Pupusas are a hallmark food from the Central American country of El Salvador, where they are considered an everyday staple for many people. Similar to the better-known South American dish called “arepas,” pupusas are made with a base of corn flour and made on top of a griddle.

This dish dates back to pre-Colombian days, as it was a common food prepared by the Pipil tribes that natively inhabited what is now El Salvador.

However, pupusas are unique in their own right in terms of the ingredients used to make them and the way that they are served. Made with a slightly different nixtamlized corn flour and flatter than arepas, pupusas are generally filled with ingredients prior to their cooking.

Cheeses, beans, ground pork, and the buds from a native plant from the region known as “loroco” are common ingredients used to stuff pupusas.

Served with pickled onion for topping and tomato sauce for dipping, pupusas are truly a flavor explosion that must be tried at the first chance you get! 

¡Que aproveche! (Enjoy!)

The post Pupusas are El Salvador’s Favorite Food appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Ingredients

• One shallot
• One chile, either Fresno or red jalapeno 
• 3-4 cloves of garlic 
• 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt 
• 1/2 cup of cilantro 
• 1/4 cup of parsley 
• 2 tablespoons of oregano 
• 3/4 cup of olive oil 

Instructions

1. Start by finely dicing the shallot along with the chile of your choice. Mince the garlic as well or use a garlic press. 
2. Add all the chopped ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and pour in the vinegar and the salt. Stir and leave it for 10-15 minutes. This will help the ingredients mellow out a bit since you will be eating them raw. 
3. In the meantime, chop up the cilantro, parsley, and oregano and add them all to the bowl. 
4. Finally, slowly pour in the oil and whisk quickly to emulsify the sauce. 
5. Taste the chimichurri, season with more salt if needed, and then put into an airtight container and into the fridge for future meals!

The post Chimichurri is a Refreshing Latin American Sauce You Have to Try appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Adobo sauce is an ingredient that is originally from Mexico and is made up of ground ancho and guajillo chiles, along with some other spices. The consistency is similar to bbq sauce, so it’s nice and thick. Often you will find it in the same can as chipotle peppers because it keeps them hydrated and delicious. But, you can also just use the sauce in your cooking, and you really should. 

Because it has flavors like smokiness, aromaticity, spice, and more, adobo sauce is the perfect ingredient to give your bland food a lift. You can mix it into any kind of beans like pinto or black beans to make them much more flavorful without putting in any extra work. Or, you can mix it with mayo and lime juice to create a delicious chipotle dipping sauce. 

The best part of adobo sauce is that it generally doesn’t have a lot of salt, which is not the cause for most store-bought sauces. So buy a can or two, try it out, and see how much your food starts to change!

The post Why You Should Always Keep Adobo Sauce in Your Pantry appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Pupusas are a hallmark food from the Central American country of El Salvador, where they are considered an everyday staple for many people. Similar to the better-known South American dish called “arepas,” pupusas are made with a base of corn flour and made on top of a griddle.

This dish dates back to pre-Colombian days, as it was a common food prepared by the Pipil tribes that natively inhabited what is now El Salvador.

However, pupusas are unique in their own right in terms of the ingredients used to make them and the way that they are served. Made with a slightly different nixtamlized corn flour and flatter than arepas, pupusas are generally filled with ingredients prior to their cooking.

Cheeses, beans, ground pork, and the buds from a native plant from the region known as “loroco” are common ingredients used to stuff pupusas.

Served with pickled onion for topping and tomato sauce for dipping, pupusas are truly a flavor explosion that must be tried at the first chance you get! 

¡Que aproveche! (Enjoy!)

The post Pupusas are El Salvador’s Favorite Food appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Ingredients

• One shallot
• One chile, either Fresno or red jalapeno 
• 3-4 cloves of garlic 
• 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt 
• 1/2 cup of cilantro 
• 1/4 cup of parsley 
• 2 tablespoons of oregano 
• 3/4 cup of olive oil 

Instructions

1. Start by finely dicing the shallot along with the chile of your choice. Mince the garlic as well or use a garlic press. 
2. Add all the chopped ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and pour in the vinegar and the salt. Stir and leave it for 10-15 minutes. This will help the ingredients mellow out a bit since you will be eating them raw. 
3. In the meantime, chop up the cilantro, parsley, and oregano and add them all to the bowl. 
4. Finally, slowly pour in the oil and whisk quickly to emulsify the sauce. 
5. Taste the chimichurri, season with more salt if needed, and then put into an airtight container and into the fridge for future meals!

The post Chimichurri is a Refreshing Latin American Sauce You Have to Try appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Adobo sauce is an ingredient that is originally from Mexico and is made up of ground ancho and guajillo chiles, along with some other spices. The consistency is similar to bbq sauce, so it’s nice and thick. Often you will find it in the same can as chipotle peppers because it keeps them hydrated and delicious. But, you can also just use the sauce in your cooking, and you really should. 

Because it has flavors like smokiness, aromaticity, spice, and more, adobo sauce is the perfect ingredient to give your bland food a lift. You can mix it into any kind of beans like pinto or black beans to make them much more flavorful without putting in any extra work. Or, you can mix it with mayo and lime juice to create a delicious chipotle dipping sauce. 

The best part of adobo sauce is that it generally doesn’t have a lot of salt, which is not the cause for most store-bought sauces. So buy a can or two, try it out, and see how much your food starts to change!

The post Why You Should Always Keep Adobo Sauce in Your Pantry appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.