6-8 servings

Ingredients

5 eggs, separated
1 ½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 can evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup half and half milk
½ cup dark rum (optional)
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.

2. Lightly grease and flour a 7 X 10 inch cake pan.

3. Beat the egg whites in the mixing bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form, add the sugar gradually with the mixer running, and add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. Combine the eggs yolks one at a time. Sift the flour and baking power. Add to the beaten egg mixture.

4. Once the flour is added, do not over beat. Pour batter into a prepared pan, bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown (to test, insert a wooden toothpick in the center and it should come out almost clean).

5. Meanwhile, stir the 3 milks together with the teaspoon of vanilla extract and the dark rum (optional).

6. Remove the cake from the oven and, while still warm, poke holes into the cake, using a toothpick or a fork. Pour the cream mixture over the cake. Let sit and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 5 hours or overnight.

7. For the meringue frosting, using an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form.

8. Just before serving, remove the cake from the refrigerator and spread the meringue evenly on top of the cake.

4 servings

Ingredients

5 large eggs
1 can condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
½ cup expresso coffee
1 tbsp vanilla

Ingredients for the caramel

2 cups sugar
¼ cup water

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 350ºF.

2. Place the sugar and water in a heavy bottom pan and, stir lightly and place at medium-high heat until it caramelizes into a rich, amber color.

3. Remove from the heat. Pour the liquid caramel into a 9 inch cake or pie pan. Set aside.

4. In a blender or electric mixer, combine the eggs, evaporated and condensed milk, coffee, and vanilla and blend well for at least two minutes, until you have a smooth, homogeneous mass.

5. Pour the mix into the cake pan. Place in a deep-sided pan and pour hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the cake pan.

6. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for at least an hour or until the flan jiggles slightly when shaken and a paring knife comes out clean when inserted in the center.

7. Remove the pan from the water and set aside to cool. Once cooled, refrigerate the flan until well chilled to allow to set.

8. To serve, unmold the flan by running a small paring knife along the inside of the pan. Cover the pan with a dish and invert.

4 servings

Ingredients

4 ripe mangoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 4-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
2 ounces unsalted butter
4 ounces white sugar
1 teaspoon lime zest
8 ounces puff pastry dough, thawed
Flour

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400º F.

2. Drain mango slices in a strainer for 20–25 minutes.

3. Melt butter in a 10-inch cast-iron frying pan at medium-low heat. Add sugar and melt until caramel-colored.

4. Add mango and pineapple to pan. Cook at medium-high heat until liquid evaporates, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with lime zest, and compress mango and pineapple well.

5. Stretch pastry dough on a cold surface sprinkled with flour. Cut a 10-inch-diameter circle and place over fruit, covering the top of the pan. Make a small incision on the top, and cut a small circle in the center of the dough. Press dough to the border of the pan to seal in and cover fruit completely.

6. Bake 20–25 minutes or until dough starts to brown.

7. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Turn upside down on a plate.

4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup coconut milk
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 envelope unflavored powdered gelatin
Fresh mint sprigs for garnish

Ingredients for the berry sauce

4 oz strawberries
4 oz raspberries
4 oz blackberries
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
Juice of half a lemon
Lemon rind
1 tablespoon orange liqueur

Preparation

1. In a medium sized pan, heat the cream and the sugar at low temperature, stirring frequently until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and pour into a saucepan.

2. Dissolve the gelatin in the coconut milk at very low heat in a hot water bath (bain-marie).

3. Add the gelatin mixture to the cream. Add the vanilla and mix well.

4. Pour into individual molds or in one large mold, and refrigerate until it sets (6-8 hours).

Berry sauce preparation

1. Rinse the berries well.

2. Combine the water, sugar, lemon juice and lemon rind in a saucepan over low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved (4-5 minutes).

3. Add the berries to this syrup and cook at low heat for 15 additional minutes. Add orange liqueur.

To serve

1. Unmold the panna cotta. Garnish with mint leaves and sauce.

Note: The berry sauce may be served warm or cold.

4 baskets

Ingredients

2 very ripe plantains (skin has turned almost black), cut into ½-inch rounds
1 tablespoon margarine
1 tablespoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
4 ounces cream
¼ teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
8 ounces amaretto cookies, crumbled, plus additional cookie crumbles for garnishing
2 teaspoons butter, room temperature
Cooking spray

Preparation

1. In medium-size frying pan, mix margarine, sweet plantain rounds, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook at medium heat for 7–10 minutes or until plantain is soft and golden. Cool to room temperature.

2. Combine eggs, cream and plantains in a blender and mix well.

3. Mix cookies and butter in a food processor.

4. Spray ramekins or ceramic molds with cooking spray. Cover bottom and sides of molds with cookie mixture, and compact with your fingers.

5. Pour plantain cream mixture on each mold, and bake for 15 minutes at 350°F. Remove from oven and let rest for 10–15 minutes.

6. Using an electric mixer, slightly combine the cream and vanilla until it starts to thicken. Reduce speed, add powdered sugar and continue mixing until peaks are formed.

7. Serve the plantain baskets with a dollop of cream on top and, if preferred, top with cookie crumbles. May be served at room temperature or, preferably, after refrigerating for 2–3 hours.

