CLASSIC CUBAN FLAN

Classic Caramel Cuban Flan Recipe

1 cup sugar
1 can evaporated milk
1 can condensed milk
5 egg yolks
1 whole egg
4 oz. cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Have a baking dish you will be using to bake your flan ready. You can use ramekins, muffin pan, tart pan, whatever works for you. You will also need a larger shallow pan to set it in to create a water bath.

In a saucepan over medium high heat, add the sugar and allow it to caramelize. This will take about 5-7 minutes and avoid the temptation to stir!
Once you have a caramel, remove from the heat and place in a baking dish you will be using to bake your flan. Swirl the caramel to cover the bottom of the baking dish and place in the larger shallow pan; set aside.
In a blender, add the remaining ingredients and blend until fully combined.
Pour this mixture into your caramel coated baking dish that's sitting in the larger shallow pan.
Carefully pour hot boiling water into the large shallow pan so that it comes up halfway up the sides of your flan baking dish. Cover the flan baking dish with foil. Place both pans into the oven and bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven.
Remove your flan baking dish out of the water bath and cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, place in your refrigerator to chill overnight. To unmold, invert the pan onto a serving plate.
For Coconut Lime Flan: substitute the evaporated milk with coconut milk and add 1 tablespoon freshly grated lime zest in the blender with the other ingredients.

For Mango Flan: add 1/2 cup fresh mango chunks in the blender with the other ingredients.

For Guava Flan:  add 1/2 cup guava jelly to blender with other ingredients.

CUBAN PORK

Cuban Mojo Marinated Pork

Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 3/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup lightly packed mint leaves, finely chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced oregano (2 teaspoons dried oregano)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 3 and 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, in one piece*

Instructions

1. If you have a food processor: Add the orange juice, cilantro leaves, mint leaves, and smashed (not minced) garlic cloves, and pulse until everything is finely chopped. Add this mixture to a ziplock bag, along with the rest of the oil, zest, lime juice, oregano, and cumin.
2. If you don't have a food processor: In a large ziplock bag, combine olive oil, orange zest, orange juice, lime juice, chopped cilantro, chopped mint, minced garlic, oregano, and cumin. Shake it around a bit to mix it up, then add the pork shoulder.
3. Place the zipped up bag in a baking dish, and put it in the fridge overnight, or several hours at least. 
4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place a wire rack (I used a cooling rack) over a rimmed baking sheet. 
5. Place the pork on the rack and discard the marinade. Salt and pepper the pork well.
6. Roast the pork for 30 minutes. It should be lightly browned.
7. Turn the oven down to 375 degrees F. Roast for another 1 hour and 20-30 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 160.
8. Transfer to a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil and let rest at least 20 minutes. 
9. Carve against the grain and serve.

LECHON IN HONOR OF FIDEL

LECHON ASADO IN HONOR OF FIDEL

12-15lbs Pork Leg (three pork butts will do)

2 1/2 cups of sour orange juice (2/3 orange juice, 1/3 lime juice if sour orange unavailable)

3 heads of garlic, finely chopped

2 1/2 tablespoons of oregano

2 1/2 teaspoons of cumin

2 1/2 cups of white cooking wine

sea salt to taste

Poke holes in leg and insert garlic, rub with salt

Mix remaining ingredients in bag

Place roast in bag and marinate over night (turning to coat several times)

Remove roast roast from marinade

Preheat oven to 350 degress

Place covered in oven for 5-6 hours, remove and baste several times during the process.

Remove from oven and sprinkle a dash of chopped parsley for color

Serve with Rice and Black beans or Boiled Yuca, spoon the juice over meat and yucca!

CLASSIC COFFEE CAKE

Ingredients

• Topping
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• Batter
• 1 cup butter, softened

• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup half and half

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Make topping by combining 1 cup flour with brown sugar, a stick of softened butter and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a medium bowl. Mixture should have the consistency of moist sand. Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans.
3. In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup butter, 3/4 cup light brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
4. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add this dry mixture to the moist ingredients a little bit at a time. Add half n half and mix well.
5. Spoon the batter into a 9 x 13-inch baking pan that has been buttered and dusted with a light coating of flour.
6. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the batter. Be sure the topping completely covers the batter.
7. Bake cake for 50 minutes, or until the edges just begin to turn light brown. Cool and slice into 8 pieces.
8. Serves 8.

