Latin Food, Dance and Music Ideas
The Latin American Cultural Experience Recipes
Argentina : Central America (General) : Chile : Colombia
Costa Rica : Mexico : Nicaragua : Panama
ARGENTINA
Albóndigas (Meat Balls)
Ingredients:
500 grams of diced veal
50 grams of shredded cheese
Salt, pepper and oregano
Tomatoes
Garlic, parsley (to your preference)
2 eggs
Flour
Directions:
1. In a bowl, mix the diced veal, shredded cheese, condiments (to preference) and eggs.
2. Coat your hands with flour.
3. With your hands, form round, 2-3 cm in diameter meat balls.
4. Prepare a tomato-based salsa (to your preference). Onions are recommended.
5. Place the meat balls in the pan with the salsa.
6. Cook the meat balls over low heat for approximately 30 minutes.
Makes 4 servings.
Empanadas de Humita (Corn Empanadas)
Ingredients:
12 shredded “choclos” (ears of corn)
1 diced onion
2 chili peppers
2 tomatoes (pealed and diced)
1 teaspoon of Spanish smoked sweet paprika
1 teaspoon of oil
1 glass of milk
Salt (to preference)
2 teaspoons of sugar
Directions:
1. In a frying pan, fry the onions and the two chili peppers.
2. Add tomatoes and season with salt and paprika.
3. Slowly add the shredded corn and milk.
4. Cook over low heat until the corn is tender, mixing it from time to
time and carefully adding more milk if it becomes too dry.
5. Add sugar. Remember that it needs to have a firm consistency to be able to fill the empanadas.
See the Empanadas de Queso y Pino recipe below for instructions on making the flour shell.
Adjust quantities as needed.
Fried Plantains
Ingredients:
1 quart oil for frying
2 plantains (ripe plantains will be sweeter)
Directions:
1. Preheat oil in large, deep skillet over medium high heat (be careful!)
2. Peel plantains and cut them in half.
3. Slice halves lengthwise into thin pieces.
4. Fry pieces until browned and tender.
5. Drain excess oil on paper towels.
Optional: Season with salt and black pepper, and serve with mashed avocado.
Chilean Salad
Ingredients (amounts depend on number of people being served):
Sliced tomatoes
Onions
Oil & Vinegar
Cilantro
Salt
Directions:
1. In a bowl, add sliced tomatoes & diced onions.
2. Prepare the dressing: In another bowl, add oil and vinegar. Cut cilantro in tiny pieces and add it and salt.
3. Add dressing to the tomatoes and diced onions.
4. Store the salad for a few hours to ensure that the tomatoes and onions are marinated
Empanadas de Queso y Pino (Cheese and Beef Empanadas)
Ingredients:
2 cups of flour
1 cup of brine
2 teaspoons of oil
½ kilogram of shredded meat
2 diced medium-sized onions
Black olives
Raisins
2 hard boiled eggs cut in half moon shapes
Directions:
1. Prepare the meat (“pino”): Fry meat with onions until fully cooked.
2. Prepare the flour mix for the empanadas: Pour the flour on a wooden board forming a crown shape.
3. Add hot brine and mix with a spoon (preferably wooden) until the mix is as thin as a plate.
4. Cut a reasonable size of the mix for approximately 3 empanadas.
5. Place one tablespoon of “pino,” two egg slices, raisins and black
olives around each of the portions, wet the outside with your fingers
(mild temperature water) and fold on half over the other (on the top as
if you were folding bed sheets). The mix should stick because it is
moist.
6. Cut each of the portions and folding the borders toward the inside to make the half-moon empanada shape.
7. Heat the oil in a pan. When completely hot, add the empanadas and cook until both sides are brown.
8. Take them out and leave them on a paper towel to dry and cool down.
Makes 3 servings.
Arepas
Note: "Arepas" are like corn cakes that you can buy already made
(or you can buy the mix and add water). They can be toasted and served
with salt and butter or melted cheese. They also make a great side when
made smaller (think flattened meatball).
Ingredients:
2 cups corn flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup grated white cheese
2 cups cool water (or more if needed)
Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and white cheese.
2. Stir in enough water to make firm, slightly moist dough.
3. Cover dough and let it sit for 5 minutes.
4. Divide dough into 10 pieces and form each piece into a ball.
5. Slightly flatten each ball (arepa).
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Lightly oil a griddle and warm it over medium heat.
