Quick Portuguese Custard Tarts

For a long time now, I wanted to try  these famous Portuguese tarts. I opted for quick version with puff pastry. Everyone was delighted with the taste; only non-satisfying fact was that they were not crispy the next day. Next time, I'll make them with short-crust pastry instead, so they can stay good for a couple of days at least.
I got 24 small and 12 (muffin size) large tarts.

Ingredients: 
4 sheets puff pastry (cinnamon and icing sugar for sprinkling them)
1 ¾ cups whole milk
¼ cup cream
1 whole egg
3 egg yolks
4-5 Tbsp white sugar
Pinch of  salt
2 tbs Plain flour
2 strips lemon peel
½ tsp vanilla extract
-icing sugar, for dusting
Method:
Take the puff pastry out of freezer; cover with a cloth and let it defrost.
Mix egg, yolks, sugar, flour and a little milk into a smooth paste. Add the rest of milk, vanilla and lemon peel and cook, stirring  until thick (take out the lemon peel later). (I microwaved it for 4 minutes, stirring it every 30-40 seconds). Let it cool slightly. Preheat oven to 180*C, fan forced.
Put 2 sheets of dough next to each other; Sprinkle them with cinnamon and icing sugar. Roll them together into a 'sausage'. (I cut this dough into 24) . Repeat with other 2 ( this time I cut the dough into 12 pieces).
Press each 'dough disc' into the muffin hole. Fill dough bases with prepared custard; small with 1 full teaspoon, large with 1 tablespoon (or more) of filling. Place in oven, bake for 5 minutes, then lower temperature to 160*C and bake another 10-15 minutes. Take out, cool on a wire rack and sprinkle with icing sugar. Enjoy!

Portugalski Brzi Puding Tartići

Vec dugo vremena zelim da isprobam ovaj poznati Portugalski desert. Odlucila sam se za brzu metodu sa lisnatim tijestom. Svi su bili odusevljeni ukusom; jedina nezadovoljavajuca komponenta je bila ta da sljedeci dan nisu bili tako hrskavi. Sljedeci put cu ih sigurno praviti sa prhkim tijestom, tako da se u njima moze uzivati i sljedecih nekoliko dana. 

Od ovog recepta, dobila sam 24 mini i 12 mafin-velicine tartica.

Potrebno:

4 lista lisnatog tijesta (25 X 25 cm) + cimet i secer u prahu  za posuti

1 3/4 solje mlijeka

1/4 solje slatke pavlake (35% masnoce)

1 jaje

3 zumanca

4-5 K secera

prstohvat soli

2 K brasna

2 komada korice limuna

1/2 k vanila ekstrakta

- secer u prahu za posipati po povrsini

Nacin:

Izvadite lisnato tijesto iz zamrzivaca, pokrijte cistom krpom i ostavite da se odmrzne.
Pomijesajte jaje, zumanca, secer i brasno sa malo mlijeka. Dodajte preostatak mlijeka, vanilu i korice limuna (koje cete kasnije izvaditi) i skuhajte puding, mijesajuci dok se ne zgusne. (Ja sam smjesu stavila u mikrovalnu pecnicu na 4 minute, vadeci svakih 30-40 sekundi i mijesajuci). Ostavite da se prohladi. 
Zagrijte rernu na 180*C  (sa fenom).
Sastavite  po 2 lista tijesta (znaci 25 cm X 50 cm, ako rezete vece tijesto), pospite sa cimetom i secerom u prahu. Zarolajte u rolnu po duzini, tj 'rolna' treba da je 25 cm duga. Izrezala sam ovo tijesto na 24 diska (za mini- mafin kalupe). Ponovite sa ostala 2 lista - ove sam izrezala na 12 (za normalnu velicinu mafin kalupa).
Pritisnite tijesto u kalupe, zatim ih filujte; Male sa po 1 kasicicom / zlicicom pudinga, velike sa 1 kasikom / zlicom ili  vise. Stavite u rernu i pecite 5 minuta, zatim smanjite temperaturu na 160*C i pecite jos 10-15 minuta. Izvadite tartice, prohladite i pospite sa secerom u prahu. Uzivajte!

