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Perfect for Lent season! Lent season is here so this is the perfect recipe to have on hand to fulfill the cravings! It’s full of flavor and cheese… oh, so much cheese! You can add or remove any of the ingredients to taste. In addition to spinach I added mushrooms, pepper and tomato for flavor. If you have cilantro, feel free to throw that in there as well. The key to making any delicious shrimp and spinach pupusas is to season your filling just as you would your chicharrón. This goes for both vegetables and proteins. If you don't want to add any protein, still sauté and season the vegetables, I promise you it makes a difference. Ingredients: Handful of spinach 1/4 green bell pepper 1 garlic clove 1 Roma tomato 1-2 pieces of mushroom 6-8 large shrimp 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp adobo Salt & pepper to taste Instructions: Recipe makes 4-6 pupusas: 1. Finely chop the spinach spinach and any other vegetables you’d like to include. I used spinach, green bell pepper, garlic, tomato and mushroom. 2. Sautee the tomato, green bell peppers, mushroom and garlic in butter. 3. Peel and devain the shrimp. Finely chop it and add it to the sauteed vegetables. 4. Season with salt & pepper, paprika, adobo to taste. Add the spinach and mix well. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on medium heat or until the shrimp has changed color. Try not to overcook the shrimp or it will become chewy. 5. Take off the heat and let it cool completely 6. Make the dough (masa) with 1 cup of Maseca white corn flour and 1 cup of warm water. Knead it for 5 minutes. 7. Shred your cheese, I'm using ‘quesillo’ for pupusas. Knead the cheese until it has clumped up and can be shaped into a ball. This will make it easier to mix with the shrimp and stuff the pupusa. 8. Mix the cheese and the cooled down shrimp filling, and stuff the pupusa as much as you can! Get creative with your pupusas, I hope these warm your heart! For more recipes follow @flourishwithg on Instagram and TikTok!

Mango tierno is one of the most popular snacks in El Salvador. You can typically find it in a Mercado or being sold at most stoplights (at least in San Vicente) in plastic bags with salt, lime, spicy sauce and alguashte. Mango tierno, is young green mango that’s not ripped, it’s small and sour. So sour that you will hear people say "se me destemplan los dientes," which means to dull your teeth. Mango tierno is hard to find in the US and it's not until last year that I've started to find it at Latin grocery stores in Houston so when I do see it, I buy it! The Algushte on the other hand is a seasoning made by toasting and grinding pumpkin seeds (or semillas de ayote), and mixing it with salt. This seasoning is used in many dishes but most commonly eaten with fruit such as, cucumber, jicama, jocote, orange and mango. You can make it with different pumpkin seeds and some people may add corn to the mix or that's what my cousin said! :) If you're lucky to find mango tierno or any other fruit here's the recipe for Alguashte! 1 cup of pumpkin seeds 1 tsp of salt Add the seeds in a sauce pan at medium heat. Move them around so that they don't burn, it takes about 3-5 mins to get them toasted until their brow color. Depending on the size of the pan, you may need to do this in batches to not crowd them and get an even toast. Once the seeds are cooled completely, grind them in a blender, grinder or processor. Don't do this while hot because the powder will clump. Once grinded pass it through a strainer to filter rough pieces. Add salt and mix well. Add it to any fruit or recipe that takes Algushte. Since I found mangos tiernos, that's how I enjoyed my alguashte! The mangos need to be peeled and cut. You can cut around the seed or cut in half and remove it. Take the mango tierno and add lime, salt and alguashte on top! You won't regret it! Follow @flourishwithg for the video recipes on Instagram and TikTok!

