich in calcium, iron and vitamin A.

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

White Peach Compote

This simple and delicate white peach compote is a perfect match for yogurt, ice cream, cake…the aromatic and refined flavor is just amazing.

I was out for a few days as I had a carpal tunnel relieve surgery a couple of weeks ago. I have been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome for a while, but kept postponing the surgery in hope that the pain would someday dissipate…and of course did not as a matter of fact, the pain went from bad to worse and kept me awake most of the nights…so as soon as the doctor was freed for elective surgery I went in without any hesitation…

I am so happy I did it…and the surgeon was amazing…my pain was gone on the same day of the surgery and very little scar close to none will be the witness of the procedure. Most of my movements are back to normal and I was back to cooking and baking in 4 days…but decided to take a small break from blogging.

Okay, now that I justified my silence, we can move to today’s post…

– What are these white peaches?

These Japanese white peaches are super delicate and have a very low or almost no acidity like other species of peaches. When ripe the skin can be easily removed by peeling it off and the flesh is super, I repeat super juicy, almost melting in your mouth with a delicate sweetness.

These peaches have a fragrant of sweet-scent, very aromatic, pleasant and delicate.

The reason that is it very hard to find these peaches in the market is due to its fragility, they bruise easily therefore they are wrapped individually and handle with a lot of care.

– Where did I get these white peaches?

Well, they came from my mom’s backyard…somehow this year she had so many peaches and she send us a whole box, it must have been at least 15 lbs. of peaches…you can find them in the grocery store, especially Asian ones.

– Isn’t a waste to make compote since these peaches are so exquisite?

Yes, it is but…first; they all ripe at the same time, and second; we can just eat so much between my husband and I…so the idea of making compote, jam or jelly, I honestly don’t know what this should be called…came to my mind to avoid these peaches to get spoiled.

– Should we check the recipe?

To not overwhelm the delicacy of these peaches, little sugar was added and a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice to yield a touch of acidity.

Ingredients:

White peaches
Sugar
Freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method:

Wash and peeled the peaches. Remove the pit which come off easily when ripe and cut into quarters.

Weigh the amount of peach and add sugar (approximately ⅕ of total weight of the peaches). For example, if the weight of the peaches is 600 g add 120 g of sugar.

Place the quartered peaches and sugar in a pot. Cook in medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Do not add water as the peach is very high in water content.

Mix gently, add freshly lemon juice to your taste. Cook until de desired texture.

I like mine with the peaches intact therefore just cooked for a short time, just enough to the thicken a little the compote.

Remove from the heat, let it cool at room temperature.

Store in the refrigerator and use as desire. It will last for up to 5 days since there is not much sugar in it.

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

Did you know that peaches are native of northwest China? There are two main varieties of peaches the ones that the flesh sticks to the stone (clingstone) and the ones that the stone is easily detached from the flesh (freestone). Peaches are low in caloric content and are a great source of vitamin C and vitamin A.

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

Kabocha no Nimono

This is a super easy side dish that can be served cold or warm, not to mention that is healthy and loaded with vitamin A and dietary fiber.

My parents had a lot of Japanese influence when growing up as Taiwan was dominated by Japan. In Brazil, we grew up eating a variety of Taiwanese, Japanese and Brazilian food and most of the time I did not even know the name of the dishes. This recipe of kabocha no Nimono, meaning boiled or simmered kabocha was one of them.

Kabocha is one of my favorite pumpkin and besides, making soup, air-fry, roast, in bread dough, I love the no Nimono recipe as it is very practical.

If you get to try this simple and easy recipe please be careful when cutting the kabocha. Somehow, they are hardy and very hard to cut as compared to the other pumpkins. And yes, you can eat the skin…

– What is kabocha?

Kabocha is a Japanese pumpkin, and its texture is denser than the other species. It carries a sweet touch., and the flesh is dark orange.

– That is no Nimono?

“no Nimono” in Japanese means simmered…and is a classic Japanese dish. The pieces of kabocha are simmered in a broth that is savory and sweet. And they taste better when it’s made ahead and stored in the broth for a while, so each piece is loaded with the broth flavor.

The kabocha has a very distinctive texture as compared to the other pumpkins, once cooked is very creamy and rich despite of the hard texture when raw.

