This is a classic Salvadoran salad and a staple of our everyday diet. I love this salad because the ingredients are so fresh and crunchy. The lemon juice adds the perfect amount of acidity and flavor. It also reminds me of my paternal grandmother and the way she prepared it. She enjoyed going to the market and selecting the sweetest, most ripe tomatoes and crisp lettuce. I get nostalgic when I think about her cooking. This salad is traditionally served at lunchtime as part of a complete meal with rice and either a meat, seafood, or vegetable entrée.

Green Salad

-Serves 4-6

Ingredients 

• 3 cups shredded iceberg lettuce (bite-sized pieces)
• 12 slices of firm but ripe large tomato
• 24 thin slices of cucumber
• 24 thin slices of radish
• 1 cup watercress sprigs (no long stalks)
• 3 lemons each cut in wedges
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Arrange the lettuce in a large serving bowl, then garnish with the tomato slices, cucumbers, radishes, and watercress sprigs.

Before serving, squeeze the lemon juice on top, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

This post post was written in collaboration with Latina Bloggers Connect and Maseca. All opinions are our own.

It’s amazing how a smell can bring back so many memories. The minute a bag of Maseca makes it’s way into my home my mind starts thinking of what to make. It definitely inspires me to cook a traditional meal that I usually only enjoy when I travel to Guatemala or El Salvador. I recently had the opportunity to try Maseca’s new Centroamerica flour mix. I decided to make a traditional pot of beans with bolitas de masa (dough balls). The moment I poured water and salt into the Maseca mix my mind began to travel back to the vacations in Central America that I took with my family as a child. The smell of fresh masa being kneaded by one of my aunts is forever engraved into my memory and immediately makes my mouth water.  All I wanted to do was find a comal, flatten out the dough ball, and enjoy a fresh tortilla. However, I waited for my pot of beans with bolitas de masa to cook.

The end result tastes like beans with a fresh tortilla in a bowl. You can serve it with your favorite toppings like Salvadorian sour cream and fresh cilantro criollo.

Ingredients

Beans

• 2 cups of black or pinto beans
• 1/4 cup of diced onion
• 3 cloves of garlic (whole)
• 1 chile (of choice)
• ½ gallon of water

Dough Balls

• 1 cup of Maseca flour
• 1tbs of olive oil
• ¼ tbs of salt
• ¾ cup of water

Toppings (optional)

• Sour cream (I used Salvadorean sour cream)
• Cilantro (I used cilantro criollo)

Cooking Directions

For Beans

-       Rinse 2 cups of back beans.

-       In a large pot combine 1/2 gallon of water, beans, and 3 cloves of peeled garlic. Bring to a boil.

-       Let the beans boil for about 45 minutes.  Cooking times may vary.

-       After 45 add onion, whole chile, and about 15 dough balls to your pot of beans. Cook for an additional 15 minutes.

-       When your beans are fully cooked serve with fresh cilantro and sour cream.

Note: The beans and dough balls will absorb the water quickly. If beans look too dry add 1 cup of water.

For Dough Balls

- Combine Maseca flour , olive oil, salt and water into a small mixing bowl. Knead until smooth.

- Form small dough balls about the size of bouncy ball. Makes about 30.

For more delicious recipes made with Maseca visit the Maseca website.

When I started writing my cookbook “Delicious El Salvador,” my Salvadoran friends would always ask me if I planned to include my recipe of white bean and pork rip soup; well, here it is!

The combination of white beans, oregano, pork, annatto, and thyme creates a velvety texture that explodes with flavors.

White Bean and Pork Rib Soup- Sopa de Frijoles Blancos con Costilla de Cerdo

Serves 6

• 1½ cups dried white or navy beans (12 ounces)
• 8 cups water
• 2 pounds baby back pork ribs cut into individual ribs
• 1 large or 2 small bay leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped tomato
• 1 teaspoon ground annatto seeds
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (1 teaspoon if dried)
• 2 cups coarsely chopped carrots
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

Sort through the beans for any little stones or shriveled/broken beans and discard. Rinse in cold water, place in large pot, and add the 8 cups of water.

