Yayas Leche Nevada Recipes

YAYA'S LECHE NEVADA

Steps:

• Whip the egg whites and 3 tablespoons of sugar to make a merangue with hard peaks.
• Boil the milk and 1/2 cups of sugar in a medium sized pot. Make sure the milk does not boil over. Note: We don't like this dessert very sweet in my family, but you may want to use more than 1/2 cup sugar.
• Drop the merangue into the boiling milk, tablespoon by tablespoon. The merangue dollops will expand when cooked. Make sure to turn each one over in the milk at least once so that it cookes evenly on all sides. They cook very quickly.
• Lift the merangues out of the milk with a slotted spoon and place in a large storage container.
• Dissolve the corn starch in a little bit of cold water and pour into the milk/sugar mixture, which should still be over the stove. Stir for about 3 minutes on medium-high heat. Remove from heat.
• Add egg yolks and vanilla extract, whisking rapidly to avoid clumping as the yolks cook. Pour the custard over the merangues.
• Chill for at least 3 hours before serving.

YIA YIA'S SUNDAY SAUCE

Steps:

• What makes this sauce so good is the long, slow cooking time, which allows it to develop a complex flavor. It shouldn't simmer; there should be just a bubble rising to the surface every now and then. Meaty beef bones add more depth and complexity. (If you have beef stock, you can add two cups of it in place of the beef bones.) This sauce is chunky with abundant tomato and sliced garlic. Depending on what you're using this for, it can be served as is (over a very thick hearty pasta or as part of a braising liquid). But if you were to use it for an angel hair or as a sauce for sauteed veal, you would probably want to puree it in a blender until it's uniformly smooth. This sauce freezes well, so you can make big batches, portion it into smaller containers, and freeze it when you need it.
• Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan or large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, 2 minutes. Add the salt and garlic and cook until everything is soft but not browned, about 3 minutes.
• Squeeze the tomatoes one by one into the pan, pulverizing them by hand, and pour in their juice, too. Add the bones, wine, oregano, red pepper flakes, if using, black pepper and bay leaf. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and then reduce the heat to its lowest possible setting, and continue to cook for 8 hours. The sauce should reduce by about one-third.
• Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Remove the bones and bay leaf. If not using right away, let the sauce cool, then cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months.

YIA YIA'S BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Stir together water, 2 cups sugar, cloves, cinnamon stick, and 1/2 the lemon juice together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until flavor blends and syrup consistency is reached, about 15 minutes. Stir remaining 1/2 the lemon juice into syrup. Strain and refrigerate until cool, at least 30 minutes.
• Stir walnuts, 1 cup sugar, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a bowl.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Brush butter on the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch glass baking dish.
• Lay the phyllo dough out on a clean, dry surface and cover it with plastic wrap. Cover the plastic wrap with a damp towel.
• Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking dish and lightly brush with butter. Lay another 1 sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with butter. Repeat layering and brushing with butter with 4 more sheets of phyllo dough.
• Gently spread 1/3 the walnut mixture in an even layer over the phyllo dough in the baking dish. Place a sheet of phyllo dough over the walnut mixture and brush it with butter. Repeat layering and buttering with 3 more sheets of dough.
• Spread another 1/3 the walnut mixture in an even layer over the phyllo dough in the baking dish. Place a sheet of phyllo dough over the walnut mixture and brush it with butter. Repeat layering and buttering with 3 more sheets of dough.
• Spread the remaining 1/3 walnut mixture in an even layer over the phyllo dough in the baking dish. Place a sheet of phyllo dough over the walnut mixture and brush it with butter. Repeat layering and buttering with the remaining 5 sheets of dough. Cut baklava into 1-inch diamonds.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes.
• Pour cooled syrup over baked baklava and cool for 1 day to absorb syrup.

YAYA'S EASY AND DELICIOUS MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Put the stuffing mix into a large mixing bowl and add water. Mix with hands until stuffing feels good and moist. You may need a bit more than the half cup.
• Add the remaining ingredients to the stuffing mix. Using your clean hands, mix very well -- make sure everything is really mixed up well.
• Place mixture into 2 ungreased meatloaf pans. Pack firmly.
• Using your fingers, press down all around the sides of the meatloaves seperating the sides about 1" away from the pan -- the top of the loaves will look a bit rounded (this helps allow the grease to run off the top of the loaves).
• Bake on middle oven rack at 350 - degrees for about 1 hour. Let cool for
• 10-15 minutes before slicing.
• *NOTE* I usually can test doneness by the way the center of the loaf feels when I touch it (feels about like the area around my wrist). If you are new to cooking, you may want to stick a knife in the center of the loaf and if the juices run clear (no blood) then it is done. Those more experienced than I may want to use a meat thermometer but I have no idea what it should read. LOL.