Japanese Baked Pastry - MATCHA MANJU

This is my second take on Japanese pastry - MANJU, while I enjoy the steamed version of MANJU, I tasted a very tasty baked KURI MANJU (MANJU with chestnuts and red bean paste) the other week. It was for Japanese food bazaar.  It tasted so good.  I want to try making it myself, except I don't have cooked chestnuts, so this is MATCHA Bean Paste MANJU.  

This is not a very good recipe that I tried.  I got it from one of the YouTube blogger.  But nevertheless, it's worth studying.
Makes 8 to 10
Bean Filling:
Drain two cans of white kidney beans - Cannelini Beans - 15.5 oz or 435g - drained and rinsed.
1/2 C sugar in food processor, 1 Tbsp MATCHA powder, add strained beans.
Process till smooth.
Over a low heat in a small pot, with a heat proof spatula, heat the bean paste until it can hold up on a spoon without spreading off.  Basically heat over low heat to dehydrate the watery paste good enough to form into ball shape.
With 1 inch cookie dough scoop or with hand, form the bean paste into a ball.
Option is to buy Red Bean paste (AZUKI) from Asian market - heat over low heat to dehydrate enough to form into balls.
DOUGH:
Shift 3-1/2 oz Cake Flour Plus 1/2 C more for kneading with 1/2 tsp baking soda.
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt.
Food Processor:  1 whole large egg, 1-1/2 Tbsp butter, soft; 1/2 tsp water; Add 3-1/2 oz shifted flour.  Process till dough forms.
Place in a plastic bag and refrigerate for 30 min.
Take the dough out on a floured work surface and knead the rest of 1/2 C cake flour in.
Roll into 1 inch rope.  Slice into 8 to 10 pieces.  Roll into balls.
Cover and rest for 15 min.
Take one dough and flatten between the palms of your hand into a disc.  While the dough disc is still in the center or your palm, place filling in the middle.  Cuddle the dough around the filling and start working the dough by slow push upward with the palm while hold down the filling with right fingers.  Slowly turn the dough while cuddling upward and pushing filling down until the opening closes.
Place on top of baking sheet covered with parchment paper or silpat.
Preheat oven to 325'F after making six.
Prepare Egg Wash:  1 large beaten egg yolk mixed with 2 tsp of milk.  Apply egg wash.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if you have any.
Bake at 325'F for 10 min*, then raise the temperature to 400'F and bake for 10 min* or just till the top browns beautifully.   Be mindful of your oven's BTU power - Your MANJU might get browned beautifully after 15 min at 325'F.

I think I like the steam MANJU better.  And I think I need to study different dough formula.
It was fun.

Homemade Bagels and Pretzels

Lions and tigers and Bagels and Pretzels... they are the best when they are homemade.. of course, not the lions and tigers, but just like the home baked Matcha Hokkaido Loaves, you don't have to be concern with this and that unwanted additives.
Simple combinations of ingredients - flour, yeast, water, and your favorite toppings would satisfy your family's cravings for the chewy soft pretzel snacks or breakfast bagels.

 

 

Cover and let dough rise double in size. 

Bench Rest 5 min. after portioning.

Form into shape.  Place on top of Silpat.

 Cover with slightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise 1-1/2 time its size.

 Bring a pot of water to boil, then, bring down to simmer.
Carefully pick up a dough off the Silpat with flat strainer ladle and scoop the dough into simmering water.

 Cook 2 min. each side.
Remove to Silpat.  Preheat oven to 450.
When, the dough are bit cool-not steaming, apply egg wash.  In my case, because I forgot to add the chopped Japapeno into dough, I sprinkled them on top of the egg washed bagel dough.

 Ready for baking in hot preheated oven.

 Do the same for Pretzels.

 After applying egg wash, sprinkle poppy seeds and maybe a bit of coarse sea salt, for example.

 Bake!

 Yum!!!

 Awesome!

 The next morning? naaa... let's cut one open ... Wow! nice texture.

 Let's get some homemade Prickly Pear jelly and avocado slices.

 Let's bite into it!

 Pretzel is just as tasty with Deli mustard!

How about a chocolate dipped pretzels, the next time?

Cooking with Curly Parsley and Fennel Greens

I found a new delicious way to make a great fried rice or dish using curly parsley and fennel greens. I never though I would use the fennel greens.  I was wondering about it for a long time.  I've seen some chef use it sparingly as a deco like in fennel salad.  But as it turned out, it tastes delicious in my dish. 
Be sure to wash all greens.  I soak them in salted water for a while, then, rinse them to my heart content to make sure that I rinse out as much pesticide or what not.  I do this to all produce whether they are organic or from my own garden... You heard about the incidents of rat lungworm disease in Hawaii recently?  Can't drop our guard. 

 I also used Cilantro in this dish.  Chop everything to nice bite size 1/2 inch or less.

 

Here I made 'OMELETTO' rice.   Cook the rice.  Set aside.  Stir fry parsley - about 1 min.

Add fennel and cilantro greens (stems, too).  Stir fry for 1 min.  Add cooked rice.   Add seasoning.

 Ha! the red stripes are Ketchup... unfortunately it splattered out of the bottle.  It's just for me, so I just spread the love around.

 Beat 2 eggs and make the omelette egg shell -- like Crepe.   If you would like, place the egg crepe in a bowl to form a mold.

You got the idea - then, fill the egg crepe, fold and reverse it onto a plate to serve.
Kids love the mystery rice.
I also fried some cut onions.  Set aside.  Stir fry thinly sliced chicken breast.  Stir fry with wine, then add soy sauce, sugar, then, add parsley, fennel green.  Season to your taste.

I served it with my omelette rice #2.
I also made Parsley Cilantro Hamburger.  It was so tasty!!  You know how to do this in your kitchen easy.

I definitely would make this hamburger again.  Parsley and Cilantro are inexpensive, and they turned out to be one of my favorite ingredients in my dish.