When I bought the can of pumpkin from Trader Joe’s, I had no idea what I wanted to use the can for…I just knew that I wanted to make something using pumpkin…after all, it is Fall and Halloween is around the corner.
After many thoughts…why not pumpkin buns using the water roux method? But what do to with the remaining of the pumpkin? Why not fill the buns with it? So this was the end of my quest…pumpkin buns filled with pumpkin. In the middle of the baking, I decided to try and make some rolls as well, like the cinnamon rolls, using the pumpkin filling…

The buns and rolls came out delicious, the combination of the soft and pillowy bread with the creamy pumpkin filling was just perfect.

Ingredients:

Water roux or Tangzhong
15 g bread flour
75 ml water

Dough
1 ½ cup bread flour
¾ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons dry milk
1 ½ tablespoons butter
1 ½ teaspoons yeast
1 egg
½ cup mashed pumpkin
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
Water as needed

Pumpkin filling
1 can of pumpkin minus the ½ cup (used in the dough)
3 to 4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkins spice
2 tablespoons fresh milk

Egg wash
Poppy seeds

Method:

Water roux

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

Dough

In the bread machine bucket, add the water roux, and all the other ingredients listed under “dough”, except for the butter.

Turn the machine to knead mode until it forms soft dough, add more water if needed. Add the butter and let it knead until the butter incorporates to the dough.

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

Let both dough proof until the dough doubles to its original size. In the meantime prepare the pumpkin filling by mixing all the ingredients in a medium bowl.

Knock back the dough and split into 2 balls and let it rest for 5 minutes on the counter.

Flatten one of the balls and shape like a Swiss roll, place half of the filling and roll it like a Swiss roll. Cut in 8 equal size and place in a pan, cover the pan with a plastic film until it sizes double.

With the other half ball, split into 8 small portions. Flatten the dough with the roller pin and with your fingers until a disk. Place some filling in the middle of the disk and seal it with all the filling in it. Place the filled buns on the tray, cover with a plastic film and let them rest until their sizes double.

When ready to bake, with a sharp scissor make cuts on the side of the buns and brush the top of the buns with the egg wash and sprinkle some poppy seeds on it.

In a preheated oven of 350 bake the buns and rolls for approximately 25 minutes or until golden brown
Remove from the oven and cool the buns/rolls on a wire rack.

If you enjoy this pumpkin buns using water roux method, you might want to check on Simple Pumpkin Cupcakes or Pumpkin Cookies for recipe using pumpkin.

Did you know that pumpkin is very rich in dietary fiber? Moreover, due to its high content in antioxidants, minerals and vitamins is one of the food item that is recommended by dieticians for cholesterol and weight controlling program.

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This is my version of chicken rice bowl…I mainly prepared the chicken with a lot of different vegetables and topped over steamed rice. This is a very simple recipe, especially when I feel like “cleaning” the fridge and use up all the vegetables. It is very versatile and you can use all kind of your favorite vegetables and meat, or tofu if you are vegetarian.
Oh! Another thing, this is great for next day lunch!

Ingredients:

2 chicken breast cup in cubes
3 to 4 cloves of garlic chopped
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
½ tablespoon light olive oil

1 cup of Brussel sprouts cut into quarter and blanched
2 zucchinis cut into cubes
2 red bell peppers cut into cubes
1 small onion cut into cubes

1 tablespoon light olive oil
½ tablespoon sesame oil

Steamed rice

Method:

Add to the chicken the garlic, soy sauce, olive oil, cornstarch, salt and pepper and it sit for 5 minutes.

Sauté the chicken in olive oil, until slightly golden color. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In the same pan add the onion until brown, add the remaining vegetables until cooked but not soggy. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Add to the vegetables the chicken and mix gently. Drizzle sesame oil and remove from the heat.

Have the bowls of rice ready and top it with the chicken and veggies mixture. Serve hot.

If you enjoy this rice dish you might want to check on Fried Rice recipe.

Did you know that rice bowl in Japanese is called “donburi”?

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This is a very tasty dish, it is gluten free since the glass noodles are made of sweet potato starch. In this dish I added some slice chicken, shitake mushrooms, bok choy and lots of Thai basil. This dish has a touch of sweet and spiciness. It is delicious, and you have it all in one dish! It seems more complicated that really it is…I like to cook all the ingredients by steps since different ingredients require different time of cooking, once they are cooked you just need to put them together. The good thing is that you just need a big wok pan.

Ingredients:

1 large chicken breast, thinly sliced
4 to 5 garlic cloves, finely minced
½ tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

6-7 dry shiitake mushrooms
2-3 carrots, sliced
½ onion sliced
½ bunch bok choy, cut in approximately 1 in
1 tablespoon olive oil
Soy sauce to taste
½ teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
½ teaspoon chili oil
½ tablespoon sesame oil
Thai basil to taste

Glass noddle

Method:

Marinate the chicken with the garlic, soy sauce, olive oil, salt and pepper. Leave in the refrigerator for approximately ½ hour to 1 hour.

