8 Basic Recipes Every Latina Should Know

• comments
• 
• 

The Latin culture's vibrancy translates very well into the community's cuisine, with colors that truly make one's mouth water and crave for the spicy and tangy taste of the south Americas. Here are some basic Latin recipes that are easy to make at home with the family.

1. Batido. Best for hot summer days, "batido" is a cream-free blend of fruit shake that's pretty much a smoothie. Mangoes are commonly used for its taste, texture, and flavor, but you can also mix it up and combine peaches, mangoes, and bananas, or any desired fruit that's in season. Keep 1.5 cup of chopped mangoes cool before blending and adding 1.5 cups of fat-free milk, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. If the mangoes aren't cold, you can serve this over ice, as per My Recipes.

2. Quinoa salad. This Mexican quinoa salad from Taste features avocados, which contain alpha-linoleic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid that is good for the heart. Get the recipe here.

3. Fajitas. Fajitas are great because you can opt to do a veggie, all-meat, or veggie-and-meat combo. Food & Wine recommends a chicken recipe which can be found here.

4. Tamales. Corn tamales is definitely a staple in a typical Mexican family. Here's an authentic corn tamale recipe from Latina.

5. Lechon. This is one thing Mexicans have in common with Filipinos. Lechon is basically roast pork, which can be done in several ways. Some opt to fry a pig belly or ribs or roast it over fire or coal after seasoning it with your preferred herbs and spices.

6. Empanadas. Empanadas can be made using refrigerated pizza dough, a can of refried beans, fresh salsa, shredded Cheddar, and sour cream. All you have to do is pack in the beans, salsa, and cheese into pockets of the pizza dough and lightly brush the pockets with oil before baking in the 400° F preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, as per Real Simple.

7. Enchiladas. Chicken is a great source of protein, which is present in this recipe. Real Simple recommends using six ounces of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper, 10 ounces of shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, eight pieces of six-inch corn tortillas, 2.5 cups of canned enchilada sauce (or your very own), and 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro. On a rimmed baking sheet, season the chicken with oil, salt, and pepper. Roast it in a preheated oven (400° F) until cooked through. Let cool then shred. In a bowl, toss the chicken with the Cheddar and roll up the chicken mixture in the tortillas. Place them seam-side into a baking dish and top with enchilada sauce and Cheddar before baking for 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.

8. Flan. Indulge your sweet tooth with the smooth creaminess of flan, which is basically just eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla extract combined into a heavenly sweet treat. Here's a basic recipe from Latina.