Creme Caramel Recipe

Ingredients:

½ quart milk
4 tablespoons sugar
4 large eggs
2-3 drops vanilla extract
5 tablespoons sugar - for coating the baking pan

Preparation:

In a pot simmer milk on medium-low heat adding 4 tablespoons sugar and vanilla and stirring continuously until the sugar is melted. Simmer the milk for an additional 1-2 minutes.
In a flan pan heat on the stove top the 5 tablespoons of sugar until the sugar becomes golden brown and liquid. Tilt the form to cover evenly the bottom and the sides with gold caramel sugar.
Put the 4 eggs in a bowl. Mix the egg whites with the yolks by stirring slowly (not beating).
Pour slowly the milk over the eggs, stirring the composition.
Pour the egg mixture in the flan form and cover it with aluminum foil.
Put the form into a bigger pot with hot water (the water must be at the same level with the flan composition).
Preheat the oven at 400- 425F. Bake for 45 minutes.
Let it cool slightly and invert carefully on a serving plate. Be careful to separate the edges with a knife before inverting and choose a serving plate that is a bit deep to hold the caramel sauce.

Canja { Brazilian Chicken Soup }

"This is a meaty Brazilian chicken soup made with rice, carrots, tomatoes and diced ham."

Ingredients:
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3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken meat
1 onion, chopped
6 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup long-grain white rice
3/4 cup tomato - peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrots
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
3/4 cup diced ham
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
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1. To a large saucepan, add the chicken, onion, and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, and cover. Cook over low heat until the chicken is tender, about 45 minutes. Lift the chicken out onto a platter, and set aside. Strain the stock through a sieve set over a bowl. Discard the solids, and skim off as much fat as possible from stock.

2. Rinse out the saucepan, and return the stock to it. Add the rice, tomatoes and carrots to the stock. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer. Cook until the rice is tender, about 25 minutes.

3. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cut it into strips about 1/2 X 1 1/2 inches. Return the chicken to the soup with the ham, and cook just long enough to heat through. Add the parsley, and serve.

Rice with Duck (Arroz con Pato)

Ingredients
4 duck legs and thighs
2 cans beer
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup red onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
½ cup ají mirasol paste
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup cilantro leaves
1 cup spinach leaves
8 cups duck stock
Salt and pepper
3 cups long grain white rice
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup green peas
Salsa Criolla



Instructions
Combine duck legs with a can of beer in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Take the legs out of the marinade before cooking and dry the pieces with paper towels.
In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat, add the duck, and sear until golden. Transfer to a plate, cover the pieces, and keep warm. In the same pan, add the chopped onion and garlic, cooking for 10 minutes over medium heat. Add ají mirasol, turmeric, and cumin, stir and cook for 10 more minutes.
In the meantime, process cilantro and spinach leaves in a blender, with ½ cup water until very smooth. Add to the saucepan, together with the duck stock, the other beer, and the reserved seared duck. Season with salt and pepper, cover tightly, turn the heat to low and cook for 1 ½ hours or until the duck is loosening from the bone. Taste for seasoning. Transfer to a bowl with some of the liquid.
Measure the liquid in the pan. You will need 4 ½ cups of this green and flavorful stock to cook the rice. Add the rice to the saucepan, along with the cooking stock, bell pepper, and green peas. Put the lid on, lower the heat, and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, and after 5 minutes, stir the rice with a fork.
Serve the rice with a piece of duck on top, and salsa criolla on the side.

Eggnog Cheesecake

Original recipe makes 1 9-inch cake
2 tablespoons white sugar
3 tablespoons melted butter
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup eggnog
2 eggs
2 tablespoons rum
1 pinch ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
In a medium bowl combine graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar and butter. Press into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
In a food processor combine cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, flour and eggnog; process until smooth. Blend in eggs, rum and nutmeg. Pour mixture into cooled crust.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Reduce heat to 250 and bake for 45 minutes, or until center of cake is barely firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and immediately loosen cake from rim. Let cake cool completely before removing the rim.