Martas Quesillo With Coconut Food

CARAMEL COCONUT FLAN: QUESILLO

Steps:

• Make the Caramelo: In a small heavy saucepan bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil syrup, without stirring, until golden caramel. Immediately pour the some of the caramel into each tuna can, tilting them to coat the bottom and sides. Let caramel cool.
• (Drizzle any remaining caramel onto a sheet of parchment or waxed paper in decorative squiggles. Let the squiggles harden and use them as a garnish for the flan.)
• Make the flan: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, whisk together condensed milk, coconut milk, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Divide the mixture among the tuna cans.
• Place the tuna cans in a shallow baking dish and place on the middle rack in the oven. Pour in enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the cans. Bake the flan until just set, but still wiggly in the center, about 30 to 45 minutes. Transfer the flan to a rack and let cool. Chill the flan in the refrigerator. (The flan can be prepared up to 3 days in advance.)
• When ready to serve, dip the cans in a saucepan of hot water. Using a finger, gently press down the edges of the flan, until the caramel runs up the side, which indicates that it's loosened. Invert each flan onto a plate. Break the caramel squiggles into pieces and insert them into the top of each flan.

QUESILLO (VENEZUELAN FLAN)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Prepare a bain-marie, or water bath, by filling a 9-inch heat-proof container with water.
• Melt sugar in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until melted, 7 to 10 minutes; be careful to keep it from burning. Pour sugar into a flan mold, coating the sides to ensure that the egg/milk mixture in the next step will not touch the container.
• Pour sweetened condensed milk into a bowl. Fill the empty can with milk and add to the bowl; stir in eggs and vanilla extract. Blend well. Fold mixture with a spatula or tap against the counter to remove air bubbles.
• Pour milk mixture into the slightly cooled flan mold. Put the lid on and place inside the water bath; don't let the water go over the rim.
• Bake the quesillo in the bain-marie in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Pry lid open with a knife carefully; continue baking until set, about 15 minutes more.
• Let quesillo cool to room temperature, at least 25 minutes; refrigerate 8 hours to overnight. Slide a knife around the edges of the mold to loosen and invert onto a plate.

COCONUT FLAN

Steps:

• Make caramel:
• Bring sugar and water to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then wash down any sugar crystals from side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Boil, without stirring, swirling pan occasionally so caramel colors evenly, until dark amber.
• Immediately pour into ramekins and swirl so caramel coats bottom of each, then put ramekins in a large roasting pan.
• Make flan:
• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Blend 2 cups milk with remaining flan ingredients in a blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups milk, then divide among ramekins.
• Bake flan in a water bath until just set but still wobbly in center, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
• Remove ramekins from water bath and cool slightly on a rack, at least 15 minutes (flan will continue to set as it cools).
• Just before serving, run a thin knife around each flan, then invert onto plates.

COCONUT CHEESE FLAN (FLAN DE COCO Y QUESO)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a heavy skillet over medium-low heat, cook and stir sugar with a wooden spoon until melted and golden, about 10 minutes. Caramel is very hot. Very carefully pour the caramel into a 9-inch round, 3-inch deep baking dish. Swirl dish to cover bottom and sides. The caramel will harden as it cools.
• Combine the eggs, cream cheese, and sweetened condensed milk in a blender. Cover, and blend on High until well combined; transfer to a large bowl. Pour the cream of coconut, coconut milk, evaporated milk, coconut-flavored rum, and vanilla extract into the blender; cover and blend on High until well combined. Pour into the bowl with the cream cheese mixture. Whisk until incorporated. Pour the flan mixture into the caramel-coated baking dish.
• Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place the filled baking dish on the towel, and place roasting pan in the preheated oven. Fill roasting pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake until the flan is set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack; cool. Refrigerate flan until ready to serve.
• To serve, run a knife around the edges of the pan and flip the flan out onto a serving platter. Spoon any caramel remaining in the baking dish over the flan.

QUESILLO EN SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the tomatillos, 3/4 of the sliced onion, 6 of the chiles, and 6 of the garlic cloves. Simmer the mixture covered for about 30 minutes, or until the tomatillos are tender. Cool slightly and transfer to a blender or food processor. Add the remaining onion, chiles, and garlic, cilantro, and salt. Puree the mixture. Preheat the oven to its lowest heat and heat a well-seasoned flat griddle pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Brush each slice of cheese with a little oil, then grill the slices for about 20 seconds on each side. You will need a heavy metal spatula to turn them, scraping all the golden crust from the pan and flipping it over. You will have to grill the cheese in batches, transferring the cooked cheeses to a platter in the oven while you finish cooking, but do not let the cheese melt. Place 2 slices of cheese on each of 6 warmed appetizer plates, pour the hot tomatillo sauce over the top and serve immediately, garnished with sprigs of cilantro and charred scallions. Accompany with wedges of toasted country bread.

QUESILLO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 F (180°C).

TOASTED-COCONUT GRANOLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Place oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, pecans, syrup, olive oil, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Spread granola mixture in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until granola is toasted, about 45 minutes.
• Remove granola from oven and season with salt. Let cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container for up to 1 month.