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Happy New Year 2019! Is it time for healthy food again? Lol. Healthy Latin Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less! may provide a little inspiration (and a lot of Latin flair) to get you headed in the right direction!
🌮 What Makes it a “Healthy” Latin Recipe?
First, I am not a fan of “diets.” Never have been, and never will be! Of course dietary restrictions are another matter entirely…
My approach to healthy eating most resembles the Mediterranean diet which is more of a way of eating than a “diet.” TheMediterranean dietis a way ofeatingbased on (but not limited to) the traditional cuisines of countries bordering theMediterraneanSea… From a trusted source and for more information, see Mediterranean Diet: A Heart-Healthy Eating Plan from Mayo Clinic:
The foundation of the Mediterranean Diet is vegetables, fruits, herbs, nuts, beans, and whole grains. Meals are built around these plant-based foods. Moderate amounts of dairy, poultry, and eggs are also central to the Mediterranean Diet, as is seafood. In contrast, red meat is eaten only occasionally.
The other component of a “healthy Latin recipe” is (of course!) Latin recipes. Lol. This vibrant cuisine features food from all of Central and South America, as well as Puerto Rico and Cuba in the Caribbean.
You’ll find common cooking style, ingredients, and spices throughout Latin America, including (but not limited to) maiz (corn), beans, and chiles. It is a cuisine that celebrates fresh tropical fruits, vegetables ripened in nutrient-rich soil as well as austere soil at high altitude, and a vast array of seafood, poultry, and meats.
🍤 Quick Proteins and Methods
You may notice how well-represented shrimp is in this collection? Well, shrimp is one of the most quick and easy protein options!
It’s healthy, delicious, and cooks in minutes. In fact, the most difficult aspect of cooking shrimp is not over-cooking shrimp… Avoiding rubbery shrimp requires your attention, and only a few minutes.
Healthy Latin-Style Shrimp Recipes
Shrimp is a perfect protein for a quick and healthy main dish! It cooks in minutes, and is loaded with lean protein
Mango Avocado and Shrimp Ceviche Tostadas
Shrimp "cook" in lime juice and optional hot sauce, then get rough chopped with avocado and mango and piled high on a baked tortilla.
Mexican-Style Shrimp Scampi
Photo Credit:muybuenocookbook.com
Traditional shrimp scampi is deglazed with dry white wine, but instead of white wine, I spiked with tequila (of course). To freshen up the dish, I added fresh cilantro, and for a mild kick, I added diced jalapeños.
Mexican Arroz con Camarones (Rice and Shrimp)
A fiesta in bowl,Mexican Arroz con Camarones (Rice and Shrimp) combines Mexican flavors – cilantro, cumin, and garlic – with shrimp, rice, black beans, and veggies. Garnished with avocado, jalapeño, more cilantro, and lime wedges, it’s quick, healthy, and flavorful… A perfect one pot meal for any day of the week!
Camarones Guisados (Puerto Rican Stewed Shrimp)
Photo Credit:www.kitchengidget.com
Camarones Guisados – succulent shrimp stewed in a Puerto Rican-style tomato sauce. Loaded with garlic, onions and plenty of fresh cilantro. No sofrito needed! Serve over a bed of rice or with crusty bread for soaking up every last drop!
Camarones Rancheros (Ranch-Style Shrimp)
Photo Credit:inmamamaggieskitchen.com
Camarones Rancheros, or Ranch-Style Shrimp, is an easy Mexican recipe loaded with flavor.With fresh ingredients like tomatoes, jalapeños, and garlic, it can be on your table in 20 minutes!
Mexican Grilled Shrimp with Achiote Marinade
Healthy shrimp spend 30 minutes in a simple achiote and citrus marinade... These grilled Mexican shrimp are so tasty and so versatile!
