Cuban Flan

•  1 8 oz cream cheese (230gr.)
• 6 eggs
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk ( 354 ml)
• 1 "can" cream ( use the condensed milk can to measure the cream)
• 1 small bag of vanilla sugar
• 250 gr. sugar
• optional: dry grated coconut - about 5 Tbsp

1. Melt 250 gr sugar in saucepan ( stir zig-zag only, not circular), Tilt the pan to glaze the sides of the         sauce pan about half way from the bottom.Let cool

2. Beat cream  cheese adding the eggs one at a time

3. Mix in condensed milk, cream and vanilla sugar

4. Mix with beater until smooth

5. Pour mixture into glazed saucepan

6. Add grated coconut at this point. It will float. Don't stir it in.

7. Heat oven to 180 ° C

8. Cover saucepan and place in oven in "maria bath" for 60 minutes.

9. Uncover saucepan after 30 minutes. It shouldn't burn...but a little brown is ok

10. once done let cool outside of maria bath for 5 hours ( in the fridge as soon as possible) with covered saucepan

11.Whe reas to eat invert over service dish making sue its big enough for all the caramel

Salad of beets lentils feta mint and herbs

 Ingrédients :

A few large beets scrubbed cleaned and chopped into chunky bite size pieces

1 to 2 cans of lentils drained and rinsed 

One large bunch of flat parsley roughly chopped 

One bunch fresh mint roughly chopped 

1 cup walnuts 

200gr feta crumbled 

Olive oil

Salt pepper 

Honey 

Za’tar

For the dressing:

4 T olive oil 

2T apple cider or red wine vinegar 

2 T pomegranate molasses

2 tsp ground sumac 

Salt to taste

Generous drizzle of honey

Should be thick,sweet,sour and salty

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200

Roast walnuts for 10 to 12 minutes 

Roast beets in a tray with olive oil salt chili flakes and a big drizzle of honey

Mix well and roast for 45 minutes till caramelized 

Throw the herbs into a bowl along with lentils,feta, walnuts broken up and the dressing

Toss well and add the beets once they have cooled a little  

Throw in about 1 Tbs of zatar before mixing up again with the beets and serve

skillet orzo with chicken spinach and goat cheese

 Serves 4

• 4 boneless chicken thighs
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• 1 shallot thinly sliced
• 1 Cuop dry orzo
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 3 Cups chicken broth or vegetable
• 5 ounces baby spinach or frozen thawed
• 1/2 Cup raisins
• 4 ounces goat cheese

Salt and pepper chicken and sauté in oil. Add  shallots and cook till soft.

Add the orzo and cook till fragrant and lightly toasted.

Add the stock and simmer till orzo is almost al dente (10 minutes).

Fold is spinach and raisins.

Remove from heat and stir in goat cheese till melted

Vegetable Lasagna

 Ingredients

Veggies -- need 3-4 Cups veg excluding the onion

 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

 2 large carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)

 1 red bell pepper, chopped

 1 medium zucchini, chopped

 1 medium yellow onion, chopped

 1/4 teaspoon salt

 1 C chopped baby spinach - or other greens e.g. côtes de bettes

Tomato sauce (or substitute 2 cups prepared marinara sauce)

 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes

 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh basil + additional for garnish

 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

 1-2 cloves garlic, pressed

 1/2 teaspoon salt

 1/a teaspoon red pepper flakes

Remaining ingredients

 2 cups (16 ounces) low-fat cottage cheese, divided

 1/4 teaspoon salt, to taste

 Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 9 no-boil lasagna noodles*

 8 ounces (2 cups) freshly grated low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese -- 1 big stick of Galbani mozzarella

Directions

Vegetables -- chop then fry

1. chop all the veg -- make the carrots smaller since they are slower to cook

2. cook in pan with olive oil till golden - about 10 min

3. add spinach or other greens at the end, and wilt

Tomato sauce - strain, then food processor

4. pour the can of tomatoes into sieve to drain with basil leaves -- DO AHEAD

5. In a food processor:

a. tomatoes,

b. basil,

c. 2T oil,

d. 1-2 gloves garlic, pressed,

e. 1/2 tsp. salt

f. 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

6. blend till spreadable -- approx 2C sauce

7. Rinse blender

8. Grate the mozzarella cheese and set aside

Cottage cheese/veg mix -- food processor

9. Whip 1 C of the cottage cheese in food processor, transfer to mixing bowl

10. Put all veg in food processer and pulse - but do not puree!

11. Add chopped veg to the smooth cottage cheese in the bowl

12. Add the rest of the cottage cheese (1 more Cup) to the bowl

13. Mix, add salt and pepper

Assembly:

