Golden Sesame Roll Ups Food

HAM-IT-UP SESAME PINWHEELS

Steps:

• Unroll dough into two rectangles; seal perforations. Place ham on rectangles. Spread mustard over ham; sprinkle with cheese. Roll up from a short side; pinch seams to seal. Roll in sesame seeds. Cut each roll into 5 slices. Place slices up side down on an ungreased baking sheet., Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from baking sheet to a serving plate. Serve warm.

SESAME BALLS

Steps:

• Choose your filling-You can buy ready-made filling pastes at the Asian or Chinese grocery store, or use our lotus paste or red bean paste recipes. We used lotus paste.
• Make sesame ball dough. Place 1/2 cup (60g) glutinous rice flour and sugar in a bowl. Pour ¼ cup (60g) of boiling water into the flour and sugar. Mix with a rubber spatula until smooth. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon (70g) room temperature water and the rest of the glutinous flour (1 cup, 120g). Mix with a spatula until it forms a dough, and all the flour has been incorporated. Cover with an overturned plate or put it in a reusable silicone bag. Set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
• Prepare your sesame seeds by pouring them in a fine-meshed strainer and rinsing them until they're completely soaked. Let the excess water drain and place the sesame seeds on a plate. Spread them out evenly with enough space for rolling the sesame balls. You can use a paper towel if the sesame seeds are very wet. They should be moist, but not dripping wet.
• Your filling should be half the weight of your dough ball. Use your kitchen scale to measure out 8 pieces of lotus or red bean paste that weigh 24g each. Roll them into balls and set aside.
• Weigh the dough ball on a digital kitchen scale - it should weigh about 370 to 380 grams. Whatever your weight is, divide it by 8 to get the weight for each dough ball (in our case, we got 47g). Using the kitchen scale, separate the dough into 8 equal pieces, and roll them into balls. Set them aside on a plate, and cover them so they don't dry out.
• To assemble, flatten the dough ball until it is 3 inches in diameter - the middle should be slightly thicker. Place 1 ball of filling in the center of the dough, wrapping the dough around the ball. Pinch the dough together so it covers all the filling, making the thickness of the dough as even as possible. You can pinch excess dough from the point where the sesame ball is sealed to fill empty spots or reinforce areas that look thin.
• After the filling is completely covered, gently press it all together to form a ball, rolling it between the palms of your hands until the seams disappear, and you form a uniform round ball.
• Roll the ball in the moistened sesame seeds until the entire ball is thoroughly covered. Roll the ball again in your hands to press the sesame seeds into the dough and place on parchment paper until they are ready to deep-fry.
• Heat 4 cups of peanut or canola oil in a medium deep pot to a stable 320°F/160°C. (Use a thermometer for accuracy, as achieving the right oil temperature is extremely important.) The oil should fill the pot about halfway.
• Add 4 sesame balls into the oil, and immediately use a slotted spoon to gently move them in a circular motion so they do not stick to the pot. This is a necessary step throughout the entire process to ensure even frying. Don't leave them unattended. Adding the sesame balls will lower the oil temperature down below 300°F/150°C, but shouldn't take it below 290°F/143°C. Adjust the heat slightly higher or lower to maintain the oil temperature at 300°F/150°C.
• After 10 minutes, your sesame balls will begin to float to the top of the oil. Now, your technique changes to keep them rolling in the oil so all sides get the same frying time. You can also occasionally press all four sesame balls down using a slotted spoon or small spider to keep them submerged in the oil. Do this for 2-3 minutes.
• At this stage, increase the heat to bring the oil temperature gradually up to 350°F. Fry them for another 5 minutes, for a total of 17-18 minutes, or until they turn a light golden brown. This last stage of frying at a higher temperature browns them. The sesame balls will expand and grow slightly at this higher oil temperature. The outer crust is now strong enough such that they should not burst, as long as you don't have any weak or thin spots in the dough.
• Transfer the finished sesame balls to a strainer, cooling rack or plate lined with paper towels for the oil to drain. Repeat with the second batch. Cool for 10 minutes and serve.

GOLDEN SESAME TOFU

Steps:

• Heat a fry pan over medium-high heat. Add sesame seeds and toast until golden and fragrant, stirring frequently. Remove pan from heat and place sesame seeds in small bowl to cool.
• Remove tofu from package and drain. Press the tofu gently between the palms of your hands to squeeze out water, then wrap the tofu in paper towels, place it on a plate, then put a another plate on top of it. Place a 28-oz. can of tomatoes or a cast iron fry pan on the plate. This will press out any remaining water from the tofu. Let sit for about 20 minutes.
• Unwrap the tofu and slice into eight rectangular slices. To make even slices, slice the block of tofu in half, then half each half, and then half each quarter. Then dust the slices with tofu evenly with cornstarch on all sides.
• Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in fry pan over medium high heat. Add the tofu slices, but don't crowd the pan. You might have to fry in batches. Fry until the tofu is a light golden color, approximately 2 minutes, then turn the tofu over to cook another 2 minutes on the other side. Remove to drain on paper towels. If frying in batches, add more oil to the pan. It's normal for the tofu to splatter, so wear an apron if you don't want to ruin your clothes.
• While the tofu is frying, stir together the agave nectar or honey, soy sauce, gingerroot, sesame oil, mirin(or rice wine vinegar) and garlic together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until slightly syrupy, about 5 minutes or so. Add chopped scallions and toss lightly. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Place tofu in glass bowl to hold. Pour sauce over tofu and turn to coat. Sprinkle tofu with toasted sesame seeds and turn again to coat. Season with crushed red chili flakes.
• Can be served warm or chilled. Will keep for about 5 days refrigerated.
• Enjoy!
• Note:.
• I had accidently bought cubed tofu, so used that, and it turned out great! This would be wonderful in a stir fry or used as "chicken" in a recipe. I couldn't get mirin, so used rice wine vinegar.