 My hens checking out what I do with their eggs! 
 Moje koke provjeravaju sta ja to radim sa njihovim jajima!

Peri Peri Chicken

I'm back...
For a while, I was spending time doing my 'old' hobby - sewing. Since I didn't do it for a few years, I got out of routine - it took me whole week to complete an outfit.
It became problem finding a nice outfit for 'petite' person. Average person in Australia is 1,6 m tall (ME), yet regular sizes are made for persons over 1,7 m. I'd like to know who makes decisions on commercial clothing and their sizes?!
Anyway...
Peri Peri is traditional recipe of South America, but I found information that Portugal has similar recipe, and so does Africa. The key here is smokey flavour of chillies.

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, split cut down the spine (or pieces with bones and skin)
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1-2 bird's-eye chillies, chopped
1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
1 lemon, juice + zest of 1/2
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 small bunch of fresh basil
3-4 tbs olive oil
For serving - thyme
Method:
Place all ingredients (except chicken) into a food processor. Liquidise content, pour over chicken and marinate for 2 hours at least.
Preheat oven to 200*C, roast chicken until golden brown and aromatic. Sprinkle with thyme, before serving.



Piri Piri Pile

Evo mene nakon cijele sedmice borbe sa jednim 'kostimom'. Morala sam da sasijem nesto za sebe, jer je ponuda odjece za niske osobe ovdje katastrofalna. Obzirom da nisam sila jako dugo, izasla sam iz 'slifa' i trebalo mi je vise vremena nego obicno...
Piri Piri je recept Juzne Amerike, ali Portugal i Afrika isto imaju svoju verziju. Kljucni okus ovdje je dimljena paprika.

Potrebno:
1 cijelo pile izrezano duz kicme (ili komadi sa kozom i kostima)
1 ljubicasti luk, sjeckan
2 cena bijelog luka, protisnuta / sjeckana
1-2 male papricice (okrugle, mirisljave, malo ljute)
1 K dimljene crvene paprike u prahu
1 limun, sok + korica od 1/2
2 K sirceta (bijelo vinsko)
1 K 'Worcestershire' sosa
1 manji svezanj svjezeg bosiljka
3-4 K maslinovog ulja
Za servirati - majcina dusica / timijan
Nacin:
Stavite sve sastojke (osim piletine) u sjeckalicu; ukljucite i sjeckajte sve dok ne postane skoro tecno. Prelijte preko piletine i marinirajte najmanje 2 sata. Ukljucite rernu i pecite na 200*C, dok ne postane zlatno zuto i aromaticno. Pospite sa timijanom prije serviranja.

'Coxinha' - Portuguese Little Drumsticks

Very popular snack in Portugal and Brazil. Take some time for making, but very economical. Makes around 50.

Ingredients:
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
85 g butter
2 beef cubes
salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 green onions, finely chopped
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
700 g flour
200 g cream cheese
1 egg + 1 egg white, beaten lightly
breadcrumbs
oil for deep frying
Method:
Cut chicken breasts into 2 inch cubes, and place in a saucepan with onion, garlic, margarine, stock cubes, salt and pepper and 3 cups of water. Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes or until done. Strain solids from broth, retaining broth and solids.
Finely chop the chicken to make the filling. Add the parsley and chopped green onion to the chicken.
Measure the remaining broth into a saucepan-you will need 3 cups, so make it up with extra water, if needed. Add all the flour, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for 1 minute until it becomes stiff. Turn out on a working surface. Allow to cool a little, but while it is still warm, knead dough until it is smooth and no lumps of flour remain. Roll out dough to about 5mm thick and cut medium sized circles.
Place the dough in the palm of your hand, place a small cube of cream cheese and a teaspoon of the prepared filling; Fold and close the dough in the shape of a drumstick (the word Coxinha means "little drumstick" in Portuguese).
Knead scraps and re-roll, and continue cutting until all the dough is used.
Dip pastries in beaten eggs and roll in breadcrumbs.
Deep-fry for 8 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Serve hot.




