Steamed Scallion Flower Rolls/Buns (花卷)

Last week I harvested a big bunch of scallions from my mini edible garden.  I have been quite eager to try Steamed Scallion Flower Rolls when I first chanced upon it in Facebook. Then, I happened to see a post by Kit quite sometimes back.  In fact, this is one of  the many recipes which I have been procrastinated but this time around, without any hesitation, I went into action and finally, I am happy to say that the buns turned out very successful and delectable too!!!  

Recipe source : Kit
Ingredients :
- 1/2 packet yeast
- 3 cups pau flour
- 1 cup of warm milk
- 6 tbsp sugar
- ¼ cups vegetable oil ( I used sunflowers oil)

For the glaze:
- 3 tbsp chopped scallions
- 1 small carrot ( shredded) (I omitted)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp sesame oil

Method :
1) I used bread machine for the dough. Add ingredients as per your machine instruction to form dough and let it proof.

2) While waiting for your dough to proof in the machine, mix all the ingredients for the glaze and set aside .

3) Knead the dough again before dividing it into 12 egg sized pieces.

4) With a rolling pin, roll each pieces of dough into a long oval. Brush with glaze and make few slits.

5) Twist the dough and shape into a knot.

6) Place on square parchment paper . Cover and proof the buns again for 40 to 60 mins .

7) Steam the buns in steamer for 10 to 13 mins.

The bun is very smooth, soft and fluffy

We had this for lunch...

Best served warm

Great for breakfast too

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Red Bean Paste Rolls using Straight Dough Method

As mentioned earlier in my post on Garlic Butter Bread, I have numerous bread recipes which are waiting for their turn to greet you all.

   Click at the link for the recipe : Garlic Butter Bread

Hence, here is another home made bread which we love very much.

I used the leftover red bean paste from my previous Easy Snow Skin Mooncake.

Easy Snow Skin Mooncake

This recipe was adapted from Bread Magic Vol 6 page 37 on Black Date Rolls. Instead of black date, I substituted the fillings with red bean paste. Eh... not bad! My girls love the red bean paste and they gave me all thumbs up for this bread.

Red Bean Paste Rolls
Recipe source : adapted from Bread Magic page 37 with some minor modifications in red
Ingredients (A) :
- 330 high protein flour
- 1.5 tbsp milk powder
-1/2 tsp salt
- 60g caster sugar
Ingredient (B) :
- 1 egg (grade B)
Ingredients (C) : Mixed together
- 120ml water
- 10g instant yeast
Ingredient (D) :
- 40g butter

Ingredients for Filling : Mixed together
- 250g black date paste (I used red bean paste)
- some sesame seeds
Glazing :
-1 egg (beaten)
Topping :
- some sesame seeds

Method :
1) Combine ingredients A together in a mixer. Slightly blend it before adding ingredients B and C.

2) Beat approximately 5 minutes to form a dough.

3) Add butter and continue to beat until the dough is smooth. To check whether the dough is fully developed, stretch a small piece with your fingers to see if it can be stretched into thin layer without tearing it. If it does not stretch, continue beating again until it passes the stretch.

4) Remove dough and leave it in a big bowl, cover with a piece of damp cloth. Leave bowl in a warm place and proof dough for about 30-40 minutes till doubled in size.

1-4) I used bread machine to knead the dough. Just put the ingredients as per your machine instructions and let it proof. After the 1st proofing, take the dough out from the machine.

5) Scale dough at 60g portions. Shape them into small balls and let them rest for 5 minutes.

6) Flatten and roll each ball of dough and place filling, seal and wrap into a ball.

7) Roll flat once more and make several slits. Roll up and place on a greased baking try or pan. Repeat the above process with the rest of the dough. Cover with a damp cloth and leave them for 45 minutes or more for a second time proofing.

8) Once they are doubled in size, glaze with egg wash and sprinkle top with some sesame seeds.

9) Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 12-15 minutes depending on individual's oven. So, do adjust the temperature and timing accordingly.

10) Remove and cool on wire rack.

The bread is soft and fluffy

My girls and hubby complimented that this homemade red bean paste rolls is better than those bakery shops

With the increasing cost of living, isn't it cheaper to make your own bread?

Do enjoy baking your own  home baked bread with your family members!