Fish is always a quick and healthy option as well. Don’t feel you have to stay with tilapia withPan-Fried Tilapia with Citrus, Mango, and Avocado Salad. I have found barramundi, red snapper, and cod to be stellar substitutions. If you’re interested in sustainability, be sure to check Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch.
Healthy Latin-Style Fish Recipes
Like Shrimp, fish cooks really quickly making it an ideal protein for your 30 minute meals!
Ceviche with Peruvian Black Mint (Huacatay)
Photo Credit:www.linsfood.com
This seabass ceviche with Peruvian black mint is an effortless yet exquisite plate of vibrant, tangy, minty and herby deliciousness.
Pan-Fried Tilapia with Citrus, Mango, and Avocado Salsa
Photo Credit:muybuenocookbook.com
The flavor is delicate yet complex enough to entice the palate. The citrus, mango, and avocado salsa pairs well with the simply prepared tilapia, making it a memorable and healthy meal.
Have you tried using a rotisserie chicken as a shortcut for weeknight dinners? They’re a great (and healthy) option when time is short! These yummy tacos can be ready in less than 30 minutes – 15!
Healthy Latin-Style Chicken Recipes
Chicken is often a great option for a quick, healthy weeknight meal, depending on the cooking method!
Pollo Saltado (Peruvian Chicken Stir-Fry) - Tara's Multicultural Table
Photo Credit:tarasmulticulturaltable.com
Pollo Saltado is a Peruvian Stir-Fry with seasoned chicken, onions, and tomatoes, Peruvian cuisine has been heavily influenced by Chinese immigrants and the resulting fusion is known as Chifa.
Easy Garlic Lime Chicken Tacos with Lime Crema
Photo Credit:www.theorganickitchen.org
Easy tacos made using rotisserie chicken tossed in fresh herbs and spices! Top them off with avocado, tomatoes, lime crema, and cotija for great south-of-the-border flavor!
Instant Pot Chicken Tacos + Tutorial {Gluten-Free}
Photo Credit:recipesfromapantry.com
TheseInstant Pot Chicken Tacosare your next favourite supper! They’re fresh, flavourful and so easy to make thanks to the Instant Pot. Suitable for Gluten-Free diets.
Ground meat (or mince) is always a great option for quick meals, and can be lean as well. My Healthy Picadillo (Cuban Style) calls for ground chicken, but you can use turkey or lean ground beef or pork as well. Similarly, this picadillo soup, and this Mexican picadillo come together in about 30 minutes… perfect weeknight dinners!
The Peruvian Beef Noodle Soup (Sopa Criolla) specifies ground beef. I have used (and loved) ground bison. Elk would be excellent as well!
Latin-Style Ground Meat and Beef Recipes
Healthy Picadillo (Cuban Style)
Photo Credit:beyondmeresustenance.com
A healthy picadillo with the vibrant flavors of Cuba – garlic, onion, bell pepper, oregano, cumin, and bay – in a healthy, well-balanced dish… on your dinner table in 30 minutes!
Steak Picado and Guide to Peppers
Photo Credit:thecompletesavorist.com
Thin strips of seasoned steak stir fried with bell peppers, onions, and jalapeños in a spiced tomato sauce.
Peruvian Lomo Saltado (Beef Stir-Fry)
Photo Credit:mediterraneanlatinloveaffair.com
Peruvian Lomo Saltado is a beef stir fry traditionally served with french fries and rice. Best comfort food ever!
Picadillo Soup
Inspired byMexican Picadillo, this healthy Mexican Picadillo Soup features lean ground meat, healthy veggies, and Mexican herbs and spices. It's gluten free and a perfect bowl of comfort on a chilly fall or winter evening.
Mexican Picadillo with Hatch Chile
An easy weeknight one-pot dinner that is healthy and full of flavor with ground pork, veggies, and Hatch green chile!
Peruvian Beef Noodle Soup (Sopa Criolla)
Hearty, healthy, hot soup is a fantastic way to chase away the winter cold!Peruvian Beef Noodle Soup (Sopa Criolla) with lean beef (ground or diced), angel hair pasta, and the tantalizing, subtle heat of aji panca is pure Peruvian comfort food and ready in half an hour!
