Para Leer En Espanol, Haz Click Aqui.

Sloppy Joes are similar to a type of food that we have in Mexico, called picadillo. One main difference is that picadillo is made with diced potatoes and peas, whereas Sloppy Joes are sweeter and can include a variety of veggies to make it more healthy.

In Mexico, we tend to eat picadillo with tortillas or tostadas. Sloppy joes, on the other hand, are prepared as a sandwich and are often served with potato chips or other side dishes. In any case, sloppy joes are a fast, easy, and delicious meal that everyone seems to love. 

This sloppy joes recipe is similar in concept to many other recipes that you can find online, but it is different as well because I love to add fresh vegetables and spices, and of course, being from Mexico, I like to add my own spicy touch by including some chipotle salsa. 

One of the best parts about this recipe is that you can make it year-round. Whether it is during the cold winter, in your home, or during the summer on a picnic. Now, being as popular as it is, you can find sloppy joes en restaurants and at stores, but homemade is always best so that you can control the ingredients. 

For this sloppy joes recipe, you will use delicious natural ingredients that you will feel good about sharing with your family members. 

There isn’t much more to say about this delicious recipe. Even though it is really healthy, kids love it! My 18 month old had three servings the last time I made it.

Adults also love it, because it is truly delicious. I hope that you enjoy it as much as my family and I do. Let me know in the comments below how it turns out.

Great Side Dishes To Go Along With Sloppy Joes

• Homemade Extra Crispy Onion Rings
• Fried Pickles Extra Crispy Dill Pickles
• Guacamole Recipe Homemade Authentic Mexican Version
• Charro Beans Authentic Mexican Recipe
• Bacon, Cheddar, and Chipotle Corn Dip The Perfect Appetizer

Print

Healthy Sloppy Joes Recipe

These Healthy Sloppy Joes are just as good as the traditional version, but much better for you. 

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword healthy, sloppy joes

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 8 sandwiches

Calories 150kcal

Author Charbel Barker

Ingredients

• 1 pound of ground turkey you can replace with ground beef as well
• 1/2 onion finely chopped
• 1/4 cup of sweet potato puree
• 1 cup of shredded carrots
• 1/2 orange bell pepper finely chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon of paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1/2 can of tomato paste
• 1/2 can of tomato sauce
• 1 cup of ketchup
• 1/4 cup of mustard
• 2 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon of chipotle salsa you can find it in the Hispanic section of your local grocer
• Salt taste
• Pepper to taste
• Chopped lettuce and pico de gallo to top it.
• 8 Whole wheat sandwich thins or regular hamburger buns if you prefer.

Instructions

• Brown the ground turkey with all of the spices, and then drain the grease from the pan.
• Add all of the vegetables and cook over medium heat.
• Once they are cooked down, add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, ketchup, and mustard.
• Let simmer for 3-5 minutes, and then add the sweet potato puree, the chipotle sauce, and the Worcestershire sauce.
• Mix well, and let cook for 8 minutes. Agrega el pure de camote, el chipotle y la salsa inglesa.
• Serve on the sandwich thins, topped with pico de gallo and lettuce.

Nutrition

Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 488mg | Potassium: 394mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 5080IU | Vitamin C: 24.3mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1.4mg

The post Healthy Sloppy Joes Recipe appeared first on My Latina Table.

Para Español, Haz Click Aquí.

Guacamole is a staple of Mexican cuisine. Although it is pretty simple to make, it can be tough to get the perfect flavor. With this authentic Mexican recipe, though, you will be an expert in no time. 

Some of my favorite memories from my youth are when I would spend time cooking with my abuelita (grandma). She didn’t have any daughters of her own (she had 10 boys though), and that is why she always loved spending time with her granddaughters. My sister and I had the privilege of growing up in close proximity to her. That gave us the opportunity to learn so much from her.

Every day at dinner time it was like a party – lots of people, lots of food, and lots of smiles. One of the most requested appetizers was always this homemade guacamole. My Abuela had an avocado tree in her yard that grew some of the biggest avocados that I have ever seen. That, combined with this delicious recipe, made for some amazing guac.

I saw her make this recipe more times than I can remember. That’s why I already had the recipe memorized by the time I was about 7 years old. I always looked forward to gathering the avocados from the tree each day, and I was always thrilled when she asked me to make the guacamole.