Coxinha (Košinja) ili Batkići

Potrebno:
3 pilece grudi
1 crveni luk, sjeckan
2 cena bijelog luka
85 gr putera
2 govedje kocke za supu
so i svjeze mljeven biber
2 mlada luka
2 K sjeckanog lisca persuna
700 gr brasna
200 gr krem sira
1 jaje + 1 bjelance, umuceno
suhe mrvice kruha / hljeba (prezla)
ulje za duboko przenje
Nacin:
Isjecite pilece grudi na kocke, stavite kuhati sa 3 solje vode, oba luka, puterom, i kockama za supu. Zacinite sa solju i biberom.
Kada je kuhano ocijedite. Sacuvajte tecnost, a ostale sastojke sitno isjeckajte, pa im dodajte mladi luk i persun. Promijesajte.
U brasno umijesajte 3 solje tecnosti (ako nemate dovoljno dodajte vode)i snazno izmijesajte. Ostavite malo prohladiti, ali dok je jos toplo, istresite na radnu povrsinu pa umijesite glatko tijesto. Razvaljajte na 5 mm, sjecite krugove (8cm), zatim u svaki stavite 1 kasicicu pilece mjesavine i kockicu sira. Stisnite krajeve i oblikujte 'batak' (Coxinha - košinja- na Portugalskom znaci mali batak). Uvaljajte u jaja, zatim u mrvice pa przite u dubokom ulju, dok ne dobije zlatno-zutu boju. Servirajte vruce.

Portuguese Corn Bread

Found in a beautiful book of "Secrets of a Jewish Baker"

Ingredients:

Starting sponge:
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 tbs dry yeast
1 1/2 cups bread flour
Boil:
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water
Dough:
1 cup corn flour (fine - see note)
2-2,5 cups bread flour
1 tbs salt
Flour for dusting

Method:
-Make a sponge by mixing all the ingredients. Set aside to double (30 -40 min).
-Make a Boil: Heat a cup of water to boiling point, add mixing of starch and water, boil again. You should get consistency of thick custard. Leave to cool.
-Mix all ingredients until smooth, knead 8 minutes (bread machine is OK).
Divide dough in 2 , shape loafs or balls, dust with flour, and place on a baking sheet. Dust with extra flour, and cover to rest 45min.
Preheat oven to 225*C; put a dish with boiling water inside and place the sheet with the dough. Bake for 50 min. Crust should be dark, and cracked.
Note: Only fine corn flor should be used - if you don't have it, you can grind polenta or other corn meal to fine grade.




Portugalski hljeb/kruh sa kukuruznim brasnom

Potrebno:
Pocetno tijesto:
1 solja tople vode
1,5 kasika suhog kvasca
1,5 solja brasna
Kukuruzni skrob:
3/4 solje vode
1/4 skrobnog brasna razmucen u 1/4 solje vode
Tijesto:
1 solja kukuruznog brasna (vidi objasnjenje dole)
2-2,5 solje obicnog brasna
1 kasika soli

Izrada:
Sastojke za pocetno tijesto umijesiti i ostaviti da naraste, 30-40 min.
Skuhati 'puding' od skroba, i ostaviti da se prohladi.
Kada je sve spremno umijesiti sve sastojke do glatke konzistencije, bar 8 minuta. Upotreba masine za mijesenje je u redu.
Oblikujte 2 lopte ili vekne, pa postavite na pleh na kojem cete peci. Pospite sa brasnom i ostavite nadolaziti (45min).
Zagrijte rernu na 225*C, na dno stavite posudu sa kljucalom vodom, pa ubacite tijesto da se pece oko 50 min. Treba da dobijete cvrstu tamnu koricu po povrsini, koja je ispucala.
Objasnjenje: Ukoliko nemozete naci kukuruzno brasno, sameljite palentu/kukuruznu krupicu u mlinu za kafu.