Over medium to high heat bring the beans and water to a boil, and then add the ribs, bay leaf, garlic, onion, tomato, annatto, salt, and thyme. Bring everything to a full boil, cover, and immediately reduce heat to medium. Cook the soup for about 2 hours, stirring every so often.

Remove ½ cup of beans and 1 cup of liquid from the soup; set aside and let it cool slightly. Meanwhile, add the carrots to the pot and continue cooking for about 15 minutes. Purée the ½ cup of beans and the 1 cup of liquid in a blender or food processor and stir in back into the soup.

Cook uncovered for another 5 minutes, then remove from the stove. Discard the bay leaf and correct the salt. Add and stir the black pepper to taste Serve hot and lightly sprinkle each serving with the dried oregano.

I wanted to write this days ago, but time has been flying by so quickly during our stay in El Salvador. Well, quickly and not, since the days here feel longer because of the slower overall pace and the lackadaisical “la vida es playa” attitude with which life is lived here.

Christmas was all we wanted it to be: familia, amigos, warmth and great comida.

My sister’s husband–mi cuñado–has a very, very large family; he has 10 uncles and aunts and tons of cousins. Their tradition is for the whole family to meet early on Christmas Eve for a lunch and a visit from Santa Claus so that everyone can have the option to head out to their other Noche Buena dinners.

They invited us to be part of this and it was an amazing experience for Camila. I did have to explain why Santa Claus came early and brought her a gift she hadn´t asked for.

Later we changed to more formal clothes–as tradition dictates here–and headed back to my mom´s house for a much smaller gathering to have a traditional Noche Buena dinner of glazed ham, Salvadoran-style turkey, delicious layered rice (with creme and cheese!), yams and more.

The day before Camila had helped her abuelita put the finishing touches to the nativity scene while abuelita told her the story of the birth of baby Jesus. It was so beautiful to see them sharing that moment together and hear Camila asking her so many questions about the real meaning of Christmas.

On Christmas day one of my sisters (the other one is in NYC and was greatly missed!) and her family came over after we had all opened our Santa Claus gifts so we could all open the family gifts together. The tree was brimming with regalos for the kids and for each other, so the house soon became a chaos of wrapping paper and kids desperately trying to get their new toys out of their boxes.

Check out the slideshow below for some pictures from our first week and Navidad in El Salvador. It´s been everything I wanted it to be for Camila and I´m sure these moments will leave a lasting imprint in her cultural identity.

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Camila, my husband and I are spending the holidays in El Salvador. One of the highlights of the trip so far was getting to celebrate mi abuelita´s 89th birthday and getting to snap this first picture of four generations of Martinez girls.

My abuelita is really the one who set the stage for my bicultural upbringing since she was, in part, responsible for getting my dad the job in Houston which forced the newly married Salvadoran couple (mi mami y mi papi) to move and start a new life abroad. Shortly after, I was born in North American soil.

Gracias, abuelita por tu visión y por seguir adelante siendo un ejemplo de mujer guerrera y triunfadora. ¡Y por enseñarme a siempre vivir en la fiesta! ¡Feliz cumpleaños y feliz navidad!

I’m grateful this Navidad that my daughter gets to keep this picture of her bisabuela, su abuela y su mamá in El Salvador.

Camila y sus primos en El Salvador ©SpanglishBaby, Ltd

It´s been a little over a year since the last time we came to El Salvador. That time Camila celebrated her third birthday with her familia Salvadoreña. She also spent three weeks completely immersed in a Spanish-only preschool during the weekdays. Her Spanish was flowing beautifully since it was the language she heard the most since she was born.

Aside from strengthening her Spanish skills and connecting a need to it, the bonds she made with her cousins, abuelita and tías during that trip are invaluable.

It´s that bond the same one I´ve been using as an Ace under my sleeve whenever she starts speaking too much English at home, especially now that she´s been attending an all-English Montessori preschool every day for the last five months. So, my go-to phrase when when I get too many English dialogue from her–or plain out lovely defiance–is, “Si no hablas español, no vas a poder jugar con tu prima y abuelita.”

That usually does the trick. I see it in her eyes. She gets it.

Part of my arsenal of making sure Camila is completely bilingual, bicultural and biliterate is spending as much time as possible immersed with family in both Mexico and El Salvador. This year it was our turn to head out to El Salvador and I decided we would come for three weeks so Camila would get the whole experience and her Spanish skills would continue to flourish and grow stronger.

