By: Josefina Girón, RDN, LDN
Hispanic heritage blends and savors the mixture of its diverse cultures. Its food, which is influenced by centuries of the mestizaje (mixture of cultures/races in Latin America), is no exception. One taste of pretty much any Latin American recipe would attest to that. Each spice, herb, and ingredient combine into a multicultural sabor (flavor) that transcends generations. With each tried and true recipe, you have the ancestral choice of either following the traditional steps and ingredients or adapting to your present place and whatever ingredients you have on hand. But whatever you choose, Giant helps to provide nutritious recipes from across the Americas to make it easier for you to choose what works for your family – through our Savory Magazine!
You can choose from diverse flavors for some all-time favorite, feel-good Hispanic meals that remind us that home is where the heart (and stomach) is. I can’t help but gush over a deliciously drippy guisado – similarly to how some folks may feel comforted by a hearty bowl of chicken noodle soup.
And if I get a whiff of the blended smells of onions, garlic, tomato puree, bay leaf, and chipotle chilis in adobo sauce building to a boil on medium to high heat, it stirs up memories of sharing Chicken Tinga Tacos with friends and family over laugh-filled, leisurely dinners in DC, Miami, AND Mexico City.
Top it off with a lime wedge spritz and it’s a melody of Mexican flavors from the Puebla region. It feels like “home sweet home” to my heart, stomach, soul, and overall well-being. The shared Giant Savory recipe rates two (2) Guiding Stars! Well done, Chicken Tinga Tacos, bien hecho.
But that's not all!
Thankfully, Savory does not just stop at including Hispanic foods from Mexico like those delicious Chicken Tinga Tacos. Giant also highlights an array of Hispanic recipes that are Guiding Stars rated, to help you confidently make more nutritious choices!
So if you're looking for Hispanic flavors + nutrition, look no further than the Salvadoran Bean Soup recipe for a rating of three (3) Guiding Stars! Not only is this delicious and nutritious, you can also try your hand at molding pupusa-like dumplings! I remember watching the many matriarchs in my life painstakingly roll Maseca flour into dough for tortillas when I was younger. It all looked so easy until I gave it a go.
How quickly my hands would tire! Luckily, this recipe takes out that bit of labor of love but still leaves in the warm, cheesy, tortilla goodness one would expect from a miniature pupusa dumpling. If you don't have the time and are looking for a quick way to enjoy pupusas at home, I recommend you try the Rio Grande Pupusas which come in a pack of 4. And to add balance to your plate, you can buy or make curtido which is a tasty cabbage slaw! (Salvadoran Style Cabbage Slaw)
Hispanic Flavors Made Easy!
You can find rich flavors throughout Latin America and the Caribbean and Giant is
focused on including that diversity in the store by adding Latin products and
highlighting with shelf-tag labels Hispanic-owned businesses.
I recently found Healthy Choice Power Bowls Cuban-Style Pork which brought me back to my hometown of Hialeah in Miami, Florida. It is a perfect lunch bowl high in protein and fiber.
Any Peruvian household cannot live without Doña Isabel’s products and Aji Amarillo is a Peruvian food lover common staple. The best part is that you can add it to any recipe to give it a nice yellow hot pepper kick!
Looking for quick and easy lunch or dinner ideas you can try Fillo’s Lentils and Sofrito! They have a variety of flavors like Cuban Black Bean, Peruvian Lentil, Puerto Rican Pink Bean, and Panamanian Chickpeas! Pair any of these beans with quinoa or brown rice and salad to have yourself a grain bowl in no time!
For some favorite Mexican products that are grain free check out Siete! Siete is a Hispanic-Family-owned business. I love their Mexican Wedding cookies which take me back to my cousin’s Quinceanera celebration when we were hand-making these celebratory cookies!
And the most recent addition to Giant stores that had me jumping up in joy was Tajin! Tajin is a classic Mexican seasoning that is put on fruit for a tangy spicy kick. I don’t always put it on my fruit but it is a treat to enjoy, especially on mango or cantaloupe!!!
One thing is for sure, if you choose the old way or new way of making a favorite meal or adding a new Latin product to your plate, it is the practice of blending and experimenting with the old and new that will continue to nourish and unite us as a stronger nation belonging to many flavors and heritages.
Buen Provecho/ Bon Appetite!
For a few more ideas, check out more Hispanic recipes:
Feel free to contact me at josefina.giron@giantfood.com
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About Josefina Girón :
Josefina Girón is a Registered Dietitian (RD), Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist (LDN), and holds a certificate in child and adolescent weight management. Texas born and Florida raised, she received her Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from Florida International University. Josefina makes nutrition accessible for our Spanish-speaking customers through classes, consults, and store tours. She is passionate about helping others live their best healthy life by meeting them where they are and empowering them to make healthy eating a fun part of their lives! She is driven to live new experiences and is ready to try different foods, travel, run a race, or go on a hike.
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