Yes, we have a version of Chow Mein in El Salvador! Now, I don't know how this became a thing and in what part of El Salvador they make it but I grew up eating my moms. I recently checked to see if it was just her making this dish but there are restaurants serving this dish and a few videos on YouTube of Salvadoreños sharing their recipe in Spanish. What is Salvadoran style Chow Mein? It's a mixture of vegetables such as celery, carrots, potato, güisquil (chayote), and squash sautéed, and mixed in with seasoned noodles. My mom made it with chicken, butter and of course chicken bouillon. She always used regular pasta noodles but you can use your preferred noodles. Let me know if you or your family grew up making this dish at home! Below is my mom's Chicken Chow Mein Salvadoreño (Salvadoran style) recipe. How to make Chow Mein Salvadoreño? Ingredients: 1 güisquil (Chayote) 1 potato 1 carrot 1 celery stick 1/2 green bell pepper 1/2 red pepper 8 oz noodles 1 lb of shredded chicken: preferred cut and it can be boiled, roasted or grilled. If I'm lazy I'll use a rotisserie chicken. 1 tbsp chicken bouillon 1/4 cup soy sauce Pepper 3 garlic cloves Cilantro for garnish 2 tbsp of butter Instructions: In a pot place water to boil. Then add salt and cook the pasta as indicated on the package. Cook and shred the chicken. Remove bones, cartilage and skin. Don't shred it too finely, leave small to medium pieces. Peel and cut your veggies in long thin pieces (Juliana style) and mince the garlic. Place a pot on low to medium heat, add the butter and all the vegetables. Sauté them for about 5 mins or until the potato is half way cooked In a small container mix the soy sauce, chicken bouillon and the pepper. Add the chicken to the pot, stir and saute for 3-4 minutes Add the sauce and stir everything well. Cook until potato is done. Let it cool for about 5 mins before serving. Garnish it with Cilantro and enjoy! For more recipes follow @FLOURISHWITHG on Instagram and TikTok.

It's been fifteen plus years since I've made Chocobananos. I used to help my mom make Chocobananos when I was a teenager but I've never done it on my own until now. It's an easy and rewarding process but you must have self control to not eat all of them at once! Chochonanos are a very common treat in El Salvador, they can be made as simple or as elaborate as you want. My mom always used ChocoMelher chocolate to make the chocobananos but your preferred type of chocolate will work as well. In addition to the chocolate you can add toppings such as crushed peanuts, almonds, crashews, sprinkles, etc. I prefer them on the simple side with just chocolate! Ingredients: 3 Ripped Bananas 6 oz of ChocoMelher chocolate or preferred chocolate. If you choose to use other chocolates you will need coconut oil to help melt it. 6 wooden sticks or popsicle sticks Water Any topics you'd like to add Parchment paper Instructions Cut both ends of each banana and then cut it in half. You should be left with two pieces of banana. Insert the wooden stick or popsicle stick through the bottom of each banana piece. Make sure it's centered and at least half way inserted. On a plate layered with parchment paper, set the bananas and place them in the freezer for about 30-60 mins. This is not a required step but I highly recommend you don't skip. Cooling the banana helps the chocolate set better and prevent the banana from sliding off the stick when dipping it in the chocolate. I accidentally skipped this step and that's why they didn't come out as smooth as I wanted. After the banana's are cooled , place a small pot with water on medium-high heat and let it come to a boil. Break the chocolate into 1 inch pieces and place them in a 16 oz mason jar. Breaking the chocolate into small pieces helps the chocolate melt faster. Once the water is at a boiling point turn off the heat and place the mason jar with the chocolate in the middle of the pot and let it sit for about 5 minutes or until chocolate is fully melted. Once the chocolate is fully melted, dip each banana in the chocolate to fully cover it. One dip is enough but I won't stop you from having fun! Just keep in mind that you will need more chocolate if you want to dip each banana more than once! Place the chocobanano back on the plate with the parchment paper and place in the freezer overnight or at least 2 hours. Hope you enjoy this delicious desert on a hot spring or summer day! For more recipes follow @FLOURISHWITHG on Instagram and TikTok.

Charamuscas bring so many childhood memories, they are the perfect treat on any hot day! What is a charamusca? In El Salvador a charamusca is an ice pop in a bag. They can be made with a variety of fruits and flavors but my top three favorites are nance, sapote con leche (sapote fruit with milk) and cafe con leche (coffee and milk). Nance and sapote are common fruits in El Salvador and most Latin American countries but you can't always find them in US grocery stores. However, recently I've started to see an increase in availability of these fruits in certain grocery stores and I got lucky and found fresh Nance! Nance is a small, sweet yellow fruit with a black round seed in the middle. It's known by different names throughout many countries. In Jamaica it's known as 'hogberry." I enjoy it the most when I'm in El Salvador and can pick it off the tree myself but when I can't do that my second option is a charamusca in this Houston, Texas heat. How to make a charamusca? Making a charamusca is pretty simple and requires three mains steps; Make the fresco or fresh juice, fill up the charamusca bags and freeze them. Ingredients: 1-2 Cup of nance 2 Cups of water Sugar to taste or preferred sweetener Ice pop bags 3in x 12in Instructions Smash the nance: Do not blend the fruit whole because it has the seed in the middle. My preferred technique is to use a molcajete to smash them. Smashing the nance should separate the seed from the fruit. Separate the fruit from the seed, and blend half of the fruit with water and sugar. Charamuscas de nance usually have pieces of fruit and seeds but can choose to add them or not! I blend half of the fruit portion to give the juice more nance flavor and leave fruit pieces in the charamusca. Optional: mix the seeds and rest of the fruit pieces into the juice blend. Taste test and adjust the sweetness to your liking. Grab a bag, fill it half way and tie it. Place the tied bags flat on a plate or tray, set them in the freezer overnight and enjoy! For more recipes and video instructions follow @flourishwithg on Instagram and TikTok!

