Cinnamon Raisin Oaty Cookies

Well, to start, a cookie recipe which is well-loved by my Sol. Sweet and yet not too unhealthy. This recipe came after years of buying Famous Amos' Oatmeal Raisin and Cinnamon Cookie which never seems to stay around the house for too long. I went through millions (sorry.. a little exaggeration, probably, thousands ;p) of similar recipes with none producing the same or as well-liked effect. Finally got the below. Crunchy, less sweet, cheaper and most importantly, I baked it with love...



Try it!





Cinnamon Raisin Oaty Cookies (makes 30 cookies tried and tested by Sol)



125g butter (soften at room temp)

100g brown sugar

2 eggs or 3 egg yolks

2 teaspoon of vanilla essence

120g rolled oats

190g all purpose flour

2 teaspoon of cinnamon powder (feel free to add more but be careful, too much cinnamon can make the cookie taste bitter)

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

130g to 150g of raisins



Cream sugar and butter and vanilla essence till light and fluffy.



Add eggs 1 by 1 and mix well. After which you get the 'Wet Mixture'.



Mix up flour, cinnamon powder and rolled oats forming the 'Dry Mixture'.



Add dry mixture bit by bit into wet mixture and mix well till all's in.



Add raisins and mix well.



Refrigerate mixture. (this step is really optional but I always do it)



Set oven to 175 degrees.



Line tray with baking paper.



Using a teaspoon (I like small cookies) round it into a ball and place it on the baking tray.



Bake for 15-16 minutes.



Tips:

For crispy/harder cookies, use only egg yolks, and white sugar and margarine and bake for around 15-16 minutes.

For softer cookies, use whole eggs and all butter and bake for around 12 minutes.

Arroz di Marisco

Arroz di Marisco (Portuguese seafood rice)


Sooooo good! Sol's parents brought me to a seaside restaurant and we ordered this.. I still am unable to forget the taste. Since Portugal is 2 flights away and there is no Portuguese restaurant in Singapore, I decided to make this based on my memory and a little help from the Internet.


Ingredients

4-6 prawns (Deshell and keep the prawns and shells)
250g fish (Sliced)
10 clams
4 mussels
2 tomatoes
1 red pepper
4 cloves garlic
1 small onion
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon of tomato puree/paste
A sprinkle of paprika
1 teaspoon of pimentao
A little white wine
1 red pepper (chopped)
100g of risotto rice


Stock

Deshell the prawns
Cook 1 tomato, shell and head of the prawns in water for ~half hour to make stock. Drain and keep stock aside.

Cook

Fry the onion for 1-2 min. Add garlic and fry till brownish..

Add the risotto rice, fry and add 1/3 of the stock. Stir. Add in the bay leaf, a touch of white wine, salt and pepper, paprika, pimento and tomato paste and maybe some oregano. Stir.

Add the pepper and tomatoes.

After around 3-5 min. Check and stir. Add more stock if need. Stir (Again!). Check again in 3-5min. Stir or..

Add in all the seafood and cilantro after 5mins. Stir..

Ready for serving after seafood is cooked.

Chilli

CHILI with a slight portuguese touch..

We love chili.

So easy to prepare, so little trouble, so little pots and pans to wash and soooooo good with rice or pasta. Sooooooo good for leftovers too!!!

I love making it and I love eating it.... 

This is my ultra easy easy recipe.. I dont know where to get Jalapenos in Singapore so I use chili flakes (leftovers packets you get when you order in pizza). This is probably the most UNAUTHENTIC Chili recipe you see but we still love it all the same. This is also sooo not Portuguese (just very very slight with the chorizo) because anyway Chili is suppose to be Mexican but I don't care, a one-pot meal that my Sol loves. A one pot meal that we love. 

Ingredients

Mince Beef - 400g 

I Chorizo (I have yet to figure out where to get it in Singapore.... I got mine when I went to Portugal but I have a good feeling that the brazillian butchery at Marine Parade has it)

1 can of Kidney Beans (Or Chili Beans or any beans, I used S&W)

1 small can of Tomato Puree

1 large Capsicum (Green Pepper) cut into 1 inch pieces

2 large Tomatoes cut into 1 inch pieces (Omit if you are using a bigger can of tomato puree or just use 1)

1 Yellow Onion cut into small pieces

1 clove of Garlic (or if you are like me... 4 to 5 cloves)

Chilli Seasoning (can be omitted actually)

1 teaspoon of Oregano

1 packet of Chili Flakes (From Dominoes, we love Dominoes)

To start.....

Slice and saute the chorizo till the chorizo gets a little crispy with its oil oozing out)

Add in onions and garlic and saute till the onions turn translucent and before the garlic turns brown.

Add in the mince beef, chili seasoning, oregano and brown it over medium-high heat.

Add in the tomato puree (if you are using the small can of tomato puree, add in the fresh tomatoes now) & the can of drained kidney beans (You may add in some of the beans water if you find the mixture a little dry)

Add in the chili flakes and mix well.

(During this time, I will usually start preparing the Capsicum - deseeding and cutting)
Add in the Capsicum. 

