What’s Sup! sup’ers!? It’s good to have you all back for the newest installment of recipes from around the world. So without further ado…lettuce begin SEASON 4 with some amazing and delicious Latin American recipes inspired by National Hispanic Heritage month. This celebration of Hispanic Heritage began in 1968 and was just one week of festivities, until 20 years later when President Ronald Reagan expanded the festivities for an entire month! Since then, every year starting on September 15 and ending on October 15 we’ve celebrated and recognized the history, culture, and of course the food of Latin American culture! More specifically, we’re celebrating the American Citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America and their contributions to the U.S.A. we know today.

September 15 is one of the most important days for Hispanic heritage because it is the anniversary of independence for many Latin American countries.  Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua all celebrate their independence on the 15th. Later in the week Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence on the 16th and 18th. Ecuador celebrates their independence on October 9.

Ok, let’s stop the history lesson right there and dive into the first recipe you can learn to make with us: Tostones! This popular dish in Latin America, as well as Caribbean cuisine, is usually served as a snack or side dish for the main course in a similar way potato chips or french fries are to a sandwich. The main ingredient of a tostones recipe is an unripe plantain. The plantain is cut into long or round slices and fried not once, but twice! 

The next recipe we’ll be making to celebrate this month will be empanadas (to wrap in bread), which are hand-sized pies that can be found all over South America. However, don’t be fooled by its outside appearance as this double crusted pasty is often filled with beef, ham and cheese, or chicken and swiss with salsa blanca. Empanadas are often baked or fried and can be savory OR sweet. Sara loves to make sweet pumpkin filled empanadas around Thanksgiving time.

The third dish we will be making later this month comes from the mountains of Ecuador and is called chaulafán de quinoa, better known as Ecuadorian fried rice. Much influenced by its Peruvian counterpart, arroz chaufa, which was brought to Peru by Chinese immigrants in the 17th century. Chaulafán is the name for this Chinese fried rice/Ecuadorian fusion dish. This recipe is made with chicken, bacon, onions, garlic, peppers, bell peppers, peas, carrots, scrambled eggs, raisins, spices, and herbs. Although chicken is the most common meat to be included, pork, shrimp, and other meats are often seen as well. We will actually be making a vegetarian version! 

The final recipe we’ll be making is a household staple all across the Americas: Guacamole. Gucamole dates all the way back to the 16th century when the triple alliance, better known as the Aztecs, still inhabited what today is most of Southern Mexico. The name “guacamole” comes from ahuaca-mulli which literally translates to “avocado sauce”. It is traditionally made by mashing together avocados, tomatoes, and onions. Of course, there are some variations seen today with many adding different spices, lime, and/or cilantro. I have my own “secret” variation that I’ll be sharing with you too!

Well, that’s all for now, but you should definitely plantain to learn more! All you have to do is follow us on Instagram (@supkidscooking) and subscribe on YouTube. Also, don’t forget to check out our snacktastic book, Snackation, available now on Amazon. 

We look forward to making lots of recipes from around the globe with you…and don’t worry, we WILL be raisin’ the roof this season!

Dig in!

Sammy,

Co-host of Sup!