This week we are in Puerto Rico visiting our family and I thought it be perfect to honor this weeks recipe with the recipe my mother in law knows she has to make for me every single time: Arroz mamposteao. The more I learn about the Puertorican culture the more I realize the similarities with the Salvadoran culture. What is arroz mamposteao? Arroz mamposteao is similar to el casamiento Salvadoreño, it's was originally made with left over white rice, habichuelas rosadas (pink beans, frijoles rosadas), and freshly made sofrito. According to my mother in law this used to be know as 'arroz mojaito' when her aunts would make it for her as a child. The habichuelas and their juice cover the rice and become one. Now a days it's become such a popular dish that it can be found in every restaurant and the recipes have evolved to include sweet plantain, bacon, ham, longaniza, etc. You can truly add anything you want to your mamposteao but here is my mother in laws recipe. How to make arroz mamposteao? Ingredients 1/4 red bell pepper 1/4 yellow bell pepper 1/4 orange bell pepper Cilantro 1 tbsp garlic paste Bacon Longaniza Thick ham 2-3 cups one day old rice 1 1/2 cup whole pink beans OR 1 can of Habichuelas Rosadas (Pink beans) 1 cup of water 2-3 tbsp of preferred oil Instructions Small-medium dice the peppers and cilantro Medium dice the meats In a sauce pan or wok style pan at low heat add the oil, peppers, cilantro, garlic paste and meats. Cover and let it sauté for ten minutes on low heat. Once everything is cooked well, add in the habichuelas. If you have cooked beans add the whole beans and some if it's juice. If you don't have cooked beans, use a can of pink beans. Drain and rinse the canned beans, and add them to the pan with a cup of water. Cover the pan and let it stew for five minutes. Add in the day old white rice and mix it well until its fully mixed with the stewed beans. Mix it for about five minutes and turn off the heat. Serve and enjoy! I like to eat arroz mamposteao for breakfast with a fried egg on top and pique del país (spicy sauce from Puerto Rico). But you can truly enjoy it on it's own or with a full meal. For more recipes follow @flourishwithg on Instagram and TikTok.

What is fresco de ensalada de fruta? (What is fruit salad juice?) This might be my favorite Salvadoran fruit juice or as we know them "fresco." Fresco de ensalada de fruta translate for "Fruit salad juice," and it's a pretty straight forward translation. The concept of this fresco is to take your favorite fruits, make a a fruit salad and then turn that fruit salad into a juice. This typical Salvadoran drink includes fruits such as cashew fruit which is known as "marañon" in El Salvador, Sapote/mamey, mango, pineapple, oranges, green and red apples, watermelon and cantaloupe. It doesn't have to all of those listed, pick and choose your favorite. It's common to also see that the drink is garnished with lettuce, watercress and purple radish in El Salvador. How to make Fresco de ensalada de fruta? (How to make fruit salad juice?) The best option is always to use the fresh fruit but if you don't have access to the fresh fruit you can use frozen or fruit concentrate. Normally the fruits that are hard to find in the US are the cashew fruit and the Sapote/Mamey. When I have found them, it's usually at latin or asian grocery stores. Ingredients: 1 mango 1 pineapple 1 green apple 1 red apple 3 cashew fruit (Marañon) 1/2 sapote/mamey Add any other fruit you'd like Sugar or preferred sweetness to taste 8-10 cups of water Instructions: Peel the mango, pineapple, and sapote/mamey Finely shop half of each fruit and add to a container. Se the other half of each fruit into a blender Add 1/2 cup of sugar to the finely chopped fruit. Mix it well and let it sit a few minutes. Add 2 cups of water to the blender with half of the fruit and blend until smooth. Strain the blended mix and add to the fruit and sugar mix. Add the rest of the water and adjust the sweetness to your liking. Serve over ice and enjoy! Ensalada de fruta is such a refreshing drink, you can also use it to make sangria with white wine. For more recipes follow @flourishwithg on Instagram and TikTok.

