Fiesta Time: Tropical Tres Leche

I have heard of Tres Leche cake, but have never ordered it at a restaurant. A few months ago I tried a recipe that I found on a blog that was a shortcut version using a cake mix. It was not very good. So you might wonder why I was anxious to make this for our fiesta. I took J-bird to a cooking class at Thanksgiving Point for her birthday and we tried this delicious treat. It does not take long to make even though you are making the cake from scratch. It does need time for the milk to soak in and will last for several days in the refrigerator.

My favorite quote from my husband "This is as good as any dessert you have ever made"

Cake

1 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. unsalted butter

1 c. white sugar

5 eggs

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour one 9 x 13 pan. (I use the pam spray with flour in it). Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside. Cream butter or margarine and the sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add the flour mixture a little at a time; mix until well blended. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Pierce cake several times with a fork.

Tres Leche

1 1/2 c. whole milk (in the class she used cream--I used the fat free half and half that was in my fridge)

1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)

1 can evaporated milk (12 oz)

Combine the whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk together. Pour over the top of the cooled cake.

Topping

1 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

1 c. white sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Whip whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla together until thick. Spread over the top of the cake. Be sure and keep cake refrigerated, enjoy! Top with fruit or let guests top their own.

Fruit cut up such as: strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, mango, mandarin oranges, toasted coconut

Fiesta Time: Apple Berry Salsa

{another delicious salsa that I made for the fiesta. It is so easy and absolutely yummy I have made it a few times since and it always dissapears. Plus, a bonus recipe today! The cinnamon chips that make this salsa even sweeter!}


{ingredients}
4 large apples{I really like the gala apples}
2 c. strawberries- diced
2 kiwi
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp apple jelly


{directions}
1. Peel, core, and dice apples.
2. Dice strawberries and kiwi.
3. Combine all fruit and add brown sugar and jelly.

{the fruit will juice so serve with a slotted spoon, and don't make too far ahead of time...}

{Cinnamon Tortilla Chips}


{ingredients}
flour tortillas
cinnamon and sugar mix to taste
spray bottle of water

{directions}
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1. cut tortillas to desired chip size and shape {I just take my pizza cutter to cut each tortilla into 8 piceces}
2. lay out on a cookie sheet and spray lightly with water
3. sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mix onto the tray
4. bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes.
5. cool completely and serve with your favorite {or apple berry} fruit salsa!

Fiesta Time: Southwestern Beef

Originally we were only going to have Pork Carnitas for our main dish. (a recipe we got from a class we took at Thanksgiving point). It was finally decided we should do some shredded beef also. It was a good thing since this was the only meat ready when we started. (the other recipe took a lot longer than anticipated) This is an easy crockpot recipe. The meat shreds easily and tastes great. This meat could be used for Tacos, burritos, tostadas, enchiladas etc.

Southwestern Beef

1 onion, chopped
2 1/2 lb. or so beef roast
1 heaping tsp. chili powder
1 heaping tsp. garlic powder
1 heaping tsp. cumin
1 heaping tsp. Kosher salt
2 bell peppers (you can use 2 green bell peppers or mix it up a little with red, yellow, or orange; just make sure one is green.), chopped I used FFT #3
1 14 1/2 oz. can Mexican-style diced tomatoes OR 1 can of Rotel tomatoes (regular or mild, depending on your preference)
Small flour tortillas
Desired toppings: salsa, guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, etc.

Place chopped onion in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Combine seasonings in a small bowl and then rub seasoning mixture all over the roast. Place roast over onions, top with chopped peppers, and then pour the canned tomatoes on top of everything. Cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 8-9 hours then shred the meat with two forks. There was a lot of liquid when I went to shred the beef so I took the liquid out. (I had used a crock pot liner) I shredded the beef and put it back in the crock pot and then added just enough liquid to keep it moist so it wouldn't dry out.

Then serve with desired toppings!

Avocado Citrus Salsa

{At our house, we need any excuse we can get to enjoy the Mexicany-ness of a good fiesta. For years we have enjoyed some good food for cinco de Mayo, but this year, we really outdid ourselves ourselves (if I do say so myself). And so, we are divulging the deliciousness in our new Fiesta series. So grab some spices and hold onto your sombreros! These recipes are el mejor.}

{To start off the fiesta we are going to introduce a delectable fruit salsa to the table. I saw a segment on Studio 5 with a few recipes and knew immediately that I had to find an excuse to try them out...}

Avocado Citrus Salsa
{ingredients}
2 medium oranges, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 large ripe avocado, peeled, seeded, and chopped
¼ cup chopped red onion
¼ cup snipped cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
½ teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce
¼ teaspoon salt


{directions}

In large bowl combine all ingredients. {make sure you do the avocados last, and try to mix as little as possible. you want the chunks to stay chunky...}
Cover and refrigerate 2 hours before serving. {if you are not going to serve it right away, you will want to chill it. But if you want to serve it right away, it will be more than fine.}

{Makes about 2 ½ cups.}