Tastes of the Americas

FLAN

Place in a sauce pan over med high heat-

1 & 1/2 cups sugar

Stir with a wooden spoon while the sugar melts. Once the sugar is all dissolved and melted and turning a deep golden color, pour into the baking dish. Quickly rotate the pan to coat with melted sugar. The sugar will harden in the pan.

In a separate bowl mix VERY WELL:

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 eggs

1 can sweetened and condensed milk

1 can evaporated milk

1/2 can of water

Pour into the baking dish that is coated with the melted sugar. Bake in a water bath. To do this place whole casserole in a larger casserole. Add HOT water to the larger casserole until it reaches 1/2 way up the baking dish. (Click the previous link to see a picture of the water bath baking method) Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature then cover and put in the refrigerator for at least an hour or over night. To serve, use a knife to cut around the edge of the flan to release from the pan. Place the larger baking dish that you used for the water bath on the counter. Invert the baking dish the flan is in, over the larger baking dish. Serve with whipping cream. YUMMM!!!!

SPINACH CAKE

In a blender add:

1/2 liter (2 cups) milk

6 cups packed spinach

Blend until all of the spinach is completely pureed. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream until light and fluffy:

700 g (3 & 1/2 Cups) sugar

8 large eggs

Once light and fluffy, add in:

500 g (1 lbs) melted butter

Then add in:

800 g (6 & 1/3 cups) flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoon vanilla

Once this is mixed well add the spinach milk puree. Pour into 2 large greased baking dishes. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. You may also add cocoa powder to make it a chocolate spinach cake :)

SHEPHERDS PIE

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a large skillet add:

1.5 lbs ground beef

Cook thoroughly, then add:

1/2 of an onion, chopped

3 chopped tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, chopped

salt and pepper to taste.

Cook for 5 minutes. Set aside. In another pan mix together:

1/4 cups water

2 teaspoons flour

2 cubes bullion

Once mixed well add:

16 oz pkg frozen vegetables

Heat for about 5 minutes and then mix it with the ground beef mixture and pour into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

In another bowl mix well:

4 Cups mashed potatoes

8 oz cream cheese

Layer the mashed potatoes over the ground beef and veggies in the baking dish. Top with:

1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes.

MEATBALLS

Cut each into 12 chunks:

2 hardboiled eggs

Set aside. Then, combine in blender:

1 raw egg

1 t celery salt

2 t pepper

2 t salt

1/2 of a medium onion

2 cloves of garlic or shakes of garlic powder

Blend until smooth. Pour this over:

2 lbs ground beef

Mix well then form into golf ball sized balls with a piece of the hard boiled egg inside each meatball. Place meatballs into a 12 inch skillet, where the sauce is already simmering. Cover with a lid and simmer on low for 1 to 1 & 1/2 hours.

SAUCE OPTIONS

#1 Water

Enough water to go halfway up the 12 in pan. Add 1 onion, quartered and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and add meatballs, cover and simmer as mentioned above, BUT during the last 30 minutes add chunks of potatoes and carrots and cook until veggies are fork tender.

#2 Tomato

1 qt jar of homemade tomato sauce (a blender full of tomatoes, 1/2 an onion and a couple cloves of garlic, blended. Add to this, 2 Cups of water and salt and pepper to taste. Once the meatballs are cooked, I serve them with rice and chipotle chili sauce.

TAQUITOS

4 chicken breasts, cooked until tender, then shred ( I like to cook mine in the crockpot all day with a little of the tomatillo salsa)

1 large pkg of fresh corn tortillas

Heat the tortillas in the microwave to make pliable. Place a small amount of chicken into each tortilla and roll, set aside. You might need to use a tooth pick to hold them shut. In a large skillet, pour oil to just under an inch high. Heat to medium high heat. Carefully add taquitos into the hot oil. Turn over once the bottoms are golden brown. Cook on the other side until golden. Remove from oil with tongs and let drain on a rack, paper grocery sacks or paper towels. To serve, lightly "frost" or drizzle with sour cream. Sprinkle with shredded lettuce and then with cheese. Drizzle or dip in tomatillo salsa.

TOMATILLO SALSA

6 tomatillos

2 cloves garlic

1/2 onion

Simmer until just tender, drain and then blend in the blender until smooth. You may add fresh cilantro and jalapeño if you chose.