Accordion Torte

My first attempt in creating a theme torte!

Ingredients:
Sponge cake (Basic recipe)-
6 eggs
150 g (3/4 cup) sugar
2 teas lemon zest
100 g (3/4 cup) flour
pinch of salt
75 g (1/2 cup) starch
(for a 32 X 22 cm tin I used 1 1/2 recipe - 9 eggs sponge)
Creme Patisserie (Basic recipe)-
2 eggs
50 g sugar
2 tbs flour
2 tbs starch (cornflour)
300 ml milk
a few drops of vanilla flavouring
(I needed to double this recipe)
Other needed ingredients-
250 g butter, room temperature
1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts, grounded
white (150 g), dark (50 g) and milk (300 g) chocolate
250 ml (1 cup) thickened cream
Method:
Preheat oven to 170*C; prepare a 22 X32 cm tin, line with silicon paper.
Beat sugar and eggs with a mixer until fluffy and pale. Switch mixer off. Sieve flours on top of egg mixture, add zest and fold in gently. Pour sponge mixture in tin, bake 25-30 minutes. Take out, cool and cut horizontally into 3 layers, then cut 1/4 of top 2 layers (picture down).
Creme patisserie - mix sugar, flours and eggs with a little milk until smooth. Bring the rest of milk to boil, pour sugar/ flour mixture and cook until thick. Let it cool.
Beat butter, add creme and beat together. Fold in hazelnuts. Assemble cake (as picture down) using creme (thickly) to stick layers, cover cut sides of sponge too (thinly).
Melt milk chocolate and cream, stir well and cover entire torte. Keep the rest of this mixture in fridge. Melt white and dark chocolate (separately) with a few drops of oil, pour onto silicon paper and let it set, then cut into 'keys'. Place them on its place. Write letters and buttons (white chocolate) with a plastic bag (cut a corner).
Beat milk chocolate mixture from fridge, put it between 2 sponges on top layer. Use fork to make marks. Chill well before cutting.











Harmonika Torta

Potrebno:
Biskvit (osnovni recept)-
6 jaja
150 gr secera
2 k limunove korice
100 gr brasna
malo soli
75 gr skrobnog brasna
(1 1/2 mjera (9 jaja) koristena za kalup 32 X 33 cm)
Poslasticarski krem (osnovni recept)-
2 jaja
50 gr secera
2 K brasna
2 K skroba
300 ml mlijeka
malo vanila esencije
(Dupla mjera od ovog recepta koristena)
Jos dodatno potrebno -
250 gr maslaca, soba temp.
1/2 solje ljesnika, peccenih, mljevenih
cokolade - bijela 150 gr, tamna 50 gr, mlijecna 300 gr
250 ml slatke pavlake
Nacin:
Pripremite pleh (32 X 22 cm) sa papirom i ukljucite rernu na 170*C.
Umutite jaja sa secerom dok ne postane pjenusavo, iskljucite mixer pa rucno umijesajte brasno. Uspite u pleh i pecite 25-30 minuta. Prohladite i prerezite horizontalno na 3 dijela, zatim od povrsinska 2 odsjecite 1/4 (kao na slici).
Krem - Dobro promijesajte secer, jaja i brasno sa malo mlijeka. Ostatak mlijeka zagrijte do kljucanja pa uspite krem i kuhajte dok se ne zgusne. Ohladite.
Miksajte maslac pjenusavo, dodajte krem i dobro mikserom izmijesajte. Dodajte ljesnike pa promijesajte jos jednom. Filujte tortu, asemblirajuci harmoniku (slika); tanko premazite i rezane dijelove biskvita.
Zagrijte mlijecnu cokoladu sa vrhnjem, izmijesajte i prelijte tortu; ostatak ostavite u frizider da se hladi.
Istopite tamnu i bijelu cokoladu (odvojeno) sa malo ulja, izlijte na papir i ostavite da se stegne. Izrezite 'dirke' i postavite na mjesto. Sa vrecicom kojoj ste odrezali vrh napisite slova i dugmice.
Ostatak krema iz frizidera izmiksajte pa nanesite na vrh na 'slobodno' mjesto. Viljuskom nanesite otisak. Rashladite dobro prije rezanja!

Happy Birthday Maurice!