14. 1/2 C tomato sauce first

15. 3 pasta sheets, with overlapping edges

16. 1/2 of the cottage cheese mix

17. 3/4 C tomato sauce

18. 1/2 C shredded cheese

19. Then pasta sheets

20. then remaining cottage cheese (no T sauce on this layer)

21. 1/2 C cheese

22. Pasta sheets

23. 3/4 C T sauce to evenly cover the noodles

24. Finish with 1 C shredded cheese (or whatever is left)

Baking - 20-22 min covered + 15 min uncovered (45 min) at 210°C

25. Cover sheet with foil - don't let it touch the cheese

26. bake, covered 18 min at 210°C

27. Remove foil, turn, and cook 10-15 more minutes

28. Allow to cool for 15-20 min

29. Serve with fresh chopped basil on top

Sheet pan herby lemon garlic chicken and potatoes

Serves 4

For the marinade:

• 1/3 Cup olive oil
• 1 lemon zested
• 2 lemons juiced
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 t dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 dried oregano
• 1 t sweet paprika
• 1 t salt
• black pepper

For the potatoes

•  1pounds fingerling potatoes halved
• 1 lemon thinly sliced

For the chicken

8 chicken thighs

to garnish:

• 4 ounce feta cheese crumbled
• dill

preheat the oven to 200°C

Whisk together the ingredients of the marinade.

Mix it all the potatoes, lemon and chicken and bake for 45 minutes or untill the chicken is cooked 

Serve on a bed of arugula and sprinkle with feta and dill

Orange grilled pork tenderloin

 Marinade:

3 T Frozen orange juice concentrate or fresh

2T grainy mustard 

2T each honey, vegetable oil, soya sauce

1 t minced garlic and 

2 t fresh ginger

Ground pepper 

1 pound pork tenderloin 

Sauce:

3 T frozen orange juice

2 T unsweetened apricot preserve

2 T grainy mustard 

1 T lemon juice 

Marinate the meat for 5-6 hours or overnight 

Bring to room temperature and grill over medium temperature for 18 minutes 

Turn often and baste with marinade 

Meanwhile heat up the sauce ingredients to a boil

Slice the meat and serve with the sauce on the side

Oven baked chicken legs

• 2 chicken legs ( leg and bone attached)
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder ( opt)
• 1 tsp rosemary or mix of herbs
• 1 tsp parsley flakes 
• black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground mustard
• 1 Tb olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 F

Put chicken in ziplock bag with oil. Shake well and add seasonings

Bake on a baking sheet covered wih baking paper for 40 minutes turning half way

Mediterranean Baked Cod

 Prep Time

15minutes mins

Cook Time35minutes mins

Total Time50minutes mins

Equipment

• 4-quart baking dish

Ingredients

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 small fennel bulb, stocks and fronds removed (sub 1 large shallot or ½ yellow onion)
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp. capers
• 5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
• Pinch of red chili flakes (optional)
• 1-1.25 lbs. cod, cut into four fillets (sub halibut or sea bass)
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• 4 thinly sliced lemon slices (from 1 lemon)
• Chopped fresh basil leaves for serving

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400ºF. Remove the stalks and root end of the fennel bulb, and slice the bulb into quarters. Remove the core from each quarter with your knife, and then thinly slice each quarter.

  To a 4-quart baking dish, combine tomatoes, fennel, garlic, capers, 3 Tbsp. of the olive oil, vinegar, honey, ½ tsp. salt, and a pinch of chili flakes (optional); stir well to combine.

  Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tomatoes are broken down and jammy.
• Meanwhile, pat the fish dry with paper towels, and brush all over with remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Season fish with remaining ½ tsp. salt and black pepper.
• Toss the tomato mixture, and nestle the fish fillets in the pan, spacing evenly apart. Top each fillet with one thin lemon slice. Roast until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and garnish with fresh basil.

  Spoon the tomato mixture over fish fillets when serving.