8. Cook arepas on the griddle until a golden brown crust forms (about 5 minutes on each side).
9. Transfer arepas to a baking sheet and bake 20 to 25 minutes, turning them several times.
10. Serve immediately with black beans.
11. Makes 10 servings
Yucca Fries
Ingredients:
Buy frozen yucca (Goya makes them).
Directions:
1. Boil yucca until it is soft.
2. Cut it into wedges and fry.
3. Add some spices or just salt.
Sopa Negra (Black Bean Soup)
Ingredients:
2 cups black beans selected and washed
1 green bell pepper sliced in strips
1 bunch cilantro
1 clove garlic
1 diced onion
½ green bell pepper, finely diced
½ Tablespoon oregano
1 celery rib, salt and pepper to taste
2 hard boiled eggs sliced in half length-wise
½ onion, diced
¼ cup diced cilantro
Directions:
1. Cook beans w/ garlic, cilantro, oregano, celery, green bell pepper
strips, salt and pepper in enough water for beans to cook until tender.
When well cooked, mash them or put them in a blender.
2. In a pan, sauté garlic clove, diced onion and diced green pepper.
When translucent, add beans, taste to make certain it is well salted.
Cook for a few more minutes. If too thick, add hot water. Soup should
not be too watery, but rather a little thick.
3. Serve in individual soup bowls and decorate with egg, onion and cilantro.
Makes 6 servings.
Fried Ripe Plantains (Platanos maduros fritos)
Ingredients:
Enough plantains to make 2 cups of plantain puree
½ cup refried beans (pureed)
1 Tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ Tablespoon shortening
Directions:
1. Cook ripe plantains.
2. Let cool.
3. Peel and mash.
4. Make large flattened "pancake" with mixture.
5. Place layer of refried beans, another of sugar and then cinnamon powder.
6. Roll up and cut in slices.
7. Fry in very hot oil or shortening.
Makes 6 servings.
Enchiladas Verdes
Ingredients:
2 bone-in chicken breast halves
2 cups chicken broth
1 onion (cut in quarters; set 2 aside and chop 2)
2 garlic cloves
2+ teaspoons salt
1 pound fresh tomatillos, husks removed
5 serrano peppers
12 corn tortillas
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup crumbled queso fresco
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
Directions:
1. In a saucepan, combine chicken breast with chicken broth, ¼ piece of onion, a garlic clove and 2 teaspoons salt.
2. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 20 minutes.
3. Keep broth, set chicken aside to cool and discard onion and garlic.
4. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken with your hands.
5. Place tomatillos and serrano chiles in a pot with enough water to cover them.
6. Bring to a boil and continue boiling until tomatillos turn a
different shade of green (from bright green to a dull, army green).
7. Strain tomatillos and chiles, and place in a blender with another ¼ piece of onion, 1 garlic clove and a pinch of salt.
8. Pour in chicken broth so that liquid just covers the vegetables in the blender by about an inch.
9. Blend all ingredients until completely pureed.
10. Pour salsa in a medium saucepan and bring to a low boil.
11. Pour oil in a frying pan and heat (be careful!).
12. Slightly fry tortillas one by one, setting each on a paper towel afterwards to soak up some of the oil.
13. Finally, dip fried tortillas in low-boiling green salsa until they become soft again.
14. Place on plates, 3 per person.
15. Fill or top tortillas with shredded chicken and extra green sauce.
16. Top with crumbled cheese, chopped onion and chopped cilantro.
Tres Leches (Milk Cake)
This cake has three layers: cake, filling and topping.
Ingredients:
5 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups white sugar
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsalted butter
2 cups milk
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
9x13 inch cake pan
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Grease and flour baking pan.
3. Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside.
4. Cream butter (or margarine) and 1 cup of sugar together until fluffy.
5. Add eggs and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.
6. Beat well.
7. Add flour mixture to butter (or margarine) mixture, 2 tablespoons at a time, and mix until well-blended.
8. Pour batter into baking pan.
9. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.
10. Pierce cake several times with a fork.
11. Combine whole milk, evaporated milk and condensed milk. Pour over top of cooled cake.
12. Whip whipping cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 cup of sugar together until thick.
13. Spread over top of cake. Be sure to keep cake refrigerated and enjoy!
Makes 24 servings
Carimañolas (Stuffed Yucca)
Ingredients:
2 lb. yucca
1 lb. ground beef
3 Tablespoons chopped green pepper
½ cup finely chopped onion
½ cup finely chopped tomato
1 hard boiled egg; chopped
Salt, pepper and tobasco sauce to taste
Directions:
1. Boil yucca until tender.
2. Mash as you would mash potatoes.
3. Meanwhile, cook all other ingredients except egg for about 20 minutes.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Add egg.