You either love them or hate them... but if you love them, here is another recipe to add to your rotation! Growing up in a Salvadoran household there was always a pot of beans around, but some days my mom would surprise us and instead of beans make sopa de lentejas (Lentil soup). My dad did not enjoy these days, I on the other side loved them! So naturally once I moved out, I'd make them frequently as a nutritious and fulfilling meal to have. After so many years of trying with different ingredients, I think I've settled on my favorite recipe to make a sopa de lentejas! How to make Sopa de Lentejas? (How to make Lentil Soup) Ingredients: Apple Cider bacon Mushroom 1/4 green bell pepper 1/4 red bell pepper 1/4 yellow bell pepper 1/4 orange bell pepper 1/4 white onion Handful of spinach 2 garlic cloves or 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tomato 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp paprika 1 tbsp chicken bouillon 1 cup of lentils 6-8 cups of water or chicken broth Cilantro for garnish Instructions: Chop all the vegetables into small dice and mince the garlic Chop the bacon in small-medium pieces. In a pot at medium heat add the bacon and cook it to your preference. Once it's done you can either take it out and save it to add it at the end so it remains crispy or leave it in. I opt to leave it in. Add all the chopped vegetables to the pot and sauté until the vegetables are translucent. Add 6-8 cups of water and 1 cup of lentils. Add 6 cups if you want a thicker soup or 8 cups if you want a thinner consistency. Cover the pot and let it stew for 30-40 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Let it cool for 10 mins and serve with fresh cilantro, avocado and a bit of rice!

This is for the lovers of a good cheesy potato situation You may have heard of "Rellenos de papa" or "Papa rellana" and immediately envision a fried ball made out of potato and stuffed with meat. For me it's a bit different though because is a Salvador when we say "relleno" is typically vegetable slices stuffed with cheese and they are delicious! For the purpose of this recipe I will refer to the squash chayote as "güisquil" which is how it's called in El Salvador. What are Salvadoran potato and squash chayote rellenos? (Que son rellenos the papa y güisquil Salvadoreños?) In El Salvador "rellenos de papa or güisquil" is made with two thin slices of the vegetable, stuffed with cheese, wrapped in egg batter, fried and then cooked in tomato sauce. If you've ever tried a Mexican stuffed poblano pepper, these rellenos are made following the same process. Growing up my mom would make these often, I have always been a potato lover so those were my preferred rellenos. I learned how to make these by watching her every time and eventually I was the one making them for our family at the age of 15. The first time I ever made them I skipped the step of boiling the slices of potato in water before assembling and the potato was only half way cooked by the end of it all. My poor family had to eat those for dinner. Now looking back I could have let them cook a bit longer in the tomato sauce until, but I didn't know any better! What are the rellenos stuffed with? Normally it's cheese but depending on who makes them the filling may be different. I grew up with two common options: slices of cheese or a cheese mix. My favorite was the cheese mix. My mom would add onion, tomato, green bell pepper and mix it very well with shredded or crumbled cheese. I like to mix 50% "queso fresco" and 50% mozzarella cheese and add cilantro to the mix! You will need to press the mix down as much as possible to make it easier to stuff the rellenos. If you want to add a protein to the stuffing, I suggest you add in slices of turkey, chicken or ham! How to make Salvadoran potato and squash chayote rellenos? (Como hacer rellenos de papa y güisquil Salvadoreños" I will warn you, it's not a short process but it's worth every minute. If you're a leftover lover like me, make a bigger batch for a couple of meals or even freeze them for later. Ingredients: 2 russet potatoes 1 güisquil/chayote 5 oz queso ranchero 5 oz shredded mozzarella cheese 4 tomatos 1 oz Red onion 1/2 white onion 2 oz cilantro 1/2 green bell pepper 1/2 red bell pepper 3 garlic cloves 5-6 eggs: You may need to use more depending on the size of the eggs 1/4 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp paprika 1/2 tbsp chicken bouillon 1/2 tbsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1/4 dried oregano 1/2 cup of preferred frying oil 1/2 cup of water Instructions: They are in the order that I typically follow the steps but if a different order is easier for you, please adjust! Peel your potatoes and güisquil, and cut them into 1/4 inch slices from top to bottom. Place them in cold water for 30 mins Filling: In the meantime dice one tomato, 1/2 of the green and red bell pepper, red onion and cilantro. Place them into a container, crumble the queso