1. Non-Alcoholic Sangria
INGREDIENTS: 4 cups white grape juice 3 cups sparkling water 1 cup orange juice 1 orange, cut in small pieces 4 to 5 fresh strawberries, sliced ice cubes
2. Gallo Pinto (beans and rice) Recipe (Typical in Costa Rica)
1 lb (450 gr.) Black beans. Fresh are best but most likely you’ll find them dried.
8-10 sprigs cilantro (coriander leaf) fresh or frozen, not dried!
1 small or medium onion
½ small red or yellow sweet pepper (optional)
3 cups (700 ml) chicken broth or water
2 cups (350 ml) white rice
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
1 Tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
1-3 Tablespoon oil to fry the Gallo Pinto
If beans are dried, cover with water and soak overnight, if they are fresh, just rise them off. Drain the beans and add fresh water to an inch (2.5-cm) above the top of the beans, salt, and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and reduce heat to very low simmer until beans are soft (~3 hours).
Chop cilantro, onion, and sweet pepper very fine.
Add 1 Tablespoon oil to a large pan and sauté the dry rice for 2 minutes over medium high flame then add half of the chopped onion, sweet pepper and cilantro and sauté another 2 minutes. Add water or chicken broth, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer until rice is tender (20-35 minutes). This is also the recipe for Tico rice used in other favorites like tamales.
Once the rice and beans are cooked you can refrigerate or freeze them. Keep a significant amount of the “black water” with the beans (½-1 cup 120-240 ml). This is what gives the rice its color and some of its flavor. Sauté the rice, beans reserved chopped onion, sweet pepper and cilantro together in vegetable oil for a few minutes. Sprinkle with a little fresh chopped cilantro just before serving.
Once the rice and beans are cooked you can also refrigerate or freeze them. Make up small batches of Gallo Pinto when you want it by simply sautéing them together.
In the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica they sometimes use small very hot red peppers instead of or in addition to the sweet. Some people add a tablespoon or so of salsa Lizano or Chilera to the beans while they're cooking. Some people always simmer the beans very slowly all-day and preheated the water or chicken broth for the rice.
3. Cold Gazpacho soup (Typical in Spain)
Ingredients
6-8 tomatoes, chopped(Roma or plum are best Don't lose the juice!)
1/2large white onion, chopped finely(red is a nice alternative)
1/2large white onion, chopped in 1/4 inch chunks
2small cucumbersor 1large cucumber, chopped
salt(preferably sea salt)
fresh ground black pepper
virgin olive oil
1 lemon, juice of
choppedbasilor cilantro(preferably fresh)
2cloves garlic(or a tablespoon of diced garlic from a jar)
Directions
Dump 1/3 cup olive oil and lemon juice into a blender or food processor.
Add the vegetables, then the seasonings. Start w/ a little add more after I've mixed it all up.
Use the"chop" or"grate" function until the gazpacho is soupy but still has some good sized chunks.
Taste and then add more salt, pepper, oil or basil to your preference.
4. Churros Recipe (Typical in Spain)
Ingredients 1 large cup of white flour 1 large cup of water 1 teaspoon of oil , pinch of salt, olive oil , sugar
Directions In a saucepan, heat up the water, salt, and a spoonful of olive oil. When it comes to a boil, add the flour and stir rapidly until it forms a smooth, thick mixture. Wait a few minutes for it to cool and then place the mixture in the donut maker. Shape the dough and fry them in ample hot oil until they turn golden. Now and while hot, sprinkle them with sugar, cinnamon, or just dunk them in thick hot chocolate. Enjoy!
5. Tortilla Española Recipe (Typical in Spain)
Ingredients 4 medium potatoes 4 or 5 eggs 1 medium onion (optional) 1/4 liter of olive oil salt
Instructions
Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin slices. Heat a deep pan with olive oil and place the potatoes in the oil. Keep the stove at medium heat, which allows the potatoes to cook slowly and soak up the oil. If you want, finely chop the onion and add it to the potatoes and oil. Continue to slowly fry the pan's contents until the onions turn soft and slightly brown. After ten minutes, strain the rest of the oil.
Adding a pinch of salt, beat the eggs in a big bowl. Add the potatoes (and onions if you included them). Now put the pan that held the potatoes back on the stove at the same medium heat with a little bit of oil and add the contents of the bowl (eggs, potatoes, and onion). Cover hand leave it to cook on low heat for 5-10 minutes until the bottom begins to brown. Using a lid or a large plate, turn the omelette upside down and then put it back in the pan with the uncooked side on the bottom.
When both sides are slightly brown, take your cooked tortilla española off the heat, put it on a plate, wait a little bit for it to cool, and then dig in!
6. Mofongo recipe (typical in the Dominican Republic)
Mofongo is made with green plantains, which, unless you shop in a Latino market, is how you'll most often buy them. If you keep them in the refrigerator, ripening can be retarded for weeks with no loss of quality.