Little did I know the surprise would be on me regarding how much Spanish she would feel the need to speak in order to integrate. My solid Ace was quickly toppled when I realized she was speaking to her cousin in English–her language of play–and her prima, the same one I had been insisting wouldn´t understand if spoken in English to, was responding to her in English as well!

The Prima, who is almost three years older than Camila, is already in first grade at the local American School and is super proud of how much English she can finally speak. She’s thrilled that Camila speaks to her in English and she can respond and is getting to practice. Plus, she’s a huge fan of iCarly, Drake and Josh, Mario Bros and tons of older kids shows–all on cable and in English–she’s totally exposing my four year old to.

They are having such a blast and connecting so well, that there’s no way I would interfere with that….no matter what language they choose to speak together.

At least there’s still the Abuelita and rest of the family who I’ve strictly reprimanded anytime they respond to her in English with a warning they are not helping my not-so-strong Ace if they debunk the myth that she can’t communicate with them in English!

We´re on day two of our trip. I´m sure that by the third week our Spanish and culture immersion mission will be complete and successful.

All pictures © SpanglishBaby Media, Inc

Funny thing that I grew up in El Salvador where seafood and fish have always been abundant–and insanely delicious–but I didn´t appreciate that until I moved away. As a kid I detested shrimp, oysters and would only eat fish in ceviche.

Now, on a hot summer day, all I crave are some ostras frescas, a fish ceviche, coctel de camarón or even a mojarra frita with an ice-cold drink.  Since I only get to feast on Salvadoran seafood once a year when I go visit, I´ve gotten pretty good at making up my own recipes to serve up seafood. I especially like to make pinchos de camarón (shrimp skewers) on the grill because they are fairly inexpensive, super easy to make, look beautiful on the grill (always gotta impress!) and taste sabrosos.

Five  food blogueras and us have taken on a monthly Mizkan Cooking Challenge and for August we had to come up with a Sabroso Grilling recipe using a World Harbors marinade as an ingredient.  I decided to make and share with you all my delicious marinated pinchos de camarón.  You will love!

Recipe: Marinated Pinchos de Camarón {Shrimp Skewers}

Ingredients

• 1lb of peeled, deveined and tail on medium-size shrimp (frozen is fine, just run under cold water to defrost)
• 1 medium red onion
• 1/2 lb of cherry tomatoes
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 bottle, divided, of Jamaican Jerk (or your favorite flavor) World Harbors Marinade
• 15-20 skewers (I prefer bamboo skewers because they don’t heat up as much)

Directions

1.  In a bowl, place the shrimp and add half a bottle of Jerk Marinade from World Harbors.  Toss until all the shrimps are coated with the marinade.  Cover and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

2.  While the shrimp are marinating, cut the onion and bell peppers into nice chunks and set aside

3.  If you are using bamboo skewers, make sure to soak them in water for at least 10 minutes.

4.  Once the shrimp are ready, discard the marinade  and have fun (and invite your friends for this part!) inserting cherry tomatoes, shrimp, onions and peppers one by one into each skewer.  I do at least three shrimp per bamboo skewer.

5.  Fire up the grill to medium heat and place the prepared skewers (or kebabs) directly on the grill, but try to avoid a direct flame.  Cook for 5 minutes–or until done–on each side.  You know a shrimp is done when it starts turning pink.  Allow the cherry tomatoes to burst open so they become even more flavorful.

6.  Remove the skewers from the grill.  You can either serve them as kebabs or remove the skewers and place the shrimp and veggies in a serving plate.  Pour the remaining Jerk Marinade in a small bowl to be used for dipping.

Get even more Sabroso Grilling inspiration when you check out the recipes (with video included!) that these Latina food bloggers created.  Just click on the badges below.

Disclosure:  This recipe and post was made possible thanks to the sponsorship from Mizkan Americas.

The heat is definitely on now that we’re smack in the middle of the summer months.  What I crave during these days is a light salad, but am always looking for ways to get creative and try different fruits and veggies.

I love jícama–a crunchy and sweet root veggie–and usually like to eat it just cut up in pieces with lots and lots of lime, salt and chile en polvo.  In El Salvador it´s street vendor fare and served in a plastic bag.

