Almond Paste Bread and Cheese Bread

This is an Asian inspired recipe bread using tangzhong method. I made two kind of bread with the same dough…one loaf is filled with almond paste and the other has layers of cheese in it.

Okay, here is where my first log of almond paste went…into a bread!

This is a very simple way to have two very different bread using one dough. The dough that I used in this recipe is pretty much what I have been using for cinnamon rolls, sweet rolls, even sandwich loaf. I did use my little Zojirushi bread machine, which was perfect for this recipe.

This bread is very light, soft, cottony, and stays fresh for many many days. The almond bread was delicious, with the gooey almond paste in it…although it came up sweeter than I expected (too greedy when adding almond paste), but was good with a cup of tea or coffee. Now, the cheese bread was something more expected, and my husband kept slicing it every time when going to the kitchen…no need to tell you that the bread did not last long.

Ingredients:

Water roux or Tangzhong

75 ml of water
15 g of bread flour

Dough

2 cups bread flour
¾ teaspoon salt
1½ tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dry milk
1½ tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon dry yeast
1 large egg and complete to 100 ml with water

Almond Paste

1 egg yolk lightly beaten with ½ tablespoon water

Sliced almond for garnish

Grated Gruyère Cheese for filling

Method:

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.

Punch down the dough and divide into 2 parts.

Cut the almond paste into 6 equal portions, reserve.

While working with the first part cover the second half with a cloth. Divide the ball into 6 little balls, and shape into a carrot like. Do the same with the almond paste. Flat both the dough and the almond paste with a roller and place the almond past on the dough, rolling from the wider side to the narrow side. Repeat the same procedure with the other 5 portions of dough.

Make small cuts, cover and let it rise until double its original size.

With the other half portion of the dough, divide into 3 balls. Flat with a roller and filled with grated cheese, roll it like a Swiss roll, flat again and spread more grated cheese. Do the same with the remaining 2 portions of dough.

Cover and let it double in size.

Preheat oven at 350F

When ready to bake…

Almond Paste Bread: Brush with the egg yolk washand top with almond. Bake for about 6 to 7 minutes.
Cheese Bread: Brush with egg yolk wash and sprinkle cheese. Bake for approximately 10 to 12 minutes.

If you enjoy this recipe, you might want to check on Sweet Milk Bread with Raisin or Matcha Swirl Sandwich Bread recipes.

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

Eggplant Lasagna

This is a recipe of baked layers of eggplant with ground meat sauce in between and topped with melted mozzarella cheese…a different version of the classical lasagna.

I love eggplant but sometimes I find it hard to make dishes with it…this time I decided to substitute the pasta used in lasagna for eggplants…it is easy to make, and it is delicious. I always make extra for next day lunch…

The recipe is pretty simple…and you can use whatever meat sauce that you use for pasta, therefore it can consist of turkey, pork, beef, or the mix of them. Just let your imagination flow…

Ingredients:

2 large eggplant
All-purpose flour
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
Your favorite meat sauce
Mozzarella cheese
Fresh parsley or cilantro for garnish

Method:

Slice the eggplants into approximately ½ inch. Soak the sliced eggplants in water for a few minutes (you will notice that the water turn kind of yellowish), drain well.

In a deep dish place the all-purpose flour and coat the sliced eggplants both sides. Set aside.

In a fry pan add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and fry the coated eggplants under medium heat. Flip to the other side until both sides are golden. Remove the eggplants and place them on a paper towel to absorb the excess of oil. Do the same to the remaining eggplants.

In an oven proof dish, layer some meat sauce at the bottom of the dish, then add a layer of eggplant, and a layer of mozzarella cheese. Repeat with a meat layer and finish with the cheese on top.

Take to a preheated oven at 350F for approximately 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Garnish with parsley or cilantro. Serve hot.

If you enjoy this version of lasagna using eggplant you might want to take a look at Esfiha, Baked Meat Pie recipe.

