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Singapore Style Stir-fried Thin Rice Noodle

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These thin rice noodles are delicious, slightly chewy, springy, and loaded with flavor. Super versatile as you can add whatever you want.

– Why Taiwanese thin rice noodles?

Because they are super well known and they are thinner than the ones made in other countries.

– How the rice noodle is different from the regular wheat noodles?

Rice noodle if cooked correctly are slightly chewy, springy and take in all the flavors added to it. Together with all the ingredients it sure makes a great and easy meal.

– Why Singapore style?

It is Singapore style just because curry powder was added to it but you can omit and add all kind of flavors such as soy sauce, oyster sauce, chicken broth and so on. The noodle will absorb the flavor.

– Are you ready to try on these noodles?

Ingredients:

  • Taiwanese thin rice noodles (Made in Taiwan)
  • ½ lb. pork or chicken
  • 4 Chinese sausage
  • 1 medium size red onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 stalks of green onions
  • ½ cabbage, shredded (can substitute for any other vegetable)
  • 3 carrots, shredded
  • 1-2 tablespoons of curry powder
  • 2 eggs, lightly whipped
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Fresh cilantro

Method:

Follow the instruction on the package of the rice noodle.

Slice the pork or chicken and marinade with soy sauce, oil, pepper, and corn starch. Set aside.

Drain the rice noodles and prepare a wok for cooking.

Fry the eggs and once cooled cut into strips, set aside.

Stir-fry the pork or chicken and set aside.

Stir- fry sausage, and then add red onion, green onion. Set aside.

Stir-fry the vegetables until slightly soften.

Add the rice noodle (well drained) and all the remaining ingredients that was set aside.

Mix gently, add salt, pepper, and curry to your taste

Serve with fresh cilantro.

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

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



Miso Beef Stew

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Beef stew with miso paste? Yes, it is super tasty with lots of umami flavor. Great over rice, pasta or bread.

This miso beef stew is super hearty and comforting…and so, so easy to make. It is loaded with flavorful pieces of meat, potatoes, kind mushrooms, carrots and celery.

– Why use Instant Pot?

Instant Pot cooks under pressure, therefore in less than one hour the meat is tender and packed with flavor, cutting the time of cooking.

– Do I need miso paste?

Definitely, miso paste gives this beef stew the well-known umami flavor…

– Can I cook this beef stew in advance?

Yes, you can cook up to 3 days in advance. Refrigerate once it is at room temperature and when it is time to serve heat it up on the stove. Alternatively, you can freeze if you want to store for longer time.

– Are you ready to try this umami beef stew?

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½  lbs beef for stew in cubes, approximately 1½ in
  • 1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • ½ lb carrots, peeled and cut into 1 in chunks
  • 1 lb nibble potatoes (or any kind of potatoes, cut into 1 in
  • 1 lb mini king oyster mushrooms or combination of any kind of mushrooms
  • 4-5 celery stalks, cut into 1 in length
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 3 tablespoons red miso
  • 1 tablespoon sake
  • 1 tablespoon mirin
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Fresh green onion for garnish

Method:

Season beef chunks with salt and pepper, to taste and set aside while preparing all the other ingredients.

Turn the Instant Pot to sauté, once the pot is hot and the meat. Cook for a few minutes until sides of the meat are browned.

Remove the meat from the pot.

Add the butter on the pot and sauté the onion and garlic. Place the meat back and add ketchup, red miso, sake, mirin and beef broth.

Stir, and seal the Instant Pot, and set to high pressure for 8 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.

Add all the vegetables and mushroom and cook under high pressure for another 2 minutes. Again, let the pressure release naturally.

Add more salt or pepper if necessary.

Garnish with finely chopped green onion, serve hot over rice or pasta.

– Want more beef recipes? Check these out…

Did you know that miso is a form of fermented soybeans? Therefore, miso provides good bacteria to your gut. Consumption of miso has been linked to better digestion and stronger immune system. One must careful since miso is very high in sodium.

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



Soft Pumpkin Twist Bun

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This soft and cottony pumpkin twist bun is delicious, super light and cottony…packed with everything pumpkin…screaming with all the spices in every bite…

The color of this bread is…very pumpkin with all the spices, maybe not too enticing…or very appealing, but do not get fooled by its appearance…it is super, I mean super soft and taste amazingly everything pumpkin.