Cover & simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. (You can cook longer if you wish to, doesn't really matter)


A meal that takes 30 minutes to prepare AND cook. A meal soooooo good as leftovers. Sometimes, I cook soooo much and I get enough leftovers (for 2 persons) for 2 days. Just freeze it and pop it in the microwave when hungry then.

Kisses and Enjoy!!!

Salame De Chocolate (Chocolate Salami)

My chocolate salami with almonds from Portugal..


I bought this from the "NTUC" of Portugal (Pingo Doce is the name of the supermarket) and shall I say, this taste SOOOO GOOD!! I have been having at least 1 slice of this a day adding piling up the calories with no regrets.. Sun likes this too and has been quietly polishing a few slices every now and then... We had finished 1 whole tube of this. A perfect ending to the Carne Porco Portugesa.


This will be my must-buy if I get a chance to go Portugal again. 


Kisses to the guy who invented this. Muackz to you!

Carne Porco Portugesa (Portuguese Pork with Imaginary Clams)

Yes. You read the English title correctly. This is the Portuguese Pork with Imaginary Clams recipe. Why imaginary? Because the great "King" forgot her clams 2 hours after the marination.

Walking into the house after marketing and saying to her Sun; "I knew exactly what to get because I know the recipe so well! That is why I am back so quickly". Then BAM! When she sat down to write the recipe, she forgot the clams. Well, no longer 'Carne Porco Alentejano' but now its 'Carne Porco Portugesa'.

A favorite with the Sun even though I had only made it only once but since there is no Portuguese food at ALL in Singapore (Err, please do not say "Oh we do have Portuguese egg tarts available here." because he will starts on what we have is just so not authentic and frankly, after my most recent one and only trip to Portugal, he is strangely right. The Portuguese egg tarts AKA Pasteis De Nata we get in Singapore do taste totally different with ours really eggy), he thinks this is the best thing from me that reminds him sorely from home. (>_<)

I love making him this dish because its so easy yet flavorful and extremely Portuguese. Oh, and also, because he gives me a big KISS too after this. (Kisses to my baby sun)

CARNE PORCO PORTUGESA

Ingredients:


     Marination

1. 450grams of pork cut into 1 inch cubes (I like using the pork loin, less fats so a little less bad cholesterol)
2. 2 bay leaves (Fresh or Dried)
3. 2 teaspoon of Pimentao (Yes! Not easily available in Singapore and I had to get mine from Portugal but it can be substituted with Paprika)
4. A pinch of sale and pepper
5. 3/4 cup of white wine or enough to submerge the pork into. (Please feel free to use the cheapest white wine you see & of course it will be best if you can get the Portuguese Vinho Verde!)
6. 5 cloves of crushed garlic (5 cloves because we love garlic! If not, most recipes call for around 3 cloves)
7. 1 tablespoon of finely chopped Cilantro (also know as coriander or Chinese Parsley)

Mixed the above well so that the pork get well marinated for dinner.
Marination should be overnight for the best result but I normally do it in the late morning for dinner (I always forget till the day itself). 
So what you see in this picture will be what you get! 

Oh, remember to cover and refrigerate it.




I usually start the preparation ~45 min to 1 hour before dinner. I begin with the potatoes. No pasta, no rice only potatoes because that's how the Portuguese eat. For serious authenticity, deep fry potatoes that have been cut into cubes. For mine that has been authenticated by my very own Portuguese Sun, I do and use the following:

• 4 medium potatoes cut into 1 inch cubes
• Sprinkle of Rosemary
• Sprinkle of Salt
• Sprinkle of Paprika
• 4-5 cloves of garlic - chopped roughly
• 1.5 inch long of Chourico (Portuguese Sausage)
• Some margarine or olive oil for the roasting pan

That's it! Mix all of the above then put the potatoes into the oven at the highest temperature and roast it for 30 minutes. (Otherwise, just deep fry the potato cubes without all of the above but that means more cholesterol, tsk tsk!)

Now, the porco show begins! You will need 

• 1 medium sized onion (I like the purple onion because it taste sweeter)
• 4 cloves of garlic - chopped
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• Pork drained from the marination 

Turn your stove to a high fire then add ~1/2 tablespoon of oil into the frying pan. Once heated, put in the garlic and fry it. After the aroma of the garlic hits your nose, add in the chopped onions. Fry the mixture till the onions look translucent. Put the fried onions and garlic on a side plate for later use.

With the same frying pan, add more oil and browned the pork (Pork should be drained from the marinate & dry). The browning should take around 10 - 15 minutes. If the pan is small, do it in 2 or even 3 batches. 

Once all pork have been browned, add in the onion garlic mixture and give it a few toss. Throw in the marinate from the drained pork, give it a few stirs then lower the heat to its lowest and cover. Wait for around 5 minutes.

By this time, potatoes would have been done so bring out the potatoes and leave it aside.

Pork will also be done after the potatoes.Serve hot over potatoes and voila! Mine looks like this:

Kisses & Enjoy!

Portuguese Homestyle Cooking
Food of PortugalThe Food & Cooking of Portugal (The Food & Cooking of)What's Cooking in Portugal: The Portuguese Cookbook