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Beef Empanada with Pie Crust

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These are so good, the aromatic ground beef is wrapped in super flaky, buttery melt in your mouth. The combination of moist beef and buttery dough is amazing.

I have made beef empanada many times using the ready-made empanada wrappers, which are not as flaky and buttery as pie dough…so I am splurging myself with this recipe.

– What are empanadas?

Empanadas are like hand pies, small and can be filled with any kind of savory filling. They can be baked or fried.

– Why should you try making these empanadas?

Because they are super easy and so tasty…great as appetizers.

– Can I make these empanadas ahead?

Definitely, you can bake them and store in the freezer and heated up when ready to serve.

– Are you ready to  look at the recipe?

Ingredients:

  • 1 package of ready-made all butter pie crust (Trader Joe’s)
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 medium size onion, chopped
  • 3 shallots, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves finely minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ½ cup sliced green olive
  • ½ tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dry oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon ground all spice
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 egg, for egg wash

How to:

In a frying pan, add the olive oil under medium heat and sauté the onion, shallot and garlic, until slightly golden brown and aromatic.  Add the ground beef and cook until browned. Add the tomato paste, all the spices and olive. Cook for 2-3 minutes, add salt and pepper to taste.

Remove from the heat and let it cool.

Remove the pre-made pie crust and place in a flat surface. Use a cookie cutter of approximately 3.5 inch in diameter and press onto the dough, cut into disks.

Add 2 spoons of the ground beef filling in the middle of the disk. Fold in half and press the edges around the half circle to seal. Make small folds throughout the edge. Repeat the same with all the remaining dough.

Brush the empanadas with the egg wash and bake in a pre-heated convection oven for 20 – 25 minutes at 395oF or until golden brown.

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

Serve warm.

– If you enjoy this simple recipe you might want to check on these…

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



Taro Savory Cake

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This is a very typical Chinese dish found in dim sum…super easy and it makes a great side dish, loaded with lots of flavors.

I got a big package of fresh peeled taro root when at the local Asian store and after many debate (between myself) decided to make two dishes with it…one is this savory cake and the next will be on my next week post…so be patience as you will see two recipes using taro…

This recipe is not very different from the Taiwanese Turnip Cake…I mainly added taro instead of turnip and much less rice flour, so the taro would be the star of this dish.

– What is taro root?

Taro root is very popular in Asian cuisine, it is like potato, starchy but with a sweet and nutty note in its flavor. Taro grows in tropical and sub-tropical climate, therefore a staple food in countries with such a climate.

Taro has purple speckles all over its flesh and it can be fried, boiled, roasted, simmered, mashed…made into savory or sweet dish.

– Have you ever had this savory taro cake?

If you had not tried this dish, I urge you to try next time when visiting a dim sum restaurant. It is commonly found in dim sum cart, but I must admit that this might not be one of the popular dishes if you are not familiar with it…they usually fry right there before serving…

– How you serve this savory cake?

It is usually served with a side of hot sauce. The cake is first steamed and just before serving is pan fried, so it is somehow crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

– How this savory taro cake tastes?

Although very typical Chinese dish, my husband really enjoys it, the taro root is embraced with a thin layer of rice flour surrounded by savory pieces of Chinese sausage and shitake mushroom…

– Are you ready to try this super simple and yet delicious savory cake?

Ingredients:

  • 600 g taro (approximately), peeled and cut into cubes, ½ in
  • 4 -5 dry shitake mushrooms
  • 4 Chinese sausages
  • 4-5 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • ½ bunch green onion
  • 250 g rice flour
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • Salt and white pepper to taste

Method:

In a small bowl soak the mushrooms in ½ cup warm water for approximately 20 minutes or until softened. Drain and squeeze dry, reserving the soaking liquid. Remove the stems and cut into small pieces.

Finely cut the Chinese sausage into small pieces, chop finely the green onion and both aside.

In a pan or wok, add the oil and sauté the taro cubes, until slightly brown, stirring constantly, add 2 tablespoons of water and continue to cook for a minute or so.

In the meantime, in a medium bowl mix the rice flour 550 ml of liquid (from mushroom water and plain water).