Did you know that the deep blue/purple color of the peel or skin of the eggplant contain anthocyanins? These antioxidants are known to prevent cancer, cardiovascular disease, aging, inflammation and neurological diseases.

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

Bacon Chive Cheese Balls

This is another version of the Brazilian cheese balls or “pão de queijo”, and of course has an Asian twist since glutinous flour is added to the tapioca flour in order to give a softer and slightly chewy texture.

Since the combination of green onion or chives and bacon is so good in biscuits, I thought why not adding these into the original cheese balls…so this new version of pão de queijo was born.

These little treats are great because they can be made in advance and kept frozen until you are ready to serve. Just pop these at a preheated oven and they are ready in no time.

I have these (all kind of versions) in my freezer year around and some of our friends always request when they come to see us…and sometimes I have the feeling that they are visiting us so they can have some of these cheese balls.

I made 3 kinds, plain, bacon and chive with bacon…so it is up to you…but I must admit that after tasting the chives with bacon, the plain ones tasted pretty plain.

Ingredients:

4 cups tapioca flour
1 cup glutinous flour
6 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil (sunflower, canola or corn)
1 ½ cups water
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 cup parmesan cheese
12 oz munster cheese (can be substituted by parmesan cheese)

1 small bunch chive chopped finely and sauté in ½ tablespoon oil until golden and fragrant. I used the ones that I have grown in pots, you can do that too, please check Growing Green Onions.
1/3 cup of bacon, finely chopped and fried until crispy. Drain the fat and patch the bacon bits in paper towel to remove the excess of fat. I used the homemade Bacon Bits.

Method:

In a small pan add water, oil and salt, bring to boil. In the mixer bowl add all the flours and carefully add boiling water to the mixture. Mix gently until most of the liquid is absorbed by the flour mix.

Add one egg and some of the cheese, mix until the egg is incorporated to the dough, add another egg and more cheese. Repeat until all the egg and cheese are added to the dough.

At this point you can make the plain cheese balls by using two spoons, dip the spoons in the water before scooping the dough. Use one spoon to scoop and the other one to push the dough on cookie sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. To the 2/3 remaining dough add the bacon, mix well and scoop making into small balls. To the half remaining dough add the chives, mix and add scoop into small balls. Leave 1 ½ inch of space between the balls. When scooping the dough there is no need to make them a perfect, once in the oven the little balls will puff up and trust me they all will be rounded.

Bake the cheese balls in a preheated oven at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes.

To freeze the cheese balls…

Place the cheese balls in the freezer and let them freeze for approximately 3 hours or until totally frozen. Remove from the cookie sheet and store in an airtight container or freezer plastic bags.

When ready to bake, pop these cheese balls in a 350F preheated oven for approximately 30 to 35 minutes. For a crispy cheese balls, just increase the temperature to 400F for 5 more minutes. Serve hot or warm.

If you enjoy this recipe you might want to try the Brazilian version or the simple Asian version.

Did you know that pão de queijo in Brazil is a very popular for breakfast or as snack? As a matter of fact there is a very popular store called “Casa de Pão de Queijo” which translates into House of Cheese Bread, specializing with this cheese bread.

Thanks for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful day!

Chicken and Cheese Pockets

This is a Brazilian inspired recipe, where creamy cheese and shredded chicken are wrapped inside a puff pastry dough like little pocket pie.

My family Thanksgiving dinner is not very traditional, yes, we have turkey, yams, pumpkin pie, ham and all the other dishes that you normally see on a Thanksgiving meal, but we also have lots of fusion dishes as we all bring one of our favorite dishes to share. It is a real feast…

This year I decided to make these little pockets, they are simple and very easy to make. I filled the puff pastry with a creamy chicken filling with celery, carrot and cheese. It can be serve at room temperature or warm, as I prefer them warm.

These pockets are perfect when entertaining since they come in little bites and can be made ahead. Again, you can always use your favorite filling…how about some leftover turkey?