Ingredients
Salt
4 green plantains, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 pinch saffron, optional
4 cups well-flavored chicken stock
Oil for deep frying
4 thick slices bacon, or salt pork, prosciutto or cracklings
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
Method
-1.1. Mix handful of salt into a bowl of cold water and soak plantain chunks. Combine saffron, if using, and stock in saucepan over low heat, keep warm. Bring at least 1 inch of oil to about 350 degrees in a deep skillet.
-1.2. Meanwhile, cook bacon until crisp; remove and drain. Remove plantain from water and drain, then deep fry the pieces (careful, they may spatter) until golden brown and tender. While still hot, add to food processor with bacon, garlic and some salt and pepper. You may have to work in batches. Process to consistency of mashed -- not whipped -- potatoes. Taste and adjust seasoning, then quickly shape into rough balls about the size of meatballs.
3. Place in soup bowls, douse with broth, garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.
7. Cat’s Tongue Recipe (Typical cookie recipe in Mexico)
I N G R E D I E N T S 8 tablespoons butter scant 2/3 cups granulated sugar 3 egg whites 1 teaspoon vanilla* 3/4 cup flour, sifted
I N S T R U C T I O N S Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg whites, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla, then the four. Place the dough in a pastry bag fitted with a round tip. Butter and four several baking sheets. Pipe strips about 2 to 3 inches long and as thick as a pencil onto the baking sheets, leaving enough space for the cookies to expand while baking. Bake in a preheated 425 degrees oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Remove and cool on a rack. Store in an airtight container.
*Note: If you'd like to add a lemon flavor you can omit the vanilla and add the grated rind and half the juice from 1 lemon.
8. Mexican Wedding Cakes (Cookies)
Although called wedding cakes these little light cookies are incredibly easy to make and are heavenly to eat.
I N G R E D I E N T S
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup pecans, toasted, coarsely ground
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
I N S T R U C T I O N S
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Beat butter in large bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until well blended. Beat in flour, then pecans. Divide dough in half; form each half into ball. Wrap separately in plastic; chill until cold, about 30 minutes.
Whisk remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and cinnamon in pie dish to blend. Set cinnamon sugar aside.
Working with half of chilled dough, roll dough by 2 teaspoonfuls between palms into balls. Arrange balls on heavy large baking sheet, spacing 1/2 inch apart. Bake cookies until golden brown on bottom and just pale golden on top, about 18 minutes. Cool cookies 5 minutes on baking sheet. Gently toss warm cookies in cinnamon sugar to coat completely. Transfer coated cookies to rack and cool completely. Repeat procedure with remaining half of dough. (Cookies can be prepared 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature; reserve remaining cinnamon sugar.)
9. Arroz con Leche Recipe (Typical in Cuba)
1/2 cup rice (I used jasmine, since it was what I had on hand) 1-1/2 cups water 1 small piece of lemon peel 1 small cinnamon stick 4 cups milk 1 cup sugar 1/4 tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla extract Cinnamon powder . The recipe calls for washing the rice (in the old days, you had to pick through the rice and take little bits of trash and pebbles out, then wash it, as it was not clean) but I did not wash it. Cook the rice in the water, lemon peel and cinnamon stick until rice is soft, about 10 minutes or so. Add the milk, salt, vanilla and sugar. Bring to just under a boil and turn down heat. Cook at medium-low heat, uncovered, until it gets thick and rice has absorbed most of the milk. Stir once in a while so it will not stick. Fish out the cinnamon stick and
pour into a bowl or several individual bowls and sprinkle with powdered cinnamon. Serves 8.
10. Polvorones : (typical in Puerto Rico) : Rich, crumbly "polvorones" or "Dusty" Almond Cookies are a delicious cookie, especially popular in Spain during the Christmas season. This traditional recipe is softer and more crumbly than the other polvorones version we have on our site. In fact, this cookie just about melts in your mouth!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
3/4 cup almonds (raw)
5 oz. butter or margarine
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Preparation:
This polvorones or Spanish almond cookie recipe makes approximately 16 (2-inch round) cookies.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Measure and pour flour out onto a cookie sheet. Place in oven and "toast" the flour. Occasionally move the flour around on the sheet, so that it toasts evenly. Leave in oven for about 8 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Place raw almonds on another cookie sheet. Toast the almonds until they change color just slightly. Remove and place almonds into a food processor. Process almonds until they are finely ground.
Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees.
Cream butter, sugar and cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour and finely ground almonds and continue mixing. The dough will be very crumbly!
Place a sheet of waxed paper on a cutting board or other flat work surface. Press the dough together to form a ball. Then press the dough onto the waxed paper. Carefully flatten it down to about 1/2 inch. Use a cookie cutter to cut out the cookies.
