Guava Cheese Pastries (Pastelitos de Guayaba c/queso)

From my Cuban side and Juliann Esquivel (justapinch.com)
These are just DELICIOUS!!!!

INGREDIENTS
1 pkg frozen puff pastry, (pepperidge farm brand 17.3 oz)
16 oz Guava Paste (Ate de Guayaba)
1 pkg cream cheese 8 oz
1/4 c white sugar
2 Tbsp white sugar

DIRECTIONS
Set out your puff pastry, and cream cheese about half hour before preparing.

After cream cheese has set out for a while, put it in a bowl and beat with hand mixer until creamy 

Add the 1/4 cup sugar and continue to mix until all the sugar is well incorporated. 

Set aside.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper set aside. 

Take one sheet of the puff pastry, put some flour on your flat surface and with a rolling pin roll the pastry a little each way to make a large rectangle. 

With a sharp knife cut the pastry in three equal strips and then cut across two times. Making nine equal pieces.

Take the guava paste and cut it in small slices. They will be about 2 1/2 inches long and 1/4 inch in thicknes. Cut 18 slices.

Take one square of the puff pastry; spread 1 teaspoonsful of cream cheese in the middle; lay a slice of guava paste across the cheese and fold over the edge. 

With a fork crimp the edge all around. Sprinkle with white sugar; lay on the parchment lined cookie sheet Put into the oven and bake for 20/25 minutes. Check them at 20 minutes; if they are golden pull them out.

Poulet au vin Blanc (White wine Chicken)

VERY EASY!!!
From Darlyne Chauve


INGREDIENTS:

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 packet of lipton onion soup (I made my own soup)
2 cups white wine
One bay leaf
Black olives (I like green better)
Assorted chicken pieces (I used only boneless chicken breast)
One cup half and half

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven 350*F
Mix all the ingredients together.  ( except the half and half)
In a cooking pot that goes in the oven put the sauce and the chicken, cover with Tin foil
Bake in oven for 1.1/2 hours (30 min for boneless chicken breast)
After that take tin foil off, stir in half and half and continue to cook for another. 15 minutes (5 for boneless chicken breast)

Voila  Poulet aux vin blanc the easy way!!!


Serve over steamed potatoes or white rice.

Picadillo (Ground beef stew)

INGREDIENTS

1/2 kg lean ground beef
3 medium tomatoes
1 medium finely chopped white onion
1 cup assorted veggies (carrots, chickpeas, green beans, all vegies can be frozen)
1/2 cup cubed potatoes
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp olive oil
1 serrano chile (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Add olive oil to a stew pot, add 1/2 chopped onion and then, once fried add the cubed potatoes, cook for 3 min and add lean ground beef cook for 3 more min and add 1 chopped tomato, cook thoroughly. Stir it a bit.

Add all frozen veggies to the pot, and stir them for 5 minutes.
While the meat is cooking, to a blender add the other 2 tomatoes, the stock and the other 1/2 onion.

Stir in the blended sauce and season with salt.

Cover and bring to a boil adding the Serrano chile if so. Add more stock if it gets too dry. Once boiled, reduce heat to low and cook for another 15 minutes until the meat is completely cooked. Picadillo must be a bit runny; not too dry or watery.

Serve over white rice!

Mole de Olla

From guiadetacos.com w/ minor tweeks

INGREDIENTS:
• 1 kilogram of beef cut in cubes
• 2 Corns
• 5 zucchini
• ½ Onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• ¼ kilogram of green beans
• 2 epazote stems
• 2 carrots
• 5 Pasilla Chiles
• Salt to taste


DIRECTIONS:

- Soak the chiles until tender, take off the veins and put in a blender with an onion and 1 garlic clove.
- In a Slow Cook on medium: Cook the meat with two gallons of water approximately ¼ of onion and the rest of the garlic and add the chile sauce and salt to taste. Let cook for about 2 hrs.

-Cut the corn in four, slice zucchini, carrots and green beans and add to the meat (after 2 hrs) and let all cook together for 1 more hr aprox
- 5 minutes before all done cooked add the Epazote

Serve hot with lime juice. 

Bûche de Noël

"Biuche" as per Pamela Caro ;-)
From Berenice Alvarez


INGREDIENTS:

 For the cake:
• 7 egg yolks
• 4 egg whites
• 80 g sugar
• 40 g flour
• 40 g of starch
• a pinch of salt
• butter

 For the chocolate ganache:
• 400 g of chocolate rich in cocoa
• 30 cl whipping cream
• 50 g butter, softened

 For the nougat cream
• 400 g of almond nougat
• 30 cl whipping cream
• 50 g butter, softened

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 210 ° C (th.7).
Prepare the cake:
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with 60 g of powdered sugar until the mixture whitens.
Wisk the egg whites until stiff then incorporate the remaining sugar.
Mix ONLY 2 tbsps of egg whites to the egg yolks and sugar mix.
Mix the flour, cornstarch and salt and add to the previous mixture alternating 1 tbsp of egg whites, 1 tbsp of flour...
Line a rectangular baking sheet 30 cm x 40 cm buttered and floured w/ parchment paper, then pour the dough into even layer.
Fill half way up and cook 8 to 12 minutes, without leaving the cake to dry.
Remove from oven, invert the plate on a clean, damp cloth, remove the parchment paper.
Roll the biscuit and keep it wrapped in the towel until completely cooled.

Prepare the chocolate ganache:
In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Break the chocolate in a heat resistant bowl and melt it gently in a bain-marie. Mix until smooth, then remove from heat.
Add the softened butter at room temperature and stir until melted.
Pour the cream gently on the surface of chocolate. Mix quickly with a whisk for a smooth and shiny. Let cool to firm.

Prepare the cream of nougat:
In a small pot heat the cream, butter and nougat. Mix to obtain a cream. Cool

When the cake is cooled, unroll it and then spread the nougat cream in an even layer. Roll the biscuit back on itself and place it on a flat plate, opening underneath.
Place the log in the refrigerator for 6 hours minimum for the firming cream and all the flavors amalgamate.
After this time, prepare the frosting:
Reheat gently to soften the ganache, whisking, then over all the log using a flexible metal spatula.
Let cool and decorate with a fork, powdered sugar and ornaments
Serve chilled.

Rosca de Reyes

INGREDIENTS:
· 2 ¼ tsps dry yeast
· ¼ cup warm water
· ¼ cup milk
· ¼ cup sugar
· ¼ cup unsalted butter
· 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
· 1 tbsp of anise extract or agua de azar
· 3½ – 4 cups all-purpose flour
· 3 large eggs
· 1 tsp water
· candied fruit for garnish (acitron, orange, cherries)
For the sugar pasta:
· ½ cup sugar
· 1 egg yolk
· ½ cup flour
· 1/3 cup butter, softened

DIRECTIONS:
1. Dissolve yeast in warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes or until it starts foaming.
2. In a small pot warm milk and add sugar, butter, vanilla, anise and rum. Mix until it reaches about 105°F (40°C) (it will be warm to the touch)
3. Mix milk mixture with yeast mixture and add 3½ cups of flour, one at a time, and 3 eggs. Knead for 10 minutes. Add more flour if the dough is too wet.
4. Place dough into a bowl and cover. Let it sit until it doubles in size, about 1.5 hours, punch the dough, knead for 2 minutes and let rise again for 1.5 hours.
5. Pre-heat oven to 350ºF (175°C)
6. Turn the dough onto a slightly floured surface and using your palms roll it into a long rope and insert 3 plastic figurines. Shape it into a ring sealing the ends together (do not stretch it too much, no more than 14" diameter)
8. In a small bowl mix the ingredients for the pasta mixing them with a fork until they come
together. Using an icing knife or bag spread strips of pasta on the bread alternating with
candied fruit strips.
9. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until it turns golden brown. Let it cool on a rack for 10 minutes and serve with Mexican Hot Chocolate.

Brined and Roasted Turkey

From Emeril Lagasse foodnetwork.com w/ minor tweeks

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (8 pound) turkey
• Brine, recipe follows
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into 8ths
• 1 large orange, cut into 8ths
• 1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken or turkey stock, for basting

Turkey Broth:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 large celery stalk, coarsely chopped
• 1 small bay leaf
• 3 cups turkey stock, chicken stock, or canned low-salt chicken broth
• 3 cups water
• 
  

DIRECTIONS

Remove the neck, giblets, and liver from the cavity of the turkey (Trader Joe's are clean and empty, just w/ the neck). Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water.

Soak the turkey in the brine, covered and refrigerated, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. (I did that in a large plastic bucket covered w/ foil)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well under cold running water (save all the ingredients you'll use them to stuff the turkey). Pat dry with paper towels, inside and out. Place breast side down in a large, heavy roasting pan, and rub on all sides with the butter. Season lightly inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey with the onion, orange, celery, carrot, bay leaves, and thyme. Loosely tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string.

For the turkey broth: Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Add the turkey neck, heart, and gizzard (if so) to the pan and saute until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add the chopped vegetables and bay leaf to the pan and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Pour the stock and 3 cups of water into the pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the stock is reduced to 4 cups, about 1 hour.

Strain the stock into a clean pot or large measuring cup.

Roast the turkey, uncovered, breast side down for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, turn, and baste with 1/2 cup stock. Continue roasting with the breast side up until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the largest section of thigh (avoiding the bone), about 2 3/4 to 3 hours total cooking time. Baste the turkey once every 1/2 hour with 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock.

Remove from the oven and place on a platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Brine:

• 1 cup salt
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 oranges, quartered
• 2 lemons, quartered
• 6 sprigs thyme
• 4 sprigs rosemary

To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a non-reactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, plastic garbage bag.) Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary.

Note: if you have a big turkey and need more brine than this, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water.

Mexican Buñuelos

From Pamela Caro


INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of all purpose flour (I used whole wheat)
4 eggs
1 tbsp of granulated sugar
1/8 tsp of salt
1 cup of milk
Vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

-Beat eggs slightly. Add 1 tablespoon sugar and salt. Add flour and milk alternately, blending until smooth. Stir in vanilla. 

-The batter should be about as thick as pancake batter. If it isn't, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time. If it is too thick, add a teaspoon of milk at a time.

-Heat 3" of oil in a deep pan (I used a wok) to 365 degrees. (A deep frying thermometer is very helpful, and I highly recommend it.) 

-Place a rosette iron in the hot oil for 60 seconds. There's no way to take the temperature of the iron; it just has to be hot.

-Dip the hot iron into the batter, making sure NOT to let the batter run over the top of the iron. If you do, the rosette will be impossible to remove. 

-Immerse the coated iron in the hot fat and fry for about 7 seconds until light brown. Slip off into hot oil for aprox 3 more seconds on each side, transfer to a paper towel.

-On large plate, combine 1 cup sugar and cinnamon and mix well. Dip rosettes in this mixture while still warm.  

-Makes about 75 rosettes.

Flourless Oatmeal Cinnamon Cookies

From Gluten Free Easily w/minor tweeks.

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups  oats
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
2/3 cup finely chopped almonds
1/2 tsp powder cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
-Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly. Place oats in a medium-sized bowl. Stir in both sugars and the salt and blend to break up any lumps.
-In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the melted butter, vanilla extract, and egg. Stir this egg mixture into the oat mixture and add almonds and cinnamon, mixing with your hands or a large wooden spoon to work in the ingredients. Form into a large ball of dough.
-Chill the dough about 30 minutes.
-Preheat oven to 350ºF. Meanwhile, prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper.
-Chilled dough will still be somewhat soft when removed from the refrigerator. Form the dough into 1-inch balls (or lumps, don’t stress) and place on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Flatten each ball down very slightly.
-Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until the edges are nicely browned and the tops of the cookies are medium golden in color.

-Cool well on the baking sheet (about 10 minutes) before attempting to remove, using a spatula.
-Recipe makes 1 1/2 dozen cookies.