I found some nice jícamas in my local market and turned to Chef Marcela Valladolid´s Fresh Mexico cookbook to find a different way to prepare it in a salad that would be good for a summer grill day.

I found her Jícama, Beet and Arbol Chile Slaw recipe and adapted it a bit to fit my family´s tastes:

1.  No arbol chile because I want my girl to eat it and we still can´t convince her that pica is good.

2.  Switched the balsamic vinegar to a Malt Vinegar by Holland House because my husband detests the balsamic variety. He always has and won´t go near it.  The malt vinegar still has a strong and distinct flavor that doesn´t overpower. It´s a perfect substitute.

3.  Used persian cucumbers instead of the regular kind because they are crunchier, no seeding needed and they are the perfect bite-size when sliced.

This easy-to-make slaw comes out a beautiful vibrant red and is just the perfect mix of juicy, crunchy and sweet to satisfy a summer craving. It´s a hit.

Here´s my adaptation of Chef Marcela Valladolid recipe for a

Juicy and Crunchy Jícama, Beet and Cucumber Slaw

Ingredients

1/2 cupe soy sauce (I use tamari)

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

2 teaspoons Holland House Malt Vinegar (visit the Holland House site to check out the 11 flavors of their cooking wines and premium vinegars).

1 tablespoon sugar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 cups shredded peeled jícama

3 medium raw beets, peeled and shredded

1 cup thinly sliced persian cucumbers (no need to peel them, just wash thoroughly)

You can´t peel root vegetables with a peeler, it´s best to use a sharp knife to remove the tough skin on the jícama and the beets.  Then, use shred and shred and shred away.  Bigger kids can have fun helping you here. Just be careful because the red beet juice likes to splatter and stain all over the place.

Once the cucumbers have been cut into thin slices, mix it with the shredded jícama and beets.

In a bowl, mix the soy or tamari sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, Holland House malt vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.

Pour the dressing into the jícama, beets and cucumber and toss until well coated and the slaw turns a nice pinkish-red color.  Four-year-old girls make excellent assistants for this stage!

Chef Marcela Valladolid recommends to serve this salad cold, so cover and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or until chilled, before serving.

This is definitely a simple, delicious and exotic salad to take to your next potluck summer grill.

And speaking of grills, wouldn´t it feel nice to have a brand new (clean!), top-of-the-line grill right about now? Our friends from Holland House want to give you the chance to win a $2,000 grill with their Grill of Your Dreams sweepstakes.

Just click here to enter and also get the chance to win some other prizes instantly, just like that!

Let us know if you´re a winner and we can go WEPA together!

Disclosure:  We are being compensated as part of a campaign to share our favorite Latino-inspired recipes using various Mizkan products.

Got Milk booth at BlogHer 10

You’ve already been reading on our Facebook page, Twitter stream and on Tuesday’s post that last week Roxana and I spent four days together in NYC during the BlogHer annual convention.  To be able to continue to grow SpanglishBaby into an organic community with real and loud voices, we need to branch out where people are paying attention. Let me tell you, SpanglishBaby was getting lots of attention at BlogHer and it’s all yours!

Part of that attention was a call from the Got Milk? people asking us to support their infamous Milk Mustache campaign.  My first thought was, “What does this have to do with raising bilingual and bicultural children?”  Then I started thinking about milk in general and how it’s always been part of my bicultural life.  I started getting images in my head and savoring the taste of memories of the glass of leche con guineo (banana) I was served practically every morning in El Salvador as an essential part of my breakfast.

I realized that milk is an integral part of our cultura as Hispanics.  How many of you grew up on Chocomilk, or avena con leche, or all sorts of licuados made with milk and exotic fruits like mamey and papaya?  It’s as if our mamás and abuelitas knew that skipping breakfast can put kids at a disadvantage at school. Studies now suggest that breakfast skippers have a harder time concentrating in the classroom, which could interfere with learning and school performance.  Really, who can concentrate on an empty and growling stomach?

Plus, there has to be truth to the remedio casero of drinking a warm glass of milk to soothe you before bed.  I can see it in my 3YO daughter how she demands her lechita right after dinner every night as a way to calm herself down.  It’s almost addictive, she needs it. Like her mamá needs a café con leche before starting the day!