Salmon with Mediterranean Dressing and Crispy Potato Wedges

Olive oil, lemon juice and chopped parsley are used as 'dressing' for fish mostly in Dalmatia (Croatia), Italy and Greece, but also in other Mediterranean countries, along with some more spices.

Ingredients:
4 salmon fillets (1 per person), or fish of your choice
4 large potatoes
salt and freshly ground pepper
oil for frying
rocket or other salad leaves for serving
Mediterranean dressing-
small bunch of parsley leaves, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup olive oil, extra virgine
Method:
Peel, cut into wedges and boil potatoes for 10-12 minutes; take out of water and cool it slightly.
Heat some olive oil into a pan,season fillets and cook each side for few minutes (skin side first). Add more oil into pan, heat and fry seasoned potato wedges until golden and crispy.
Place fish and potatoes onto plate, add salad of your choice. Mix all ingredients for dressing, spoon over fish and salad. Enjoy!


Losos sa Mediteranskim Prelivom i Hrskavi Krompirici

Maslinovo ulje, limunov sok i persunovo lisce se kao preliv za ribu uglavnom koristi u Dalmaciji, Italiji i Grckoj, mada i druge Mediteranske zemlje slicno koriste uz dodatak vise zacina.

Potrebno:
4 fileta lososa (1 po osobi) ili riba vaseg izbora
4 veca krompira
so i biber
ulje za przenje
rokula ili slicna salata
Mediteranski preliv-
mali svezanj persinova lisca, sjeckan
2 cena bijelog luka, protisnutog
sok i korica 1/2 limuna
1/2 solje djevicanskog maslinovog ulja
Nacin:
Ogulite, izrezite krompir i kuhajte ga 10-12 minuta u zasoljenoj vodi. Izvadite i ostavite prohladiti.
Zagrijte malo ulja u tavi, zacinite ribu i przite dok ne porumeni (strana sa kozom prvo). Dodajte jos ulja pa przite i krompir, dok ne porumeni.
Stavite ribu i krompir na tanjir zajedno sa salatom. Pomijesajte sve sastojke za preliv, pa kasikom prelijte ribu i salatu. Uzivajte!

French Drumcticks with Zucchinis and Potatoes

Ingredients:
4 medium potatoes
4 zucchinis
Freshly ground black pepper
salt
oil for frying
8 large drumsticks (or 2 per person)
French spice blend-
1/4 cup flour
1 T dried mustard
1 T garlic powder
2 t paprika
1 t black pepper
1 t salt
Method:
Boil or microwave potatoes until cooked.
Cut off joint and skin of each drumstick, leaving bone exposed and with meat on upper part 'free'. Mix all dried spices with flour, dust meaty parts, shake off excess. Fry each side of drumstick for a few minutes, or until golden brown. Oil shouldn't be too hot, or drumstick will not be properly cooked. Take drumsticks out and wrap bones with al-foil. Discard excess oil, leaving only a tbs or so. Fry zucchinis (seazoned with salt and pepper) for a minute or two. Place meat, zucchinis and peeled boiled potatoes on plate and enjoy.


Francuski Bataci sa Tikvicama i Krompirom

Potrebno:
4 srednja krompira
4 tikvice
svjeze mljeven crni biber
so
ulje za przenje
8 vecih bataka (ili 2 po osobi)
Francuska mjesavina zacina-
1/4 solje brasna
1 K senfa u prahu
1 K bijelog luka u prahu
2 k crvene paprike
1 k crnog bibera
1 k soli
Nacin:
Skuhajte krompire u vodi (ili mikrovalnoj).
Odrezite zglobove i kozu sa bataka, ostavljajuci gornji mesnati dio slobodan.
Pomijesajte brasno sa zacinima u prahu, uvaljajte batake. Przite na srednje jakoj vatri sa svih strana dok ne postane zlatno braon.Izvadite batkove i vidljivi dio kostiju oblozite folijom. Istresite visak ulja iz tave (ostavite samo malo) i proprzite tikvice (zacinjene solju i biberom) par minuta. Postavite sve na tanjir, zajedno sa oguljenim skuhanim krompirom i uzivajte.

Baharat Spiced Lamb Cutlets

Craving something oriental? The easiest way to satisfy your cravings is to use typical spice blends of certain country along with your favorite food.
In next few posts I'll give recipes of spice blends from different parts of the World. Today it is Turkey. This spice blend can be used with any meat.