These buns stay light, moist and soft for days like all the breads baked using tangzhong method. Since I baked so many buns, I end up sending some to neighbors and friends…and I got request for baking more of these pumpkin buns.

– Why pumpkin?

Because it is Autumn and it is everything pumpkin…pumpkin contains a lot of beta-carotene, which give the bright orange color of the flesh. Beta-carotene and carotenoids are antioxidants that help immune system, may help reduce risks of chronic eye diseases.

Pumpkin also contain fibers, soluble and insoluble, therefore it might help the elimination of the bad cholesterol (LDL).

– What is the texture of these buns?

The combination of tangzhong or water roux method and the pumpkin puree is magical…resulting is a soft cottony bread, almost like mochi.

– Why these pumpkin twist buns are so addictive?

They are coated with a layer of pumpkin glaze made with pumpkin puree, sugar and pumpkin spices.

– Are you ready to try it?

Ingredients:

Water roux or Tangzhong

  • 30 g bread flour
  • 150 ml water

Pumpkin bread dough

  • 600 g bread flour
  • 300 g pumpkin puree
  • 110 g sugar
  • 8 g salt
  • 8 g yeast
  • 8 g vital gluten
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
  • 60 g butter (room temperature)

Pumpkin glaze

  • 90 to 100 g pumpkin puree
  • 50 g sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin spices
  • Pearl sugar (optional)

Method:

Water roux or Tangzhong

Whisk together the water and the flour until the mixture is well blended and free of lumps.

Stir the mixture while it cooks over the medium heat to reach 65oC/149 – 150F. It takes about 2-3 minutes.

Continue whisking until the mixture starts to thicken. The mixture of flour will have “lines”.

Remove from the heat.

Transfer to a bowl, cover with a plastic film to avoid “skin” from forming.

Ready to add to the bread dough once is cool.

Water roux or Tangzhong can bend kept in the fridge for up to 48 hours.

Pumpkin bread dough

In the mixer, add all the water roux, and all the other ingredients under bread, except for the butter.

Turn the machine and stir for 2 to 3 minutes, until a uniform very wet and sticky dough.

Increase the speed to “2” and let it mix for 15 minutes. The dough should be very sticky. Do not add extra flour as the dough will be less sticky as gluten forms.

Add the butter and mix for 15 to 20 minutes more. Take a small portion of the dough (like a golf ball) and stretch gently until a very thin and transparent membrane (windowpane).

If the dough tears mix for another 2-3 minutes until you achieve the windowpane test. The window pane test, demonstrates that the gluten is very well developed and it will create a very light crumb. The dough should be very elastic.

Remove the dough from the mixer and place in a bowl by covering with a plastic film.

Let dough proof until the dough tripled to its original size.

Assembly

Now it is time to shape the buns…

Knock back the dough and split into approximately 18 little balls (approximately 70 g each) and let it rest for 5 minutes on the counter.

Flatten the ball making sure that the air is removed and roll it like a Swiss roll.

Roll more from the center of the Swiss roll placing a little bit of pressure and roll it until approximately 16 in (40 cm) rope. Repeat the process until all the balls are done.

To make the twist…fold the rope into thirds and make a knot at one end, twist the bottom end around the top, and feed the loose end into the top hole. Please see the pictures above, it is much easier that it sound…

Place the twists in a baking ban of your preference. Cover the pan and let the twist rise until double in size.

In the meantime, in a small pot add the pumpkin puree, sugar and pumpkin spices. In a medium heat bring the mixture to boil. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes and remove from the heat and let it cool.

Once the twists doubled in size, gently brush the top of the twists with the pumpkin glaze, and sprinkle with pearl sugar.

Bake in a preheated oven of 350oF for approximately 18 to 20 minutes.

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

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Store the bread in an airtight container.

– If you enjoy this pumpkin twist bun recipe, you might want to take a look at these…

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



Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

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This soft and light cinnamon rolls are made with pumpkin and filled with gooey cinnamon swirl and topped with a light icing are the best treat for the season.

– Why you need to try this?

