Every year from September 15 to October 15, Americans celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month. This time is dedicated to honor the contributions from Latin America, Spain, and the Caribbean. We want to join this special celebration by sharing some of our students’ traditional recipes. We hope you enjoy them and please let us know if you tried them. Buen provecho!
Cheese Empanadas
by Ruth Lojano
The name of this dish is Cheese Empanadas. This dish is from Ecuador. People eat this at any occasion. This dish is important for me because I can prepare it with my son.
Ingredients:
– ½ pound of flour
– 2 tablespoons of butter
– ½ tablespoon of sugar
– a pinch of salt
– 2 eggs
– 1 cup of oil
– 1 teaspoon of baking soda
– 1 pound of mozzarella cheese
– 1 cup of warm water
Preparation:
Melt the butter. Mix the butter with the flour and baking soda, eggs, salt, and sugar, and then add a little water. Mix for 10 minutes. Make round balls and let it rest for 10 more minutes. Use a rolling pin to extend the dough. Then we put the cheese in the center of the dough. Fry them in oil until it is golden brown.
Pico de Gallo Salsa
By Maria Perez
The name of this dish is Pico de Gallo. This is from Mexico. This is a delicious dish. Pico de Gallo for dinner is delicious with toasts. The reason Pico de Gallo is important to me is because my father likes it and he makes delicious Pico de Gallo.
Ingredients:
– 4 red tomatoes
– 3 jalapeno peppers
– 3 avocados
– 2 limes
– 1 bunch cilantro
– 1 onion
– 1 teaspoon of salt
– 3 tsp of olive oil
– bag of Mexican toast or crackers
Preparation:
Dice all the vegetables. Add as much cilantro as you want and squeeze the 2 limes. Season with olive oil and salt. Mix everything. Eat with Mexican toast or crackers.
Quinoa Soup
By Carmen Guaman
Sopa de Quinua, is a dish of South America. People in my country eat quinoa because it is very nutritious. This food reminds me of my aunt. When I was little. I visited her at home and she surprised me with this nutritious soup. I did not know it was very healthy at that time. Now that I am a mother I prepare it and my children like it.
Ingredients (4 people):
– 4 oz. of quinoa
– ½ onion
– 1 tablespoon of oil
– 2 potatoes in cubes
– 3 garlic cloves
– 1 tablespoon of annatto
– 3 oz. milk
– 1 slice of yellow American cheese
– 1 ½ liter of water
– 2 celery sticks
Preparation:
Rinse the quinoa 3 times. Chop the onion and the celery. In a pot, sauté the onion, garlic, and celery for 5 minutes. Add salt to taste. Add the quinoa, chopped potatoes, annatto, and the water. Boil the soup for 20 minutes. Once it is ready, add the milk and a slice of yellow cheese. Serve.
Napolitan Milanese
By Lorena Quiroga
The name of this dish in Spanish is Milanesa Napolitana. This dish is from Buenos Aires, Argentina, but people eat it in many parts of the world. This dish reminds of my family. It is a dish that my mother in Argentina makes on many special occasions for the entire family. In my house, we also prepare this dish with much love.
Ingredients:
– 2 lb. chicken breast
– 3 cloves of garlic
– 2 large eggs
– 2 cups of breadcrumbs
– 10 slices of mozzarella cheese
– 1 can of tomato salsa
– salt and pepper to taste
– basil and oregano to taste
– parsley to taste
Preparation:
Break the eggs into a bowl and mix. Add the garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, basil, and oregano in the same bowl. Mix those ingredients together. Slice the chicken breasts in thin slices and add them to the mixture to soak. In the meantime, put the breadcrumbs into a flat plate. Take out the breasts and cover them with the breadcrumbs. Preheat the oven to 355° F. Put a little oil on a baking tray and put the milanese on the tray. Cover the Milanese with the tomato sauce and put the mozzarella slices on top of the chicken. Bake for 20 minutes. It may be accompanied with rice, french fries, or salad.
Orange/Milk Frozen Beverage
By Yberca Rivera
The name of this beverage in Spanish is Morir Sonando. This beverage is from the Dominican Republic. People usually drink this at breakfast. This beverage is important for me because it is refreshing for summer. 
Ingredients:
– 8 oranges
– 2 tablespoons of sugar
– 1 can of evaporated milk
– ice cubes
Preparation:
Squeeze the oranges. Then mix the orange juice with the sugar. Add the ice cubes and stir until it is cold. Add the milk. Make sure to add the milk last. Follow the same order.
Sweet Steamed Pudding
By Rosa Dutan
The name of this Ecuadorian dish in Spanish is Quimbolitos. People eat Quimbolitos in the highlands of my country especially for Christmas or during carnival season. This dish is important to me because my children and my husband like them very much. They help me to cook. When I cook Quimbolitos, my family is together and happy.
Ingredients:
– 16 oz. of self-rising wheat flour
– 8 eggs
– 6 oz. butter
– 6 oz. sugar
– ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
– 1 pack of plantain leaves
Preparation:
Break the eggs and separate the yolk from the whites. Mix the egg whites together until they form high peaks. Beat the sugar, vanilla extract, and the egg yolks in a separate bowl. Slowly add the flour and mix to the yolk mix. Then carefully add the yellow mix to the egg whites and fold. Add raisins and fold. Open the plantain leaf and put two tablespoons of the mixture and fold to close. Steam the Quimbolitos for 45 minutes. Serve warm.