ranchero and add the shredded mozzarella cheese. Mix it well, cover it and place in the fridge. Place a pot on med-high heat with water and salt it generously. Once the water is boiling add in the slices of potato and güisquil, cover and cook for 4-5 min. We do not want the potato and güisquil to cook throughly because it will fall apart, instead they should just be one third of the way. After, the five minutes turn the heat off and place the slices on a flat surface to cool. Make sure they are spread out in order to properly cool, I like to use my cutting board to cool them. Salsa: Place a skilled on med-high heat. While the skillet gets hot slice the 3 tomatoes in half. Cut the green bell pepper, red bell pepper and half of the white onion into smaller pieces. Place these vegetables and 3 garlic cloves onto the hot skillet. Char these vegetables on the skillet, it takes about 5 mins and you will need to flip them half way through. Once charred place in your blender and add the paprika, chicken bouillon, salt, pepper and oregano. Blend until smooth and set to the side. Assembly: The potato and güisquil should be cooled now, so it's time to assemble. You will need two pieces of potato or güisquil to make one relleno. You will need to add the cheese mix on top of the first slice and the top with the second slice. You can fill as much as you want but try not to fill them too much as it will be harder to wrap in the egg batter. Egg batter: You will need a big container and small container. Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Place the egg whites in the big bowl and the yolks in the small container. Beat the egg whites on high until it gains a firm consistency and keeps the shape when you move it around. Then slowly add in the yolks while you beak on low until fully integrated. Your batter should be from and yellow. Place a pan on medium heat and add 1/4 - 1/2 cups of oil. Once hot we need to wrap each relleno with the batter and fry until golden. Remove from the pan and place on the frying rack. There are two methods you can use to wrap it in the egg batter: Grab a relleno and dip into the batter and immediately place it in the pan to fry. You can always add more batter on top if needed. Once you see golden edges flip it over. Place some egg batter in the pan, add the relleno on the left side of the batter. With a spatula flip the ride side of the batter over the relleno. You can add more egg batter if needed. Once all of your rellenos are fried, place them in a pot and pour the salsa over the rellenos and add about 1/2 a cup of water. The liquid should be covering the rellenos. Place the pot on med-high heat and cover it for about 10-15 mins until it comes to a boil. Turn off the heat and let it rest for 15 minutes. Typically this is served with white rice, Salvadoran beans and tortillas but it you want a lighter option add a side salad. I prefer to serve it with a simple white rice to allow the sauce to add all the flavor. If you want to see the video instructions go on to my IG or TikTok (@Flourishwitg) and make sure you follow me for more recipes!

Fresco de chan is one of my favorite refreshments since I was a little kid. It's hard to find this at Salvadoran restaurants in the Houston area and growing up I thought that I could only have this in El Salvador. It wasn't until my mid 20's that I was craving this and googled how to make it. Now, there is not much information about the chan seeds online and some blogs state that chan and chia are the same and others that they come from the same family but are not the same seed. So my mom brought back chan seeds from El Salvador and I compared them to the chia seeds, they seem to be the same seed to me! So you can use chia seeds if you can't get your hands on some chan seeds to make this drink. How to make fresco de chan? There are two flavors that I've tried but I'm sure you can make many different combinations. My favorite two are the strawberry and the hibiscus tea version! It's easy to make and very refreshing on a hot day. Ingredients 3-4 limes strawberry syrup/strawberry flavor powder OR sub it for hibiscus tea. 3 tbsp chan or chia seeds sugar to taste 1 liter of water Instructions Soak your seeds in one liter of water for 30 mins Then juice your 3-4 limes and add lime juice to the water Add strawberry syrup or flavoring Add sugar to taste Serve over ice