I am linking this post to Cook-Your-Books #17 @ kitchen flavours

To receive new updates, do LIKE SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL AND HEALTHY LIVING on FACEBOOK. Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving me comments. I really appreciate all your visits and comments! Have a nice day :)

Heart healthy Oats cheela

Oats is a wonder food. It has numerous health benefits and nutritionists swear by it. Rich in dietary fibre, it has great cholesterol lowering properties. It helps in lowering LDL cholesterol levels and keeps blood pressure in control. It is a boon for people looking to lose weight as it is low in calories.

Oats is one of the most adaotable ingredients and can be used in various forms in cooking. Therefore, with a little bit of imagination, one can easily come up with a delicious yet healthy recipe.

Here, I have listed a simple and quick recipe which promises to be healthy and yummy. It can also be regarded as a vegetarian omlette.

Oats cheela

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup dry roasted oats
2. 1/2 cup besan
3. 1 small onion
4. 1 small tomatoes
5. Chopped coriander
6. 3 cloves of garlic
7. Salt to taste
8. 1/2 tsp red chilli powder

Method:

1. Mix the dry roasted oats and the besan with water to make a batter
2. Add the chopped onion, tomato and coriander with the batter
3. Add red chilli paste, salt, garlic etc and mix well
4. Heat about 1/2tsp of oil in a non stick pan. Once heated, pour some batter on the pan and make it circular in shape as in a omlette
5. Once one side appears golden yellow, flip it and cook well

Sprinkle some chat masala and the cheela is ready to be served.

Use of a non stick pan is recommended as it greatly reduces the use of oil in this recipe and the batter doesnt stick to the pan.

Serve it with ketchup or green chutney and a healthy, tasty breakfast option is ready in minutes.

Please do drop in your feedback.

Health benefits of Garlic

Garlic is an essential part of Indian curries. Because of its strong pungent flavour, it is highly preferred to add the extra twist to dishes. However it has great  medicinal properties as well especially for the heart.

Garlic contains anicillin which has great anti bacterial and anti viral properties.

It reduces blood pressure and helps to keep it in check.

It reduces LDL cholesterol levels and keeps cholesterol levels in check

Apart from all this it has very high anti cancer properties.

So it is advisable to include garlic in your daily diet.

Pumpkin Lemongrass Soup

Pumpkin is very healthy and nutritious.  It's very versatile as you can cook it in anyway you like besides turning it into healthy desserts, jam, bakes, etc.  When making it into soup, it's not necessary to add meat as pumpkin itself is already sweet.  All you have to do is wash the skin thoroughly.  Then cut it into your required sizes and put everything in including the seeds and the pulp.  No wastage!!!

More benefits of pumpkin can be found in the above Spicy Fragrant Japanese Pumpkin's post.

Ingredients :

- a quarter of pumpkin together with its seeds and pulp (cut into required size)

- 8 stalks of lemongrass (use the white stems, cut and crushed)

- 2 thumb sized ginger (crushed)

- 2 chicken carcass (blanched)

- water (enough for soup)

- 8 white peppercorns (crushed, optional)

- salt (to taste)

Method :

1)  Put pumpkin, lemongrass and ginger into a pot of water.
2)  Once the water is boiling, add chicken carcass to the boiling water.
3)  Boil at high heat for 15 minutes and add peppercorns.  Turn to low heat and boil for about 1.5 hours.  
4)  Season with salt.
5)  Serve hot.

I love to drink the soup HOT..

This post is linked to the event Little Thumbs Up (Oct 2014 Event: PUMPKIN) organised by Zoe (Bake for Happy Kids) and Mui Mui (My Little Favourite DIY) and hosted by Eileen (Eileen's Diary).

Also submitting this post to "My Treasured Recipes #3 - Taste of Autumn (Oct/Nov 2014)" hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well in Flanders and co-hosted by Charmaine of Mimi Bakery House.

To receive new updates, do LIKE SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL AND HEALTHY LIVING on FACEBOOK. Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving me comments. I really appreciate all your visits and comments! Have a nice day :)

Mulberry Yogurt Cake and Health Benefits of Mulberry

We love mulberries, especially homegrown ones.  Fresh mulberries are succulent and delicious. Besides having it fresh, you can also make jam or dessert with these very delicious fruits.  The whole plant of mulberry is edible and it has many health benefits.