6. Take 2 tablespoons of yucca and form a ball.
7. Flaten to a circle.
8. Add a Tablespoon of meat mixture and form yucca around it and shape into a 3-4 inch roll.
9. Fry in oil until lightly browned.
Chicha de Papaya (Papaya Fruit Drink)
Ingredients:
2 cups cut up papaya (peeled and seeded)
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup lime or lemon juice
1 cups papaya nectar (or peach or apricot nectar)
1 cup ice cubes
2 cups sparkling water, ginger ale or 7-Up
Directions:
1. Blend papaya, pineapple juice, lime (or lemon) juice, papaya nectar and ice cubes thoroughly in blender.
2. Pour in a pitcher and add sparkling water, ginger ale or 7-Up.
3. Serve over ice and enjoy! T
Tentación (Candied Plantain "Temptation")
Ingredients:
3 large ripe plantains
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
A dash of cinnamon (optional)
Directions:
1. Hit the plantains on all sides with a wooden spoon to soften.
2. Peel and cut into 5 pieces each.
3. In a large skillet, melt butter and oil on high heat.
4. Add plantains.
5. Fry until brown.
6. Combine sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and water.
7. Reduce heat to low and pour liquid over plantains. 8. Continue cooking until the liquid thickens, about 15 minutes.
9. Makes 4-5 servings.
Tortilla de Maíz con Queso Blanco (Corn Tortilla with Farmer's Cheese)
Ingredients:
2 cups masa (corn flour)
1/2 cup white farmer's cheese (grated)
1 Tablespoon oil
¼ teaspoon salt
Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients together and form into disks about ½-inch thick and 3 inches in diameter.
2. Fry in oil on both sides until slightly browned.
3. Allow tortillas to cool for a few minutes and serve.
The Cultural Experience: Dance
A wide variety of dance styles have developed in specific regions in Latin America. Salsa and Merengue are especially popular and are great for dance lessons and cultural parties. Merengue was born in the heart of the Dominican Republic several centuries ago and is the country’s national folk dance. Merengue’s simple one-two rhythm allows it to be danced to music that is light, energetic and fun. Merengue music can be heard throughout Latin America and nearly every disco and nightclub plays at least a little every night.
Salsa is a slower dance that originated in Cuba. Today, Salsa is popular in many places and has been influenced by various cultures. New York City, with its Cuban, Puerto Rican, Colombian and Dominican immigrant populations, has given rise to a grand Salsa fusion.
Tango, another popular form of dance, is Argentinean and means “closed space” or “reserved ground.” Samba is from Bahia, Brazil and means “to pray” in an Afro-Brazilian language.
Other popular types of dance include Lambada, Cumbia, Mambo and Bolero.
The Cultural Experience: Music
The musicians and songs below represent the diverse types of Latin American music.
Bacilos (Tabaco y Chanel, Pasos de Gigante, Un Montón de Estrellas, Cara Luna, Mi Primer Millón)
Jimmy Badboy (Movimiento Sabroso, Si Pudiera estar con Ella, Bailando, Ven Báilalo, La Luna y las Estrellas)
Rubén Blades
Michelle Camilo
Cristian Castro
Celia Cruz
DLG (Juliana, La Quiero a Morir)
La Factoría (Que me Maten, No Voy a Llorar)
Alejandro Fernández
Juan Luis Guerra (El Costo de la Vida, Me Enamoro de Ella, Ojala que
Llueva Café, Visa para un Sueño, Woman del Callao, A Pedir su Mano, La
Bilirrubina, Si tu te Vas)
Eddie Herrera (Vicio de tus Labios)
Los Ilegales
Kumbia Kinas (Mi dulce Niña)
Maná
Luis Miguel
Ricardo Montaner
Don Omar (La Batidora, Pobre Diabla)
Ivy Queen (Yo Quiero Bailar)
Gilberto Santa Rosa
Shakira
Diego Torres
Proyecto Uno
Carlos Vives (Fruta Fresca, La Gota Fría, La Piragua, Pa Mayte, Tu Amor
Eterno, El Amor de mi Tierra, Amor Latino, La Tierra del Olvido, Carito)
Daddy Yankee (Lo Que Paso Paso, Gasolina, Rompe)
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