What Ingredients Do You Need to Make Guacamole?

This guacamole recipe is also great because it only contains fresh, nutritious ingredients, and it only takes about 10 minutes or less to make! All you need for this particular recipe is the following:

• Avocado
• Cilantro
• Onion
• Jalapeno (optional)
• Lime Juice
• Salt
• Tomato

This will be perfect to take to that next get-together where you are supposed to bring something. Your guests will love it!

I can’t think of any time when I have made this recipe where people didn’t ask for the recipe. It must be the combination of authentic flavors, choosing quality avocados, and making it with lots of love. 

How Do You Choose The Perfect Avocado For a Perfect Guac?

Speaking of using fresh avocados, it is super important to choose an avocado that is not too firm, but also not too soft. Make sure you give it a quick (gentle) squeeze at the store before buying it. There should be a little bit of give to it, but it shouldn’t feel too soft. If it doesn’t have any give at all, then it is probably too firm. If you aren’t planning on making the guacamole for a day or two, then the firmer avocado will do, but just make sure that you plan ahead.

How Do You Keep Guacamole From Turning Brown?

One of the most common questions that people ask me about guacamole, is how to keep it from turning brown? You know the feeling – you worked so hard making guacamole, only to have it turn brown right when it is time to eat.

There are a couple of different ways that I have found that really seem to work. 

1. Add the pit of the avocado to the guacamole dish. 
2. Add an extra teaspoon of lime juice.
3. Cover in plastic wrap.

I would recommend doing all three if you can, but remember, as much as you try, the guacamole is going to turn brown if you don’t eat it relatively soon after making it, so plan ahead!

I am so glad that you made it to my site and are getting ready to try this guacamole recipe. It really is easy, but if you have any questions or run into any issues, please feel free to leave me a comment below! If you love this recipe, please rate it with 5 stars at the end of your comment!

Try These Other Authentic Mexican Recipes:

• Tacos al Pastor
• Salsa Verde
• Salsa Roja
• Pork Carnitas Tacos
• Mexican Flautas
• Barbacoa Tacos
• Horchata

Products Used For This Recipe

1. Molcajete. This is a small stone bowl that is used all the time in Mexico for making fresh salsas and guacamole. It makes it really easy to mash the avocados and is a great serving bowl as well! You can get one here to try out for yourself. 
2. Food Chopper: You will need to chop up some veggies for this recipe, so it is helpful to have a food chopper like this one on hand. It makes everything so much easier!

Print

Homemade Mexican Guacamole Recipe

Guacamole recipe - homemade, authentic Mexican version with simple ingredients that my abuela taught me how to make.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword appetizer, guacamole, mexican food

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 20 tablespoons

Calories 79kcal

Author Charbel Barker

Ingredients

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1/4 onion finely chopped
• 1 jalapeno finely chopped (optional)
• 1/4 cup Cilantro finely chopped
• 1-2 teaspoons of lime juice
• salt to taste
• 1-2 tomato finely chopped

Instructions

• Peel the avocado and remove the core.
• Mash the avocado in a molcajete until it reaches your desired consistency
• Add the onion, jalapeno, cilantro and tomato and mix well.
• Add lime juice and salt to taste.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tbsp | Calories: 79kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g

The post The Best Authentic Mexican Guacamole Recipe appeared first on My Latina Table.

Para Ver esta receta de Carlota en Español, Haz Click Aqui.

What is a “Carlota”?

A Carlota is a very popular Mexican dessert that has French roots. It is easy to make and, being that it is usually eaten either frozen or chilled, it is perfect for sunny days. It is also ideal for when you have people over and you don’t have a lot of time to prepare, because it really doesn’t take very long to make!

How do you make Lemon Carlota?

A carlota is made with multiple levels of vanilla flavored cookies, covered in a sweet sauce, and is then frozen for a couple of hours to create a creamy ice cream like texture. Sometimes this is called a lemon icebox cake, but I will always call it a carlota. My preference is to make it lemon-flavored, but you can make it with strawberries, apple, and peach too – which is the flavor that I ate a lot growing up.

That is because I have an uncle in Mexico who worked in a restaurant and he made the most delicious peach carlota. He always used to make it around Christmas time to go with our Christmas dinner which became a great tradition and we all looked forward to it every year.

