Desserts And Good Food

     Puerto Rico is a beautiful Island in the Caribbean where I was born. I want to share some of my family photos from Puerto Rico. These photos remind me of when I used to live there. The intense blue of the sky and the bright sunlight will be in my heart forever.                          Puerto Rico, Patria De Mis Amores                  dessertsandgoodfood.blogspot.com       Puerto Rico is bordered by the Atlantic ocean to the north and the Caribbean sea to the south. El Condado Beach is located in the north part of the island in the town of San Juan.   Combate beach is located in the town of Cabo Rojo in the south of the island and it faces the Caribbean sea.  It is one of the most popular beaches in Puerto Rico. You can find all kinds of seafood there and during the summer the best pineapple I ever tasted.   ...

      Yucca is a root similar to a potato.  It is also known as cassava or mandioca. Look for firm, blemish free tubers. In Puerto Rico we cook yucca in many ways. For today's recipe I used frozen yucca. It can be found in the  supermarket frozen section. It is already peeled and the only thing you need to do for this recipe is to cook it.                                                                                  dessertsandgoodfood.blogspot.com Ingredients: 3 pounds of frozen yucca about 8 cup of water,to cook the yucca Salt to taste For the sauce: 1 1/2 cup olive oil pinch of salt 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 3 large onions cut in thin slices 10 garlic cloves, slices 1 cup green olives 2 large roasted bell peppers, cut in strips ...

     I prefer to roast my red peppers instead of using canned  ones. The flavor and texture is much better and there are no hidden preservatives. Try these peppers in a vegetarian sandwich and you are going to be surprised by how flavorful they are.  Cover a tray with aluminum paper. Wash your peppers, dry with paper towels and c ut in half. Discard the seeds and sprinkle with fresh ground black pepper and salt. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and broil on hi in your oven for 10 minutes on each side. Remove from the oven and carefully close the aluminum paper around the peppers.   Let them cool down in the foil for about five minutes. The skin should rub right off. 

      Coquito is the traditional Puerto Rican  drink   for Christmas.  Almost every family have their own recipe. Here I share with you 2 versions of the recipe. One with eggs and the other is the easy version without eggs, hope you enjoy making this recipe with your family and friends and tell me about it.                                            dessertsandgoodfood.blogspot.com Ingredients: 1 cup heavy whipping cream 3 egg yolks (from organic eggs) 2 tablespoons of white sugar pinch of salt   1 cinnamon stick 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 can condensed milk 2 cans of coconut milk pinch of nutmeg 1/2 cup(or to taste) Coconut Rum In a small sauce pan mix the egg yolks with the sugar, add the heavy cream, pinch of salt, cinnamon stick and mix until combined. Turn the heat to medium and cook the mixture stirring consta...

      This is one of the first and simplest desserts on the Puerto Rican table.  I like to add a touch of brandy even though the original recipe does not have alcohol in it.                     dessertsandgoodfood.blogspot.com Ingredients: 2 ripe plantains 2 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon olive oil                         1/4 cup white sugar                   1 cinnamon stick 5 whole cloves 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon brandy (optional) Peel and cut the plantain in 1/2 inch round slices. In a shallow pan at medium heat add the oil and the plantains. Pan fry for a few minutes until caramelized on both sides Add the butter to the pan followed by the sugar, cinnamon stick, clove and vanilla and cook for about 2 minutes or until slightly browned.  Add brandy and...

      Here is another pastry recipe from my childhood "cheese turnovers" are one of my family's favorite. The original ones were with cream cheese only. Here I give you the original and another version with guava paste. Ingredients: 1 box puff pastry 8 ounces cream cheese 1 tablespoon granulated sugar  1 teaspoon vanilla extract       1/2 cup  simple syrup 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 egg white ( mixed with 1  tablespoon of water) Defrost the puff pastry 20 minutes on the counter.  Meanwhile in a small bowl mix the cream cheese  with the sugar and vanilla.   Set aside. Lightly sprinkle the work surface with flour and  unfold the puff pastry. Lightly dust the rolling pin and roll over the dough a couple times  to  smooth out the surface. Cut the dough in 3 x 4 inch rectangle and put 1 teaspoon of the filling in the center. For the guava version  put a inch piece of guava paste on top of...

     Try this Gluten Free alternative on your Thanksgiving Day celebration. Pumpkin cheese flan is a delicious dessert bursting with fall flavors.                         dessertsandgoodfood.blogspot.com Ingredients: 1 can evaporated milk 1 can condensed milk 1 cup mashed calabaza mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg 1 - 8 oz. cream cheese, dice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup heavy cream 6 eggs(lightly beaten) 1 cake pan 8 x 8 x 2 1 roasting pan for Bain Marie 1 caramel Recipe (refer to the post of  Caramel for flan or bread pudding) Carefully pour the caramel into the cake pan and coat the sides and the bottom with the caramel. Set aside to cool. Combine the condensed milk, evaporated milk and calabaza into the blender and mix for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the blender and mix for 30 seconds. Add the cream cheese and mix for 1 minute. Scrape down the...