– Are you ready to try this very simple and yet so tasty kabocha?

Like all the recipes I share, it is up to you to add a bit more of salt or sugar, it all depends of your liking so please feel free to experiment.

Ingredients:

1 medium kabocha, a little more the 1 kg (2 lbs)
500 ml of water
4 tablespoons light soy sauce
4 tablespoons sugar (if you like sweeter, add 1 extra tablespoon)
5 tablespoons sake
5 tablespoons mirin

Method:

Wash the kabocha by scrubbing the skin. Cut into approximately 3-4 cm (1.5 inch).

In am medium pan add the kabocha, and all the listed ingredients. Bring to boil and lower the heat to a simmer, leaving the lid slightly ajar (to let the steam escape).

Simmer until the kabocha softened, approximately 20-25 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Cover and let the kabocha sit in the broth until cool.

Place in the refrigerator once cool.

Serve cold or reheat to serve.

– Looking for more pumpkin recipes? Check these out…

Did you know that kabocha, like all the pumpkins are a rich source of vitamin A and C? Not only has low-calorie, the kabocha squash is rich in iron, vitamin B, beta-carotene, copper, magnesium, many antioxidants, also contain dietary fiber.

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

Air-Fried Sweet Potatoes

These slightly crispy air-fried sweet potatoes are super easy to make and they are great as side dish or as a healthy snack in between meals.

Before I go on with the post, sorry for not “visiting” you lately…we were on vacation and just got back a couple of days ago…we visited part of Croatia in a small ship through the Adriatic Sea, it was a lot of fun, met great people and enjoyed fantastic food…sharing some pictures are at the end of the post in case you are interested…now back to the post…

– Why air-fried sweet potatoes are healthy?

Air-fried sweet potato fries are made with less fat than traditional fries, so they are a healthier version with less fat and calories for you when craving for conventional fried potatoes or sweet potatoes.

– Very easy, almost no work

You will need only a few ingredients and very small work for these air-fried sweet potatoes.

– Seasoning?

I like it almost plain…just a bit of salt after air-fried…the contrast of the sweet and savory is magical…but feel free to coat with your favorite herb or any dip you like. The possibilities are endless…

– Air-fried sweet potato tips?

Yes, for even cooking try to cut the sweet potato as uniform as possible, either thin or thick…and place them in one single layer or close to it…that’s it!

– Thin or thick cut?

It all depends, sometimes I like it thin for extra crispness and sometimes I like it thick, so the middle is soft and moist, contrasting with the crisp layer on the outside.

– Are you ready for the sweet potatoes fries in the air-fryer

Ingredients:

Sweet potatoes
Olive oil
Salt
Any seasoning if using

Method:

Preheat air-fryer to 400^oF.

As stated above, try to cut them as uniform as possible.

Toss with olive oil, salt and/or any herbs.

Cook in batches, without overcrowding the basket.

Cook for approximately 8 – 10 minutes if the fries are thin and around 14-16 minutes for thicker cuts.

Make sure to flip the basket half way.

Serve warm…with or without your favorite dipping sauce.

– If you enjoy this super simple recipe using an air-fryer you might want to check on these…

Did you know that sweet potatoes contain soluble fiber? Moreover, sweet potatoes also contain vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, manganese and potassium. Since sweet potatoes come with all variety of colors they are loaded of nutrients, especially the purple and orange.

And here I have some pictures of our cruise through Adriatic Sea where we visited many Croatian islands, small part of Slovenia and Venice…

Sorry for the long post…

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

Black Bean, Cuban Style

This simple black bean recipe is based from Cuban cuisine with a touch of sweetness and delicious over rice and staple food in Latin countries.

Like many of you I am trying to incorporate more legumes and substituting meat for other sources of protein.

Growing up in Brazil, rice and bean was a staple food in every meal…therefore I really take pleasure and a mix of nostalgia when I eat rice and bean. As you might be aware bean dishes are cooked in so many ways according to its Country tradition. In Brazil, we have the famous “feijoada” which uses black beans with all kind of meat in it, super tasty and flavorful…on the other had we have the “feijao”, meaning beans, which is serve daily for lunch and dinner over rice and much simpler flavor.

