1

Sourdough Green Onion and Cheese Bread

|

The combination of green onion and cheese in this sourdough bread is just divine..great just as it is or drizzle with some olive oil for extra flavor.

– Why green onion and cheese?

Don’t you think that there is something about the combination of green onion and cheese? Somehow the blend of flavors and colors are always so welcomed.

– Why using sourdough starter?

It seems that baking bread with sourdough starter is healthier than using the conventional bread yeast due to the bread’s prebiotic content, therefore easier to digest.

– What is sourdough starter?

Sourdough starter is a culture of wild yeast found in flour. Like any fermented food, sourdough bread is fermented using lactobacillus. The combination of wild yeast (found in flour) and lactic-acid bacteria is what makes the dough rise.

– Is sourdough bread easier to digest?

Scientists believe that the prebiotic content in sourdough bread may improve gut health and ease digestion. Moreover, gluten levels are lower in sourdough bread as compared to traditional yeasted bread.

– Are you ready to try baking sourdough bread?

This particular recipe uses 80% hydration…meaning that I used 80 g of water for every 100 g of flour.

– Should we look at the recipe?

Ingredients:

  • 200 g mature sourdough starter (100% hydration)
  • 400 g bread flour
  • 300 g water
  • 10 g salt
  • 200-250 g cheese (mozzarella and cheddar)
  • Green onion to taste, chopped

How to:

In a medium bowl whisk the bread flour and water until all the water is totally incorporated into the flour. Cover and let it rest for about 1 hour, this is called autolyze.

Add the sourdough starter to the dough and mix until the starter is completely mixed to the dough. Use the stretch and fold method around the bowl, approximately 50 times, at this point gluten will start to form.

Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 to 45 minutes.

Add the salt and mix again using the stretch and fold method until all the salt is totally incorporated into the dough. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 to 45 minutes.

Stretch and fold the dough a few times until the dough detach from the bowl easily. Cove the bowl and let the dough rest 30 to 45 minutes.

Spray the counter with a little water and place the dough on it.  Laminate the dough, spread the chopped green onion and the cheese and fold into thirds, twice. Place the dough into a rectangular or square container and cover.

Rest for 30 to 45 minutes. Coil and fold the dough to the center. Place it back to the container and cover.

Rest for 45 minutes and repeat the coil and fold the dough to the center.

Rest for 45 minutes. Place the dough over the moist counter and coil and fold dough twice.

Rest for 45 minutes.  Sprinkle flour on the counter and on the top of the dough. Flip the bowl on the counter and let the dough fall on the flour surface.

Split the dough into two equal portions.

Pre-shape the dough by stretching and folding to the center of the dough.

Flour well the banneton and place the dough seam up.

Place the dough in the refrigerator overnight, uncovered.

Next morning, pre-heat oven to 475oF with a tray of water.

In the meantime, boil more water.

Flip the dough from the banneton to a floury surface. Using a soft brush, gently brush off excess of flour. Make the cut on the dough and spray with water. Place the dough into the hot oven.  Carefully add the boiling water to the tray. Close the oven door.

Spray more water on the dough every 3 minutes, 3 times. After 15 minutes of baking, remove the water tray and the parchment paper underneath the bread. Lower the temperature to 375oF, bake for another 20 minutes.

Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack. Make sure the bread is completely cool before slicing.

– If you enjoy this sourdough bread recipe, you might want to look at these…

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



Asian Style Cheeseburger

|

Looking for easy and fast meal ready to go at any time? These soft buns filled with gooey cheese and ground beef are “a must”.

– How these burgers taste?

Well, the gooey cheese mixed with the flavorful ground beef in between super soft and cottony dough is just heaven…and no mess at all!

– Why are these Asian cheeseburgers so good?

They make an easy meal if you have them in the refrigerator or freezer…just warm them up and serve with a side of salad.

– Can you make these cheeseburgers ahead?

Absolutely, they can stand the freezer very well. The buns can be warmed in the oven or microwave, whichever way you like.

– Ready to look at the recipe?

Ingredient:

Bread dough from the recipe HERE.