I made many versions of cinnamon rolls and I must admit, this is the best one…mainly because of the color of the pumpkin puree, so very much enticing…I choose not to add any pumpkin spice when making the dough, just to not shelter the “cinnamon” of the cinnamon rolls away with the other spices found in pumpkin spice. Yes, it sounds confusing…but in reality it is only a cinnamon roll recipe made with pumpkin puree….yes, I should have said that in the very beginning…next time I will try to be less confusing…

– Asian method?

And of course I had to use “tangzhong” or “water roux” method, an Asian method used to keep the bread soft, light, moist for many many days.

I divided the dough into two and made a sandwich bread loaf and a pan of cinnamon rolls. So it is up to you…

– Let’s head to the recipe…

Ingredients:

Tangzhong or water roux

  • 30 g bread flour
  • 150 ml water

Bread dough

  • 550 g bread flour
  • 80 g sugar
  • 7 g salt
  • 8 g yeast
  • 8 g vital gluten
  • 270 g pumpkin puree
  • 20 ml water (if necessary, depending of the moist of the pumpkin puree)
  • 60 g butter

Filling

  • Butter, or any substitute, unsalted ( I used Earth Balance)
  • Brown sugar
  • Ground cinnamon

Glaze

  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½  tablespoons water

Method:

Tangzhong or water roux

Whisk together the water and the flour until the mixture is well blended and free of lumps.

Stir the mixture while it cooks over the medium heat to reach 65C/150F. It takes about 2-3 minutes. Continue whisking until the mixture starts to thicken. The mixture of flour will have “lines”.

Remove from the heat.

Transfer to a bowl, cover with a plastic film to avoid “skin” from forming.

Ready to add to the bread dough once is cool.

Water roux or Tangzhong can bend kept in the fridge for up to 48hours.

Bread dough

In the mixer, add all the water roux, and all the other ingredients under bread, except for the butter.

Turn the machine and stir for 2 to 3 minutes, until a ball forms.

Increase the speed to “2” and let it mix for 5 minutes. The dough should be very sticky, and less sticky as the gluten forms.

Add the butter and mix for 20 minutes more. Take a small portion of the dough (like a golf ball) and stretch gently until a very thin and transparent membrane (windowpane).

If the dough tears mix for another 5 minutes until you achieve the windowpane test. The windowpane test, demonstrated that the gluten is very well developed and it will create a very light crumb. The dough should be very elastic.

Remove the dough from the mixer and place in a bowl by covering with a plastic film.

Let dough proof until the dough tripled to its original size.

Assembly

Knock back the dough and divide into 2 balls. Roll one dough into a rectangle of approximately 45 x 35cm (approximately 18 x 14in). Smear a thin layer of butter or its substitute on the rectangle dough. Evenly sprinkle brown sugar and then cinnamon over the sugar.

Roll it like a Swiss roll from the long edge, and roll it into a tight log. Turn the seam to the bottom. Make a small mark on the log in the middle and then into 4 and again and again until you have the log divided into 16.  Gently cut on the mark without smashing the rolls.  Place the rolls in a square or round pan, I used the 8 x 8 in USA square pan.  Cover and let it rise until doubled in size.

Bake in t preheated oven at 350F for 25 minutes. Remove and let it cool.

In the meantime make the sugar glaze. Mix all the ingredients listed under the glaze into a small bowl.

Drizzle over the cool cinnamon rolls.

Take another look and tell me if you can resist…

– Looking for more pumpkin recipes?  Take a look at these…

Did you know that pumpkin is super rich in beta-carotene? Your body will convert beta-carotene into vitamin A.  Vitamin A is important for your vision, immune system, teeth, and skin. Moreover, pumpkin contains vitamin C, and dietary fiber which is important for a healthy heart.

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



Low Caloric Content Rice

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If you love rice and worry about calories you should try this method of cooking rice. It is simple and easy…

Yes, you can lower the calories in rice by changing how you cook it!

For the longest time I wanted to share with you about a method used to lower rice calories…not long ago a team of scientists from Sri Lanka have developed a simple way to cook rice that could reduce the calories absorbed by the body by up to 60%.