Add the sauté taro into the rice and water mixture and stir until well mixed and all the taro are coated with the rice mixture. Set aside.

On the same pan add the sausage, mushroom and green onion, sauté until golden and fragrant.

Return rice flour/taro mixture back to the pan and add salt, pepper. Cook under medium heat, stirring constantly as the rice flour batter cook the consistency will thicken.

Transfer the batter into a heatproof container (I used a rectangle Pyrex) and steam under medium-high heat. I used Tatung steamer, added 2 cups of water on the outside and set it to steam.

If steaming in the stove, make sure to check the water level and replenish if necessary. Once cooked remove the bowl from the steamer and allow to cool before slicing.

Remove the cake from the container and slice into approximately ½ inch thick or into cubes. Pan fry with a little of oil until both sides are golden brown.

Serve immediately, with the hot sauce of your preference.

– If you are looking for more Asian Inspired recipe, please check these out…

Did you know that taro contains a large amount of dietary fiber? Taro is a starch vegetable like potato, but with much more content of fiber. Uncooked taro contains calcium oxalate crystals which can irritate throat and mouth. Once cooked these needle-like toxins are eliminated and great for human consumption.

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



Crème Anglaise

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This creamy, rich and elegant vanilla custard sauce is very versatile, absolutely delicious added on cake, pie, fresh fruit…in another words, can be added to anything you like.

Have you noticed that most of the pleasures in life are usually the simplest…as is the case of this crème anglaise.

– Have you ever had crème anglaise?

Well, I had the opportunity to try it a few times in French restaurants. I loved the richness and the creaminess of the sauce. I remember the first time I had the crème anglaise…it was served in a dessert called floating island dessert…I can assure you if I was not in a public place I would have licked the bowl clean…

– Is there any trick for such an elegant sauce?

No, it is mainly a thin custard with only a few ingredients. And the trick, if you want to call a trick is to avoid the sauce to curdle…by tempering the egg yolks.

– How should I serve this crème anglaise?

This sauce is so versatile…you can pour it over all kind of dessert, cakes, pies, tarts, souffles, fresh fruits (specially berries), the options are endless.

– Can I add other ingredients besides vanilla?

Absolutely, you can add rum, bourbon, brandy and liqueur, such as Grand Marnier, Amaretto, Cointreau or orange zest, lemon zest, mint, coffee…again, endless choices.

– Did I convinced you to give this crème anglaise a try?

This recipe was mainly adapted from Food Wishes…if you like a lighter version you can substitute the heavy cream with milk or mix milk with heavy cream whichever ratio you like.

Here is the recipe for what I did…

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 3 tablespoons white sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

In a medium bowl whisk egg yolks, sugar and Grand Marnier until smooth paste.

In a small pan heat the heavy cream until almost boiling point, until small bubbles begin to appear around the edges of the pan. Carefully temper the yolks by pouring slowly the hot heavy cream to the egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly.

Transfer the custard back to the pan and under low heat stir constantly until the custard thicken.

If necessary, pour the custard through a fine mesh strainer to remove any clumps.

Place the custard into a bowl and let it cool.

Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Good for up to one week in the refrigerator.

– More desserts recipe? Check these out…

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



Balsamic Vinegar “Caviar”

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Your family will be impressed with these little droplets of balsamic vinegar resembling caviar…

This is another fun experiment to make in your kitchen with agar-agar…and I can assure you that the whole process is easy and entertaining as I have used similar method to make Honey Caviar which you can find here.

You just need to make sure that you have all the “apparatus” and you are ready to go. These little ”caviar” can be kept in the refrigerator for a while since they a mainly made with vinegar. This recipe was mostly based on this one.

I have used these “caviar” in all kind of salad and even with strawberries…

Ingredients:

Caviar

  • 100 g balsamic vinegar
  • 1.5 g agar-agar, depending of the quality (1.5%)
  • Oil Bath
  • Approximately 1 to 1 ½ cup of oil, such as corn, canola or olive oil.

Method:

Place the oil in a glass container and in the freezer for approximately 30 minutes. The taller and skinnier the glass the better, as you want the droplets of the balsamic vinegar with agar-agar turning into gel before reaching the bottom of the glass.