My delicious and succulent homegrown mulberries

Facts About Mulberries:
Mulberries are a natural food colorants due to their rich dark potential color and can be used as a natural food dye instead of toxic synthetic artificial dyes that can cause many health problems. Mulberries are considered an important food remedy in Chinese medicine and are a traditional folk remedy in many countries where mulberries have been eaten for hundreds of years. Mulberries are also an ancient fruit of Asia and known in medicinal folklore as a remedy for ringworm, insomnia, arthritis, and tapeworm.

Health Benefits of Mulberries:
1) Great source of Nutrients – Mulberries are an excellent source of vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin K, and iron. They are also a good source of dietary fiber, protein, riboflavin, phosphorus, magnesium, folic acid, and potassium. These vitamins are function as co-factors and help body in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

2) Antioxidant - Mulberries contain antioxidant powers that lessen the damage caused by free radicals. According to the University of Texas Health Science Center – mulberries contain one special antioxidant that has recently been touted for its anti-aging and longevity abilities –“Resveratrol. Resveratrol is an polyphenol flavonoid antioxidant that is also found in red grapes a red wine. The power of the antioxidants in mulberries can also help to prevent cancer and aid in treatment of existing cancer.

3) Anti-Inflammatory - Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine have used mulberry as a remedy for inflammation. A recent Romanian study discovered that a curcumin and mulberry leaf combination may be a new lead into natural remedies for inflammation.

4) Lower Your Blood Pressure - According to the March 2008 issue of the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” mulberries health benefits include a positive affect on blood circulation and lower your blood pressure, make you less susceptible to blood clots, strokes, help to prevent heart disease, and lower cholesterol.

5) Weight Loss Benefits - Mulberries can help you lose weight because 1 cup of raw mulberries has only 60 calories, is high in fiber, and has a high water content.

6) Immune System Support – Mulberries are beneficial for the immune system. They contain alkaloids that activate macrophages. Macrophages are white blood cells that stimulate the immune system, putting it on high active alert against health threats.

7) Retina Protection for your Eyes – Mulberries contain Zea-xanthin, an important dietary carotenoid selectively concentrates into the retinal macula lutea, where it thought to provide antioxidant functions and protects the retina from the harmful ultraviolet rays through light-filtering actions.

8) Help Anemia – Because of their high iron content mulberry juice may help those that suffer from anemia.

9) Regulates Blood Sugar –This amazing fruit helps to regulate the blood sugar levels and prevents diabetes. More formal research is needed, but mulberry is thought to contain compounds that support balanced blood sugar levels. Traditional medicine in China, Trinidad and Tobago have all used mulberry leaves to promote balanced blood sugar levels.

10) Good for Digestion – Because mulberries are high in fiber it acts as a mild laxative.Eating mulberries on an empty stomach with a glass of water helps to treat constipation. Adding mulberries to your regular diet can help to prevent indigestion.

For more info on mulberry, please click -->here  

We used to eat mulberries fresh or make it into juice or dessert, however, this time I choose to make cake with it.  I am glad I give this a try as it turned our very delicious and this recipe is a keeper too!

This recipe is adapted from Lovely Butter Cakes page 20 with some minor modifications in red.

Ingredients :

- 150g margarine (I used butter)

- 130g caster sugar (I used 120g)

- 3 eggs

- 200g self-raising flour

- 50g blackcurrant (I used 60g  mulberries)

- 100g yogurt

Method :

1)  Beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy.

2)  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3)  Fold in self-raising flour in batches and mix well.

4)  Lastly pour in yogurt and mulberries and mix.

5)  Pour batter into 8x3x3 baking mould.

6) Bake at preheated oven at 170c for 40 minutes or till skewer inserted comes out clean.

Great for tea time or breakfast

I am linking this post to "My Treasured Recipes #3 - Taste of Autumn (Oct/Nov 2014)" hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well in Flanders & co-hosted by Charmaine of Mimi Bakery House

and Cook-Your-Books #17 @ kitchen flavours

To receive new updates, do LIKE SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL AND HEALTHY LIVING on FACEBOOK. Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving me comments. I really appreciate all your visits and comments! Have a nice day :)