HUNGARIAN WALNUT ROLLS

This is my simple way of welcoming a new member to our family. I've been cooking Hungarian dishes so my niece will be able to cook these tried and tested dishes and add to her recipe book! I will be blogging some more soon.Welcome to our family Mikey! Take good care of my sweet little niece=;).

Baking is not really my forte' but i've challenged myself to at least bake (a yeast based bread) once a month. This Hungarian Nut Roll is my third. This bread is definitely a keeper, i'm already thinking of different fillings i could use in lieu of the nuts the next time i make this. The dough is so good.

Recipe Adapted from Red Star Original Yeast Recipes

Yields: 2 Rolls

Ingredients:

Milk 1/3 C
Sour Cream 1/2 C
Butter 3 T
Egg yolks 2  room temperature
Egg 1 room temperature
Bread Flour 3 + 1/2 C
Sugar 1/2 C
Salt 1/2 t
Active Dry Yeast 4+1/2 t

Filling:
Milk 2 T
Walnuts, freshly ground 2 C
Sugar 1/4 C
Brown Sugar 1/4 C
Butter, 1/4 C room tempereature

Egg 1

Vanilla 1/2 t

Combine yeast, 1 1/2 c flour, sugar and salt. Heat milk, sour cream  and butter to 120-130 degree F. Add to flour mixture; blend on low speed. Add egg yolks and egg; beat 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed. By hand stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface 5 to 7 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl; turn to grease top. Cover, let rise until dough tests ripe, about 40 minutes.

Prepare Filling
In a medium-sized saucepan, combine milk, wlanuts, sugar and butter.
Cook on medium heat until mixture resembles a paste, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat; cool.
Stir in vanilla.
Fold in beaten eggs.

Shaping, Rising, And Baking
Turn dough on to lightly floured, surface; punch down to remove air bubbles.
Cover; let dough relax for 10 minutes. Divide dough into 2 parts.
On lightly floured surface, roll each half to a 12- x 12-inch square.

Spread half of cooled Filling to within 1 inch of edges. Roll up tightly.

Pinch edges to seal; turn ends under.

Place seam-side down on greased baking sheet.

** Repeat with remaining dough. Prick top of roll every 3 inches with fork to eliminate air bubbles. Cover; let rise in warm place until indentation remains when lightly touched, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes until browned. Cover lightly with foil to prevent over browning. Brush with melted butter to maintain a soft crust. Breads are very fragile when warm. Using two spatulas carefully lift Walnut Roll from baking sheet onto rack to cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar when cool; slice to serve. Freezes well.

**Using parchment paper to line baking sheet makes it easier to transfer rolls to cooling rack.

EGG ROAST

This is my version  of Paul VJ's recipe, check  Here for his recipe. This is definitely a keeper since we love eggs and ofcourse Indian foods. Thank you Paul for sharing this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 T coconut oil (I used canola oil)
2-3 red medium onions or white onions (sliced thinly)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t vinegar ( I used Datu Puti- sugar cane vinegar)
2 t salt
1 t chili powder
½ t turmeric powder
2 Curry leaves
pinch of sugar
4-6 hard "boiled" eggs - i prefer calling them hard cooked eggs

Heat up the oil

Add the vinegar, curry leaves, minced garlic, salt, chili powder and turmeric to the onions.

Put this mixture in the oil and caramelize the onions.

Add sugar. Taste and adjust the vinegar or the chili powder.

Place peeled hard cooked eggs on top of the caramelized mixture.

Let it cook for few minutes until eggs get the turmeric yellowish color.

 

GARLIC SAUTEED SHIRIMP

Another Nobu recipe from "Nobu Now" this was good. Simple to make as well. Nobu suggested to use the finest quality sea salt to draw out the natural sweetness of the shrimp. No problem with that since i have one of the best quality sea salt in my pantry, well that's my opinion.

Serves 4

10 tiger prawns, in the shell, each about 1 ounce ( i used 1 lb large size shrimp)
sea salt (good quality salt)
black pepper
3 T grated garlic
olive oil
sake'
chopped chives or parsley

1.  Slice the whole shrimp (prawns) in half lengthwise and devein. Season generously with sea salt and black pepper.

2. Add the grated garlic and little olive oil to a frying pan, and heat. When the garlic aroma has infused the olive oil, turn up the heat and add the shrimp, shell side down. Saute the shrimp, gently shaking the pan from side to side, Halfway through, turn the shrimp over and saute flesh side down.

3. Finish off by sprinkling some sake over the shirmp, then pile them on plates and scatter with chopped chives.

Had this as a side dish for my Black and Red Rice Risotto

BLACK AND RED RICE RISOTTO (MARCH 2010 DARING COOKS CHALLENGE)

This month's challenge was hosted by Melbournefoodgeek (Eleanor) and Jessthebaker (Jess), http://thedaringkitchen.com/forums/daring-cooks-challenges/daring-cooks-march-2010-challenge-comfort-food-heart.

Risotto!! Oh boy!! this is one of those dishes that i've tried to love but to no avail. Don't get me wrong i have had delicious risottos' from restaurants, i've made some at home but i guess it's a texture thing but i love lugaw, congee or porridge hhmmm.. anyways, this is excatly why we call it a cooking challenge right? I could easily skip this months challenge but i figured i've got to give risotto another chance! I decided to try an Asian style since i've tried traditional/conventional risottos.

I remembered Nobu had a Japanese risotto, so this challenge was based on Nobu's recipe from his cookbook Nobu Now. I also made another Nobu recipe Garlic Sauteed Shrimp to go with the risotto.

Overall, it was okay, something different. It was creamy with an added nutty flavor, as i expected, it required more cooking time as oppose to arborio rice. This was also a great way to make more dashi stock. But, have i convinced myself to become a risotto fan? not quite.

Anyways...thank you Eleanor and Jess for this challenge.

I'VE BLOGGED MY ARANCINI ALA SICILIAN  HERE

Ingredients: serves 2

8 oz black rice
8 oz red rice
1 T olive oil
1 quart dashi (recipe to follow)
1/2 t sea salt
1/2 t black pepper
1/2 t light soy sauce ( i recommend to use Japanese soy sauce)***
1/2 oz parmesan cheese
chopped chives or chopped parsley
roasted onions (optional)

1. Very lightly rinse both types of rice. Drain in a sieve
2. Put the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add both types of rice and stir for 3-4 minutes.
3. Next, ladle in 2 1/2 cups of dashi and bring to a simmer. When the liquid is almost absorbed, add the remaining dashi. When all the liquid has been absored, add the salt, pepper, and soy sauce. Finally stir in the Parmesan cheese.
4. Pile onto plates, and top with chopped chives or parsley.


***There are different types of soy sauce. Each Asian country produces their soy sauce, and each gives distinct taste.  Since this is a Japanese dish i recommend to use Kikkoman or any Japanese soy sauce. Using a Filipino or Chinese soy sauce will give a different taste or flavor. Japanese soy sauce is lighter or less salty compared to the other kind/brand of soy sauce.

SERVED THIS WITH SAUTEED SHRIMP PLS. CHECK RECIPE HERE

This dish required a quality sea salt and this is one of the quality salt i've ever tried.

DASHI STOCK:

1 quart water
1/3 oz konbu
1 oz. dried bonito flakes

Heat the water and konbu toegether slowly in a saucepan over medium heat. Just before the water boils, take out the konbu, add the bonito flakes and turn off the heat.
Leave the stock until the bonito flakes have sunk to the bottom of the pan, then strain.