As a supporter of the #meatlessmonday movement, I do my best to include vegetarian or vegan options. As long as the dish includes a good amount of protein, I’m all “in.” Of course black beans qualify, and the Latin flavors make these 2 dishes anything but bland! Both can be on your table in 30 minutes or less…
Healthy Latin-Style Vegetarian
More healthyish mains with other plant-based proteins that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less!
Quinoa Chaufa (Peruvian Wok-Fried Quinoa)
Photo Credit:beyondmeresustenance.com
A Chifa (Peruvian-Chinese fusion) dish that combines leftover quinoa (or rice) with healthy ingredients in a one-pot dish that will remind you of fried rice!
The Best Black Bean Burger - We're Parents
Photo Credit:wereparents.com
This healthy black bean burger may not permanently replace beef burgers in your repertoire, but the spicy, flavorful ingredients are perfect for #meatlessmonday!
Vegetarian Tostadas with Black Beans and Nopalitos
Photo Credit:beyondmeresustenance.com
Oven-baked tortillas topped with creamy refried black beans, spicy nopalitos and caramelized onions, salsa verde, sliced avocado, and crumbled cotija… Vegetarian Tostadas with Black Beans and Nopalitosare a favorite easy and nutritious meal any time of day!
Tortitas de Ejote: Guatemalan Green Bean Fritters
Photo Credit:www.atastefortravel.ca
This easy Guatemalan recipe for tortitas de ejotes, featuring fresh green beans, makes a batch of fritter-style pancakes that are perfect for an appetizer, nutritious breakfast or light lunch. Serve these delicious vegetarian fritters with a salsa for dipping or tuck them inside a crusty French roll with mayonnaise, slivers of red onion and a handful of fresh lettuce.
Does this collection inspire you? Cooking healthy meals in 30 minutes or less is an attainable and realistic goal in the New Year.
Here’s to an amazing 2019! May your year be filled with (healthy Latin Inspired recipes) food, fun, family, and favorite things…
P.S. Looking for a Latin-Inspired co*cktail to serve alongside?
- Tequila co*cktail with Blood Orange and Pomegranate
- Salsa Sunset: A Savory Margarita
- An Exotic Tropical Margarita
- Mexican Manhattan or South-O-the-Border Sidecar?
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Happy New Year Tamara! Hope you had a wonderful holiday. thank you for this great list of recipes! You know they all fit right in with my taste buds. I make a big pot of black beans today so I’ll be checking out your black bean recipes for sure. Thanks!
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Happy New Year to you MJ! Yes, our taste buds are quite similar… I’m enjoying taking my focus from “global” to “Latin.” Those flavors have always been my favorite!
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Yummy! One of my goals for 2019 is to spend less time on weekday dinners. Thanks for including my Camarones Guisados!
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Here’s to hoping you make your goal Rebekah! My husband is under “doctor’s orders” to eat earlier, and after years of having dinner ready at 8:00-8:30, I’m finding that to be a challenge. That’s kind of what prompted the “30 minutes” requirement. I’m looking forward to trying your Camarones Guisados!
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Thank you for including my Camarones Rancheros recipe. This is a lovely roundup.
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My pleasure Maggie! I’m looking forward to trying your recipe with some of our fabulous local Gulf Shrimp!
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Meet Tamara
Hola from the Rio Grande Valley in south Texas! I'm Tamara, the recipe developer, co*cktail mixologist, photographer, and writer behind Beyond Mere Sustenance. Beyond Mere Sustenance is a food blog with creative (often unique) recipes that are mostly healthy (I call it healthyish) with a Latin flair. Having lived on or near the border my entire life and traveled extensively in Peru, you’ll find a strong emphasis on Peruvian and Mexican recipes.
About Tamara
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