Place the balsamic vinegar in a small pan and sprinkle agar-agar on it. Bring the mix to boil by stirring constantly until all the agar-agar is well dissolved.

Remove the balsamic vinegar/agar-agar mixture from the heat and let it cool down to approximately 55C (130F).

Remove the cold oil from the freezer and place the glass jar in an ice water bath.

Fill a syringe or counter drop with the hot/warm balsamic vinegar mixture and expel, drop by drop into the cold oil. As the droplets of balsamic vinegar/agar-agar hit the cold oil it will solidify and fall to the bottom of the glass jar.

With the help of a slotted spoon, carefully remove the “caviar” and gently rinse with water.

Drain well and store in the airtight container in the refrigerator.

If you had fun with this molecular gastronomy recipe you might want to take a look at Raindrop Cake or Honey Caviar recipes.

Did you know that agar-agar exhibits hysteresis? Meaning that agar-agar has different melting and solidifying temperature, melting at approximately 85 Celsius degree (185F ) and solidifying at 32-40 Celsius degree (90-104F). Due this property agar-agar is stable as gel and widely used in cooking such as in fruit preserve, ice cream, custard, pudding, soups and many others.

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



Rye Sandwich Bread

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Simple recipe for Asian inspired rye sandwich bread using tangzhong or water roux method. The bread is cottony and fluffy and stays soft for days.

We love bread, and I love baking bread…and yes, I know that too much bread is not good, especially the ones that uses only white flour, therefore I try to balance them by using “healthy” flours in my bread baking trek. Honestly, I still like my white bread the best…you know what I mean…the ones that use only white flour…I know…somehow I still have to find a recipe that uses “healthier” flour and gives me the same texture of a white bread…

This recipe is pretty good, I incorporated rye flour into the dough. Because rye contains less gluten, it was expected that the dough will not rise as much…and indeed it did not. Nevertheless the texture was acceptable. I made two loaves, one we used as regular sandwich bread and the other I made them into toasts, which were great.

So if you care to add a bit of extra soluble fibers into your slice of bread, rye is a good alternative.

Ingredients:

Water roux or Tangzhong

  • 35 g bread flour
  • 175 ml water

Rye Dough

  • 400 g bread flour
  • 200 g dark rye flour
  • 90 g sugar
  • 7 g salt
  • 8 g yeast
  • 120 ml whipping cream
  • 90 ml water
  • 60 g butter (room temperature)

Method:

Water roux or Tangzhong

In a small pan, mix all the ingredients of water roux, place in a low heat and stir constantly until the temperature reach 65C (150F), or if you do not have a thermometer, cook until ripples form. Set aside to cool by covering with a plastic film.

Rye Dough

Place all the cooled water roux and all the ingredients listed under rye dough into a mixer except for the butter. Mix until all the ingredients are together, it will slightly sticky.

Increase the speed to number 2 and continue to mix for 5 minutes.

Add the butter and continue the mixing until the dough is smooth and comes out of the mixing bowl, this will take approximately 15 minutes. You will notice that the dough will no longer be sticky.

Place the dough into a medium to large bowl. Cover and let it proof until the size triple from the original size.

Now it is time to shape the dough…

Knock back the dough and split into approximately 8 little balls and let it rest for 5 minutes on the counter.

Flatten the ball making sure that the air is removed and fold into thirds, then roll it like a Swiss roll.

Place the Swiss rolls into the Pullman (4 each) pan and let it rise until triple of its original size.

Cover the pan and bake in a preheated oven of 350F for approximately 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and flip the bread into a wire rack to cool. Slice according to your like.

Store the bread in an airtight container.

If you enjoy this Asian inspired bread recipe you might want to check on my Recipe Box under Bread.

Did you know that rye is a good source of soluble fiber? Rye contains lower gluten than wheat flour due to its higher levels of gliadin and lower levels of glutenin.

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



Chunky Crab Cakes

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If you love crab, you definitely should try this recipe. The crab cakes are loaded with chunky pieces of crab meat…yes mainly just crab meat.