Soak the dry shiitake mushrooms in 1/3 cup warm water. When soft, squeeze the water and slice. Keep the water for later use.

Cook the glass noodle in boiling water for 5 to 6 minutes or until it turn transparent and soft. Drain the water in a colander and run cold water through. Set aside.

In a wok, sauté the chicken in high heat, making sure that is cooked throughout. Remove from the heat and set aside. In the same pan add the carrot and 1 to 2 tablespoons of water, cook until the carrots are slightly soft. Remove and add to the chicken.

Add olive oil to the pan and the sliced onion and shiitake mushroom, sauté until slightly golden brown, remove and add to the chicken and carrot bowl.

Now add the bok choy to the pan and sauté for a couple of minutes and again remove it by placing together with the chicken, carrot and mushroom bowl.

Place in the wok the water where the mushrooms were soaked, the soy sauce and the sugar. Once starts to boil toss in the glass noddle, and mix gently until the noodle is evenly coated with the sauce. Add the mixture of chicken and vegetables to the noodle. Mix gently. Add the chili oil, sesame oil and the Thai basil. Toss gently and remove from the heat. Serve hot.

Did you know that there are many varieties of glass noodles in Asian cuisine? These noodles can be made from yam, mung bean, sweet potato, yucca starch.

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This is the kind of cucumber that is often served as one of side dishes at the classic Chinese banquet…it is simple and really tasty. The flavors of this cucumber dish is kind of garlicky, sweet with a touch of spiciness. I love this simple side dish, especially when the weather is warm…the cucumbers have crunchy texture with complex flavors, and can be kept in the fridge for a few days.

Ingredients:

3 Japanese cucumbers
1 teaspoon salt
4 to 5 garlic cloves
¼ teaspoon whole peppercorns
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce

Method:

Cut the cucumber into 1 to ½ in length and add salt. Mix and let it sit for about ½ hour. This will remove the water from the cucumber.

Drain the water from the cucumber and set aside.

In the meantime, prepared the sauce by placing the garlic in the oil, let it fry for a little until some fragrance come from the pan, add the peppers, then the sugar, the vinegar and the soy sauce. Let it boil and immediately add the cucumber. Stir gently and turn the heat off.

Remove from the pan and place in an air tight glass jar. Once the cucumber cool down, place in the refrigerator. Serve cold.

If you enjoy this cucumber side dish you might want to check on lighter version of Asian Style Cucumber Salad.

Did you know that cucumber contains approximately 95% water? Moreover, cucumbers have somehow diuretic properties due to the high water and potassium content.

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This is a very simple recipe for a very light banana loaf…this loaf is very airy and spongy. I adapted this from the Banana Spongy Cake, I omitted the walnut and instead of muffins cups I make them into a mini loaf, which I great as a gift.

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
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon rum

Method:

Preheat oven at 350F.
In a bowl sift the flour with baking soda, baking powder and ground cinnamon. In another bowl mix the eggs, vanilla extract, rum, sugar, mashed banana and mix until ribbon stage, which it will take approximately 10 minutes.

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

Pour into the prepared 3 mini loaf pans and bake at 325 F for approximately 30 minutes (lower the temperature once the pans are in the oven) or until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean.

Cool on the wire rack and serve, or wrap the loaf and send to a lucky friend 

Did you know that bananas are naturally radioactive? It is because of its high levels of potassium and a small amount of potassium-40, which is the largest source of natural radioactivity found in animals and humans.

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Hello! I am back and I hope you all had a great weekend…we went to Beijing for vacation. Being that this was my first time in China, I must tell you, it was amazing…I will, in the future, share some of the pictures that we took.

Being in China and exposed to all the Chinese food, all of a sudden I asked myself “how come I have not made Chinese steamed bread/bun?” Well, most of the time I would buy them frozen at the local Asian grocery store, either plain or filled with savory meat/vegetarian or the sweet version. Very different from when I used to live in Brazil.  Because the Asian goods were not ready available, we had to make everything from scratch. After moving to US, we just got spoiled since we could find all the goodies easily available.

I remember the first time  I introduced this buns to my husband, he looked at me and said “are you sure that this is cooked? It seems raw…” Even as I place the bun into my mouth, he was still hesitant but finally gave in and tried…Now he loves the homemade ones; he even spreads the buns with peanut butter and jelly or makes a sandwich with it.

These buns are very soft and pillowy… I love “playing” with the dough and making different shapes or into simple rolls. You can store the buns in the refrigerator or in the freezer. Just place them in the steamer for 10 to 15 minutes and you have a hot and steamy bun. Believe me this recipe is very simple!

Ingredients:

Starter dough

1/3 cup warm water
1 ½ teaspoon yeast
2 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Main Dough

1 ½ tablespoon cornstarch, complete with all-purpose flour to final measurement of 1 ½ cup
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
¼ cup warm water

Method:

Starter dough

Dissolve the sugar in the warm water and add the yeast. Mix gently and let it rest for approximately 5 minutes, add the flour. Mix and let the starter dough rest in a warm place for approximately 1 hour, until the surface is bubbly.

