“Fresas Con Crema” (Strawberries with Cream)

This is commonly seen/ sold at the Hispanic grocery stores with creameries. They are priced by weight.
I LOVE this (well it seems I love everything)
Please make sure you use a "Mexican Cream" that is UNSALTED. If you live in Southern California you'll be able to find that cream in any Hispanic store such as "Vallarta" or "El Super"
If for some reason unknown you can't get use regular sour cream but I wouldn't
Everything is eyeballed if you can't figure this simple thing out then there's something wrong.

Ingredients
-Fresh strawberries. Tops removed and sliced in 3 each.
-Unsalted Mexican Cream ("Crema Mexicana sin sal")
-Sugar to taste or "Lechera" (aka sweetened condensed milk) to taste (I use sugar most people do)

Directions:
-Put strawberries in a bowl
-Top with the Mexican cream
-Put sugar to taste over it

-Then stir it all together until incorporated, I like to stir it until the cream gets a slight pink coloring from the strawberries (because Im weird like that)

Horchata + Special Rice Pudding Recipe

I HAVE NO PICTURE FOR THE HORCHATA SORRY, IF YOU WANT AN IDEA ON HOW IT LOOKS "GOOGLE" A PICTURE OF IT

Before I begin let me tell you that "Horchata" can be made many ways. There are different version varying among the Spanish speaking countries. In Spain "Horchata" is not made with rice. It is made of a nut called "Chufa" or "Tiger Nut" which is not found in the USA or this side of the hemisphere that I know of and it taste very different from other horchatas Also in Central America some "Horchata's" use certain types of seeds ground into it.
So many versions exist I will show you the Mexican version. Also methods for making "Horchata" vary so please bare with me, this is my way (because it's speedier, my mom's method is almost identical except she actually soaks the whole rice and cinnamon in water for 12 hours or overnight. Then blends it in a blender, then procedes with the rest of the stuff I do)
I HAVE NO PATIENCE LIKE THAT mine only uses 3 hours resting time you'll see why.

Ingredients
-2 Cups Long-grain white rice
-10 cups water
-1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
-1 tablespoon vanilla extract (IM NOT KIDDING USE THE WHOLE TABLESPOON)
-2/3 cup of sugar or more to taste
-1 Cup Milk or 2 Cups Milk (depends how light colored you want it I use one)

Directions
(1)Grind in a spice grinder or coffee grinder 2 cups of rice to a powder
(2)In a large pot heat up to a boil 10 cups water. Then turn it off and put it in a pitcher
(3)Beat/ mix in ground rice with hot water. Leave at room temperature for 3 hours or more stirring occasionally the rice will set to the bottom
(4)After 3 hours pass pour about 2/3 or ½ of the water into another pitcher
(5)Blend the other remaining half along with the rice that settled in the water until well incorporated. Now dump back in the pitcher along with the water you set aside
(6)Now using a cheese cloth or a really FINE really tiny strainer pour through it into a pitcher the "Rice water mixture"straining out the rice crumbes, set the rice powder/crumbs aside in a bowl.
(7)Repeat step 6 several times like 4 times atleast
(8)Now add cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla along with milk and beat really well until everything is incorporated.

Special "Arroz Con Leche" Rice Pudding Made from Leftover Horchata Rice Powder

Now you didn't think we would throw away those 2 cups of rice used in the Horchata. Pfff in Mexico lots of people don't waste things. Im not a waster either.
From the leftover strained out rice powder you can make a delicious CREAMY smooth rice pudding.
This is a Mexican dish you won't find at any restaurant you'll find "Arroz Con Leche" but not like this. This is truly a home-style dish.
If you don't make the "Horchata" you can't make this come out good because what is used here is the leftover unusable in a "Horchata"
Think of it as your extra reward for making such a time consuming drink.
It's kind of more like a CREAM OF RICE

Ingredients
-Leftover strained ground rice powder from Horchata recipe. Mixed with about 1 cup water
-3 cups milk
-2 sticks of cinnamon
-½ cup-1 cup white sugar or more to taste or less to taste (adjust to your taste)
-1/3 cup raisins (optional)
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
-Boil milk with cinnamon sticks until infused. About 5 minutes be careful it doesn't over flow.

-Lower to medium heat and add the ground rice mixed with 1 cup water and stir (IMPORTANT STIR CONSTANTLY SCRAPING THE BOTTOM OF THE POT OR IT WILL STICK EASILY) for about 10 minutes until thick if necessary add more milk to loosen up. Boil until rice has a smooth texture and is not gritty. It will look cooked at some point but taste it, if it is gritty it needs more time it should be smooth.