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded, or leftover from a roasted chicken
3 celery stalks, cut into small cubes
2 carrots, cut into small cubes
1 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon butter
½ tablespoon olive oil
1 cup milk
4 to 5 Laughin Cow cheese wedges, which can be substituted by cream cheese
Fresh parsley, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

2 boxes of puff pastry sheet
1 egg yolk, slightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Method:

Chicken Filling

Boil the small cubes of carrot, just enough to soften a little, drain well and set aside.

Sautee the onion in the butter and olive oil, add the shredded chicken, celery and milk. Let if cook for a few minutes and add the cheese wedges, mixing gently until all the cheese are melted into a thick sauce.

Add salt, pepper, carrot and let it cook for another minute. Add the parsley and stir so the parsley is well mixed into the chicken filling.

Remove from the heat and set aside to let it cool.

Assembly

Thaw the puff pastry sheet in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 375F. Prepare the cookie sheet by greasing or use a silicone mat.
Cut the puff pastry sheet into small squares of approximately 3 x 3 inches.

Spoon approximately 1 to 1 ½ tablespoon of the chicken filling in the middle of the square and gather all the four corners of the square and bring them up to the center. Pinch the dough together to secure the filling inside of the pockets.

Transfer the pockets to the baking sheet and brush each square with the egg yolk wash.

Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes, turning the baking sheet once to make sure that the pockets are evenly golden brown.

Transfer to a wire rack and let cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes approximately 36 pockets.

Make ahead Tips

The chicken filling can be made ahead. Once cooled store in a covered container and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Remove the filling from the refrigerator approximately one hour before filling the pastry pockets.

Another option is to have the chicken pockets completely assembled and frozen, unbaked. Once the unbaked chicken pockets are frozen transfer them to a freezer container. The frozen chicken pockets can be baked by placing them directly to a preheated oven. Make sure to bake a little longer.

I hope you enjoy this recipe for chicken and cheese pockets…

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

Parmesan Tuiles

These Parmesan tuiles or crisp are very simple to make and they are sure very tasty and elegant when added to any salad, especially Caesar salad.

You can always add a variety of herbs to please your palate…and your eyes.

Ingredients:

½ cup to 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Herb of your choice

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350oF

In a bowl mix gently the grated Parmesan cheese with the herb of your choice, I used oregano.

Spoon the Parmesan cheese mix on a silicon mat (about 2 to 3 tablespoons) making small circle of approximately 2 ½ inch in diameter.

Bake until slightly golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Cool for a minute or so and using a silicone spatula gently transfer the tuiles to a cookie sheet.

Use immediately or store in an airtight container for later use.

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

Panko Crusted Panela Cheese

If you already are amazed by the large quantity of Costco products you will be speechless once you see the sizes of the cheeses, meat, and produce at their Business Center.
Well, I came back with a huge piece of panela cheese and I knew that we would not be able to finish the cheese before it started to turn bad, and decided to prepare it in a way that could be stored in a freezer…this was sure an experiment, but luckily it worked great.

First, I need to admit that I was a little nervous since I never froze this kind of cheese, so I prepared an extra batch just to be frozen. After a few days, I pan fried the panko crusted cheese and voila, I could not tell the difference from the freshly prepared ones, so I went ahead and prepared all the remaining cheese.

I like this cheese because it has a similar texture to paneer. Once you cook it, it holds its shapes, not like mozzarella which will, in this case, “leak” out of the crust. Moreover, you can serve it as an appetizer or as a main dish, paired with salad.

Ingredients:

Panela Cheese
Flour
Panko + dry oregano to taste
1 egg + 1 tablespoon water
Oil for pan fry

Method:

Slice the panela cheese into approximately ½ inch thick and 2 ½ by 1 inch size rectangles. Coat with flour and dip into the egg mix. Then cover with panko mix. At this point, you can pan fry with a little oil, until the panko crust turns golden or freeze for future use.
Serve hot/warm.

To freeze the cheese, place the cheese coated with panko in a tray, single layer. After a couple of hours in the freezer, remove the frozen cheese from the tray and store in freezer bags.