Ingredients:
2 lamb cutlets for each person
vegetables for grilling (your choice)
olive oil
Baharat Spice mix-
4 teas black pepper
3 teas coriander seeds
3 teas cinnamon
3 teas cloves
4 teas cumin seeds
1 teas cardamom pods
3 teas nutmeg
6 teas paprika
Method:
Grind all spices togheter. Rub lamb cutlets with this blend, salt it (optional). Brush cutlets with olive oil and grill on a very hot pan or bbq. Add some cut vegetables (zucchini, capsicum, eggplant, mushrooms) brushed with olive oil (and grilled), for complete meal. The rest of spice blen keep in a container with lid.

Jagnjeci kotleti sa Baharatom (Turskom mjesavinom zacina)

Najlaksi nacina za isprobati ukuse i mirise neke zemlje je da koristite njihove tipicne zacine. U nekoliko sljedecih postova cu dati recepte za zacine razlicitih zemalja. Danas je to Turska. Ovaj zacin se uglavnom koristi za utrljavanje u meso prije pecenja.

Potrebno:
2 jagnjeca kotleta po osobi
Povrce po izboru, izrezano
Maslinovo ulje
Baharat mjesavina-
4 k crnog bibera
3 k korijander sjemena
3 k cimeta
3 k karanfilica
4 k kima
1 k kardamoma
3 k muskatnog / djeviz oraha
6 k paprike crvene
Nacin:
Sameljite (ili zdrobite) sve zacine zajedno, utljajte u meso, pa ga posolite i premazite uljem.
Povrce (paprike, gljive, tikvice, patlidzani) takodje namazite uljem i posolite
Pecite meso na veoma jakoj vatri - gril ili specijalna tava, zatim i povrce na nesto blazoj.
Visak mjesavine zatvorite u teglicu i cuvajte za sljedecu priliku.

Lemon Curd

Ingredients:
- no eggs recipe
4 Lemons
450 g sugar
225 g butter
1 tbs corn flour

-with eggs recipe (you'll get 3 cups of lemon curd)
1 1/3 cup lemon juice
1 3/4 cup sugar
zest of 2 large lemons
180 g butter
2 eggs
4 yolks

Method:
Zest all lemons into a heatproof bowl, add juice of 3 lemons, sugar and butter.
Place the bowl over a pan with simmering water (bowl should not touch water)
Once the mixture has melted, you need another 35-40 minutes to cook until mixture becomes thick. Scrap and stir constantly.
When a spoonful of curd dropped onto a saucer sets like thick yogurt, carefuly pour mixture into clean jars and put lids on.
Unopened, curd with no eggs will last for whole year; opened, refrigerated lasts for a month. Ideal as a gift to another cook / baker.

Lemon curd with eggs - mix all ingredients, put in a heavy bottomed pan and gently cook for 10 minutes. Curd with eggs lasts for 3-4 weeks.


Gusti namaz od limuna

Potrebno:(verzija bez jaja)
4 limuna
450 gr secer
225 gr maslaca
1 K skrobnog brasna

(verzija sa jajima, dobicete 3 solje = 750 ml )
1 1/3 solje soka limuna
1 3/4 solje secera
strugana korica (zuti dio samo) od 2 veca limuna
180 gr maslaca
2 jaja
4 zumanca

Nacin:
Izrendajte koricu od svih limuna (pazite da samo zuti dio zahvatite) u manju serpu / lonac, dodajte iscijedjen sok  limuna, maslac i secer. Stavite tu posudu na neku vecu posudu sa vodom (voda ne smije dodirivati), stavite na ringlu. Kada se sve istopi, trebate jos oko 35-40 minuta da kuhate uz stalno mijesanje. Testirajte poslije 30 min kuhanja- kada malo ove mjesavine stavite na tanjiric, treba da izgleda gustine jogurta. Tada pretresite mjesavinu u ciste teglice i zatvorite.
Neotvoreno moze stajati do godinu dana; otvoreno drzati u frizideru do mjesec dana.
Idealno kao poklon za drugu domacicu.

Za verziju sa jajima, izmijesajte sve sastojke i u posudi sa teskim dnom kuhajte 10-ak minuta.  
Ovaj ce trajati 3-4 sedmice na hladnom mjestu.