Use a small spatula to carefully move the cookies from the waxed paper to a cookie sheet for baking because the dough is very dry and flakey.
Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheet for 25-30 minutes at 250 degrees. Remove cookie sheet from oven and allow cookies to cool completely before removing them. Take special care not to break them.
11. Papas a la Huancaína (Typical recipe from Peru) 8 servings) (White Mexican cheese or feta
also works.)
10 medium potatoes (new potatoes are best)
1 pound of cheese (see above)
2 small hot peppers
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic
8 saltine crackers
1 tsp prepared mustard
salt and pepper
lettuce
3 hard cooked eggs
black olives
Cook and peel potatoes and allow to cool.
In a blender, blend the cheese, peppers, milk, oil, garlic, crackers, mustard, salt and pepper. The sauce should be fairly thick; add crackers if not thick enough, add milk if too thick.
Lay a bed of lettuce in a serving dish and place the potatoes on top. Cover with the sauce. Cut the hard boiled eggs in half and place on top of the potatoes. Add black olives if desired.
This dish can be served slightly cold.
12. Panamanian Apple Cake
Description
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Ingredients
2 cups peeled sliced Apples (I use Granny Smith, but any would be okay)
1 cup of Sugar
2/3 cup of canola oil
1 egg slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour - unsifted
1/2 cup nuts - optional
Directions
-1.hand mix all ingredients together and spread in pan.
-1.Bake for 50 minutes or until nicely brown.
This is wonderful warm, with some nice vanillaicecream or real whipped cream.
13. Flan (typical custard in many Spanish-speaking countries)
Flan is a traditional Mexican dessert and there are many versions. This one is prized for it's simplicity. If you've never made flan before, now is the time to try it.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hours
Ingredients:
1 cup and 1/2 cup sugar
6 large eggs
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 13 oz cans evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. You will need 6 ramekins or other specialty flan cookware and a large baking pan to put them in.
Pour 1 cup sugar in warm pan over medium heat. Constantly stir sugar until it is browns and becomes caramel. Quickly pour approximately 2-3 tablespoons of caramel in each ramekin, tilting it to swirl the caramel around the sides. Reheat caramel if it starts to harden.
In a mixer or with a whisk, blend the eggs together. Mix in the milks then slowly mix in the 1/2 cup of sugar, then the vanilla. Blend smooth after each ingredient is added.
Pour custard into caramel lined ramekins. Place ramekins in a large glass or ceramic baking dish and fill with about 1-2 inches of hot water. Bake for 45 minutes in the water bath and check with a knife just to the side of the center. If knife comes out clean, it's ready.
Remove and let cool. Let each ramekin cool in refrigerator for 1 hour. Invert each ramekin onto a small plate, the caramel sauce will flow over the custard.
14. Bolivian dessert: Banana & Lemon Pancakes
Ingredients
2 tb Sugar
1 ts cinnamon
1 ea Grating of nutmeg
1 pn salt
1 1/2 tb lemon juice
1 lb Ripe bananas
oil, as required 1 ea Crepe recipe, see above
2 tb margarine, melted
Directions
-1.icing sugar, as requiring lemon wedges for garnish Mix the Sugar, nutmeg, saltlemon juice in a small bowl.
-1.Slice the bananas & mix them gently in the lemon-spice mixture. Heat a skillet & add a little vegetable oil.
-1.Fry each crepe on both sides. Spread each cooked crepe with the melted margarine & some of the banana mixture.
Keep everything warm until ready to serve. Sprinkle the crepes with icing sugar & garnish with lemon wedges.
15. Colombian Cake
Ingredients
1 lb. flour
1 lb. Sugar (white)
1 lb. butter
10 eggs
1 oz. wine or rum
vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking powder
raisins
1/2 c. milk
Directions
-1.Beat the Sugar and the butter until smooth.
-1.Then add the flour. you can add eggs and baking powder.
-1.Then add the raisins, vanilla extract, wine or rum, and if too dry add milk.
-1.Grease the pan and put a little flour into it and put the oven at 350 degrees.
Leave it in for a hour and check it, or leave until done in the middle.
16. Alfajores (Small layered cakes) (typical of Argentina)
Ingredients
250 grams ground almonds
300 grams butter
225 grams confectioner's sugar
3 eggs
rind of 1 lemon
vanilla and almond essence
1/2 pound of plain flour
Directions
-1.Mix the butter with the Sugar and essences.
-1.Add the eggs one at a time.
-1.Add the flour and the almonds and knead lightly.
-1.Place dough in the fridge for about 35 min.
-1.Flaten dough and then cut into small circles, cookie size
-1.Bake for about 20 minutes on greased and floured baking sheets.
-1.Take one circle and cover it in jelly, dulce de leche or melted chocolate
-1.Then use another circle to close the alfajore. Its like making a sandwich.
The moist edges can be covered in shaved coconut.