Natalie Morales Shares Her Latin-Inspired Recipes Perfect For Your Holiday Party

Need a few food ideas for your holiday parties? Natalie Morales shares some of her Latin-inspired dishes she makes at home with her family.

Coquito

Ingredients

1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups (1 15 oz can) cream of coconut (like Coco Lopez)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup white rum
Cinnamon sticks for garnish

Directions

Nothing says Christmas in Puerto Rico like Coquito, literally translates to little coconut. It is the equivalent of our egg nog, minus the egg but a whole lot of nog, and you guessed it coconut milk. Of course, I grew up drinking the “virgin” drink with no alcohol, but I can say it tastes far better with a good Puerto Rican rum (like Bacardi). I spent a few Christmases in Puerto Rico with my grandparents (which is a wild family party where they go house to house surprising family and friends). This is served all holiday season long and will last if you make a big batch, because there is no egg it has a longer shelf life. Serve very very cold or as I like to do.. blend in chopped ice, so it’s more of a shake consistency. A little goes a long way as it is sweet and filling just like egg nog. Add more or less rum to your liking or for the kids, serve it up without. Garnish with cinnamon sticks. Feliz Navidad!

Natalie Morales’ croquettes

Chicken or Turkey Croquettes

Makes about 16

Ingredients

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup minced yellow onion
1/4 cup minced celery
3 cups minced cooked chicken (about 1 1/4 pounds uncooked)
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Pinch of celery seeds (optional)
Dash of cayenne pepper
Pinch of salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1 cup Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

Need to use that leftover Thanksgiving turkey in your freezer by Christmas? These croquettes make the perfect appetizer, using either turkey or chicken, for your holiday party or dinner. Croquettes are one of my favorite appetizers because they are so easy to make and everyone loves how the warm, crunchy-coated pieces just melt in your mouth. In Spain, croquettes come in many flavors: jamón Serrano, chicken, fish, you name it – they’re a national delicacy. They’re also very popular in Brazil, so I had to give you my take on this savory classic given my love of both countries. The best part about this recipe is that it uses up your leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken. My mom even makes croquettes with leftover Thanksgiving turkey, stuffing, and/or mashed potatoes. 

  1. In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter, then whisk in 1/2 cup of the flour. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the milk and the broth. Cook, whisking continuously, to thicken, 4 to 6 minutes, then remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
  2. In a skillet, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring, until lightly softened, about 2 minutes.
  3. In a large bowl, mix the cooked chicken, onion-celery mixture, parsley, thyme, celery seeds (if using), and cayenne. Season with the salt and black pepper. Stir in the roux to make the croquette paste. Divide and form into about 16 sausage-like rolls, about 2 1/2 by 1 inches; they will be a bit wet.
  4. In a shallow bowl, whisk the eggs with the remaining 2 tablespoons milk. In a separate shallow, mix the bread crumbs and remaining 2 tablespoons flour. Dredge the croquettes first in the egg and then roll in the bread crumb mixture. Arrange the croquettes on a baking sheet and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.
  5. Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  6. In a deep skillet, heat about 1/2 inch of vegetable oil to 350°F – you’ll know it’s ready when you can drop in a bit of flour and it sizzles. Fry the croquettes in batches, rotating them on all sides until they are golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes total. As you go, transfer the fried croquettes to the prepared sheet pan and keep warm in the oven until all batches are done. Serve right away.
Natalie Morales’ flan

Flan (Basic & Pumpkin)

Serves 8

Ingredients
(Gluten-Free | Vegetarian)

Basic Flan:
6 large eggs
1 (12-ounce) can low-fat evaporated milk
1 (14-ounce) can low-fat or fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar

Pumpkin Flan:
Same ingredients as above
Substitute 4 large eggs instead of 6
1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree (such as Libby’s)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

There is nothing my mom makes better, in my opinion, than her flan. This is one of those recipes that has been passed down and is almost a family heirloom. (Here’s where the osmosis comes in.) It’s amazing how one dessert can mean so much and bring forth so many memories. That’s what I love about certain foods: they take you on a journey to a place and time, or even just allow you to feel the comforts of home. 

Back to the flan: This is truly one of the easiest desserts I make, but the trick is caramelizing the sugar just right. Don’t be intimidated by using a double boiler or baking using a water bath; it’s beyond simple once you’ve tried it. I’ve “skinnied” this recipe up a bit, using low-fat sweetened condensed milk or low-fat evaporated milk – and I honestly can’t tell the difference. Once you’ve mastered the original, you’ll find it’s a forgiving recipe. But the recipe will work using the full-fat versions, if you prefer. Try the coconut variation, or for the holidays, try my pumpkin version – or experiment by adding mango puree for a tropical flan, or chocolate for a winter flan. You can’t go wrong. 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Fill a roasting pan one-quarter of the way with water and set it in the oven.
  2. In a blender, combine the eggs, evaporated and condensed milks, and vanilla. Blend until smooth and set aside.
  3. Scoop the sugar into a small saucepan. Over very low heat, slowly caramelize the sugar. This is the hardest part of the recipe because the key is not to let the sugar burn or get too dark. The pan can be directly over the heat, but it gets very, very hot, so use a potholder. Using a wooden spoon, work the sugar around the pan until it starts to liquefy. Remove from the heat as soon as the sugar starts to turns a light caramel color.
  4. Immediately pour the caramelized sugar into a round glass baking dish, such as a 9-inch Pyrex pie dish. Tilt the dish to coat the bottom and sides with the caramel.
  5. Pour the custard mixture into the caramel-coated dish. Place it in the water-filled roasting pan in the oven.
  6. Bake for about 45 minutes, but as ovens can vary, start checking for doneness after 30 minutes. The flan is cooked through when the top pulls from the sides of the baking dish a bit or when the top is firm and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  7. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
  8. To serve, take a large dessert platter and place it over the baking dish as if it were a lid. Do this over the sink to ensure no spillage. Quickly flip the pan and the platter together. The flan should come out of the baking dish perfectly, topped with a beautiful caramel glaze. Enjoy!

Double Boiler Method

  1. In a blender, combine the eggs, evaporated and condensed milks, and vanilla. Blend until smooth and set aside.
  2. Fill the bottom of a double boiler about a quarter of the way full with water and set over medium heat.
  3. Scoop the sugar into the top of the double boiler. Over a very low flame or low heat, slowly caramelize the sugar as directed in Step 3.
  4. Coat all sides of the double boiler top with the caramel by rotating the pan in a circular motion.
  5. Pour the custard mixture into the caramel-coated pan. Set it over the bottom of the double boiler.
  6. Cook for about 45 minutes, but check the water level in the base every 15 minutes or so to ensure it’s always about one-quarter full. The flan is cooked through when the top pulls from the sides of the pan a bit or when the top is firm and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  7. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
  8. To serve, take a large dessert platter and place it over the top of the double-boiler top as if it were a lid. Do this over the sink to ensure no spillage. Quickly flip the pan and the platter together. The flan should come out of the mold perfectly topped with a beautiful caramel glaze.