ORANGE WALNUT COFFEE CAKE

1 1/2 cup walnuts
6 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 sticks plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup powdered sugar
DIRECTIONS



Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.


Add the walnuts, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of the zest, and the cinnamon to a food processor and pulse until combined. Cut 1 stick of the butter into tablespoon-sized pieces and add to the food processor along with the 2 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons of the Grand Marnier. Pulse to combine. Spoon the walnut mixture into the Bundt pan.

Cream the sugar and the remaining 1 1/2 sticks of butter in the bowl of an electric standing mixer on low for 10 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the mascarpone and continue to cream one minute longer.

Combine the sour cream, eggs, the remaining 2 teaspoons zest, 3 tablespoons of the orange juice, and 1 tablespoon of the remaining Grand Marnier in a small bowl with a whisk.

Sift 2 cups of the cake flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt.


Add one third of the egg mixture to the mixer and mix on low until combined. Add one third of the flour mixture and mix on low until combined. Continue two more times, using the remaining egg mixture and flour mixture. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the beater and the bottom of the mixing bowl and fold the ingredients together until well combined.

Spoon the cake batter into the Bundt pan on top of the walnut mixture and lightly spread with a spatula to even.

Bake for 50 minutes, turning the cake midway through cooking. Test the cake for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the cake, avoiding the crack. Only small crumbs should adhere. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan 5 to 10 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack.

Make an orange glaze by combining the powdered sugar with the remaining 1 tablespoon of Grand Marnier and the remaining 3 tablespoons of orange juice. Drizzle over the warm cake.

Allow the cake to cool completely before serving.

APPLE RUM BREAD PUDDING

APPLE RUM BREAD PUDDING
WITH BUTTERSCOTCH RUM SAUCE


1 loaf french bread, cut into 1 inch cubes, about 5 1/3 cups

1 cup whole milk
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp + 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp rum

2 large apples, peeled and cored, cut into thin slices or cubes (whichever you prefer)

To make the bread pudding:
Lightly toast the bread cubes in the oven or in a small oven toaster until very light brown with a slight crunch, 5 to 10 minutes should do. Remove and set aside.

Heat the milk with the brown sugar and granulated sugar in a pan on low heat until completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer this mixture to a bowl and mix in the heavy cream. Whisk in the eggs gradually until well combined. Add the vanilla, 1 tsp cinnamon and rum and mix well. Set aside.

In another bowl, sprinkle the 1/2 tsp cinnamon over the apples and mix until well coated.

Butter an 8x8 inch square baking dish. Arrange half the amount of bread cubes in a single, even layer. Spread the apples evenly over the bread cubes. Top with the remaining half of bread cubes. Carefully pour the custard mixture evenly over the whole thing. Set aside for 30 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the fridge, covered. Gently press down the bread cubes with the back of a wooden spoon to properly soak all the bread cubes every 10 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes until the pudding is set. Best served warm drizzled with the butterscotch rum sauce.

NOTES: Mine puffed up quite a bit while baking in the oven and sank a little once cooled.
Bread puddings are meant to be eaten warm, swimming in thick, rich, caramel sauce spiked with rum. It IS the ONLY WAY to eat bread pudding!
Just drizzle the sauce on a slice and pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds or so on high. The pudding becomes more moist, softer and SO delicious!  This one is a REAL KEEPER.

Now for the BEST PART!

BUTTERSCOTCH RUM SAUCE

2/3 cup heavy cream
5 tbsp + 1 tsp butter
1 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp rum

Put everything together, except for the rum, in a saucepan on low heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring once in a while until nice and thick. Remove from the heat and stir in the rum. Drizzle warm pudding slices with the sauce before serving.

FARMERS CASSEROLE

FARMERS CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS
* 3 
cups frozen hash browns

* 3⁄4
cup shredded monterey jack pepper cheese

* 1 
cup cubed cooked ham

* 1⁄4
cup green onion, well chopped

* 4 
well beaten eggs

* 1
(12 ounce) can evaporated milk

* 1⁄4
teaspoon black pepper

* 1⁄2
teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

* Grease 2 quart rectangular baking dish.

* Arrange potatoes evenly on bottom of baking dish.

* Sprinkle with cheese, ham, onions.

* Combine milk and eggs and seasonings.

* Pour over potatoes and cheese.

* Refrigerate over night.

* Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes until set.

* Let rest 5 minutes before serving.