World Recipes

Cream Cheese Flan (Flan de Queso - Guatemala)

Cream Cheese Flan
16 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
7 large eggs
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whip cream cheese, eggs and condensed milk in a blender or food processor. Add milk, sugar and vanilla extract; process until smooth.

Caramelized Sugar
1 cup granulated sugar

Cook sugar in a small heavy saucepan or a copper caramelizing pot over medium heat. Stir constantly until the sugar turns a honey color. As the sugar begins to dissolve, stir only occasionally. Once dissolved, continue cooking without stirring until it is a deep amber color. The color will change rapidly, so closely monitor the saucepan. Immediately after removing caramelized sugar from the burner, pour it into a 2-quart souffle dish. Quickly tilt the dish in various directions so that the caramelized sugar coats the bottom and sides.

Pour the cream cheese mixture into the souffle dish, and then place it in a water bath, any shallow pan large enough to hold the dish with room to spare and filled with 1 inch of hot water. Bake the flan on the middle rack in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a knife inserted off center comes out clean. The flan will puff completely, like a pumpkin pie, when it has finished baking.

Remove the flan from the oven and carefully lift the dish from the water bath.

Allow the flan to cool while you prepare the cookie crumb crust.

Cookie Crumb Crust
8 ounces chocolate wafer cookies
4 tablespoons lightly salted butter, melted

Grind half of the cookies in a food processor to make fine crumbs. Add remaining cookies to the crumbs and grind those. Pour in the melted butter and process for a few seconds to blend. Spread the cookie-crumb mixture evenly over the flan (which will have deflated a bit by now). Press very gently on the crumb mixture to pack it down. Allow the flan to cool to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours so that the crust sets.

Unmold the flan by running a sharp, non-serrated knife around the inside of the souffle dish. Invert the flan onto a serving platter. Cut it into 8 wedges to serve.

NOTE: vanilla wafers, gingersnaps or graham crackers may be substituted for the chocolate wafer cookies.

Cornstarch Cookies (Biscoitos de Maizena - Brazil)

2 cups cornstarch
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 whole egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup unsalted butter ( no substitutions)
2 ounces coconut, freshly grated (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

Sift cornstarch, sugar and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Add the lightly beaten egg and blend in the butter, incorporating the coconut as well, if desired. Knead well. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes.

To prepare traditionally-shaped Biscoitos de Maizeana, roll about a 1-inch ball in the palms of your freshly cleaned hands and drop each cookie onto the prepared cookie sheet. Using the times of a fork, gently press the cookie flat with a crisscross pattern. You may also use a cookie press to drop cookies onto the cookie sheet.

Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes, depending on cookie size. Let cool and serve with a steaming cup of coffee. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Corn Pancakes (Cachapas de Jojoto - Venezuela)

This is commonly used as a bread or wrapper with any number of dishes, just as Mexican Americans use tortillas.

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1/2 cup fresh, canned or frozen (defrosted) corn kernels
Olive oil (for frying)

Mix together cornmeal, flour, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. Blend the half-and-half, buttermilk and egg in another mixing bowl. Stir the liquid into the dry ingredients, then fold in the corn kernels.

Heat approximately 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir the batter so that the kernels and cornmeal rise to the top. Spoon about 1 tablespoon batter into the skillet. Repeat until you have 4 or 5 pancakes in the skillet. As soon as bubbles form on the pancakes and their edges brown, flip them over and fry until golden on the other side, about 30 to 45 seconds. Continue with remaining batter, frying only 4 or 5 pancakes at a time and adding olive oil when necessary.

Makes 18 to 20 pancakes.

Coconut-Raisin Pudding (Dulce de Coco - Brazil)

3 cups shredded fresh coconut
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups milk
Dash of salt
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup raisins
3 tablespoons rum

Heat coconut, sugar, milk and salt to boiling in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently. Stir at least half of the hot mixture gradually into eggs. Blend into hot mixture in saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened, 5 to 8 minutes.

Remove from heat; stir in raisins and rum.

Serve warm or cold.

Yields 6 servings.

Chorizo-Stuffed Beef Roast (Bola)

1 (3 pound) beef boneless eye of round
    roast or rolled rump roast
1/2 pound bulk chorizo
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 bay leaves
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

Cut a narrow (1-inch) X shape all the way through the center of the beef roast with long, thin sharp knife. Fill X cuts with sausage. Heat oil in Dutch oven until hot. Cook beef over medium heat until brown on all sides, about 15 minutes; drain fat.

Add remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until beef is tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Remove bay leaves. Slice beef; arrange on platter. Skim fat from sauce. Pour some of the sauce over beef.

Serve beef with remaining sauce and hot cooked black beans or rice, if desired.

Chicken with Pineapple (Pollo en Pina - Guatemala)

2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 (3 to 3 1/2 pound) broiler-fryer chicken, cut up
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pineapple, pared and cut into 1-inch pieces, or
    1 (20 ounce) can unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained
1/2 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
Hot cooked rice

Heat oil in skillet until hot. Cook chicken over medium heat until brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. Remove chicken.

Cook and stir onion and garlic in oil until onion is tender. Return chicken to skillet.

Mix remaining ingredients except tomatoes and rice; pour over chicken. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Add tomatoes; simmer uncovered until thickest pieces of chicken are done, about 20 minutes longer.

Serve with rice.

Yields 6 servings.

Chicken Breasts Brazilia

Wrap boneless chicken breasts around hearts of palm stalks and attach with a wooden pick. Place each seam side down in a buttered pan and cover with melted butter. Season with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes.

To serve, top with hollandaise sauce and chopped chives.

Cerdo con Frutas (Venezuela)

Serve chops with hot cooked rice, sliced avocado and the fruited pan juices. Pass some hot crusty bread.

6 (1 1/2 inch thick) pork loin chops
2 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup dried apricots
3/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup slivered almonds
3 cups orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

In a large heavy skillet, melt butter with olive oil over medium-high heat and quickly brown chops on both sides.

Remove chops to a deep casserole with a lid. Mix together all other ingredients and add to casserole. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes, until pork is tender.

Serves 6.