Ground beef filling

  • ½ tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 lb. ground beef, 85%
  • ½ large onion finely chopped
  • 4-5 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • ½ teaspoon dry oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon ground all-spice
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 100 g mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes or grated
  • Egg wash
  • Sesame seeds
  • 180 g cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes or grated

Method:

Bread dough

When ready to use, split the dough into16 small balls of approximately 72 g each.

Let it rest on the counter covered for 10 minutes.

Ground beef filling

In a frying pan or wok sauté the onion with garlic until golden and aromatic.  Add the ground beef and stir fry until the meat is cooked, by stirring. While stirring add all the spices.

Let it cool and add the cheese, mix until uniform. Set aside for assembly of the buns.

Assembly

Flat the dough and open into a disk using a rolling pin.

Add into the middle of the disk approximately 45 g of the ground beef and cheese mix.

Seal the bun with the ground beef mix in the middle and shape into a ball.

Repeat the procedure with all the remaining dough.

In the meantime, turn the oven to 350oF.

Cover the buns and let it proof until its size double.

When ready to bake brush the egg wash on top of the buns and sprinkle with sesame seed.

Bake in a preheated oven of 350oF for 15-17 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly before serving.

– Looking for more bread recipes? Check these out…

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



Chicken Mashed Potatoes Pie

|

This is a simple and super tasty chicken pie using mashed potatoes (freshly made or leftover) as a topping.

– What to do with leftover mashed potatoes?

Making chicken pie…yes chicken pie and you do not have to worry about making the crust…this is a way to create a totally new dish using leftover mashed potatoes…

– Why you need to make this pie?

Because it is super delicious and so easy to put together, especially if you have leftover mashed potatoes.

– What else can I add to the chicken?

Be creative, add olives, bell peppers, celery, carrots, peas, mushrooms…as you see you can pretty much add what you crave for…

– Want a creamy filling?

Sure, add cream cheese to the chicken or a touch of fresh cream

– Did I convince you to try this recipe?

Here we go…

Ingredients:

  • 2 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3-4 garlic cloves
  • 2 tomatoes, seeds removed and chopped
  • ⅓ – ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
  • Sat and pepper to taste
  • Leftover mashed potatoes or freshly made
  • Shredded cheese of your choice, I used mozzarela

Method:

In a frying pan add the oil in medium heat, then the garlic and onion, stirring until golden brown.

Add the shredded chicken and sauté for a minute.

Add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are incorporated into the chicken.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the chopped parsley and mix well with the chicken.

Remove from the heat and set aside.

Assembly:

In individual ramekin or oven safe bowl, place a layer of the chicken filling. Then a layer of cheese.

Cover the cheese and chicken filling with mashed potatoes and finally another layer of cheese.

Bake in a preheated oven of 350oF for approximately 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.

Serve hot/warm.

– Looking for more chicken recipes? Check these out!

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



Frozen Pão de Queijo, Brazilian Cheese Bread

|

This is a simplify version of the Brazilian “pão de queijo”, it is cheesy and gluten free.  It makes a great appetizer and can be made way ahead.

I already share so many versions of the famous Brazilian pão de queijo…recipes which each little ball is hand shaped, blended and pour in a waffle iron, Asian style and now blended and frozen for later enjoyment.

– What is “pão de queijo”?

Pão de queijo when translated from Portuguese should be cheese bread. In reality, it is not a bread as you know as bread…it is usually small baked roll with cheese and the base of the roll is mainly tapioca flour and not wheat flour. The texture is not like your regular bread, it is sort of chewy, cheesy and let’s say very different. In my opinion it is a sort of popover, choux pastry…there is no any raising agent such as yeast or baking powder, the air pockets in the little cheese bread are mainly due to the combination of egg, oil, liquid (milk) and tapioca flour.

– History of “pão de queijo”

Pão de queijo recipe is typical from Minas Gerais, which is a state located on the eastern side of Brazil, north of the state of São Paulo. The recipe is traditionally passed from grandmother to their daughters and from the daughter to the granddaughters…the difference in the ingredients may vary from water to milk, oil from lard, but the idea is the same. Apparently started with a piece of leftover cheese, since wheat flour was not common at the time being that tapioca flour from yuca (cassava) was available, somehow in between “pão de queijo” emerged.

