Piroshky/Пирожки

Russian Stuffed Rolls

Mind you, this Is not an authentic piroshky recipe. When I researched the recipe from coast to coast, low and high, across the ocean, hill and valley…just kidding!  Too many variations of this recipes that are all so good!

I ended-up using the dough recipe from one site and the meat filling recipe from a Japanese comic book (yeah, that’s right). The soy sauce seasoning makes this ‘Wafu’ yet the curry powder pulled it towards Indian…in the end, they married well, I think.

You could deep-fry these (my favorite method) or bake in the oven for less guilty pleasure.

Ingredients and Instruction for 16 rolls (Print Recipe Here)

• 1 cup milk, divided
• 3 Tablespoons corn syrup
• 4 Tablespoons vegetable oil plus 1 Tablespoon for sauté onion.
• 1 teaspoon dry yeast
• 1 small egg yolk
• 2 and 3/4 cup bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 onion about 3/4 cup, minced
• 1 cup (about) cabbage, minced
• 1/4 pound each ground beef and ground pork, or 1/2 pound of ground beef
• 1 hard boiled egg, minced
  
• 3 teaspoons curry powder
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon ketchup
• Salt and pepper
• Oil for frying
• 1 egg yolk for baking

1. For the dough - Pour 1/3 cup milk in a small sauce pan. Heat it at low heat until very warm (do not boil). Add corn syrup and 4 Tablespoons vegetable oil, stir to dissolve. Add rest of milk then egg yolk and mix well. Turn off the heat, cool down to lukewarm. Add yeast, mix well, wait for 5 minutes to make sure the yeast is active.
2. Put flour and salt in a large bowl and stir with chop stick or whisk to combine. Pour milk mixture (step#1) and slowly turn the dough with chopsticks. When the dough comes together. Knead with your hands until elastic. Note: the dough may be still sticky at this point. If it’s too wet add just 1 Tablespoon of bread flour and knead it. Cover with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
3. For the filling – Do this step while the dough is resting. Heat 1 Tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan at medium-low heat. Put minced onion and sauté until transparent, about 4-5 minutes. Add minced cabbage and continue sautéing until wilted about 1-2 minutes.
4. Add both meats to the pan and cook until the meat turns brown. With a wooden spatula break the meat while sautéing at medium heat.
5. Season with curry powder, soy sauce, salt and pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon each), ketchup. Lastly add minced boiled egg. combine well. Set aside. Note: take taste test here, adjust seasoning if necessary.
6. For shaping the rolls – Put dough (dough should be about double in size) on dusted surface, divide dough in 4ths. Then cut each 4th in 4 sections. Roll out each section to approximately 3 inch diameter (make the center thicker). Lay the stretched dough on the palm of your hand and put a generous 1 tablespoon of filling. Gather the edge to the center and close tight (Warning: if you neglect this task, it may result in the filling to explode). Shape them however you want to. Place it seam side down flat on the mat* or plate and let rest for 30 minutes. * Rolls continue to expand a little so give 2 inches of space between.
   
7. If you’re frying – Pour oil in heavy bottom, deep pan (make the oil at least 3 inches in depth). Heat at 320 F*. Lower the rolls seam side down gently, fry them 1-2 at time, turning occasionally until golden brown about 5-7 minutes. * if the rolls are turning brown too quickly then it’s too hot, turn it down. I set top burner to low heat setting. Receive rolls on the paper towel.
8. If you’re baking -  Heat oven to 390F. Spray the tray with non-stick spray like Pam or brush with oil. Lay the rolls 2 inches apart. Brush each roll with egg wash (mix 1 egg yolk with 1 Tablespoon water). Bake for 12 minutes. Leftovers freeze well…enjoy later!

I picked the last of sunflower from my backyard to decorate my plate…gave me a bit of sunshine…

Наслаждайтесь! (Bon appétit!)

Today’s Tapas and Today’s Sweets are fun project but not for my waist. #todaystapas, #todasyssweets…I have to find other hobby quick! The photo below is mini corn dog.

I love Haagen Dazs ice cream. I only need  just a little bit to satisfy the craving…with homemade taffy topping.

Something about monkey bread that is so comforting…decided to make it for Saturday brunch…took more time to raise the dough. It ended up with a breakfast for dinner situation.

Have a wonderful week!

Beef Soboro

Spicy Minced Meat

One of my resolutions is to have a plan (meal plan that is ) but here I was in front of an open freezer with no clear idea… It the freezer could talk, it might have said ‘What will it be tonight?’ Quick! …I’m loosing air…my cold air!
Oh my word…maybe I will open a can of soup? Dang it, that was last night. I’m so not good with pressure!

It resembles beef taco, ground meats cooked in seasoning sauce until all the liquid is evaporated and has dry appearance and is called soboro (そぼろ). Not very complicated, homey, low fat…good gracious, I have every ingredient!
I minced un oignon, I mean onion while microwave was Auto-Defrost-ING the beef. I was overwhelmed with joy, started to sob…more like over powered by onion but whatever!

This soboro recipe (adapted from Today’s Cooking Magazine) is extra ordinary! Low fat and a little punch of red pepper and curry make it spicy yet mild with yogurt ….mmm Japanese food with international flair!…
So lovely on pasta! And perhaps in tacos? Or stuffed into dumplings?

Ingredients and Instruction for 4 servings (Print Recipe Here)

• 400g Ground Beef
• 1-2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil divided
• 3-4 cloves of garlic minced
• Adult thumb size ginger peeled and minced
• 1 medium size onion minced

I recommend that the following 8 ingredients be measured and put in small bowls for hassle free, smooth transition.

