Dining on burritos or tacos tonight? Or maybe you’re headed out for Caribbean patties or Cuban croquettes. Bet you’re expecting lots of foods fried in lard, piles of sour cream, and what Miami author Steven Raichlen describes as dishes hidden under “a gooey carpet of melted cheese.”
Much Latin American cooking has gotten a reputation, and it’s not as health food. Like many other ethnic groups that have come to the United States, Latinos suffer high rates of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers. These problems are related to their diets.
But Latin American cooking needn’t be bad for you.
Raichlen’s “Healthy Latin Cooking” is based on what’s called the “healthy Latin American diet pyramid,” which is a variation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food guide pyramid.
The Latin American pyramid represents a traditional Latin diet–the kind eaten before Europeans introduced meat, lard, butter, cream, cheese, sugar and alcohol to the New World. The pyramid emphasizes fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, tubers and nuts. Much less poultry, fish, oils, milk products, sweets and eggs are recommended. Meat is only for special occasions.
But bad influences on the Latin diet didn’t stop with the discovery of the New World.
The biggest problem is the way the traditional Latin diet changes as immigrants come to the United States, says Hania Campos, assistant professor of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. She helped develop the Latin American pyramid and wrote the introduction to Raichlen’s book.
For example, Campos says, in many Latin countries, meat is part of a dish or served only on special occasions. But in the United States, a big steak can easily become the center of a meal. And Latin Americans are eating more dairy products than they did in their homelands. As a result, their intake of saturated fat has increased.
Stateside Latinos’ lifestyles differ too.
“People of the Caribbean are used to fishing all day, walking for miles around their islands and eating only what comes out of the ocean or what they can grow in a little plot of land next to their houses-and that’s not much land on an island,” says Donna Shields, a registered dietitian who wrote the 1988 cookbook “Caribbean Light.”
In the States, they drive cars and sit in offices all day, just as other Americans do.
No wonder obesity is a problem, she says. And no wonder the Latin American pyramid recommends daily physical activity.
“Latins can bring us an appreciation of vibrant flavors; Americans can provide Latins with the health message,” Raichlen says.
Shields agrees. “Caribbean foods have big bold flavors so you don’t miss the fat or calories,” she says.
Here are some recipes that demonstrate Latin American dishes can be made more healthful, for Anglos and Latinos alike.
PANAMANIAN CHICKEN STEW
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Marinating time: 35 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Adapted from “Healthy Latin Cooking,” by Steven Raichlen.
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
6 bone-in chicken breast halves, skin removed
1 yellow onion, peeled, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 each, seeded, slivered: red and green bell pepper
3 sprigs cilantro
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2/3 cup dry white wine or water
1/3 cup tomato puree
1 chicken bouillon cube, crumbled, or 1 teaspoon granules
Salt, freshly ground pepper
1. Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, mustard, curry and oregano. Stir to combine. Add chicken, bone side up, Cook, without turning chicken, until meat side of chicken is browned, about 5 minutes.
2. Add onion, celery, bell peppers, cilantro and 2 tablespoons of the parsley. Place chicken pieces, bone side up, onto vegetables. Cook until vegetables soften, about 8 minutes. Increase heat to high. Add wine; heat to boil. Stir in tomato puree and bouillon. Return to boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Turn chicken pieces bone side down. Cover; reduce heat. Simmer until chicken is tender, no longer pink inside and an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees, about 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning; sprinkle with remaining parsley.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ……… 190 Fat ………… 9 g Saturated fat .. 2 g
% cal. from fat … 42 Cholesterol .. 55 mg Sodium …… 335 mg
Carbohydrates …. 7 g Protein ……. 21 g Fiber …….. 1.9 g
QUINOA PILAF
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
If you’ve never tried quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah), you’re in for a treat. When cooked, this grain that is native to the Andes Mountains cooks to four times its size. Most commercially available quinoa has been cleaned of its somewhat bitter, grassy-tasting coating believed to be a natural insect repellent, but you should rinse it before cooking anyway. Pick over the quinoa to remove any debris. (Quinoa is available at some supermarkets and natural food markets.) Adapted from “Healthy Latin Cooking.”
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, peeled, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 cups quinoa, rinsed until water runs clear
4 cups low-fat, low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
Salt, freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1. Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic and pine nuts. Cook until onion is soft but not brown, about 4 minutes.
2. Add quinoa; cook 1 minute. Stir in broth; season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer until quinoa is tender and broth is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Add parsley; fluff quinoa with fork.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ……… 280 Fat …………. 8 g Saturated fat .. 1.4 g
% cal. from fat … 25 Cholesterol …. 3 mg Sodium ……… 85 mg
Carbohydrates … 43 g Protein …….. 11 g Fiber ………… 4 g
CUBAN PORK ROAST
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Marinating time: 48 hours
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Adapted from “Caribbean Light,” by Donna Shields.
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup each: orange juice, fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons each: white wine, water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 pounds trimmed, whole boneless pork loin
1. Heat oil in small non-reactive saucepan over low heat, 3 minutes. Combine garlic, juices, wine, water, salt, oregano and pepper in small non-reactive bowl. Add to oil; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cool slightly. (Recipe can be made up to this point. Store in refrigerator, in covered glass jar or bottle 1-2 days.)
2. Place pork loin in large food storage bag. Add marinade, turning meat to coat; seal. Refrigerate 48 hours, turning every 6-8 hours.
3. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Drain and reserve marinade. Put meat in shallow non-reactive oven-safe roasting pan. Bake until center is still slightly pink and instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees, 35 to 40 minutes.
4. Remove meat to cutting board; let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Add reserved marinade to roasting pan; heat to boil over medium-high heat. Boil 1 minute, scraping any browned bits from bottom of pan. Pour sauce over sliced meat.
Nutrition information per serving (using canned beans):
Calories ……… 320 Fat ……….. 20 g Saturated fat .. 7 g
% cal. from fat … 57 Cholesterol .. 90 mg Sodium …… 260 mg
Carbohydrates .. 2.6 g Protein ……. 31 g Fiber …….. 0.1 G