4 servings

Ingredients

14 ounces unsweetened passion fruit purée *
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons sugar (for whipping cream)
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tablespoons passion fruit liqueur
½ cup water
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 pint heavy whipping cream
6 large egg whites
¼ tablespoon cream of tartar
Sliced strawberries for garnish

* If the purée is not sweet enough, add sugar to taste

Preparation

1. Place large bowl in freezer.

2. Let passion fruit purée stand at room temperature. Add sugar and mix well.

3. In a medium-size pan, heat 4 ounces of purée and add gelatin.

4. Using a hand mixer, mix well purée, lemon juice and passion fruit liqueur.

5. In a medium-size pan, at medium heat, add purée mixture and ½ cup water. Mix, bring to boil and turn off heat. Set aside until mixture reaches room temperature.

6. Using a hand mixer, beat egg whites with cream of tartar and confectioners’ sugar until mixture acquires a firm consistency.

7. In another bowl, beat whipping cream with three tablespoons of sugar until firm.

8. Fold egg whites slowly into whipping cream mixture.

9. Fold passion fruit purée mix into above mixture. Place mixture in frozen bowl and cool in refrigerator one hour before serving.

10. Garnish with strawberry slices.

4 servings

Ingredients

8 10-inch whole-wheat flour tortillas
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 red pepper, julienned
1 yellow pepper, julienned
1 yellow zucchini, julienned
1 green zucchini, julienned
1 jalapeño pepper, small diced
1 leek, washed and drained, thinly sliced
1 8-ounce can corn, drained
8 ounces Oaxaca cheese, grated
Salsa verde

Ingredients for the salsa verde

1½ pounds tomatillos, green leaves removed
1 clove garlic
½ white onion, diced
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/3 cup cilantro
1 green serrano chili, seeded, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. In a medium-size frying pan, heat olive oil at medium heat. Add peppers, zucchini and jalapeño, and cook 4–5 minutes, until slightly cooked but crunchy. Add leek and corn, and cook for an additional 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside on a plate.

2. Place a tortilla in same pan, add a quarter of the vegetables and sprinkle cheese on top. Cover with another tortilla; apply light pressure by placing a lid on top of the tortilla for 3 minutes or until brown. Turn over and repeat the process.

3. Remove from pan, put on a plate, cut and garnish with salsa verde. Repeat the process with the remaining tortillas.

Salsa verde preparation

1. Rinse tomatillos.

2. Boil tomatillos for 5 minutes at high heat. Remove, drain and let rest for approximately 50 minutes or until they reach room temperature.

3. Place tomatillos, garlic, onion, lime juice, cilantro and serrano chili in a blender, and mix well until it acquires the consistency of sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Refrigerate unused portion.

4 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds red potatoes, washed, cut into small cubes (leave skin on)
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon black peppercorn
1 sprig fresh cilantro
1 sprig fresh rosemary
6 ounces green beans, finely sliced
Salt to taste
2 large hard-boiled eggs, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons small capers, drained
10 ounces white solid tuna, packed in water
4 scallions, green stalks only, cut into small slices
½ green apple, cut into small cubes (leave skin on)
3 tablespoons piquillo peppers, cut into small cubes
¼ cup water used to boil potatoes
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, finely chopped
¼ cup extra virgin olive
¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Preparation

1. Boil potatoes in a large pan.

2. Add salt, pepper, garlic, cilantro and rosemary. Cook at medium heat for 12 minutes or until potatoes are al dente.

3. Strain potatoes and retain ¼ cup of the liquid used for boiling potatoes, strained.

4. In a medium pan, add green beans and 1 cup salted water. Boil for 3 minutes and strain.

5. In a large bowl, add potatoes, green beans, eggs, scallions, piquillos, capers, apple and tuna. Gently mix all the ingredients.

6. Prepare vinaigrette with ¼ cup of water used for boiling the potatoes, vinegar, mustard and cilantro. Add oil slowly and mix. Pour over salad and mix gently. Add salt and pepper to taste.

8 servings

Ingredients

2 cups brown rice
4 cups water
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 garlic clove
½ cup peas (canned or frozen)
1roma tomato, peeled, seeded and diced
3 teaspoons finely chopped parsley
1 scallion, finely chopped
4 ounces red bell pepper, diced
1 can of chunk tuna in water
½ cup seedless cucumber, diced
1 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for the dressing

¼ cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of caper water

Preparation

1. Combine the water, rice, oil, garlic and salt in a large pan. Boil until the water begins to evaporate. Cover, lower the heat and let it simmer approximately 35 to 40 minutes.

2. Let the rice cool. Remove the garlic clove from the rice. Stir the rice with a fork.

3. Add the peas, tomato, parsley, green onions, red bell pepper, tuna and cucumber. Mix.

Dressing preparation

1. Mix the mayonnaise, mustard and caper water; add it to the rice and stir.

4 servings

Ingredients

2 Hass avocadoes, sliced
4 vine ripened tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 medium orange, peeled, cut in pieces
4 ounces queso fresco (fresh cheese), crumbled
Salt and pepper to taste
8 basil leaves for garnishing, finely cut

Ingredients for the vinaigrette

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon honey mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Mix lemon juice and mustard in a bowl, using a mixer or fork. Slowly whisk in olive oil and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Peel and section orange.

3. Slice avocado vertically and remove seed. Peel and slice both halves.

4. Place tomato slices on a serving dish; add avocado slices and season with salt and pepper. Add orange slices and crumbled cheese. Garnish with basil leaves. Sprinkle with vinaigrette.