– Why you need to make “pão de queijo”?

Because is it easy and a crowd pleaser.  I always have a “bag” of these in my freezer…and I bake whenever we feel like having a small snack, a something to go with a bowl of salad or soup, as an appetizer when entertaining.

– Why this is a great version?

This is the simplest version of all and can be made way ahead…all the ingredients are mixed in a blender and pour is a small silicone mold and place into the freezer. Once frozen they can be stored in a plastic frozen bag (to save freezer space) and store for months until time to bake.

– Have I convinced you? Okay…let’s look at the recipe…

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 eggs
  • ⅔ cup vegetable oil such a sunflower, canola or corn
  • ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 125 g grated Parmesan cheese
  • 345 g tapioca flour
  • 120 g grated Cheddar cheese

Method:

Place milk, oil, eggs and salt in the blender. Blend until all the ingredients are mixed.

Add the parmesan cheese and blend in.

Add tapioca flour in thirds and pulse after each addition, making sure that the batter is smooth. Scrapping the side of the blender cup as needed.

Now, you can either add the cheddar cheese and pulse a couple of times or remove the blender cup from the motor and add the cheddar cheese and mix carefully with a spatula, until the cheese is incorporated into the batter.

Pour the batter into small silicone mold (approximately 0.6 oz or 18 ml each cavity). As the silicone bakeware are flexible, place them on a cookie sheet or any metal tray.

Place the trays in the freezer for a few hours until the batter is frozen.

Once the cheese bread (balls) are totally frozen, quickly remove the frozen cheese balls from the silicone bakeware and place them into a freezer bag and in the freezer until time to bake.

When baking the cheese bread, place the frozen cheese bread directly in a preheated oven of 350oF for approximately 15-20 minutes. Make sure to leave at least 1 in (2.5 cm) in between the cheese bread (balls).

Serve hot/warm.

Take a look…it is soft and chewy and loaded with cheese…

– Looking for other versions of the Brazilian pão de queijo?

Did you know that tapioca flour is a product of the cassava? Cassava, yuca or manioc is a root like yam, taro,  and potato, therfore totally grain and gluten free. Cassava is  very popular in South America, parts of  Asia and Africa.

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



Simple Cauliflower Pizza Crust Recipe

|

Have you ever had a pizza crust made with cauliflower? You will be amazed by using simply using grated cauliflower is able to produce a crispy like thin pizza crust.

This week I want to share with you a recipe that has been populating many cooking websites, because it is a way to replace carbohydrates and it is gluten free…pizza crust using grated cauliflower…which for convenience I used one that is sold at Trader Joe’s, but feel free to grate your own head of cauliflower.

The crust is so simple to make and yes, crispy and delicious…so good that you will not miss the flour in this crust. It was so funny when I told my husband that I used cauliflower to make the pizza crust he asked me back “What is cauli flour? What kind of grain is that?” I just laughed and had to explain to him that was cauliflower, “you know the vegetable that looks like an albino broccoli?”

My husband and I really enjoyed it…if you had not tried, please go ahead and try it!

Ingredients:

  • 1 bag of coarsely chopped cauliflower
  • ½ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • ½ cup shredded or grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon dry oregano
  • Salt, to taste
  • Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place the grated cauliflower into a bowl and cover with paper towel. Microwave it for about 8 minutes until cooked.

Let it cool and squeeze out the water out of the cauliflower, as much as possible with paper towels. The less water crispier the crust will be.

Mash the cauliflower and add the cheeses, dry oregano, egg, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.

Divide the cauliflower dough into 4 portions. Cover a mini pizza pan with parchment paper. Pour cauliflower “dough” on the mini pizza pan and shape into pizza crust. Alternatively you can place the cauliflower dough on a large baking sheet.

Place mini pizza pan in oven for about 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Add your favorite sauce, cheese, toppings and color it the way you like it!

Place the “dressed” pizza under broiler until cheese is hot and bubbly.

Serve hot.

If cauliflower is your “thing” you might want to check on Simple Air Fried Cauliflower or Nutritious Black Rice Bowl with sausage and cauliflower recipes.