Even though this is a very simple Mexican dessert, we shouldn’t underestimate its flavor, and you can rest assured that it will impress all of your guests. To make this lemon carlota you will need vanilla flavored cookies.

The kind that are most commonly used in Mexico are called “Marias” and they can be bought almost anywhere down there. Here in the United States I have had a hard time finding them in a few places that I have lived, especially in my first few years here.

Over the past few years, however, more and more Mexican products are being imported into the United States which means that you can find these all over the place now! I found mine in a local grocery store, but you can also buy them online here.

Once the sweet sauce is prepared, it is time to put the cookies down one layer at a time in a baking dish, and then covering each layer with the sweet sauce until all the cookies are gone and you finish with a final layer of the sweet sauce. Once prepared, put the carlota in the freezer and then cut into pieces when ready to serve.

If you decide to make this tasty Mexican dessert, don’t forget to come back and tell me how it turned out!

If you loved this recipe, you should definitely try these too:

• Extra Creamy Rice Pudding (Arroz con Leche)
• The Best Homemade Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe (No Cake Mix)
• Creamy Mango Mousse Recipe
• Oreo Cookie Cheesecake (no-bake method)
• Peaches and Cream Napoleon Recipe
• Amazing Caramel Smores Recipe (Disney World Copycat)

Print

Carlota

This Lemon Carlota recipe is a simple, delicious Mexican Dessert that looks pretty and will please even the pickiest of eaters. Keep reading to learn how to make it. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword carlota, dessert, lemon, mexican dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Freeze Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 16 2x2 inch squares

Calories 324kcal

Author Charbel Barker

Ingredients

• Juice from 5 Lemons
• 1 Can of Evaporated Milk 12 oz
• 1 Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk 14 oz
• 2 Packages of Marias cookies.

Instructions

• Blend the two types of milk together with the lemon juice and set aside.
• In an 8x8 glass baking dish, put one layer of cookies along the bottom, covering the entire bottom of the pan.
• Cover the first layer with part of the sweet sauce
• Repeat until the cookies are gone, finishing with a final layer of sweet sauce.
• Freeze for at least 2 hours and serve!

Nutrition

Serving: 12x2 inch square | Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 24mg | Potassium: 113mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 18.3mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 0.3mg

The post Lemon Carlota – A Delicious Mexican Dessert appeared first on My Latina Table.

Para Leer en Español, Haz Click Aqui

by: Daniel Barker

Between 2005 and 2007 I was a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Bolivia. I lived there for two years, changing from one part of the country to another every few months. I met a ton of wonderful people who changed my life and whom I will always cherish. That said, I wasn’t always a huge fan of all of the food. 

At the time I wasn’t a big fan of rice, and rice is one of the main staples of Bolivian cuisine. It wasn’t just a little bit of rice on a plate either – it was a huge plateful of rice, usually accompanied by some type of meat and lots and lots of potatoes. 

I definitely won’t say that all the food was bad. There were were some things that I really loved. For example, they have a delicious, empanada-like food called a Bolivian Salteña. 

What is a Bolivian Salteña

I tried my first  Salteña probably a couple of weeks after arriving in Bolivia. I wasn’t sure what it was, but the other missionaries said that I had to try it and that they were so delicious – and delicious they were!

The bread has a delicious, slightly sweet taste, and the filling is so savory and delicious. They come in different varieties and can be made with chicken, shredded beef, ground beef, and more. Traditionally, Salteñas have a slice of hard boiled egg on the inside along with an olive and sometimes even raisins.

I omitted both the olive and raisins from this version because I am not a big fan, but you can easily add them back. 

One thing about Bolivian Salteñas is that they are very juicy. They have been known to ruin a shirt or two because of the juice that drips out if you aren’t expecting it.

Where did this recipe come from?

In one of the little towns where I lived, Arani, which is close to Cochabamba, the majority of the people spoke quechua. Quechua is a native language that is pretty cool, but it is pretty hard to speak and/or understand.

A lot of the people spoke both Spanish and Quechua, but some only spoke Quechua. While I was there, one of the members of the Church that cooked for us sometimes shared her recipe for Bolivia Salteñas with me. I wrote it down so that I could make them when I got home.

