Happy Hispanic Heritage Month

¡Feliz Mes de la Herencia Hispana! 

It’s time to embrace the bold, colorful, and delicious world of Hispanic cuisine. From zesty tamales to golden empanadas and creamy flan, Market Basket is stocked with everything you need to create the flavors you love. Explore our shelves, grab your favorite ingredients, and let’s cook up a fiesta of authentic dishes that celebrate the spirit of Hispanic heritage!

Tamales

Prep Time: 1.5 Hrs.        Cook Time: 4 Hrs.       Total Time: 5.5 Hrs.

Filling Ingredients:

• 3 oz. guajillo chiles, rinsed, stemmed, and seeded
• 3 oz. ancho chiles, rinsed, stemmed, and seeded
• Water, as needed
• 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
• 3 tsp kosher salt, divided
• ¾ tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 ½ LB boneless pork shoulder, cut into large 4-inch chunks
• 1 bay leaf

Masa Dough Ingredients:

• 8 ¼ cups masa harina (about half of a 4.4 lb bag of Maseca)
• 1 ¾ tbsp fine salt
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 ¾ cups canola or avocado oil (see Notes for making masa with lard*)
• 7 cups broth (chicken, beef, or vegetable, plus more as needed)
• 50 corn husks (about ½-¾ pound bag)
• Hot water, as needed

Other tools:

• Steamer Pot

Instructions:

1. Add the corn husks to a large bowl or pot, then pour hot water over the corn husks, enough to cover them completely. Cover the bowl with foil or plastic wrap and let them soak for 1 hour. The husks will begin to soften.
2. In a separate medium sized pot, add the guajillo chiles, chiles, and enough water to completely cover them. Bring to a boil over high heat. Then, remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let the chiles soak for 10 minutes to soften.
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the softened chiles to a large blender. Do not throw away the water! Add 1 cup of the chile-soaked water, 1 ½ cups of fresh water, garlic powder, 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, and ground cumin. Blend until completely smooth. Pour it through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl to remove any solids. Set aside.
4. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or a pot over medium-high heat. Season the pork with the remaining 1 ½ tsp of kosher salt, then working in 2 batches, add the meat to the pan and sear on all sides until browned.
5. Add all the seared meat back into the pot. Add in the blended red chile sauce and stir in the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 2 ½ hours until the meat is fall-apart tender.
6. In a separate very large mixing bowl or pot, stir and combine the masa harina, salt, and baking powder. 
7. Add the oil and mix together using your hands. Work the dough until everything is well combined and incorporated. It should feel a little crumbly, almost like wet sand, and should lightly hold its shape when pressed together.
8. Add the broth and mix for about 3-5 min until the dough is fairly wet and well-saturated. The dough should be soft and spreadable like thick hummus. If the dough is too dry, add more broth. If it’s too wet, add more masa harina. Put aside.
9. Drain the water from the corn husks and pat them dry. Lay them flat onto a baking sheet, with the smooth side face up. The other side will have ridges.
10. Grab a generous spoonful of masa and place in middle of the corn husk. Leaving the top 1/3 pointy end of the corn husk empty, spread the masa thin across the husk using the back of the spoon, creating a large square shape.
11. Place about 1-2 tbsp of the filling in a line down the center of the dough. Do not overstuff. 
12. Fold together the long side edges of the corn husk , and then fold it again once more. Fold down the pointy edge. One end of the husk will be open and exposed. 
13. Repeat steps 10-12 for all remaining corn husks, or until all dough have been used up.
14. Prepare the steamer pot. Fill the bottom of a large steamer pot with water. Place the tamales in the steamer pot with the open end facing up. Lean them against the side of the pot so they do not fall over.
15. Cover tightly with the lid and place the steamer over high heat. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low once boiled, and cook for 2 ½ hours or until the masa is fully cooked.
16. Remove 1 tamal from the steamer pot on to a plate and let it sit for 10 minutes. If the husk peels away easily from the masa, then it is fully cooked. If the masa still sticks to the husk, steam the batch for 15 more minutes, then check again.
17. Remove the tamales from the pot and let them cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Recipe Source: https://www.isabeleats.com/pork-tamales/

 

 