Did you know that in spite of the lack of color, cauliflower is a rich source of vitamin C? Moreover, because of its absence of starch, cauliflower is a great ingredients for low carb dieters.

Thank you so much for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful day!



Simple Zucchini Ribbons Salad

|

This salad made with ribbons of zucchini is so simple and yet so tasty. The zucchini ribbons are layered with Manchego cheese and drizzled with olive oil and apple cider vinegar.

Before I get into this week post, today early morning, I received the news that my friend is now resting…I know that she is in peace and there is no more suffering…no matter how I comfort myself that it is better…still hurts a lot…so I will just keep what I had scheduled to post…

I really want to share this simple recipe that I learned while in North Carolina with my friend before Autumn arrives… This is a super simple salad…contains mainly zucchini and yet so good…very refreshing. Isn’t so interesting that the texture and almost the flavor of any vegetable, fruit, meat, poultry and fish can change according the way that the item has been cut, chopped, sliced, minced, grated…and so on.

I was in love with this salad from the moment I tried it…yes, it sounds like a love story…my friend niece husband is a fabulous cook and on our first dinner, they made lasagna and this zucchini salad, which I adapted slightly…there is no secret…just a few ingredients and voila…you have a beautiful ribbons of zucchini salad. Since I came back I already made this salad many many times…and I am still “in love” with it! Not to mention that this salad is great served with any dish.

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium size organic zucchini, regular or yellow
  • Fresh parsley to taste
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • Fresh grind salt and black pepper
  • Manchego cheese, thinly sliced to taste (or Parmesan)

Method:

Slice the zucchini into thin ribbons and place in a medium bowl.

Add the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Gently mix until all the zucchini ribbons are coated. Cover and place in the refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes, so the zucchini ribbons are slightly wilted.

In the meantime, chop parsley and slice the cheese.

Add the parsley to the zucchini ribbons and mix until all the parsley are even distributed.

Add the slices of cheese and mix again.

Serve cold.

Curiosity Corner 101314Did you know that parsley is a good source of vitamin K? Moreover, parsley contains more iron than spinach and more vitamin C than orange. So parsley is more than a decorative herb… go ahead and feel free to add parsley to your next dish.

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



Shrimp with Cheesy Soft Polenta

|

This is a great dish with lots of textures…creamy and soft polenta with firm shrimp.

I am sorry for being MIA for a couple of weeks…we decided to take a week vacation in Cancun, the kind of vacation where we did absolutely nothing, just enjoyed the weather and the beach…although we live by the beach, but our beach here in Southern California does not compared to the crystal clear turquoise water from the Caribbean…

Anyway, we are back to the usual routine…this week I am sharing with you a very simple recipe of tasty shrimps served over a creamy cheesy polenta…so good…I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do.

Ingredients:

Shrimp

  • Approximately 1 lb medium to large shrimp, cleaned and deveined
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lime juice
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Cilantro, chopped to taste
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Cheesy Soft Polenta

  • ⅓ cup ground cornmeal
  • 1½ cup milk
  • 1½ tablespoon butter
  • ⅓ cup grated cheese gruyere /cheddar
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Jalapeno, finely chopped (optional)

Method:

Creamy Polenta

Place the polenta and milk in a pan. Stir constantly in low heat.

Once start to boil add the butter and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring so it will not create a thick crust at the bottom of the pan.

Add the cheese, salt and pepper.

For a thinner texture polenta add more milk until desired consistency. Scoop the polenta into a plate or bowl.

Shrimp

In a bowl combine all the ingredients except for the olive oil, and let it sit for approximately 5 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a wok, add the shrimps and let is brown one side then flip to the other side until
both sides are pink and opaque over high heat.

Do not overcook otherwise the shrimp will become “hard and rubbery”.

Serve the shrimp over the cheesy polenta.

If you enjoy this simple recipe you might like Ground Beef with Polenta or Chicken in Wine Sauce with Polenta.

Did you know that polenta is popular in Northen Italy? It is very similar to grits, which is also made with corn, only alkali treated and called hominy.

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



Kind of Pull-Apart Green Onion and Cheese Bread

|

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!



Waffle Iron Pão de Queijo

|

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!