I hope you enjoy this simple recipe using Panela cheese.

Panela cheese or queso panela is used in many Mexican dishes. When fresh, it has a similar texture to mozzarella, but once cooked, it carries a very different texture, since it does not melt like mozzarella cheese.

Thank you for stopping by Simple Recipes!

Caprese Over Field of Greens

Am I cheating with this recipe? It is so simple that I almost feel embarrassed to post it. In spite of being such a simple recipe the salad looks very pretty and tasty with fresh basil. My basil plant by the kitchen window still very beautiful…no signs of Autumn yet. So here I am with the recipe…

Ingredients:

Cherry tomatoes (or any small tomato)
Fresh small mozzarella balls
Fresh basil
Virgin olive oil
Salt to taste

Mix greens

Method:

For the Caprese, slice the tomatoes and the fresh mozzarella in half. Cut the basil leaves into strips.
In a medium bowl toss together the fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and olive oil and salt to taste.
In another bowl place the mix greens and drizzle with olive oil and toss gently.
To assemble the salad, place the mix greens in a plate and top it with the Caprese salad. Ready to serve.

Can anything be easier and simpler than this?

I hope you enjoy this very simple recipe and have a great week!

Did you know that Caprese Salad or Insalata Caprese is usually served as antipasto? Meaning “before the meal” in Italian, which indicates officially that the meal has start.

Thank you for visiting Simple Recipes!

Mochi Bacon Cheese Balls

A while ago, I posted a recipe for “mochi cheese balls”, which uses only Parmesan cheese. I adapted the previous recipe by adding Muenster cheese, which give the cheese balls more color and a softer texture due to the melted Muenster cheese. Moreover, bacon bites were added, so you can imagine the taste of these cheese balls. This is a very easy and simple recipe, whenever you want to enjoy a tasty snack or complement a meal, just place these frozen cheese balls in a pre-heated oven for about 25 ~ 30 minutes at 275F and you are ready to receive compliments.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup tapioca flour
1 ½ cup glutinous rice flour
4 eggs
1 cup water
½ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cup chopped Muenster cheese
½ cup Parmesan cheese
¾ cup homemade bacon bits

Method:

In a small pan add water, oil and salt, bring to boil and carefully add to the tapioca and glutinous rice flour. Mix gently until you can manage with your hands (be careful it is very hot). Alternatively add the eggs, the Muenster cheese and the Parmesan cheese until a dough is formed. Add the bacon bits (check the recipe here) and mix until the bacon is well incorporated to the dough. Make small balls (you can freeze at this point if you desire), bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 275F. Serve warm. Makes approximately 50 to 60 cheese balls.

Did you know that Muenster cheese was originally made by Benedictine monks in France? In US, this cheese in mainly used melted since it melts easily over low heat. Therefore used in grilled sandwich and hamburger.

Thank you for stopping by Simple Recipes!

Jalapeno Cheese Bread

This is a very easy and simple way to make little bites of bread. The combination of jalapenos and cheese gives this bread a nice combination of flavors, it is great with any meal or just as an afternoon snack.

I used the bread dough from the Asian Sandwich Bread’s recipe, therefore the texture of the bread was very moist and soft.

Ingredients:

1 recipe of bread dough

Jalapenos from can/jar, drained and chopped
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 egg, beaten

Method:

Divide the dough into two balls. Open the dough in approximately 12 x 8 inches. With a knife make random horizontal cuts, spread the chopped jalapenos as you desire. Then cover with a cup of cheddar cheese. Roll the dough and cut into 12 small pieces. At this point, cheese will be all over, do not worry, just make a random form of dough and cheese. Place dough in small cups. Let them double in size. Just before baking the little bread, brush the top of the bread with the egg. Bake in a pre heated oven at 350F for approximately 15 to 20 minutes until slightly brown on top. Serve warm.

Did you know that when jalapeno is smoked dried is called chipotle?

Thank you for visiting Simple Recipes!