Pineapple Quesillo Recipes

QUESILLO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 F (180°C).

QUESADILLAS WITH SHRIMP, PINEAPPLE AND PEPPERS

Steps:

• On a large plate, pour the red sauce over the shrimp and set aside.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Cook the onions and bell peppers over high heat until they start to get nicely browned.
• Stir them after a minute or so, then let them sit on medium-high heat until they're nice and brown.
• Add the pineapple and cook over medium-high heat until they start to get brown/black. Remove from skillet and set aside.
• Add the shrimp and cook, stirring only occasionally, until the shrimp are opaque. Add in a little water if the sauce gets dry. Remove from the skillet and chop the shrimp into bite-size pieces.
• In a clean skillet, heat some butter. Place a tortilla in the skillet, then layer on the ingredients: cheese, vegetables and shrimp. Top with a little more cheese and a second tortilla. Cook on both sides, adding butter before flipping to the other side so the tortilla isn't overly dry. Remove from the skillet and slice into wedges. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas and filling ingredients.
• Remove the quesadilla from the skillet and slice it into 4 wedges using a large pizza cutter.
• Serve the quesadilla with pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream.

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.

PINEAPPLE QUESITO

Steps:

• To make the quesitos:
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
• In saucepan melt the butter over medium heat; add the brown sugar, pineapple and vanilla bean, with the seeds. Cook until the pineapple is tender and the juices have thickened to a syrup. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly while you make the cheese filling.
• To make cheese filling: In a bowl mix together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
• Cut the puff pastry into 4- to 5-inch squares, depending on the size of the puff pastry sheet you have. Spread the cheese filling in the middle of each piece of pastry.
• Place the pineapples over the cheese filling. Brush the points of the pastry with the egg wash. Fold one side over the filling, and then tuck the other point under the pastry, to create a roll.
• Tuck the points under the filled pastry, which will puff up high and keep the filling in the center.
• Brush with more egg wash and sprinkle generously with sugar.
• Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. You may have to rotate the two trays, top to bottom and back to front, to make sure they are baking evenly. They will be light and puffy when they are done. Allow them to cool.
• Dust with confectioners' sugar.
• They are fantastic with a cup of coffee.