A little background…rice contains two types of starch: digestible and resistant. The digestible starches can be quickly broken down by our bodies, turn into glucose and store as fat if we do not burn it (increase weight or obesity). The resistant starch cannot be digested, they just pass through the large intestine therefore not absorbed by our body. Resistant starch shares some of the benefits of soluble fibers. The scientist developed a method of cooking rice which changes the digestible starch to resistant starch.

Why lowering the caloric content in rice is so important? Rice is the staple food for more than half of the world’s population, contains a lot of starch and it is used to make all kind of dishes savory as well as sweet, but worldwide obesity is increasing dramatically, therefore to be able to enjoy rice dishes without guilt, a simple addition of coconut oil can change its caloric content.

The original paper recipe is the following…

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup white rice
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil
  • 1 ¾ cups water or enough to cook the rice

Method:

In a pot, bring water to a boil.

Add coconut oil to pot, followed by the rice.

Cover, lower heat, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes.

Let rice cool, then chill in the fridge for at least 12 hours.

Reheat as necessary before serving using.

As for me, I love using my rice cooker, therefore I added into the cooking bowl, well rinsed rice, coconut oil and the appropriate amount of water according to the instructions of the rice cooker.

If you enjoy this simple method of cooking rice to lower its calorie, you might want to check on some of rice dishes such as Egg Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage.

Want to know more about it? The reason that rice cooked with coconut oil contain less calories are explained by the scientists…coconut oil enter the starch granule during cooking and changes the structure of the starch so they are no longer affected by the digestive enzyme from our body. Refrigerating the rice is important because it expels the digestible part of the starch, and once the digestible part is outside of the rice granule, these molecules form strong bonds turning them into resistant starch.

Interestingly, the amount of resistant starch did not change when the rice was reheated later. The cooling turns some of the digestible starches into resistant starches via a process called retrogradation. In order to cook lower calorie rice refrigerating it before reheating is crucial.

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



Waffle Iron Pão de Queijo

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This is a simplified Brazilian inspired recipe for pão de queijo, instead of fussing around with the dough you can enjoy these treats just by adding a pancake like batter into the waffle iron.

At the first sight you might be thinking…”What is new about these waffles? Who has never seen waffles?” Well, I must tell you that many times look are deceiving…and here is a perfect example…these are waffles made with tapioca flour, loaded with cheese…yes, you read it right…CHEESE!

Okay, now this is something that you should give a try if you own a waffle maker…why? It is amazingly delicious, gluten free and so simple to make.

I was very skeptical in getting a waffle maker, not that all the recipes out there were not tempting…far from that…it was because of my limited kitchen space…initially I wanted a bigger waffle maker, the one that can be turned, but space really did not permit me to get one. As a matter of fact when I brought the idea of getting a waffle maker, my husband even joked my saying if I was planning to put the waffle maker on top of my head…well…and I found a small one online which can be store up therefor it would not take much of space.

What do I make first? These crispy, slightly chewy inside waffle…these are a twist on the pão de queijo. Remember the Brazilian chewy cheese balls? Okay, so this is a simple version of it. The nice thing about this recipe…not much cleaning is required, with very little labor…

So get your tools together and start preheating your waffle maker…these are simply awesome!

Ingredients:

  • 100 g tapioca flour
  • 1 large egg
  • ⅓ cup of milk (I used fat free, but feel free to use whatever milk you like)
  • 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt (less if you like)
  • 40-60 g grated Parmesan cheese (or any kind of cheese, preferably dry ones), more the cheesier.

Method:

In a deep cup, place the milk, egg, salt and cheese. Using an immersion blender or regular blender, mix well all the ingredients. Once well mixed, slowly add the tapioca flour, by continuously mixing. Make sure that all the tapioca flour is incorporated into the egg and milk mixture. The batter will look like a thinner version of pancake batter.

Place approximately ⅛ cup of the batter into the preheated waffle maker and follow the instruction of your machine. The amount of batter will vary according to your like. I you are like me, I like crispier and crunchier waffles then you should add less batter.

The thickness of the waffles can be controlled by the amount of batter you place on the waffle maker. Many times with the leftover batter, I like to add very little batter to the machine and let it crisp all the way. Let them cool and store this waffles/crackers in an air tight container for later enjoyment…these sure make great snacks.

Serve hot or warm….simply delicious!