Leftover crab meat? Yes, it sounds kind of unheard, but every time we eat at this particular restaurant, Captain Jack’s, we end up bringing home lots of Alaskan King crab. I usually remove all the meat from the shell and use in salad dishes. Well, this time I decided to make crab cakes…crab cakes with lots of crab meat…big lumps…nothing that will overpower the crab meat…so simple and yet delicious…as a matter of fact I just serve with lemon, nothing else…

I love crab cakes, every time I see crab cakes in the menu I am tempted to order…once I had an awful experience…the crab used in the crab cakes were imitation crab…since then, every time ordering crab cakes I make sure to ask if they use real crab or imitation crab…and sometimes I get the “dirty” look from the server…and I have to explain my bad experience so they do not get offended…

Ingredients:

  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
  • Fresh pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 pound lump crab meat
  • ½ to ⅔ cup panko
  • Vegetable oil

Method:

Combine the egg, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay in a small bowl and mix well.

Add the mayonnaise mix to the crab meat and add the chopped parsley. Mix gently.

Add the panko to the carb/mayonnaise mix and fold together until just combined, being careful not to over mix.

Cover the crab mix and place in the refrigerator for approximately 1 hour.

Shape into approximately 8 crab cakes of 1 inch thick, make sure to not pack the cakes too tightly.

Preheat a large nonstick pan to medium heat and coat with vegetable oil. Cook the crab cakes over medium heat until deeply golden brown on both sides.

Transfer to a plate when ready. Serve with lemon.

If you enjoy this simple recipe of crab cakes, you might want to check on other Seafood Recipes from Color Your Recipes.

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



Kind of Pull-Apart Green Onion and Cheese Bread

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This is a super fun recipe to make when entertaining. It is an Asian inspired pull-apart bread where each piece is loaded with cheese and green onion.

I was amazed by the shape of this bread when I saw it here and wanted to make something similar, but of course with a twist…an Asian twist. This bread is great for party…not only has a very interesting look as well as easy to serve…you just need to twist and pull apart. Apparently the original recipe was based on kalács which according to Wikipedia is a Hungarian sweet bread similar to brioche.

The shape of the bread might be frightening at first, but in reality it is quite simple and fun to put together. You will need to split the dough into two equal parts and then shaping, filling, playing with scissors and twisting will take a part in the process.

I really can see myself coming up with all kind of fillings to use with this bread, an alternative for pull-apart bread such as cinnamon rolls, cheese and garlic, sun dried tomatoes and herbs, olive spread and the list goes on and on…

If you are into baking bread I hope you have a chance to try this, and of course, feel free to incorporate whatever your bud taste desire…make it sweet or savory…anyway, for this recipe I used my Zojirushi bread maker.

Ingredients:

Bread

Water roux

  • 75 ml of water
  • 15 g of bread flour

Dough

  • 280 g bread flour
  • 1½ tablespoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons dry milk
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ teaspoon dry yeast
  • 1 large egg and complete to 110 ml with water
  • 25 g butter

Filling

  • 2 teaspoons Aioli Garlic mustard (Trader Joe’s) or any mustard
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup freshly grated Gruyère Cheese, or any cheese of your preference
  • Egg wash
  • 1 egg yolk lightly beaten with ½ tablespoon water
  • Sunflower seeds for garnish

Method:

Bread

Water roux

Mix flour and water in a small saucepan. Cook over low to medium heat, stirring constantly until it reaches 65oC/149oF. The mix will turn to a paste and you can see the bottom of the pan.
Remove from heat, cover with a saran wrap film over the paste and leave until lukewarm.

Dough

Add the water roux and all the dough ingredients to the bread machine bucket according to the manufacture’s guideline.

I let the dough cycle run for 2 times, making sure that the dough reaches a thin membrane. The dough will be slightly sticky.

Let is rise for approximately 2 hours in a cover container or until it double its initial volume.

Filling

Mix all the ingredient in a small bowl, set aside.

Assembly

Punch down the dough and divide into two equal parts. Using a rolling pin, flat each dough and roll into an approximately into a 12 inch disc.

