Hot Salsa

Hot salsa in 4 minutes. This salsa is NOT a taco salsa, but rather for tortilla chips or tostadas.

INGREDIENTS
2 large tomatoes

2 large jalapeños (or more if you like spicy food)

1/2 large onion

2 small cloves of garlic

1/2 a bunch of coriander

knorr tomato & coriander bouillon

salt

DIRECTIONS-

Wash the vegetables and coriander. Cut the stem of the jalapeños. Place the jalapeños, tomatoes, onion and garlic cloves in a plastic bag where they fit well enough (grocery plastic bags, such as the ones they have in the vegetable section of the supermarkets will do). Fill 1/3 or a little bit less than half of the plastic bag (ingredients inside) with water. Roll the open-ended part of the plastic bag tightly. Place it in a deep microwavable bowl and put it in the microwave for approximately 3 minutes or until the tomato and jalapeños have been softened.

After that, open the bag with precaution and slowly, taking care not to direct the opening to your face (vapors might irritate and/or burn your face). Empty the ingredients (along with the remaining of the water) in the blender. Add the bouillon to taste (a tablespoon is usually enough) and blend for 3 to 4 minutes.

Serve warm and enjoy!

FLAN

INGREDIENTS

1 cup and 1/2 cup sugar
6 eggs
1 14oz sweetened condensed milk
2 13oz cans evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS-

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. You will need 6 ramekins or other specialty flan cook ware and a large baking pan to put them in.

Pour 1 cup sugar in warm pan over medium heat. Constantly stir sugar until is browns and becomes caramel. Quickly pour approximately 2-3 tablespoons of caramel in each ramekin, tilting it to swirl the caramel around the sides. Reheat caramel if it starts to harden.

In a mixer or with a whisk, blend the eggs together. Mix in the milks then slowly mix in the 1/2 cup of sugar, then the vanilla. Blend smooth after each ingredient is added.

Pour custard into caramel lined ramekins. Place ramekins in a large glass or ceramic baking dish and fill with about 1-2 inches of hot water. Bake for 45 minutes in the water bath and check with a knife just to the side of the center. If knife comes out clean, it's ready.

Remove and let cool. Let each ramekin cool in refrigerator for 1 hour. Invert each ramekin onto a small plate, the caramel sauce will flow over the custard.

This particular recipe can be found in about.com in "mexican food", mom´s flan recipe had waaayy too much detail. Still the same concept so, enjoy!!! However, for the chocolate/flan cake I will give you the flan recipe directly from the cookbook just because it goes so much better with it, and well, because IT IS BETTER!

Black Bean Cream

INGREDIENTS-

1 Maggi cream of mushroom soup bag
1 cup black beans (cook and blend for about 4 min)
1 medium-size onion (chopped)
4 1/4 cups of water
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 cup croûtons
3 tbsp bacon pieces

DIRECTIONS-

Simmer all the ingredients, except for the croûtons and bacon pieces, in a pot for approximately 10 minutes. Sprinkle the croûtons and bacon pieces when ready to serve.

Sweet Plantains

Easy dessert, enjoy!

INGREDIENTS-

6 plantains

100 grs sugar
34 fl.oz. orange juice (1 liter)
5 tbsp rum
almonds or pecans

DIRECTIONS-

Peel the bananas (duh!) and place them on a tray.

Dissolve 50 grs of sugar in the orange juice and add the rum, pour the mix on the bananas and sprinkle the remaining 50 grs of sugar.

Bake in oven at 392 degrees for approximately 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the almonds or pecans and serve warm.

Cheese-Stuffed Jalapeños

CHEESE-STUFFED JALAPEÑOZZZZ!

Well, being that I just had some for lunch (and yes, my mom made them) I thought I would share the recipe with you. Slight alterations to the original recipe are in order because I happen to be out of my house and out of the cookbook. However, I assure you that, even though it's not gonna be as good, it's still gonna be good :).

INGREDIENTS-

12 large jalapeños
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
5 tbsp flour
salt
1 block Philadelphia cream cheese (cut up in little rectangles, one for each jalapeño)
cooking oil

DIRECTIONS-

Beat the eggs, add the baking powder, flour and salt.
Cut the stem of the jalapeños, deseed them and stuff them with the cheese.
Cover each pepper with the flour-egg mixture and fry in hot oil until brown. Drain oil by placing jalapeños over a flat surface covered with thick napkins.
Serve warm.

Tah Dah!!!!

Easy Salsa

INGREDIENTS -

1 big red tomato

1/4 cup minced onion

2-3 coriander leaves (chopped)

green pepper (mince and extract the seeds; you can use as much or as you want)

1/2 lime (juice)

salt

DIRECTIONS

Cut the tomato in 2 to 4 pieces and place it in a glass container. Cover with plastic, seal.
Get the recipient in the microwave (high) for about 3 minutes. Uncover, peel the tomato and cut into smaller pieces.
Mix all the ingredients (including the tomato juice in the container) in the blender for about 5 seconds.
Serve warm or lukewarm.

Salmon Dip

As easy as 1-2-3...

INGREDIENTS-

1 can smoked salmon (approximately 2 oz.)

1 8oz Philadelphia cream cheese block

3 tablespoons sour cream

Red onion, mince as much or as little as you like

DIRECTIONS-

Shred the salmon (use a couple of forks), mix the ingredients using a fork, get some saltine crackers or chips and enjoy!