Like most of the paperwork and letters that I brought home from Bolivia, that recipe was buried in a notebook, in a box in my garage. When I was going through my things, I found the recipe on a piece of paper that I had written on all those years ago. I decided that I really wanted to try to make it.

So, I gathered up the ingredients, checked out a few other versions online to compare and make sure that I had the process down, and set out to make them. This post is the result and I have to say – they turned out very good!

I invite you to give these a try. Let me know in the comments below how it turned out!

Check out these other tasty recipes!

• Authentic Mexican Picadillo Recipe
• The Best Authentic Mexican Conchas Recipe
• Authentic Mexican Esquites (Mexican Corn Salad)
• Mexican Street Corn Recipe (Elotes Mexicanos)
• Authentic Mexican Birria Recipe (3 Methods)

Print

Bolivian Salteñas

Author Charbel Barker

Ingredients

For The Filling

• 1 pound ground beef 95% lean meat (or 2 chicken breasts)
• 1 Packet of unflavored gelatin
• 4 cups beef broth
• 3/4 stick butter
• 2 tablespoons turmeric or Achiote - ground or in paste form - you can find this in the Hispanic aisle at most grocery stores -
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 3 Large potatoes Diced
• 1 cup peas
• 1/2 cup parsley finely chopped
• 1/2 cup granulated white Sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon pepper
• **Optional - 3 Hard Boiled Eggs Olives, Raisins

For the Dough

• 4 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 1 Stick of Butter melted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups of boiling hot water
• 1-2 teaspoons of yellow food coloring.

Instructions

For the Filling

• Cook the diced potatoes in boiling water until cooked, but still firm.
• Melt the Butter together with the Achiote or ground turmeric until well combined and incorporated.
• Add the Onions and the Diced Potatoes and Season everything with the Cumin, Salt, Pepper, and Oregano.
• Add the Peas and the chopped Parsley and mix well.
• Add the Sugar and continue cooking for a couple of minutes.
• Add the already cooked and seasoned ground beef and stir well.
• Add the Beef Broth and Bring to a boil.
• Add the packet of unflavored gelatin, stir well, and remove from heat.
• Transfer to a large bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (overnight is best, but not necessary).

For the Dough

• Combine the Flour, Sugar, and Salt together in a large mixing bowl.
• In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and add the yellow food coloring (this is to get the traditional color of the Salteña, which is actually obtained by adding a natural colorant that is only found in Bolivia).
• Add the Eggs Mixture to the Flour Mixture and mix until well combined.
• Add the hot (almost boiling) water to the mix and knead until a large, yellowish ball of dough is formed (it should not be too sticky, so add more flour if necessary).
• Let sit for about 10-20 minutes and then separate into smaller, more workable pieces.
• Roll out each piece on a flour surface and cut into large circles (about 6 inches in diameter and about 1/8 of an inch thick)

How to Make the Salteñas

• Preheat your oven to 500 degrees
• After you have rolled out a piece of dough to the indicated size, add a slice of hard boiled egg to the middle (an olive and raisins if desired) and about 1/4 cup of the filling (more if you are not adding the other filling ingredients).
• Wet the edges of the dough, and fold over the top, pinching the edges together.
• In order to ensure that the Salteñas do not open during the cooking process, pinch and twist the edges to form a "braided look." (This was the hardest part for me, so they don't look perfect, but just do it enough so that you create a strong seal).
• You can also beat an egg and brush the Salteñas with it right before baking to get a shinier look.
• Place on an aluminum foil lined baking pan, right side up, and bake for 15 minutes or until browned.
• Let sit for at least 10 minutes and then enjoy.

The post Bolivian Salteñas Recipe appeared first on My Latina Table.

We eat a lot of rice in Mexico and is often served with chicken, soup and more. It can be red, green, or white depending on what we are serving it with. This recipe isn’t Mexican, but if you are looking for another way to prepare your rice, you are in the right place and you will love this!

The day that I got home from the hospital after giving birth to our second son, my mother-in-law very kindly offered to bring us dinner. She brought a delicious meal consisting of Parmesan chicken , salad, and as a side dish – this delicious rice recipe which has mushrooms, bacon, and almonds for an added crunch. Being that I love rice, I absolutely loved this dish!

After trying it for the first time, I immediately asked her for the recipe and with her permission I am sharing it here now. It is very simple to make like most of my other recipes – all you have to do is saute the ingredients, empty them into a baking dish, and cook for one hour. There are so many things that this would go well with – including my delicious easy mole (mo-lay) recipe.

