Buying Organic: The Dirty Dozen & Clean Fifteen

As promised, I wanted to share the "Shopping List" of produce that you should always purchase organic due to very harmful pesticides. The "Rule of Thumb" is that anything with "thin skin" should be purchased organic. I want you to enjoy your Latin cooking to the max, so purchasing these fruits and veggies in organic, clean forms is the way to live the Latin life!

Remember, "all natural" does not mean organic, so look for the words, "Certified Organic" or even better, "USDA Organic." And don't forget that by buying organic, your choice will help change the food industry for the better and force companies to recognize that savvy, healthy shoppers only want organic produce for their families!

The Dirty Dozen:
1. Apples
2. Grapes
3. Strawberries
4. Nectarines
5. Peaches
6. Celery
7. Bell Peppers
8. Tomatoes
9. Spinach and Greens
10. Potatoes
11. Cucumbers
12. Snap Peas

Clean Fifteen:
1. Avocado
2. Cabbage
3. Corn
4. Onions
5. Papaya
6. Pineapple
7. Eggplant
8. Kiwis
9. Mangos
10. Grapefruit
11. Cantaloupe
12. Sweet Potatoes
13. Asparagus
14. Cauliflower
15. Snap Peas

Salud!

~Brooke~

Questions or Suggestions? Please feel free to email me at thislatin@gmail.com!

Cena (Dinner): Mojo Chicken, Avocado and Tomato Salad, and Cuban-Style Yuca

In Spanish: Cena: Pollo Mojo, Ensalada con Aguacate y Tomate, y Yuca Cubana

This dinner recipe is easy, fresh, and full of Latin flavors from Cuba and Costa Rica! 

Shopping List

Chicken:
1. Goya Mojo Crillo marinade
2. 1 lb. of organic, white meat chicken breasts (to serve 2 people)

Budget $: Organic Chicken is $2.99/lb at Fresh Market on Tuesdays

Salad:
1. 1 ripe Avocado (It's ripe when it is black on the outside and feels soft to the touch)
2. 1 Organic Tomato (see Clean Fifteen post to know the 15 fruits and vegetables to buy organic)
3. 1 Lime
4. Sea Salt

Yuca:
1. Bag of frozen Yuca (preferable because you don't have to peel the yuca)
2. Dash of Olive Oil
3. Sea Salt

Budget $: A 4 lb. bag of frozen Yuca is $4.00 at Publix

Cuban Sauce:
1. 1 White Onion (you will use only 1/4 of the onion)
2. 1 Head of Garlic (you will use only 8 cloves of garlic)
3. Olive Oil (you will use 3/4 cup)
4. 2 Limes
5. Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper
6. Cilantro for garnish

Vamanos! Let's Go!

Step #1:
Place the fresh chicken in a pan, stab with a knife, and cover with Goya Mojo Criollo marinade.
Bake in the oven uncovered for 45 minutes on 425 degrees.

Step #2:
Place 10 pieces of frozen yuca into water and boil. Do not thaw.
Add a dash of olive oil and sea salt to the water.

The yuca will cook for around 20 minutes until very tender. Take a knife and stab the yuca to see if it is cooked throughout. The water is usually a chalky white color when the yuca is fully cooked. Make sure the knife can go through the yuca and that it's nice and soft.

When the yuca is fully cooked, drain the water, but do not add cold water over the yuca. Keep the yuca steaming hot and add to a bowl. Do not cover. It should continue to steam.

Squeeze a little fresh lime over the yuca. Set aside.

Cut up fresh cilantro if desired to be added on top of the yuca before serving.

*Remember, when eating the yuca, there is a small stick or core running throughout. Eat around this and discard the stick on your plate.

See the steam?! 

Step #3: Combine 8 cloves of peeled garlic, 3/4 cup of olive oil, the juice of 2 limes, salt and cracked pepper in a low speed blender. Pulse the blender to slowly chop the garlic into pieces. This sauce is a tangy and tart olive oil/garlic/lime juice concoction that you can pour over the steaming yuca. Place in a separate container for individual servings.

Ingredients about to be "chopped" in the slow speed blender

This is what the Cuban sauce will look post-blender

Step #4: Slice the avocado and tomato. Combine on a plate. Squeeze 1 whole lime over the tomato and avocado. Add sea salt to your taste.

Step #5:
Salud! Enjoy your delicious, Latin meal, which is a little taste of Cuba and Costa Rica!

Salud!

~Brooke~

Questions or Suggestions? Please feel free to email me at thislatin@gmail.com! Salud!

Bienvenido to This Latin Life!

Latins... 

They're loud, beautiful, and colorful people with the richest culture and even more diverse cuisines.  They often talk of home with longing and moist eyes, as so many of them live here in the United States, in order to give their families a better life. But a striking contrast to the frantic hustle of American life is how Latins choose to dance to their own rhythm (bacchata, salsa, cumbia, etc.), as the world watches from beyond wondering what is their secret? Across all world happiness polls, Latin countries are consistently deemed the most happy people on the planet. But how and why, I wondered?

As an outsider years ago, I wondered why and how are they so happy? In 2011, I got my answer. From this vast world, where I was born in Florida and my now husband, Aaron was born in Costa Rica, God chose to converge our lives in Atlanta, Georgia in 2011. And it was at that specific time that I fell in love with this beautiful Latin culture, its people, and its cuisines. Moreover, I started my journey of discovery by learning to cook Latin foods. Let me tell you, it's no mystery why these people are so happy! Their cuisines are incredible.

Latins are the happiest people on the planet because their priorities are correct. They love God, their families, their culture, and cuisines. And their cuisines wrap-up all of those priorities into one. Examples: Religious observations are celebrated with feasts of Latin foods; every important event in the life of the family is celebrated with an abundance of good, Latin food; and even when Latins long for their homelands, they cook "tipico" dishes that remind them of home.

Latins are the happiest people because through their food, they never forget who they are. 

If you know any Latins well, you understand that they cook unique, yet delicious foods almost with rich, magical qualities. Have you ever experienced authentic Mexican molé with its 20+ spices or an authentic Costa Rican sopa de olla de carne or Venezuelan arepas with salsa guasaca or Salvadorian papusas or Peruvian causas?  

I truly believe that I never ate "real" food until I met Aaron and experienced Latin cuisines and the cultures behind every dish.  

So, the purpose of This Latin Life is to show the world how easy it is to fall in love with and cook Latin cuisine on a daily basis. La comida (the food) is magical, natural, healthy, and most importantly, delicious. 

I am pleased to be your guide on this journey. Please feel free to email me any questions or suggestions at thislatin@gmail.com. 

Salud,

~Brooke~

Enjoying Brunch at historic Cafe Tacuba in Mexico City

April 2015