Hispanic cuisine encompasses the cooking rituals of each region bearing distinct flavors from their noble roots. But what they all share is a sense of adventure and emphasis on fresh, seasonal ingredients that can be easily incorporated into a healthy diet. If you look beyond the stereotypical nachos and tacos, Old World expertise mixes with New World ingredients and techniques in Hispanic cooking. The results are delicious foods that are cooked with flair, which can light up and fascinate your palate.

Ch, Ch, Ch, Ch, Changes…
Hispanic food is delicious and varied. However, some ingredients used in Hispanic cooking, like meats with high fat content, can be unhealthy when eaten in large quantities. The good news is that there are some changes that can be made to Hispanic recipes that will result in nutritious dishes that taste just as good as their high-fat counterparts. While there are many fried delicacies served in a Latino home, and  no getting around the bad qualities of fried foods, you may choose to limit these selections. Nevertheless, you can reduce the unsuitable attributes in preparing any meal by choosing healthier oils and pan-frying rather than deep-frying when called for. But of course as I’ve preached before most things can be enjoyed in moderation.

When preparing the more common Mexican dishes like tacos, tostadas and empanadas, which are often prepared with beef, try substituting a lower fat meat or poultry. Sauces and spices like peppers add such bold flavor to these dishes that the fat is rarely missed. When choosing condiments, low-fat greek yogurt can replace regular sour cream while adding protein and flavor. Being mindful of the quantity of cheese used to top dishes should always be a careful consideration, as cheeses can add a large amount of uncounted calories and fat. Rather than using regular refried beans, use the fat-free version for lighter burritos or make your own to insure the quality and content of the ingredients you’re mixing in. If adding rice as a side dish, use brown rice in lieu of the conventional white brand. You’ll add a beneficial whole grain to your meal and eliminate the exorbitant sugars that come with a serving of white rice.

Gone Fishing…
If staving off red meat when thinking of better food alternatives, why not expand your food choices to try a Peruvian dish that’s making waves and gaining popularity. Ceviche, is a Peruvian dish made with seafood that is cooked using the acidity of a citrus marinade. Typically garnished with herbs such as cilantro (although this has been disputed among family members…wink-wink), this spicy dish consists generally of bite-size pieces of white fish (such as white sea bass or tilapia) or shellfish that are cooked by marinating it in lime juice[1] mixed with chiles for several hours. Ceviche is the flagship dish of Peruvian cuisine and is typically served with sweet potato, raw onions and toasted corn (cancha). I personally like to add chopped tomato as a side dish mixed into with the minced onions sans cilantro. Doh!

The Other White Meat…
Another popular protein used in Latin cooking is pork with its many varieties of choice cuts. Caribbean food choices often highlight pork seasoned in a wet marinade known as “mojo” that will light up your taste buds. It can easily be prepared to be leaner than red meat, using wholesome herbs and spices, slow cooked to perfection before slicing it for dishes like the famous Cuban sandwich. A true Cuban sandwich is ordinarily made with a long baguette-like loaf (similar to French or Italian bread) dressed with mustard, where the pork is accompanied by Swiss cheese (again a modest amount), a thin slice of ham and a sliced pickle all grouped together and ironed on the grill. While the bread may discourage you from enjoying this, if you’re ever given a chance to have one don’t pass it up. This Cuban treat that can satisfy the heartiest of appetites and the pickiest of eaters, and will be something you’ll surely remember and not regret.

Who Spilled the Beans?
Beans, a staple in many Hispanic dishes, can be a healthy nutritional source to both vegetarian and non-vegetarian diets. Yet beans don’t get the respect they deserve, as they’re infamous for their noxious effects. Still, beans are one of the oldest, healthiest foods out there, and research has confirmed that adding beans to your diet is an easy way to improve your health. These powerful little packages of nutrition provide a source of protein, iron, fiber, antioxidants, magnesium, folate, potassium and vitamin B6.  Yes beans also have all feared carbohydrates, but they are complex carbs that are considered smart-carbs and help provide energy to your muscles and brain.

A study conducted at Michigan State University (MSU) reviewed 25 years of bean research and concluded that beans are an often-overlooked food source that could be helping Americans fight a host of chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity. The report confirmed that beans’ high fiber content can help people with diabetes maintain healthy blood glucose levels. They’re also rich in antioxidant phytochemicals that reduce the damage caused by free radicals and may reduce the risk of cancer. The study also noted that out of 41 countries, those with the highest bean consumption had the lowest death rates from breast, prostrate and colon cancers.  Most certainly indicating that beans are worthy of consideration when planning meals.