Arepas

Servings: 7-8        Prep Time: 20 Min.     Cooking Time: 25 Min.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups precooked corn meal
• 2 1⁄2 cups water, room temperature
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 410° F.
2. Pour the room temperature water into a large bowl.
3. Add salt. Blend until completely dissolved with a whisk or fork.
4. Continue to mix the mixture while slowly adding the corn meal a little bit at a time.
5. Once all the corn meal is added, keep mixing until the corn meal, water and salt are thoroughly blended and dissolved.
6. Set aside still in the bowl, and let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the mix to be fully hydrated.
7. In the meanwhile, heat the pan / griddle over medium heat. Coat with a little bit of oil. Prepare a baking sheet on the side.
8. Fill a small bowl with water. You will use the water to wet your hands to make the arepas.
9. Wet hands, then take about 2 tbsp of the dough. Shape into a small ball using the palm of your hands.
10. Then, hold the masa in between the hands so that one hand is on top of the other. Press down the masa into a flat disk, while rotating your dominant hand in a circle to keep even pressure. 
11. Shape the disk and press until it is about 3/4 inch thick and 4 inches wide. Dip fingetips into the bowl of water as necessary to smooth out the edges of the disk, making it as round as possible without any cracks. 
12. Place the arepas in batches on the preheated surface of pan / griddle. Cook until each side turns golden, about 4-5 min per side. Place on baking sheet.
13. Bake in oven for about 10 minutes, until somewhat puffy. Remove from oven.
14. Serve while hot.

Recipe Source: https://familiakitchen.com/how-to-make-arepas/

 

Tostones

Servings: 4        Prep Time: 5 Min.     Cooking Time: 10 Min.

Ingredients:

• 2 green, unripe plantains
• ½ cup canola or peanut oil
• Salt, to taste

Ingredients For Dip:

• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 4 sprigs parsley
• 1 clove garlic
• ¼ tsp fresh cracked or ground pepper 
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Peel the plantains. Discard the ends of the plantain and cut the flesh into 1 inch thick slices.
2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a small saucepan. Lower the plantain slices into the oil with a slotted spoon. Fry the plantains till light golden, about 5 mins. Remove from oil for next step.
3. Flatten the plantains using a tostonera to about ¼ inch. Alternatively, use the bottom of a jar and press the fried plantains onto a cutting table.
4. Fry the flattened plantains again until they turn golden yellow on both sides, about 5 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with salt to taste and serve immediately. Best served freshly fried.
6. To make the dip: Add all the ingredients for the dip into a food processor, and pulse until thoroughly blended but not liquified. 

Recipe Source: https://www.dominicancooking.com/tostones#wprm-recipe-container-18637

 

Empanadas

Servings: 12      Prep Time: 20 Min.     Cooking Time: 10 Min.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1/3 cup sofrito
• 1/3 cup tomato sauce
• 1 packet of sazon con achiote
• 1 tbsp adobo all purpose seasoning
• 2 tsp of ground cumin
• 1 tsp of dried oregano
• 1 tsp of red pepper flakes
• 2 1/2 cups of small diced potatoes (frozen potatoes work too)
• 1 package of Empanada Discos con Achiote

Directions:

1. Defrost frozen empanada dough for 2-3 hours.
2. On medium heat cook sofrito with tomato sauce until fragrant. Then add the ground beef.
3. Crumble the meat and season with sazon, adobo, cumin, dried oregano and red pepper flakes.
4. Once meat is brown add diced potatoes and allow the remaining liquid to steam potatoes until tender. Set aside to cool.
5. On a flat surface, sprinkle some all purpose flour and lay out the empanada dough.
6. Add a tablespoon of the meat mixture in the center of the dough. Fold over the dough and firmly press with your thumbs. To properly seal the seam, crimp the edges with a fork.
7. In hot oil, fry the empanadas for 1 minute on each side. Let them rest on a paper-towel and enjoy!

Recipe Source: https://www.nataknowsbest.com/puerto-rican-empanadas/#recipe

 

Conchas

Servings: 16      Prep Time: 25 Min.     Cooking Time: 20 Min.       Total Time: 2 hrs.

Ingredients:

• 3 ¾ cups all purpose flour plus extra for dusting
• ½ cup + 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 ½ tsp rapid rise or quick rising instant yeast
• ½ tsp Salt
• ½ cup non-salted butter, room temp
• 6 ½ tbps eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup of warm milk

Topping:

• ½ cup + 1 tsp vegetable shortening, plus extra to grease the dough and baking sheets
• ⅞ cup confectioner Sugar
• 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 2-½ tsp cocoa powder for half of the topping, if desired
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional) for the white topping

Directions:

1. Measure out and prep all ingredients. 
2. Mix flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a stand mixer bowl at medium speed.
3. Add butter. Using a hook attachment, mix until incorporated. 
4. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, then slowly pour the milk little by little, until the dough is at the proper consistency. (Add more milk if dough is dry or crumbly) Continue to mix for about 7 minutes at medium speed. Add a little more flour around the inside of the bowl, just enough for the dough to separate from the container. the dough should be soft and slightly sticky, and feel elastic.
5. Flour a flat surface/tabble, remove the dough from the bowl, and knead it just enough to shape into a ball.
6. Prepare a large greased bowl, and allow the dough to rest inside. Cover with a wrap and a kitchen napkin. Place the bowl in a warm place for about 2 hours, until dough doubles in size**. May take longer if environment is cold. 
7. While the dough is rising, prepare the sugar topping. Soften the shortening with a spatula, until creamy. Then, add the confectioner’s sugar. Mix in the flour little by little, and the optional ground cinnamon if using. Set aside. If making half of the batch with chocolate topping, then divide the paste into two, and add cocoa powder to one half and mix until well integrated. 
8. **Do not proceed to this step until the dough has doubled in size. Place the risen dough onto a floured surface, and let rest for 5 minutes. Prepare a few greased baking sheets. Divide into 16 small balls. To shape, lightly flour your hands before picking one up, form the dough into a small ball, and gently press down onto the surface, white rotating. Place them on to the baking sheet, and continue until all the dough is shaped.
9. Using your hands, grease the top of each dough ball with a little amount of shortening. Do not skip this step, as this is what helps the topping adhere to the dough.
10. Flour your hands and divide the topping paste into 16 balls. Press down on each of the ball to form a small, flat disk with your hands. May use partiment paper for ease. Place the disk onto the ball of the dough, and press down very firmly to allow to adhere.
11. Once all dough is covered in the topping, use a concha cutter or knife to decorate in the tradtional concha shape.
12. Move the baking sheet(s) to a warm area, until they double in size, for around 1 to 2 hours (depends on temperature). Do not allow to rise any longer, to prevent the concha from collapsing in the oven. During the tail end of allowing the concha to rise, pre-heat the oven to 325º F. 
13. Bake in the oven 20 minutes, or until the bottom of the conchas are lightly golden. Rotate the baking sheet if there is more than 1 in the kitchen, after 10-12 min.
14. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving. 

Recipe Source: https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/concha-recipe/#recipe

 

Flan

Servings: 16      Prep Time: 25 Min.     Cooking Time: 20 Min.       Total Time: 2 hrs.

Ingredients:

• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 ¼ cup milk
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• For the caramel: ½ cup white granulated sugar
• For serving: whipped cream, berries, mint leaves, coconut chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.
2. Add condensed milk into a blender. Use the can to fill with milk, and pour into the blender. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, blend for a few seconds. Set aside.
3. Pour the sugar into a small saucepan on the stove, heat on medium low. As the sugars melt, use a rubber spatula to stir. Keep an eye on it as it can burn very easily. Continue to stir the sugar until completely caramelized, light brown in color and completely melted.
4. Pour the caramel into the flanera immediately, using a potholder to hold the flanera. Use a spatula while holding the flanera with a pot holder to spread a thin layer of caramel around the bottom and sides of the pan. Work quickly as the caramel will harden as it cools. 
5. Blend the milk and egg mixture in the blender for about 10 more seconds to combine. Pour the mixture into the flanera. 
6. Cover the flanera with the lid, and buckle it shut. Place sealed pan into a large baking dish. Pour water into the baking dish until it reaches halfway up the flanera. 
7. Place the baking dish carefully into the oven, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. 
8. Remove from the oven and open the lid to check for doneness. If flan is done, a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. If the toothpic is not clean, or if the flan is jiggly in the center, put it back in the oven with the waterbath for about 15 more minutes or more. Air in the side of over cooking rather than undercooking.
9. When done, take the flanera out of the waterbath and let cool completely. Refrigerate, still sealed, for 2 hours or overnight.
10. To serve, take the lid off the flanera. Run a butter knife around the outside edge to loosen it up. It should move freely within the pan if it is loose. Place a plate with a lip (to hold in the carame) on top of the flanera, with the top side towards the flanera. Hold the flanera and the plate tightly, while quickly flipping it over so that the plate is on the bottom an flanera is on top, upside down. Carefully lift the flanera to reveal the flan. 
11. Serve cold, with a spoonful of caramel. Top with your favorite toppings. 

Recipe Source: https://mariesaba.com/recipes/mexican-flan/

 

Be sure to pick up the ingredients at your nearest Market Basket to give these recipes are try!

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