Bolo saudável (sem leite, sem açúcar e sem farinha!)

3 ovos
5 bananas nanicas bem maduras
2 xícaras de aveia
1 copo de damasco picado
1/2 copo de nozes picadas
1/2 copo de uva passa
1/2 copo de ameixa preta picada
1 colher de sopa de fermento em pó
Modo de Preparo
Bater no liquidificador os ovos com as bananas.
Passar para um refratário e misturar os outros ingredientes
Colocar em forma untada e assar em forno médio até dourar.

Magic Crust Pie

Serves: 8
Prep Time: 5 Min
Cook Time: 45 Min
Ingredients
1/4 c margarine
4 eggs
3/4 c white sugar
1 pinch salt
2 c milk, 2%
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c all purpose flour
1 - Put all ingredients into a blender. Blend for 30 seconds.
2 - Pour into buttered 9 inch pie pan. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
3 - Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. The flour will settle to make its own crust.

FOLAR DE CHAVES / PORTUGUESE MEAT BREAD

2 active dry yeast 1/4 oz. packets
1/2 cup of water
2 teaspoons of sugar
1.5 lbs pound linguica
1.5 lbs salted pork / bacon slab
8 cups of sifted all purpose flour (i.e., Five Roses)
12 large eggs, room temperature
6 tbs butter,
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 tbs salt
olive oil to coat bread

Dissolve two yeast packets in 1/2 cup of warm milk. Add two teaspoons of sugar and dissolve. Set aside for 10 minutes allowing to form a yeast foam.
Remove the thick skin from the salted pork. Add the pork and linguica into a saucepan and boil for approximately 10 minutes. After cooled, remove the meats from the water, allow to dry and cut into bit sized pieces. Set aside.
Heat the butter and olive oil in a small saucepan until the butter melts without overheating. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs well with a fork. Also, set aside.
Add the flour and salt into a separate, large bowl. When the yeast is ready, make a well in the middle of the flour, add the yeast and blend into the flour. Next add the eggs and blend mixture well with your hands. Next slowly add the warmed butter and olive oil while blending it into the dough well with your hands.
Transfer the dough onto a clean, flat, floured surface and knead the dough for 30 - 45 minutes until the dough becomes soft, smooth and does not stick to hands. If at any point, the dough is too sticky add a little more flour, one tablespoon at a time.
Coat a large bowl with a little flour. Shape the dough into a large ball and place in the bowl. Dust with a little flour and make a cross sign in the dough. Cover well with a large dishcloth and place in a warm, draft free place for 2-3 hours.
After the dough has doubled, cut the dough into two equal sized pieces. For each piece, place the dough on a clean, flat, floured surface and spread out making a rectangular shape. Place half of the meat onto the laid out dough being sure to cover all of the surface. Next, starting with the end closest to you, start rolling the dough until a long roll is formed.
Coat a baking dish / pyrex with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with flour. Place the rolled dough filled with meat into the baking dish, cover with a dishcloth and place in a warm, draft free area for another 45 minutes to an hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. When ready, brush olive oil over the dough and place into the oven for approximately one hour until the bread turns a golden brown color.
Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before removing from baking dish. May be served warm or cold.
NOTE: Instead of coating with olive oil, you may also coat with egg wash.

Coconut Lemon Cake

Cake Ingredients
6 large eggs at room temperature
2 cups of granulated sugar
2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
5 tablespoons of fine shredded sweetened coconut
1 cup (2 sticks) of melted butter
1 lemon zest
Glaze Topping
1 cup of milk
1 cup of granulated sugar
Preheat oven at 350 and grease a 10x4 tube or bundt pan
Separate the eggs in two separate bowls.
Beat the egg whites on high until they form high peaks then leave aside
Beat egg yokes with sugar and melted butter; gradually add the flour and baking powder. Then you will begin to fold in the egg whites, lemon zest and coconut.
Pour into pan and bake for 1 hour.
After the cake comes out of the oven wait for just a few minutes and remove from pan to serving plate. Make sure the serving plate is a little bit bigger than the cake, because of the next step.
You will heat up 1 cup of milk with 1 cup of sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Then you will prick holes over the cake using a toothpick and then you’re going to slowly pour the glaze topping mixture over the warm cake. The cake will absorb everything, which is the secret as to why this cake is so moist. Lastly, you’ll decorate with shredded coconut over the top of the cake.

FOLAR DE VOUZELA

(adaptada da Teleculinária - Especial Páscoa 1981)

Para 2 folares

650g farinha T65 sem fermento
1 saqueta 11g fermento seco de padeiro (ou 40g fermento fresco)
250ml leite a temperatura tépida
3 ovos
80g açúcar
75g manteiga ou margarina derretida
1 colher café sal fino
Raspa de 1 limão (ou laranja)

Para o recheio:
30g margarina derretida
4 colheres sopa açúcar
Farinha q.b. para polvilhar a bancada ao amassar
1 ovo batido para pincelar
Açúcar q.b. para finalizar



Comece por preparar o ‘crescente’ (massa com grande quantidade de fermento, o que acelera o processo de fermentação):
Numa taça, coloque 200g de farinha (cerca de um terço do total), o fermento (se usar fresco esfarele-o com as mãos), e o leite tépido (a temperatura ideal é 30ºC). Misture tudo muito bem. Cubra com película e deixe levedar bem – fiz o crescente de véspera e depois de levedado guardei no frigorífico, retirando-o uma hora antes, para atingir a temperatura ambiente.