There are a variety of beans used in Hispanic cuisine. Most beans are loaded with potent punches of nutrition. So it’s really a matter of preference or what your recipe calls for. If you’re trying to mimic a typical Cuban meal, you’ll certainly want to start with black beans, where as if you’re going for a Mexican meal you might look to use pinto beans. If you’re considering a new recipe with Puerto Rican flare, the ingredients might include red kidney beans. These cultures bring together a variety of recipes to draw from and offer delectable ways to add more beans to your meals. The oddity in the bean family the lima bean, had likely originated in Peru and is known for its buttery texture. Although despite being named after its namesake Lima the capital of Peru, as we overlook the discrepancy in pronunciation between the two, family members have advised me that it’s a common misconception that lima beans are generally used in Peruvian recipes.

Them Beans Are Lethal, How Do Cowboys Do It?
So why don’t people eat more beans? The simple while humorous answer is…GAS. The jokes about gassy beans are just as common as the experience. The reasons why beans cause gas are pretty simple, and can be avoided if you plan your meals sensibly.

First let’s understand the components of beans, they contain a triple sugar, stachyose; a quadruple sugar, raffinose; and a five sugar, verbascose that are difficult to digest. Ordinarily most people are missing an enzyme that is required to break down these sugars. When the beans get to the colon, the bacteria in the colon begin to ferment these sugars producing gas in the process.

If you gradually increase the amount of beans you eat over several weeks most people will overcome this as the body acclimates to the breakdown process. The benefit of eating more of these sugars in beans is that it promotes the growth of intestinal bacteria, and these bacteria create an environment in the colon that is known to lower the risk of cancer.

As beans are slow to digest, in order to avoid getting gas when eating beans, try some of these time tested preemptive measures.

While the others all share similar potato-like qualities, the deviant yet popular member of the Latin veggie family is the calabaza. Similar in taste and texture to butternut squash, the calabaza squash is found in Central and South America as well as the Caribbean. Like other varieties of squash, the calabaza is low in calories and high in vitamin A and potassium. Although calabaza is considered a starchy vegetable, it’s still a fairly low-carb food. One cup of the squash contains 8 grams of carbohydrates and only 35 calories. Though low in carbs and calories it is rich in nutrients hosting high levels of vitamin A, potassium and vitamin C.  It is frequently added to recipes for stews and soups in the typical Hispanic kitchen.
 Spice it up!
Spices are used to flavor dishes and can give recipes a signature characteristic.  A carefully chosen spice can give a fabulous aroma and “savor” to brighten a dish. Authentic Hispanic spices have greatly influenced the enhancement of foods from past to present and continue to evolve.
Derived from vegetative substances made from dried seeds, roots, fruits or the bark of tropical trees or plants, spices are ground for flavoring purposes. Some spices can even serve as a type of food preservative. Spices can enhance food and some can even improve ones health. The use of spices can regulate levels of sugar, fat and salt in our daily diets. Some may aid in digestion and others increase the rate of metabolism.

A few spices used in Hispanic cooking include annatto seed aka achiote, cumin, cayenne pepper, Spanish paprika, saffron and chili powders including the richly flavored Chipotle chili powder. Each finds its home in the various cultures, helping to create signature dishes that help produce memorable meals.

While spices take on a heavy role in a Latino kitchen, it shares the pantry stage with various herbs that offer their own distinct flavors including, epazote aka goosefoot, guajes, papalo, yerba buena (similar to spearmint), boldo leaves, which are often substituted with bay leaves, and a family favorite…cilantro. When cooking with herbs if you can’t find fresh, dried varieties will often hit the mark. If a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of a fresh herb it can be substituted with 1 teaspoon of the dried version.

A Pepper By Any Other Name Is Still HOT…
Finally we come to the most commonly used ingredient in Hispanic cooking, peppers or as more generally referred to by Latinos as chiles. Chiles are members of the Capsicum family. The heat range is diverse, ranging from very mild to extremely wild. Capsaicinoids are not soluble in water, but very soluble in fats, oils and alcohol. This is why drinking water after accepting a dare to eat an extra hot Habanero Chile won’t stop the burning. Downing a cold beer is the traditional remedy, but the small percentage of alcohol will not wash away much of the capsaicin. To get some relief from a chile burn you might want to drink milk or eat ice-cream. Milk contains casein, a lipophilic or fat-loving substance that surrounds and washes away the fatty capsaicin molecules in much the same way that soap washes away grease.

The perception that peppers are hot is not an accident. The capsaicin key opens a door in the cell membrane that allows calcium ions to flood into the cell. This ultimately triggers a pain signal that is transmitted to the next cell. The same events occur when cells are exposed to heat. Chile burns and heat burns are similar at the molecular, cellular and hence sensory levels.

So which is the hottest pepper? Using the Scoville scale to measure the heat index, a new winner had recently been established. Although not typically used in Hispanic cooking, the Naga Jolokia has been tested at over 1,001,300 Scoville heat units. Almost twice as hot as the previous champ the Red Savina Habanero which rated at 855,000 units and is often used when cooking Latin American styled pork, heat master guacamole recipes and even a spicy hot chocolate formula that pays homage to South American Mayan ancestry.

Some basic things to remember about chiles and peppers: