Enrique's Cream Cheese Flan

One summer I lived with Enrique, a Puerto Rican who loved to make flan. He graciously made flan for me and shared his recipe with me. Needless to say Enrique's flan was DELICIOUS and very easy to make. Below are notes directly from Enrique:

The flan recipe is super simple. I've written the one I use below but I've also found this site to be extremely helpful. http://www.elboricua.com/flan.html

Equipment:

Blender

Pot

9-10 inch pan for flan

Pan that can hold first pan (for water bath)

Oven set to 350

Refrigerator for cooling

Caramel Coating:

Sugar

Water

I usually eyeball this. I think its 2 cups of sugar with a tablespoon or two of water. Heat while mixing until it turns a golden brown. I stop it at the first sign of burning. Pour into the pan and let it cover the bottom and harden. 

Batter:

4 eggs (can use 3 - 5 depending on how much you like egg)

2 cans evaporated milk Sugar to taste (I think we used a cup)

(Normal recipe is 1 can evaporated + 1 can condensed)

1 stick of cream cheese

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Blend above together and pour into 9inch pan. Place into water bath in the oven and cook until surface turns a little brown - about 45 minutes.

Remove from oven. Be careful about the hot water. 

Cool and refrigerate for at least 4 hrs. To serve, take a knife and cut around the edge. Take serving plate and place on top of baking pan. Flip so that flan falls onto plate. 

Old Fashioned Gingerbread

I absolutely love spice cakes, especially during the holidays. I haven't made gingerbread in a few years, but woke up this morning with a very strong craving for something spicy. Expect more holiday ginger-recipes to come!

I opted for an old fashioned gingerbread, found here.

Ingredients:

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c butter, at room temperature

1 egg, at room temperature

1 c molasses, the darker the better

2 1/2 c flour

1 1/2 t baking soda

1 t ground cinnamon

1 t ground ginger, or 1 T fresh

1/2 t ground cloves

1/2 t salt

1 c hot water

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Sift the dry ingredients and spices together in a small bowl, and boil the water. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar, then beat in the egg. Add the molasses and mix until combined. Mix in the water and dry ingredients, alternating between the two until everything is mixed together. Pour into a greased and floured 9''x9'' pan and bake for 1 hour, until a knife comes out clean.

Let sit ~5 minutes and then run a knife along the edge of the pan and flip the gingerbread out onto a wire rack to cool. Wait at least 30 minutes before serving.

This was fun to make, and as others had suggested in the reviews, I doubled the spices. If you aren't so crazy about spices, as I am, stick to the original quantity. The flavors were spot on, the cake was moist yet fluffy, and not too sweet overall. It will taste great served with a dollop of whipped cream of vanilla ice cream.

Grinding the spices

Butter and sugar, before creaming

Dry ingredients and spices

Creamed butter and sugar 

Butter, sugar, and egg

Adding the molasses

Ready to bake

Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sage Sauce

Gnocchi has been a longstanding family tradition. This particular combination of butternut squash, sage, and nutmeg, will leave your taste buds craving more!

Squash, after roasting.

Ingredients for the Gnocchi:
1 Small-Medium butternut squash
1 Large Russet potato
1 Egg
1/2 t Salt
Nutmeg, as desired
Flour

Ingredients for the Sauce:
2-3 Sprigs fresh sage
2 T Butter
2 T Olive oil
Nutmeg, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and place face down on a baking dish in 1-1 1/2'' water. Place the squash in the oven and roast for 20-30 minutes, until the skin is browned and a fork easily slides into the flesh. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Meanwhile, wash the potato and boil it whole in a small pot of salted water. Do not cut the potato, otherwise it become water-logged and the gnocchi will not be light and fluffy. It is done when a fork goes in easily.

Drain the potato and peel after it is cooled and is easy to handle. Do the same for the squash, making sure to discard all skin. Push the potato and squash through a ricer into a large bowl. If you don't have a ricer, you can also use a regular potato masher, but the dough won't hvae the same amount of lightness. Cover the vegetables with a towel and set aside to cool.

Once the vegetables are no longer steaming, and add the egg to the bowl. Sprinkle in the 1/2 t salt, and add a sprinkle of nutmeg. With a fork, mix everything together, being careful not to over-mix. This is not making mashed potatoes; It should have the consistency of a light dough.

Once the ingredients are evenly distributed, begin sprinkling flour into the bowl, while still mixing with the fork. As you add flour, the dough will get harder to stir. Stop adding flour when the mixture has formed a dough and it is only slightly sticky to the touch. (If in doubt, err on the side of adding too little flour, than adding too much.)

Gather the dough into a ball, and pour it onto a floured working surface. Knead gently until the stickiness is gone and the dough is workable, adding flour as needed. This only takes about a minute. Roll into a log, then cut into thick 1'' slices. Sprinkle more flour on the work surface, then roll each slice into a long snake, about 3/4'' in diameter. Cut each snake into 1'' angled pieces and roll in extra flour, before placing on a floured baking pan. Do this until all of the dough is cut into gnocchi, floured, and on the pan. Refrigerate if not using immediately, but make sure to serve the same day.

When cooking, use a wide-brimmed pot. The gnocchi will cook in about 1-2 minutes. Stir them around, as they might stick to the bottom. As soon as they float to the top of the water, fish them out using a large strainer or slotted spoon.

The sauce is very simple to make and can be heated while you are cooking the gnocchi. In a saucepan, melt the butter and oil together on M heat. Add the sage leaves and cook about 1-2 minutes. The sauce should be bubbling. Set aside. When ready to serve, pour the mixture over the gnocchi and toss to coat. Sprinkle with just a touch of nutmeg and enjoy!

Slowly adding flour to the vegetables.

A detail to show the airiness of the dough.

Making the gnocchi:

Russian Borscht (With beef or vegetarian)

My sister-in-law is Russian and it is always a treat when she decides to make Borscht (the 't' is silent). This time I took photos and documented the process so I could share the recipe on here. All credit to my sister-in-law, Tanya, and her book "Please To The Table: The Russian Cookbook" by Anya von Bremzen and John Welchman.

This time she made it using a pressure cooker, so it took less than half the time to cook. If you don't have a pressure cooker, follow the recipe but make everything in a large pot.

Veggies cooking.

Ingredients:

6 T (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch dice
3 1/2 cups shredded green cabbage
1 medium-sized beet, peeled and grated
1 small rib celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 tart apple, cored and cut into 1-inch dice
2 medium-size boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 quarts vegetable stock, canned broth, or water
Bouquet garni (1 bay leaf and 8 peppercorns tied in a cheesecloth bag)
1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1/2 teaspoon sugar, or more, to taste

Liquid removed after cooking the beef.

On the side, for garnish:

Sour cream, or greek yogurt
Fresh dill, finely chopped
Fresh parsley, finely chopped
Sliced bread
Salt and Pepper
Cloves of garlic, crushed

First, cook the beef (if using) with 1 c water in the pressure cooker. When done, separate out the liquid stock (~2c) and save the meat. Set aside.

Melt the butter in the pressure cooker pot (or large soup pot) over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and bell pepper and saute until slightly softened, ~5 minutes.

Stir in the cabbage, beet and celery and continue to cook, stirring and tossing occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes.


When all the veggies are soft, stir in the apple, potatoes, tomato paste, and garlic, then add the stock and bouquet garni. At this point you will close the pressure cooker and let it do it's thing (follow the direcitons for your specific model). If using a regular pot, bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

Finally, add the paprika, salt and pepper, sugar, and lemon juice to taste. Let stand at least 2 to 3 hours, or overnight. Before serving, remove the bouquet garni. Serve with salt and pepper, fresh sour cream, chopped dill and parsley, bread, and crushed garlic. As Tanya says, it's the final toppings that separate good borscht from GREAT borscht, so add liberally!

Brown Butter Cauliflower with Pears, Sage, and Hazelnuts

The second dish I made pre-Thanksgiving, brown butter cauliflower with pears, sage, and hazenuts was a real winner! The distinct combination of flavors in this dish kept everyone coming back for more. Needless to say, we had very few leftovers, and they disappeared quickly.

This dish complemented the wild rice, farro, and citrus salad nicely.

Ingredients:
3 oz/6 T unsalted butter, I used 4 T and it still tasted great
1 M head a cauliflower, sliced across with center removed, to make florets. These should be 3/4'' slices.
1/2 c hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
8 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced
2 T chopped fresh parsley
2 large ripe pears, skinned with seeds removed, and thinly sliced
salt and pepper, to taste

First, prep the ingredients. If using store-bought roasted hazelnuts, measure out 1/2 c and coarsely chop. If using raw--like I did--crack out of the shell and measure 1/2 c. Preheat the oven to 350 F and place the hazelnuts in the oven on a sheet pan. Toast about 10-15 minutes, giving them a shake every 5. Be careful not to overcook, as it is very easy to burn them! (I'm speaking from experience here.) If you would like to remove the skins, place the hot nuts in a towel and rub. When cool, chop and set aside.

When ready, heat a large skillet over M. Add the butter and melt until the color has darkened and it is bubbling. Add the cauliflower, sage, and hazelnuts and cook ~2 minutes, stirring often. Add salt and pepper, and cook until the cauliflower is browned and can be easily stabbed with a fork, ~6 minutes more.

Remove the pan from heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes. Add the pear and parsley and toss to combine. Add more salt and pepper, if desired, and serve. This can be served warm or at room temperature, it tastes just as good either way.

Wild Rice, Farro, and Tangerine Salad

In the buzz surrounding the Thanksgiving holiday, I found myself bombarded with delicious-looking fall recipes. I decided to start cooking right away, instead of waiting for Thanksgiving.

The first dish I wanted to try was a wild rice, farro, and tangerine salad from Bon Appetit. This recipe is quite simple, just make sure you set aside about an hour to cook the grains. The grains can also be made a day ahead of time.

Cooking the farro

Ingredients:
4 sprigs thyme
6 cups water or vegetable stock
1 c wild rice
1 c farro
4 tangerines or 2 oranges
1/4 c vegetable oil, I used olive
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Rinse the wild rice and farro (separately) and place each in a pot with 3 c liquid, either vegetable stock, water or both. Add 2 sprigs thyme to each pot, and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 30-40 minutes. Taste each grain to see if is done, and discard any remaining water. The rice should cook ~5-10 minutes faster than the farro.

Wild rice, after cooking

While the grains are cooking, prep the citrus fruit. Peel and remove all of the skin and outer white layer. Here, you can either use a knife to cut the inner segments out of the skin, which is very tedious, or leave the skin on. If using oranges, slice each segment into 3-4 smaller pieces. Make sure you reserve the juice while cutting the citrus.

When the grains are done, remove the thyme, drain off any excess liquid and combine. Let cool to room temperature, if serving right away, or place in the refrigerator and chill overnight.

Whisk together the oil and orange juice, and pour over the grains. Mix thoroughly. Sprinkle in the tangerine slices, scallions, and salt and pepper. Toss and serve.

When I made this I forgot to buy scallions, so the dish was a bit more bland than I would have liked. That being said, it was still tasty and enjoyed by all.

Grains, cooling

Tangerines + juice and oil

Shakshuka

I recently took a trip to Israel and discovered Shakshuka. Shakshuka is originally from North Africa, but easily found in the middle east. Traditionally, it is a spicy egg and tomato stew served with bread. Although traditionally served for breakfast, this dish is also served as the main course or one of several smaller dinner courses.

I found this recipe online on the blog of David Lebovitz, who also first ate Shakshuka in Israel. Here is his original recipe.

This makes about 4-5 servings, and will take about an hour to prep and cook.

Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1 M onion or 2 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 chili pepper, diced with seeds removed--adjust for desired spice level
1 t salt
1 t black pepper
1 t paprika
1 t caraway seeds, crushed
1 t cumin seeds, crushed, or 3/4 t ground
1/2 t turmeric
2 lb (1 kg) fresh tomatoes, diced (canned is okay)
2 T tomato paste
2 t honey
1 t red wine vinegar
1 c loosely packed greens (~ 1-2 leaves) I used kale, but swiss chard, spinach, radish greens, and watercress will work
4 oz (~1 c feta cheese)
4-6 eggs
Fresh bread or couscous for serving

A note on ingredients: This list includes a few adjustments I made while cooking or after tasting the final product. The original recipe called for 1 1/2 t salt, but I found this to be too salty. It is always better to use less salt when cooking and add more later. For the greens, I used more--probably closer to 2 cups--and it still came out fine. Because the dish was so salty, I used much less feta cheese, than the 4oz called for in the recipe.

First, prep all the veggies. Measure and mix the spices and crush the caraway and cumin seeds. Heat the olive oil in a pan on M/H, add the onion and garlic and cook ~5 minutes until soft. Add the chili pepper and spices. Stir constantly for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, honey and vinegar.

Reduce heat to M/L and cook for 12-15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened, but is still somewhat thin. Stir in the greens. If you are not ready to eat, turn off the pan and set aside.

When you are ready to serve the shakshuka, place the pan over L heat and sprinkle in the cheese. Use a large spoon to make 4-6 indentations in the stew. Crack one egg into each spot, and gently drag the whites out into the rest of the stew. Do not disturb the yolks. Cover and cook 3-5 minutes, until the eggs are cooked as you like.

Serve immediately in a bowl with fresh bread or over couscous.

In addition to the changes noted above, I found this to be a bit too thick compared to the shakshuka I had in Israel. I underestimated how long it would take the eggs to cook, and much of the liquid was lost in this stage. Next time I will cook it for 10 minutes prior to adding the eggs, and maybe even add more fresh tomatoes to balance out the other ingredients.

Overall, this was still very tasty--and spicy too--and I look forward to sharing it with friends.

Cooking the celery and garlic

Added the spices

Plus everything else

After cooking ~15 minutes

Cooking the eggs