I hope you enjoy this simple recipe using a waffle maker…for more similar recipes please check on the Mochi Bacon Cheese Ball or the Brazilian Pao de Queijo recipes.

Did you know that pão de queijo is a very popular breakfast item in Brazil? Since pão de queijo uses tapioca flour, they are great for people that are sensitive to gluten.

 

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



Scallion and Ginger Sauce

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This is a very simple recipe for an Asian inspired condiment. Only two ingredients…green onion or scallion and ginger…great on almost everything.

I am so excited to start this new blog…the transition to have all the posts from Simple Recipes [dot] Me transferred to Color Your Recipes was smoother than I thought, thanks to the people behind me.

Thank you all for the comforting and encouraging words, they sure mean a lot to me. Although I cannot see you I hear you and carry your words in my heart…I never thought I would feel so close to all my virtual friends.

To celebrate the new start, I have for you a very simple and tasty condiment that I use quite often and always glad to have it handy.

Green onion (or scallion) and ginger is a very popular combination for many Asian dishes. This sauce is used over steamed chicken or fish…most of the time the finely shredded green onion and ginger are place of top of the already steamed chicken or fish and you get the sizzling after pouring hot oil on it. More ingredients can be added, like soy sauce, cooking wine or chili.

On the other hand, many Chinese restaurants serve steamed or boiled organic chicken with this sauce on the side, and I must tell…this sauce is so good that I see everyone topping the chicken with this simple sauce, almost forgetting that the main component of the dish is the chicken…my son, adds this sauce to everything…even on the battered fried fish sticks…

As I mention above, I love to have this sauce in the fridge and I top on steamed fish, vegetables, omelet…practically everywhere that needs a kick in flavor.

Okay, after a big introduction to this simple recipe for green onion and ginger sauce here is the recipe. Please keep in mind that you can add more or less of each ingredients according to your palate…I invite you to Color Your Recipe!

Oh! One more thing, I grow my own green onion, so if you care for growing your own, you can find some tips at Simple Ideas, Growing Green Onion and even in water.

Finally to the recipe…

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch green onion, washed and dried
  • Approximately 1 ½ oz ginger peeled
  • ½ cup canola oil or any tasteless vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon salt

Method:

Cut the green onion into approximately 1 inch and place in the food processor (I used the small one) and pulse until finely chopped. Set aside in a heat proof bowl.

Cut the ginger into small chunks and chop on the food processor until finely chopped, place to the same bowl as the chopped green onion. Add the salt and mix.

In a small pan heat the canola oil until almost smoking.

Place the bowl with the mix of green onion and ginger on a heat safe place and carefully pour the almost smoking oil onto it. BE CAREFUL* since it will be a lot of splash and sizzling. Once the sizzling “calms” down, mix gently and let it cool.

(*) I usually place the bowl in the kitchen sink before adding the hot oil so the mess is contained and easily cleaned.

Pour into an airtight container and store in the fridge. Use as you like.

I hope you give this Asian inspired simple recipe a try.

Did you know that ginger is widely used to treat nausea and vomiting? Moreover, ginger not only is used as food and drink flavoring, as well as ingredients in antacid, laxative and anti-gas medication.

Have a great week and thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes!



Saffron Rice with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts from An Edible Mosaic

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Today I have a very especial post…and yes, it is unusual for me to post on Friday but I had to make an exception since my friend Faith Gorsky from An Edible Mosaic just had her first cookbook released: An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair. I could not wait until Monday to share with you such exciting news and I am so happy to be able to participate in her virtual book launch party.

Faith’s book has over 100 Middle Eastern recipes, with a focus mainly on dishes from the Levant, but also a few recipes from other areas of the Middle East. She has a pretty unique story…after getting married Faith spent six months living in the Middle East, where she fell in love with the culture and cuisine. Subsequently, she returned four more times for visits, each time delving deeper into the cuisine and deepening her passion for and appreciation of the region. Recipes in her book are authentic Middle Eastern (taught to Faith mostly by her mother-in-law, Sahar), but streamlined just a bit for the way we cook today, with unique ingredients demystified and cooking techniques anyone can follow. If you didn’t grow up eating Middle Eastern food, it can be a difficult art to master; Faith understands that, and explains complicated dishes in an approachable, easy-to-follow way. The book is available to order on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

The recipe from the book that I’m sharing with you today is for Saffron Rice with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts. The recipe is vegan therefore easily incorporated into a vegan or vegetarian meal, but it is just as delicious served with chicken, beef, lamb, or seafood, and it would be really fantastic with just about any curry dish. (In the cookbook, Faith recommends pairing Shrimp in Aromatic Tomato Sauce with this rice dish.)