When I asked my mother-in-law where she got the recipe I was surprised! My sister-in-law was a missionary in Armenia, so I assumed that that is where it comes from, but she told me that she actually had gotten the recipe years ago at a church activity!

Like I mentioned above, in most south and central American countries rice is a staple that is served with many different kinds of food and is usually cooked with some type of fresh sauce. This version, however, does not have any sauce at all, but it is still absolutely delicious The almonds give it a great crunch and together with the bacon it has an amazing flavor combination. I have to admit, I don’t only like this rice because it is delicious, but also because it is foolproof – if you follow this recipe, it will come out perfectly!

A few weeks ago I got a sweet email from one of my readers asking me where this recipe had gone. Apparently it had disappeared when I re-branded my site and honestly I didn’t even realize it was gone. This is basically what he said, “I am looking for a recipe that i found on this site a long time ago. It was called Armenian Rice and it was delicious!”

That motivated me to put it back up right away and now I hope that you all enjoy it too!

Print

Armenian Rice

Author Charbel Barker

Ingredients

• 1 Small package of Bacon Bits or you can make your own bacon and crumble it.
• 1/2 Cup of finely chopped onions.
• 1 Can of mushroooms drained.
• 1 Can of Beef Stock
• 1/4 Cup of Butter
• 1 Cup of Uncooked Rice
• 1/4 Cup of Chopped Almonds
• 1 Cup of Water

Instructions

• Saute the onion in the butter until translucent, add the bacon bits, and mix well.
• Add the rest of the ingredients, mix well and let cook for another minute or two.
• Empty everything into a 9 x 13 baking dish and bake uncovered at 350 for one hour.
• Remove from the oven, let cool slightly and enjoy!

The post Armenian Rice appeared first on My Latina Table.

With sunny days on the way, along with it the many activities that we participate in outside – like soccer, baseball, swimming, etc. So if you are like me, and you are looking for some easy dinner recipes, you are in the right place. This slow cooker Balsamic Brisket, aside from being juicy and tender, is also easy to make by just adding all of the ingredients in your crockpot!

A while back we traveled to Texas – sometimes known as the BBQ capital of the world. We were visiting some friends and had the chance to visit a few good restaurants, and we fell in love with the brisket at one of the BBQ places that was called “Cooper’s.” This restaurant has won many awards for its food, and believe me, they are well deserved! Just thinking about the food that we ate there just makes my mouth water!!!

Unfortunately, we are pretty far from Texas, and we can’t go as often as we would like to go just for the BBQ. So, I set out to make my own good brisket recipe and after a little bit of experimenting, I came up with this recipe and it is de-lic-ious! This may not be the same as what you can get in Texas, but I bet that you won’t be able to stop eating it!

My husband was excited when I told him what I was making, because he loves a good brisket, and he was really impressed after giving this a try. He worked in Texas for a couple of summers, so he had a chance to try many different versions of brisket, and he said that this definitely is comparable. The great thing is that you can make it using your slow cooker, so you don’t have a lot of steps to follow. Next time that you are thinking of something to make for a get together or for a pot luck, give this recipe a try.

It has a great combination of spices, beef broth, and balsamic vinegar – which makes a perfect mix of flavors. All you have to do is put all of the ingredients into your slow cooker and let the flavors cook together with the meet to make it juice and tender. All while you are doing everything else that you need to do around the house!

Don’t miss out on this one … it is great to eat on burritos, quesadillas, hamburgers, tostadas, or just by itself!

Print

Slow Cooker Balsamic Brisket – A great, easy recipe for anytime!

Author Charbel Barker

Ingredients

• 2 Pound of Beef Brisket
• 1/2 Cup of Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 1/2 Cups of Beef Broth
• 2 T of dried Thyme
• 4 Bay Leaves
• 2 T Garlic Powder
• 2 T Pepper
• 1 T Cumin
• 2 T Dried oregano
• 1 t Red Pepper Flakes
• Salt to taste

Instructions

• Add all of the above ingredients to your crock pot, and let it cook for at least 4 hours on high heat, or 8 hours on low heat. Shred and enjoy!

The post Slow Cooker Balsamic Brisket appeared first on My Latina Table.