Today, I am sharing another bean stew, which I learned after searching the internet and realized why the Cuban bean dish taste so different from the Brazilian one…bell pepper and a bit of sugar. It is amazing that just by adding these two ingredients the flavor of the bean is totally altered.

The creamy bean stew over rice is so good…plain and simple and yet so satisfying. This recipe was adapted from here with some changes.

Ingredients:

1lb dried black bean
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium size onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, cut into small pieces
7-8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Wash and soak the beans overnight, changing the water a couple of times in between.

Rinse of the water and place the beans in a pot with approximately 5 cup of water and bay leaf.

Let it boil and then simmer for approximately 60 minutes until the beans and cooked throughout. Remove the suds when the beans come to boil and add more water as needed, making sure that the beans are covered.

Alternatively you can use a thermo cooker by adding the beans, bay leaf and water. Let it boil, remove the suds and place the pot in the thermo cooker overnight or until ready to add the other ingredients.

Once the black beans are cooked, in a large pan heat the oil and add onion, garlic and bell pepper and sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 4-5 minutes.

Add approximately 1 cup of beans to pan. Using the back of spoon smash beans against the wall of the pan, or alternatively use an immersion hand blender. Add remaining beans, oregano, sugar, vinegar and water as needed.

Simmer until mixture thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste, stirring occasionally.

Serve over rice as side dish with chicken, meat, ham, fried egg or with anything you wish.

– For more Latin America cuisine dishes, please check these out…

Did you know that beans are an excellent source of protein, very low in fat and exceptionally high in fiber? They are also a very good source of calcium, iron, folic acid and potassium.

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

Simple Sous-Vide Scallops

This is the most simple and easy way to cook scallops…sous-vide. The scallops are moist, tender and yes, perfect.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and enjoyed precious time surrounded by your loved ones…we celebrated the holiday at my uncle’s home and it was a huge potluck with plenty of food from traditional Thanksgiving dishes to all over the world cuisine dishes…with that said…we did not bring home any leftover, therefore I am sharing with you this week a very easy and quick way to cook scallops…

– Are scallops tricky to cook?

Scallops are mainly composed of water (up to 80%) and the remaining in protein and small quantity of lipids (fat) and carbohydrate, therefore if properly cooked it will be very tender with a unique sweet flavor…

Due to the facts above, cooking scallops is a very tricky thing for me…I like when cooked to almost, I mean almost…not quite well done…it is a fine line in between as I dislike the raw and slimy texture…like them firm and soft…as you see, it is a difficult process, not too soft and not rubbery and stringy…

– Why sous-vide?

I found through the internet that using sous-vide method I can really accomplish the perfect texture when cooking scallops…and I can assure you that it is indeed very true and very easy to control….time to bring the Anova Precision Cooker out…

This method is so easy and simple and only require a few ingredients…salt, pepper and olive oil and the best quality of Atlantic Sea jumbo scallops.

– Where did I find this recipe?

The recipe below was mainly based from food for net.

– Should we take a look on how it was done?

Ingredients:

Approximately 1 lb Atlantic Sea jumbo scallops
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Method:

Bring the water-bath to 52C.

Pat dry the scallops, and sprinkle salt and fresh ground pepper generously.

Pace the scallops in the plastic bag, make sure to have it in single layer.

Drizzle olive oil into the bag.

Make sure to remove all the air bubble from the bag when “cooking” the scallops in the water-bath. To create a vacuum in the bag, carefully place the bag with your ingredients into the water-bath, make sure to immerse the bag until near the seal, this will create a vacuum, then seal the bag.

Place the bags gently into the water-bath and set the time for 20 to 25 minutes.

Once the time is up, gently remove the bag from the water-bath, drain the liquid from it and pat dry the scallops.

In a cast iron skillet, add a little olive oil or butter, and sear both side of the scallops until golden brown.

Serve immediately.

– Looking for more sous-vide recipes?

If you enjoy using sous-vide method, you might want to take a look at the others Sous-Vide Recipes below.

Did you know that scallop is actually the adductor muscle of scallop? Pretty confuse right? This is the muscle that is used to open and close the shells, which is how the scallop swim. Scallops, in spite of high content of protein, contain high cholesterol, therefore should be consumed in moderation.