BAKED LASAGNA ROLL-UPS

Steps:

• Bring a large saucepan of generously salted water to a boil. Add half the noodles, dropping each in separately, and cook, stirring gently, until pliable but still firm, about 4 minutes. Lift the noodles out of the water with a slotted spoon then lay them on a sheet of foil in a single layer, not touching. Lightly drizzle the noodles with 1 tablespoon olive oil then rub them all over to coat well. Repeat with the remaining noodles and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until completely soft and starting to caramelize, about 20 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and garlic and cook, stirring until lightly caramelized, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf and 1 cup water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Carefully puree the sauce in a blender until smooth and return it to the pot. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Shred half of the mozzarella on the large holes of a box grater. Add it to a large bowl, along with the ricotta, Parmesan, basil, eggs, 1 teaspoon salt and the 1/2 teaspoon pepper and stir to combine. Divide the ricotta mixture among the noodles, putting 2 to 3 tablespoons in each, and spread into an even layer. Reserve the remaining piece of mozzarella.
• Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and spread 1/2 cup of the sauce over the bottom. Cut each lasagna noodle in half lengthwise then roll each noodle strip into a pinwheel. Rotate the pinwheels so the frilly ends are on top, then transfer them to the prepared pan in a snug, even layer. Pour the remaining sauce over the noodles, using the back of a spoon to spread it evenly over the top and into any gaps.
• Cover the pan with foil and bake until the noodles are tender and the lasagna is warmed through and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Tear the remaining mozzarella into pieces and scatter them over the noodles. Return the lasagna to the oven until the mozzarella is just melted, 5 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before unmolding. Carefully remove the sides of the pan, top with basil leaves and serve immediately.

BACON ROLL-UPS

Steps:

• Slice bacon in half to form twenty strips. In a small bowl combine softened cream cheese with sliced scallions and pepper. Remove crusts from bread. Line up 4 slices of bacon, slightly overlapping to form a square. Using a rolling pin, flatten the bread. Place the bread slice on top of the bacon. Spread the bread with the cream cheese mixture. Roll up bread and bacon as you would a rug. Secure with 4-5 toothpicks about an inch apart. Assemble remaining roll ups and place on baking sheet. Freeze until firm. Slice rollups into 4-5 pieces each secured with toothpick. Either refrigerate or freeze until ready for use. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place roll-ups on broiler pan so that fat collects in bottom pan. Bake until crisp, about 20-30 minutes.

SPICED CRACKED WHEAT AND LENTILS FOR GROWN-UPS

Steps:

• Heat oil and butter in a large sauce pan. Add ginger, garlic, turmeric, paprika, coriander, cinnamon and cumin and saute for a couple of minutes. Add cracked wheat and lentils and saute for 2 to 3 minutes to coat with oil. Add water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cover; cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until wheat and lentils are tender (if water is evaporating too quickly, add more). Adjust seasoning. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl and garnish with tomatoes, and jalapenos. Center some yogurt in middle of the dish and garnish with cilantro.

KIDS CAN MAKE: STRAWBERRY FRENCH TOAST ROLL-UPS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment, and spray the parchment with cooking spray.
• Mix together the cream cheese and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Roll each slice of bread flat with a rolling pin, and spread with 1 heaping teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture. Place 2 heaping teaspoons of the diced strawberries at one end of each slice. Starting at that end, roll up each slice. Pinch and press the seam and ends so each roll-up is sealed, and push back in any ingredients that may have snuck out of the ends.
• Whisk the cream and eggs together in a small bowl. Combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon in a shallow dish. Dip each roll-up in the egg mixture until completely submerged, shake off excess egg, then cover completely in the cinnamon sugar. Arrange the roll-ups, seam-side down and evenly spaced, on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake the roll-ups until they're golden brown and the cinnamon sugar forms a crunchy layer, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board. Trim off any excess caramelized sugar, and slice each roll-up in half on the diagonal (be careful when slicing, as the filling is hot). Serve the roll-ups on a platter, with maple syrup on the side if using.

SAUSAGE ROLL-UPS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Sit the chipolatas in a roasting tin and cook for 15 mins.
• Meanwhile, pop open the crossiant packs and unroll. Mix the onion marmalade, tomato purée and mustard, and spread some over each dough triangle. When the chipolatas are done, set aside for 5 mins to cool while you line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment. Lay a sausage along the wide end of each triangle croissant and roll up, encasing the sausages. Arrange on the sheets, brush with beaten egg and scatter with sesame seeds. Bake for 10-15 mins, switching shelves halfway, so both sheets cook evenly, until golden.