• 2 Tablespoons curry powder
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoons (more or less) red chili powder
• 1/3 cup red wine
• 4 Tablespoons Worcestershire  sauce
• 4 Tablespoons Tomato ketchup
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 Tablespoons parmesan cheese

Optional condiments –shiso leaves, green onion,
                                           Japanese ginger/myoga(みょうが)

• Toasted sesame seeds
• Salt and pepper

1. Prepare 4-5 cups hot water in large bowl. submerge ground beef for 30 seconds (this removes excess fat). Drain through strainer. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in large skillet at low heat. Add minced garlic sauté until fragrant then add minced onion and ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Keep sautéing and pour 1 Tablespoon of water every time it gets dry, repeat sauté/water sequence until the onion is cooked and no liquid is present.
   
3. Add drained ground beef and sauté. Sprinkle curry powder into the pan. then follow by yogurt, honey, chili powder and mix well.
4. Add next 4 ingredients (red wine, Worcestershire sauce, tomato ketchup, soy sauce) cook for 15 minutes or until liquids are evaporated.
5. Finish with salt and pepper to taste, parmesan cheese, drizzled with 1 teaspoon of extra olive oil cook for 1 minute. Serve with thinly sliced shiso leaves, chopped green onion or thinly sliced Japanese ginger/myoga (see picture below) soaked in ice cold water for a few minutes to crisp (myoga is optional though, very fitting with this dish). Lastly, sprinkle with toasted sesame and coarsely ground black pepper. Mix well to eat.
   

Option: The effort is same so double the recipe and keep some in refrigerator for an another use. In the picture below I topped soboro on the cooked hot rice.

Everyday posting of my Today’s TAPAS pic on Instgram is a learning experience of composition, food styling, how to use filter app, etc. Today’s TAPAS is my lunch. Hopefully the bite size potion help shed some pounds which I found over the holidays…then again sometimes I feel like I need ten of those.

Here are some of my posting – from left clockwise, white radish sprouts & lox salmon with wasabi sauce, roasted red beets and mozzarella cheese stack, vegan salad rolls, crab salad wrapped in savory crepe. A mini hamburger with fries.

The bun used in mini hamburger was made with a small amount of dough stole from my husband’s French baguette. .  

Freedom Curry

Pork Curry

Go big when you are making curry as if you have a family of ten. Consider the three ‘T” benefits of cooking a large portion. The first benefit is taste, although fresh made curry is good, everybody knows that the next day is much better like some magic happened over night. The second T is for time. when you make enough for 3-4 days worth of curry (and taste is still good the third day) it frees up your time for other million things on my to-do list before Christmas. The third T is for… Thank goodness for the supper, just microwave-minutes away! Phew! Christmas super sale is over rated you’d think?

What an awesome store name! Jiyuken (自由軒/Freedom House) curry restaurant in Osaka, Japan since 1910. They serve curry with signature style which combines curry sauce and rice mix together and drops an egg yolk on top. The restaurant scene is as if stuck in Showa era, not at all fancy…I can go there with my comfy sweat on…homey and nostalgic.  I used their original house blend curry powder (photo below) to made super tasty curry sauce…what a difference it makes when you use the right stuff.

I referred to Yoshiharu Doi a celebrity food researcher in Japan, his no -nonsense recipe I applaud. 

Ingredients and Instruction for 4 to 6 servings (Print Recipe Here)

• 400g pork bone in spare lib cut in big chunks
• 300g pork shoulder cut in 1 inch cube
• 2 teaspoons salt plus
• 30g butter
• 2 Tablespoons divided
• 2 medium size onion sliced thin
• 2-3 cloves of garlic grated
• 20g ginger grated
• 4 Tablespoons flour
• 2 Tablespoons curry powder I used close to 3 Tablespoons
• 1 teaspoon red pepper
• 50g tomato ketchup
• 5 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or more

1. Place all cut meat in large bowl and massage with 2 teaspoons of salt and let rest for 30 minutes
    
2. Melt butter and 1Tablespoon oil in heavy pot at medium heat and put in the sliced onion, garlic and ginger. Sauté  until golden brown, about 7-8 minutes. Note: onion may stick to the bottom of the pan so scrape off with a wooden spatula as you go, this slightly burnt stuff gives onion a nice color.
   
3. Turn heat to low, put flour in and continue to sauté . Scrape off thin film that develops at the bottom of the pan occasionally. Add curry and red pepper. Add ketchup, sauté well with each addition. about 5 minutes. Set aside
   .
4. In a  large skillet, heat 1Tablespoon oil . Blot dry the meat with paper towel and place in the skillet. Brown meats then add to the pot (#3) and sauté for 2-3 minutes at medium heat. Pour water 1 cup at times, turning the meat frequently. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer at low heat until sauce thickens and meat is tender, and the bone starts to separate from meat.about 1-2 hours. Add more salt if necessary.
   
5. Serve hot over cooked rice. Garnish with sliced almond or parsley (optional).Reheating instruction – you may need to add more water to loosen and  may need to adjust seasoning.

My homemade kabocha / Japanese pumpkin puree was not quite enough to make pumpkin pie… but we had a equally fabulous pumpkin chiffon roll cake.

I was eager to try the donuts muffin I spied on two great bloggers – Bake for Happy kids and Anncoo Journal. Mine with homemade Quincy jam.

My husband’s co-worker handed him some persimmons last week…firm, sweet, zero fat, and no seeds (this variety has transparent seeds?), a perfect snack! 
I read an interesting article about Hashimoto Farm who grows persimmon extensively in Hawaii.

Happy December!