cannot be scientifically explained. Research more about this interesting phenomenon and decide for yourself what you believe is happening. https://scholar.google.com/
The Honduran Baleada is a traditional fare for Hondurans. It is a flour tortilla filled with ingredients such as meats, vegetables, and eggs. A form of this dish can be served at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. For breakfast, it can simply consist of refried beans served with “mantequilla crema,” which has a similar taste and texture to sour cream. The recipe for my Baleada combines meat, beans, eggs, and sour cream…yes—I combined all my favorite ingredients!
Prep time: 15 minutes • Cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1½ lb. sirloin or beef round (sliced in 1” pieces)
2 garlic cloves (sliced)
1 cup onion (medium dice)
2 poblano peppers (medium dice)
1 Tbsp. jalapeño pepper (diced)
28 oz. diced tomatoes
½ to ¾ cup vegetable stock
½ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. oregano
2 Tbsp. cornstarch (mixed with 1 Tbsp. water)
1-14 oz. can pinto beans (rinsed/drained)
4 eggs (hard-boiled and sliced)
8 small flour tortillas or 4 large flour tortillas (see Remmi Notes below)
Sour cream (low fat or nonfat)
Directions:
In a medium pan, add the olive oil, meat, onion, garlic, and peppers, and sauté until meat is browned. Add the tomatoes, vegetable stock, cumin, and oregano. Bring to a boil, then add the cornstarch/water mixture and stir. Turn the heat to low and cover pan with a lid; let simmer for 30 minutes.
To serve, place 2 Tbsp. of pinto beans on one half of the flour tortilla. Spoon ⅓ to ½ cup of meat mixture over the beans. Place a spoonful of egg slices on top of meat. Fold the top half over the meat mixture. Dip Baleadas in sour cream and enjoy!
Remmi Notes: The Baleada is often referred to as “The Honduran Burrito.” There are many different ingredients you can use to make Baleadas…research different recipes. This dish is so delicious!!! I also make homemade flour tortillas, which are not difficult to make, and the fresh taste is worth it!
CUBA
Moving east of Central America we travel over the Caribbean Sea to the Greater Antilles, a group of large islands, one of which is Cuba. Known officially as the Republic of Cuba, this island nation is located in the Caribbean Sea. Cuba is rich in Spanish history, as well as many cultural influences from Africa. Sugar is its largest crop. Havana is the capital of Cuba and has one of the finest natural harbors found anywhere. Dancing is very important to Cubans; the Bolero, Cha Cha, and Mambo originated there. The popular game of “Monopoly” is banned in the country, but the game of “Dominos” is a favorite pastime. Cuba has one of the highest literacy rates in the world at 99.8 percent.
Cuban cuisine is a fusion of Spanish and African influences. The cuisine is similar to that of Puerto Rico. I was looking for something different to try and fell in love with Picadillo. This dish reminds me of sloppy joes, and I think any teen will fall for this recipe. There are many versions of this dish. It is like a beef hash with a tomato base and some unusual ingredients like olives, capers, and raisins. I am not a caper lover, so you won’t find that in my recipe. I also decreased the amount of olives and raisins. Maybe I just wanted to make my sloppy joe recipe!
Prep time: 15 minutes • Cook time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup onion
1 cup green bell pepper (medium dice)
2 garlic cloves (crushed)
Crushed red pepper (to taste)
1½ tsp. cumin
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1½ lb. ground beef (lean)
4 oz. tomatoes (diced)
8 oz. tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup raisins
⅓ cup pimento olives (large dice)
Flour tortillas (4 to 6)
2 cups leaf lettuce (sliced in ½” strips)
Directions:
Prepare all of the ingredients as directed. In a medium saucepan, add the oil and heat on medium. Add the onion, pepper, and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add red pepper, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground beef to the same pan. Sauté the meat until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes and sauce to the pan and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the raisins and olives and heat through. Serve with flour tortillas and lettuce.
Remmi Notes: Some recipes add potatoes to this dish as a base. The dish is often served with rice and beans, the national mainstay dish. I was interested in something different, so I tried making it with flour tortillas and loved it. Serve this dish with a healthy version of “Fried Plantains” using coconut oil for a complete meal.
Haiti
On our next journey we hop across the Windward Passage just south of Cuba to Haiti, which is part of the island of Hispaniola. Haiti is the most mountainous nation in the Caribbean; its primary export crop is coffee. The Haitian currency is called “gourdes” from the name of the gourd vegetable. Hayti is the Indian name for the country; it translates to “land of the mountains.” Haiti’s mountain peaks exceed 8,000 feet in height! The only public university in Haiti is the University of Haiti in Port-au-Prince, founded in 1944.
Unsurprisingly, given the region, the national dish is rice served with beans. The cuisine is a fusion between Creole and French cooking styles. The story behind Soup Joumou is so interesting and important to the Haitian culture, I picked this great dish to make. Haiti was under French rule from 1625 until January 1st,1804. Under French rule, Haitian slaves and the lower