So, I decided I would be happy to  join three amazing bloggers–Audrey McClellan, Lori and the beautifully pregnant Christine Young–in sporting a Milk Mustache and be the bilingual/bicultural Latina representing our community.  Tell me, how did I do?  And I’ll tell you how they get the Milk Mustache to stay!

By the way, was checking out the Elige Leche website and found some great milk-based recipes in español that have a taste of home;  like a tres leches cake and natilla de maracuyá.  Sabroso and good for you.

What are some of your favorite traditional and nutritional ways to drink milk or use it in a recipe?

Disclosure:  I was compensated to be part of the Got Milk? campaign during BlogHer ’10. All statements are my own and my family’s obsession for milk is real.

Photo by The Infamous Gdub

I think one of the treats I took the most for granted when I lived in El Salvador and, later, in Mexico was the paleta, the ultimate frozen treat.  They are everywhere and anywhere.  I grew up with the ding, ding of the bell hanging from the paletero’s cart as he walked in front of my house at the same time every afternoon.  My favorites were the paletas de coco, de fresa, pistachio and horchata.

I still remember the time my father, who lives in Houston, went to visit me in Mexico City.  He would make me take him to the corner paletería every single day to devour one or two paletas.  I seriously thought it was a bit obsessive from his part.  I could understand if he wanted something more típico, like quesadillas de huitlacoche, something he just couldn´t find in Texas.

Now that I don’t have paletas at every street corner, I get it and I crave them. You might think a popsicle is just a popsicle. How different can they be?  If you´ve ever had a popsicle in a Latin country you know what I´m talking about.  These paletas are thick, creamy, rich and totally natural.  The typical Mexican ones have bits and chunks of the fruit frozen in them.  Since diversity is what Mexican culture is all about you can find paletas in tons of flavors ranging from fruits, nuts, flowers, cucumbers and even chiles.  Yes…have you ever tried a mango con chile paleta?  Yum, yum.

I live in L.A. where I can find comparable-tasting paletas if I look and go out of my way.  The paleteros in my hood don´t carry the real deal.  Natural is so hard to come by these days.  So, my best alternative is to make them myself for my paleta-obsessed 3 year old.

I recommend spending a couple of dollars in a basic paleta mold that you can reuse.  I bought these some months ago and really like that I can pop out each one individually.  Another option is to use paper cups and wooden popsicle sticks.

For any basic paleta de agua you will need fruit, water, probably some lime, and a blender. The idea is to make a chunky juice and then just pour it into the molds and freeze for 5 hours. The chunkier, the tastier.  Try this site for a good variety of simple recipes.

If you want to get more fancy and prepare a heartier paleta, I´ve got a couple of tasty milk-based recipes that Toma Leche sent my way.  Somehow, they convinced a bunch of the best paleterías in California to share their most popular recipes. And now, I’m sharing my favorite recipe with you. A paleta can’t get more real or nostalgic than this.

This is also a great summertime activity with your kid where you can tell them in Spanish all about arroz con leche, paletas and the memories they stir.

Paleta de Arroz con Leche (makes 12 paletas)

Ingredients

1 cup of rice

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 cup sugar

2/3 cup whole milk

1/3 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup condensed milk

To make:

Put the rice and cinnamon stick in a saucepan with enough water to cover the rice completely and a bit more.  With the heat on low, let the water evaporate just to where it’s level with the top of the rice and add the whole milk. Continue simmering until the rice is “al dente.”

Add the sugar in the saucepan and mix together.  After 5 minutes add the evaporated milk and mix.  Once the rice is cooked through, transfer to a serving plate and then add the condensed milk.  You can blend the rice and milk before pouring into the paleta molds.  For an extra touch, add a pinch of cinnamon and/or raisins to taste.  Put in the freezer for four hours.

When you’re ready to take the paleta out of the mold, pass it under warm running water and gently pull until it comes out.

Tell us, what’s your favorite sabor de paleta?

Disclosure:  I was invited by the lovely ladies of Toma Leche to learn about their new campaign and was treated to a tasty paleta.  All the words I wrote about my paleta obsession are completely mine, mine.