Numa taça grande, ou pequeno alguidar, coloque os 3 ovos, o açúcar, a manteiga/margarina derretida, o sal e a raspa de limão e bata com vara de arames até estar bem ligado.
Misture o ‘crescente’.
Finalmente, envolva a restante farinha, amassando à mão até absorver toda a farinha. Se a massa estiver demasiado mole, junte mais um pouco de farinha, amassando bem até começar a descolar-se das paredes da taça.
A massa deve ser bem batida. Cubra com um pano e deixe levedar em local aquecido até duplicar ou triplicar de volume.

Polvilhe muito bem a bancada com farinha, deite aí a massa e amasse mais um pouco à mão, polvilhando mais, se necessário.

Divida a massa em duas partes iguais.

À mão, abra cada metade da massa, espalmando-a e esticando um pouco as pontas. Polvilhe a bancada com farinha sempre que necessário.

Pincele bem com margarina derretida e polvilhe cada metade com duas colheres de sopa de açúcar, ou mais, se desejar o folar mais doce.

Enrole, deixando um pouco da extremidade de fora.

Coloque num tabuleiro bem enfarinhado (ou use papel vegetal na base) e dê-lhe um formato levemente arredondado. Deixe levedar até terem um aspecto bem fofo.

Depois de levedado, pincele muito bem com o ovo batido e polvilhe generosamente com açúcar.

Leve a forno pré-aquecido a 200º durante 15 minutos. Baixe para 180º e mantenha por mais 15 minutos. Se cozer em dois tabuleiros, troque-os de posição a meio do tempo.

Quando sairem do forno, se gostar, pode pincelar com mais um pouco de manteiga/margarina derretida e cobrir com mais açúcar.

Molho Cru – Portuguese Chimichurri Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 small onion (finely chopped)
3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
3 tablespoons Portuguese olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt
pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon  crushed red pepper flakes or 1 fresh red chile (finely minced)
1/2 bunch fresh parsley (minced)

Instructions:
Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight for flavors to absorb.
Spread over cooked meats or fish.

Carmelina’s Folar Recipe

Ingredients:

12 Jumbo brown eggs (room temperature)

10 Cups sifted flour

(2) .6 oz. cubes of fresh yeast or 3 package of active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1 tablespoon salt

1 stick butter or margarine (8 tablespoons)

1/2 cup olive oil

4 cups ham (ham shank) cut into 1/2 x 2 inch strips

1 or 2 whole – chourica or linguica sausage

1 cup chopped (Smoked – Cured Bacon) (if desired)

This recipe makes 4 small loaves or 2 medium loaves.

Instructions:

In a small pan on low heat add water, margarine and olive oil.

When margarine is melted, test with your finger. It should be warm, not hot or you will kill the yeast. Add the yeast and stir to dissolve. Set aside.

Beat eggs until foamy and set aside.

Sift Flour and salt into a very large mixing bowl.

Note: If you have a kitchenaid mixer, the batter will fit into the standard 5quart bowl.

Make a well in the center of the flour and add the eggs and the yeast mixture.

Knead by hand or with dough hook for at least 15 minutes until dough is light and airy.

Look for air “bubbles forming in the batter”

Note:

The batter will be thin and very elastic, not thick like bread dough. If you find it too thin add flour 2 tablespoons at a time and mix well.

Grease your hands with olive oil and shape the dough into a ball on floured surface.

Place the dough in a larger bowl that has been greased with olive oil and dusted with flour.

Make a cross in center of the dough to “Bless” the dough and sprinkle the top with flour.

“Pelo sinal da Santa Cruz S. Mamede te levede, S. Vicente te acrescente, S. João te faça bom pão, A Virgem Nossa Senhora Te deite a santa bênção.”

Cover with plastic and let it rest for 2 hours or until it has doubled in size.

Your dough will be light, airy and elastic.

While the dough rises, slice the Chourica into desired thickness of slices.

Note: This step is optional depending on your taste. I place the meats into a pot of boiling water and let them cook for about 2-3 minutes to remove the salt and fat. Drain the meats, pat them dry and let them cool.

When dough has risen, lightly grease and flour your hands to handle the dough. Poor it onto lightly olive oil greased and floured surface big enough to hold the dough.

Note: I cover my counter with saran wrap for easy cleanup.

The dough is very tender. Gently stretch the dough into a desired rectangle shape almost like making a pizza, being careful not to tear it.

Spread the meats evenly over the dough and gently roll the dough into a loaf. If any holes form, close them up by pinching the dough together with your fingers.

Place the Folar onto lightly floured sheet pans or into molded bread pans.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Let the formed folar rest for 10 minutes for a second rise before baking.

Cook for about 45 minutes at 400 then lower heat to 350. Cook another 15 minutes and turn off heat.

For small loaves cook for 30 minutes and lower heat to 350 for the last 15 minutes.

Note:

Some ovens may take longer. Check if done, by hitting the top of the folar with your knuckles. You should hear a hollow sound and it should be a dark golden color.

The smell of the folar baking in your oven will be simply amazing! I wish you could smell it right now as I pull it out of the oven!