-Stir in sugar, vanilla extract, and raisins



-Serve in bowls. It taste better when at room temperature to me but it can be enjoyed hot, warm, or cold from the fridge.

"Temblique" (Chocolate Coconut Custard)

Okay so I went to "Vallarta" (a predominantly Mexican Market) they where promoting "Nestle" products the day I went. They gave me a flyer with some recipe to promote their products. I saw the recipe for this called "Temblique" (it means shaking like kinda like when jello shakes wobbly etc.) In case you guys didn't know "Nestle" products are very popular among Mexicans. For example "Lechera" is produced by "Nestle", "Chocolate Abuelita" is also produced by Nestle and Im sure just about every Mexican and some other Hispanics know EXACTLY what those 2 products I mentioned are no matter if they cant cook they know what Im talking about those are some staple in the pantry.
Much to my surprise (NOT) I had all the necessary ingredients in my pantry to make it.
Once I made it, it reminded me of the Cuban/Spaniard "Natilla" dessert which is done in a very similar fashion and also has same texture except it's a vanilla egg custard with a hint of lime and cinnamon.

Ingredients:
-2 Cans of Coconut Milk (Leche de Coco)
-½ a can or ½ a cup of Sweetened Condensed Milk (Lechera)
-1 tablet of "Mexican Chocolate" like "Chocolate Abuelita" types.
-½ Cup Cornstarch ("Maizena" or "Ficula de Maiz")
-2-4 tsp. Coconut liquor (optional I didn't use it and it turned out awesome)
-Toasted Shredded Dessicated Coconut (Coco rallado desecado)

Directions:
-Mix in a medium pot coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, cornstarch, and Mexican Chocolate.


-Put pot over medium high heat stirring in one direction constantly this takes like 10 minutes or more keep stirring until it gets really hot and starts to thicken


-Remove from heat mix in coconut liquor if you have it.
-Put in a/ spread in a pan or large serving dish LET COOL AT ROOM TEMPERATURE. Top with toasted shredded coconut (you don't have to toast I just choose to do so)

-Top it and when it cools CHILL IN THE REFRIDGERATOR ATLEAST 2 HOURS OVERNIGHT IS BEST IT TURNS REALLY NICE AND FIRM!

Camote Con Piloncello (Sweet Potato in Unrefined Cane Sugar Syrup)

This is an EXTREMELY POPULAR way of consuming sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and Chillicyote Squash. You can do the same with pitted peaches, whole guavas, etc. in Mexican Cuisine as well as some other cuisines of the Spanish speaking world. You won't find these on restaurant menus this is a very HOME-STYLE DESSERT.
Super simple I DO IT IN A NOT SO TRADITIONAL WAY, normally one would use a pot for this dish.
Me having my Cuban heritage consume tons of rice and always have my rice cooker handy and have learned to use for more things than rice.
YES I DO MAKE THIS IN A RICE COOKER, normally though one would do this in a pot on the stove, bring the water to a boil with everything and simmer on low. So don't worry if you don't have a rice cooker just do it on the stove.
In case you don't know "Piloncillo" is unrefined cane sugar in solid form also known as "Panela" for certain cultures, you'll find it in ANY HISPANIC SUPER MARKET,
If for some reason you cant find it use DARK BROWN SUGAR in it's place.

Ingredients:
-8 small- medium Sweet Potatoes or 5 large ones or 5 long ones just look at the pics
-2 Cinnamon Sticks
-2 "Piloncillos"
-Water

Directions:
(1)Clean sweet potatoes, remove edges and cut in half if it's to big to fit in rice cooker (I cut it)
(2)Throw in rice cooker with cinnamon, add enough water to cover the sweet potatoes 1/3 - ½ way. (I suggest 1/3 I did it half and it wasn't SUPER thick like I like, but ½ way will get you a real "maple syrup" consistency.) Then put the 2 "Piloncillos" on top (don't worry they will melt into the sweet potatoes and water with heat so don't trouble yourself

(3)Cover and turn on Rice Cooker and forget about it for 50 minutes.
(4)Uncover and it will be boiling FURIOUSLY, then let boil opened for 10 minutes to further reduce.

(5)Turn off rice cooker and your done leave there or transfer to a nice serving dish.