Saffron Rice with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts.
(ROZ MLOW’WAN)
Recipe courtesy of An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair by Faith Gorsky (Tuttle Publishing; Nov. 2012); reprinted with permission.

Serves 4 to 6
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes, plus 15 minutes to let the rice sit after cooking

Ingredients:

1½ cups (325 g) basmati rice, rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1 onion, finely diced
4 tablespoons sultanas (golden raisins)
1¾ cups (425 ml) boiling water
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon saffron threads (or ½ teaspoon turmeric)

Method:

1. Soak the rice in tepid water for 10 minutes; drain. While the rice is soaking, put half a kettle of water on to boil.
2. Add the oil to a medium, thick-bottomed lidded saucepan over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Transfer the pine nuts to a small bowl and set aside.
3. Add the onion to the saucepan you cooked the pine nuts in, and cook until softened and just starting to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the sultanas, boiling water, salt, and saffron (or turmeric), turn the heat up to high, and bring it to a rolling boil.
4. Give the rice a stir, then cover the saucepan, turn the heat down to very low, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes (do not open the lid during this time). Turn the heat off and let the rice sit (covered) 15 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
5. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle the toasted pine nuts on top; serve.

OPTIONAL Add two pods of cardamom, two whole cloves, and one 2-inch (5 cm) piece of cinnamon stick at the same time that you add the rice.

On Faith’s book you will find a variation of this rice recipe, Mixed White and Yellow Rice.

Please head over to Faith’s blog to check out her virtual book launch party to see the other bloggers who are participating. Also, as part of her virtual book launch, Faith is hosting a giveaway of a fabulous set of prizes. Be sure to head over and enter!

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



Simple Flan

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I know, I know there are hundreds of recipes for flan and here I am sharing another one…but trust me, this recipe is very simple and only requires a few ingredients. Moreover, I can assure you that whoever tries this flan will fall in love with it. It is not overwhelmingly sweet and the texture is silky and creamy. There are no words to describe it! It is true that it is loaded of calories, but we need to indulge ourselves once in a while right?

You can bake the flan in small size ramekins or when going to a potluck, I like to bake the flan in a pyrex form. Everytime that I am going to a potluck party and do not know what to bring…or do not feel like cooking/baking…flan is the solution. It is simple,easy and enjoyed by all…Okay, enough of bragging about this flan, let’s go to the ingredients and method.

Ingredients:

Caramel
½ cup sugar
Enough water to dissolve the sugar, approximately ¼ cup

Flan
1 can of condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
3 cans of skim milk (measured by the condensed milk can)
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

Caramel

In a small pan place the water and the sugar, mix until the sugar is dissolved. Boil the sugar mix until the water is totally evaporated and the sugar is thick and brown. Do not mix while it is cooking otherwise the sugar will crystallize. Carefully pour the caramelized sugar into the ramekins and gently rotate the ramekin so the caramel is evenly spread. Let the sugar cool down and set the ramekins aside.

Flan

In a blender add all the ingredients listed under “flan”, make sure that it is well mixed. Pour into the ramekins where the brown sugar is already hard. The flan mixture will be liquidy at this stage. Bake the flan in water-bath (banho-maria in Portuguese) for approximately 1 to 1 ½ at 275F. The top will be slightly golden and when gently shaken, the flan in ramekins will feel settled.

Let it cool completely and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Before serving, place a plate larger on top of the ramekin and in one movement, flip the ramekin carefully on a plate. Tap on the ramekin a couple of time and the flan will slide on the plate together with the caramel sauce

Garnish as  desired and serve.

If you enjoy this simple flan recipe you might want to check on a richer version of flan recipe.

Did you know that flan recipes are found as far back as ancient Rome and is was originally a savory dish? The word “flan” is derived from the Latin “flado”, which means flat cake.

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