Place the first disc on to a baking tray lined with a silicone liner of parchment paper. Spread the filling onto the disc, leaving approximately ½ inch free of filling around the disc. Gently layer the second disc on top of the filling. Place a small round cap of approximately 1 ½ inch in diameter in the middle of the disc as a guide, press gently. Using the back of a knife or spatula trace the disc into four, cut with the scissors until the center cap. Then cut each quarter into two and finally each eighth into 3 equal sections.

Twist each section three times and press the gently against the silicone mat. Remove the cap. Cover the dough with plastic film until double its original size.

When almost ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F and wash the top with the egg wash and place the sunflower seeds in the center where the cap was.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until slightly golden brown on the top. Remove from the oven and let it cool on a wired rack.

Serve warm.

For more bread recipes, please check my Recipe Box.

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



Almond Paste

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If you are a marzipan lover you will definitely try this recipe. The almond paste can be used in so many ways, such as bread, cake, cookies, the options are endless.

I love almond paste or marzipan…when living in Brazil I used to buy “potato balls” or fruit shaped marzipan with the money that my parents would give me for snack and would munch on it on my way home after school.

That might explain my love for marzipan, as each bite of anything with it brings me memories of my childhood.

Almond paste or marzipan, I honestly do not know the difference between the two of them…they are both made with blanched almond and confectioner sugar…because I remember the “potato balls” and fruit shaped candies were called marzipan, I assume that marzipan is used for making candies and almond paste as a filling.

Never mind it’s name…almond paste or marzipan…the recipe for it is very simple and you will be very happy have it handy.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups blanched almonds
  • 3 cups confectioner sugar
  • 2 egg whites
  • 4 teaspoons almond extract

Method:

Blanch the almonds by placing the almonds in a bowl. Cover all the almonds with boiling water. Let the almonds sit for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain, and rinse under cold water. Drain and slip the skin off.

Place the blanched almonds in a food processor and pulse until the almonds are ground. Add the egg white, confectioner sugar and the almond extract. Pulse until the mixture is smooth.

Remove the paste and place onto a silicone mat. Split into 4 equally portions. Roll into logs and wrap the logs with a plastic film. Place the wrapped almond paste in an airtight container or freezer bag. Store the almond paste in a freezer until needed.

When you need the almond paste, take the paste out of the freezer and bring it to room temperature.

Next week I will share with you what I did with this almond paste log…

If you like this simple recipe for almond paste, you might enjoy making bread like this Almond Paste Bread or  a cake like Almond Flour Chocolate Cake.

Did you know that adding almond to your diet can help lower LDL-cholesterol and reduce cardiovascular disease? This may be due to high content of the antioxidant Vitamin E found in almonds. Although almond is considered healthy, it contains oxalate which should be avoided in individuals with existing kidney and gallbladder problems.

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



Banana Sponge Cake

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As always, I am looking for banana recipes. This cake is very simple and easy to make, and it is delicious, light and very fluffy. The first time I used a loaf pan, and the cake just disappeared…this time I made them into small servings, so we can better control the portions.

This cake is great to serve as a snack and it stays moist and fresh for a couple of days. You can always dress these cupcakes up by topping with your favorite frosting.  I chose to keep it plain for the time being…

The cake/cupcakes will shrink a little once you remove them from the oven, but do not worry, it will not affect its texture. They will still be very light, moist and fluffy.

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
¾ cup mashed banana
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup canola oil
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup chopped walnut

Method:

Preheat oven at 325F.

In a bowl sift the flour with baking soda, baking powder. In another bowl mix the eggs, vanilla extract, sugar, mashed banana and mix until ribbon stage.

Add the flour mix to the egg and banana mix, mixing gently. Once the flour has been incorporated, add the walnut and the oil.

Pour into the prepared muffin cup (approximately 18 cups) and bake for approximately 25 minute at preheated oven or until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean.

Cool on the wire rack and serve.

I hope you enjoy this simple recipe for banana sponge cake.

You might want to check out other recipes using banana, such as banana muffins with walnut or banana bread with chocolate chips.

 

Did you know that banana leaves, because of their size (large), flexibility and waterproof quality are often used as disposable plates in South Asia and Southeast Asia?

Thank you for stopping by Simple Recipes and have a great week!