Final dough

In the bread machine bucket add the starter dough and the remaining ingredients from the main dough, except the water. Set the bread machine to the dough setting, slowly add the water until the dough is soft and smooth. When the dough cycle finishes, remove the dough from the bucket and place in a medium bowl cover with a plastic film and let the dough proof until it doubles its original size. It will take approximately 1 to 2 hours, depending of the room temperature.

Once the dough double its original size, knock the dough back (punch in down) gently and it is time to shape them…now the fun begins!

In this particular case, I divided the dough into 10 equal pieces and shaped them differently. I even added green onion in a couple of them.

Once you shape the buns, place them on parchment paper, cover with plastic film and let them rise in a warm place for approximately 30 to 45 minutes, or until almost double in size.

In the meantime get the steamer going. Place the buns in the steamer, making sure that there is enough space between the buns. Steam the buns in boiling medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes. Be careful when removing the buns from the steamer so the steam condensation does not drip on the buns.

Transfer the buns to a rack to cool. Serve them hot/warm.

Store them in the refrigerator or freezer.

If you enjoy this Chinese steamed buns you may want to check on this other Asian bread recipes like Red Bean Buns or Asian Style Sandwich Loaf from Simple Recipes.

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

Yes, more Brussels sprouts, and this time with chicken. This dish is a kind of an adaptation of Asian dish…instead of let’s say “Chinese vegetables”, I substituted for Brussels sprouts.
It is simple and really fast to fix, perfect for a weekday dinner and great for next day lunch. The great thing about this dish is that you can make this dish and at the end of it you will have only one pan to wash. I like to serve this dish with rice.

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast, cut into small chunks
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ tablespoon corn starch
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
½ lb Brussel sprouts cut in half

Method:

Marinate the chicken with garlic, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Set aside. In the meantime blanch the sprouts. Make sure that you just blanch, otherwise it will be mushy. Just before sautéing the chicken add the corn starch by coating slightly the chicken pieces with the corn starch.

In a wok, sauté the chicken in olive oil. Set aside once the chicken is fully cooked. In the same wok brown the onion, add the blanched Brussel sprouts. Mix gently and add the chicken back to the wok.
Stir gently and serve hot with rice.

I hope you enjoyed this Asian inspired simple recipe for Brussels sprouts with chicken. You might want to check a simpler version of Brussels sprouts, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon.

Did you know that Brussels sprouts contain high dietary fiber? Moreover, Brussels sprouts have more vitamin C than oranges, so four to six sprouts contain the adult daily requirement for vitamin C.

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

This is a very fun and simple bread recipe using the water roux method. The texture of this bread, due to the water roux,  is very soft, almost cotton like and the bread stays soft for more than 3 days. It is not very sweet because sugar was not added to the chocolate layers…

My husband was a little disappointed because he expected a sweeter chocolate layer…and he was like “looks like chocolate, but does not taste like it”. Once I explained to him that I used unsweetened cocoa powder, he settled for “Oh! So the chocolate color is just for  looks”. Anyway, to boost the flavor you can always spread jam or Nutella.

I used my Zojirushi bread machine, but this simple recipe can be easily done manually. I made them into three mini bread pans; they came out very “cute”.

Ingredients:

Water roux or Tangzhong
1/3 cup bread flour
1 cup water

Main dough
2 ½ cups bread flour
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons milk powder
100 ml of water plus 2 tablespoons water
1 ½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons yeast
2 tablespoons butter

Method:

Water roux

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

Main dough

In the bread machine bucket, add the water roux, and all the other ingredients, except for the butter, water and cocoa powder.
Turn the machine to knead mode until it forms soft dough. Add the butter and let it knead until the butter incorporates into the dough.

Divide the dough in approximately 2/3 and 1/3 portions. Remove the small portion and set aside by covering with a plastic film.

Knead the bigger portion until the dough is smooth and elastic. Remove from the machine and set aside in a bowl by covering the dough with a plastic film.

Place back the small portion in the bread machine and add cocoa powder and water as needed and let it knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover the chocolate dough and set aside in a bowl by covering with a plastic film.

Let both dough proof until the dough doubles to its original size.

Knock back both dough and let it rest for 5 minutes on the counter, cover both dough.

Flatten the chocolate dough into a rectangle shape of approximately 6 x 9 inches and the white dough to 12 x 6 inches. Layer the chocolate rectangle in between the white rectangle. Flatten the rectangle and cut in 2 equal portions. Layer one piece on top of the other and flatten again. Repeat this procedure a couple of times.

Cut the flatten dough into 3 equal pieces. Then again cut into 3 equal strips. Gently roll the strips and place 3 together and make a braid. Place the braided bread in the tins. Cover the tins with plastic film and let them rise in a warm place until the dough has almost tripled its original size.

Meanwhile, preheat oven at 350F. Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter. Remove from the tin and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

If you enjoy this Asian style bread you might want to check on red bean buns or cinnamon rolls.

Have a great week and thank you for stopping by Simple Recipes!