Where tortillas, savory beans, sweet plantains, and crema and queso come together for a perfect bite In the last post I shared how I make frijoles Salvadoreños, and as I mentioned Salvadoran beans are the foundation of the Salvadoran cuisine. This week we are taking the frijoles we made last week, and making a typical Salvadoran breakfast (Desayuno Salvadoreño) on a beautiful Sunday morning with freshly brewed coffee. What is a typical Salvadoran Breakfast? (¿Que es el desayuno tipico Salvadoreño?) I caution you, it's a lot of food! Which is why I opt to place a smaller portion of each item on my plate. Now let's get into the good stuff, what goes on this glorious plate: Beans: They are often served refried or stewed, adding a creamy and protein-rich element to the meal. My preferred method is refried because I love to mix in the crema and cheese. Plantains: Plantains are probably my favorite part of this breakfast because it's a fried sweet treat. In order for the plantain to be sweet it must be ripped, you can tell by the color. The more yellow it is, the sweeter it will be, similar to a banana. Cheese: Queso duro, a hard and crumbly cheese, is a common addition to Salvadoran breakfasts. It adds a salty contrast to the other flavors on the plate. However, I prefer "queso fresco" or fresh cheese. It's your choice! Eggs: Eggs are often incorporated, either scrambled or fried, adding an extra layer of protein and texture to the meal. I prefer scrambled with vegetables or "entomatados," which is eggs with a tomato sauce. Crema: Similar to sour cream, Salvadoran crema is drizzled over the dish to provide richness and a tangy flavor. Tortillas or Pan Frances: Salvadoran handmade tortillas are made with corn flour and are thicker than most popular tortillas. If you don't want tortillas the other option is bread commonly known as "pan Frances" which translates to French bread. Pick and choose how you want to customize your plate, either way it will be delicious! This is a staple breakfast option at any Salvadoran restaurant. Restaurants also have more options. For example they may ask if you want just beans or substitute it for casamiento. Casamiento is a mix of beans and rice. It can be whole beans and rice or refried beans with white rice. They may also offer an option to add a pupusa or meat. How to make Salvadoran Breakfast? (¿Como hacer un Desayuno tipico Salvadoreño?) I don't personally make all the items myself, although I'm sure you could! I prefer to buy the crema Salvadoreña, queso Salvadoreño and pan Frances at my local Salvadoran store/bakery. The eggs you can make them to your preference and the fried plantains are pretty straight forward. Now the beans are a two step process and you can choose which one you'd prefer from the options in the recipe below. Step 1: Sopa de frijoles (Bean stew). You can find the recipe here. Step 2: Once the bean stew is made, you can then refry the beans. Ingredients: 2 cups of stewed beans (Frijoles cocidos) 1/2 White or Red onion 1/2 Red or green bell pepper 3 cloves of garlic Vegetable oil 1/2 tbsp Chicken bouillon Salt to taste (optional) The same ingredients are needed for both methods of refrying the beans. Frijoles Liquados refritos (blended refried beans) Cut and slice the onion and peppers into 1-2 inch pieces Place a sauce pan on the stove at medium heat. Once ready add the sliced vegetables and garlic cloves to the sauce pan. You will stir fry them until the edges of the onion and garlic cloves are dark brown, and the peppers have a vibrant color. In a blender add your stir fried veggies, the beans and chicken bouillon. You can add some of the bean broth to help blend or to adjust the consistency to your desires. If you add too much don't worry because it will evaporate while you're frying them. Blend the beans until smooth. Taste and add salt to taste if needed. I normally don't add salt since the chicken bouillon already has salt. Add the blended beans back into the sauce pan with oil at medium heat You will fry them until they are boiling. You can tell they are boiling because there will be bubbles forming and poping out. Be careful as they may splatter far and burn you. I normally cover them and move them every 2-3 minutes. The longer you leave them on the heat the more solid the consistency will become since water/broth will evaporate. You can remove them from the heat once they have reached your desired consistency. Let them cool and enjoy! Frijoles enteros refritos (whole refried beans) Cut and slice the onion and peppers into small pieces and mince the garlic Place a sauce pan on the stove at medium heat. Once ready add the dices vegetables and garlic to the sauce pan. Let them sauté for about 2-3 minutes Add the beans to the sauce pan, try not to add too much bean broth. Add the chicken bouillon and stir well. Once properly incorporated, grab a masher and start to smash the beans to your desired consistency. Stir and let it sauté for about 2-3 minutes and remove from heat. Let them cool and enjoy! How to fry sweet plantains? If you haven't done this before, not to worry! This is a pretty easy process, all you need is the plantain itself and a pan with oil. Start off by cutting the plantain in half longways Then slice each half into 3 slices Place the pan on medium heat and add the oil Once ready place the slices to fry on medium heat Fry 1-3 minutes on each side, depending on how firm or mushy you want them. How to eat a Salvadoran breakfast? The best part is sitting down and enjoying it with your favorite coffee! You can eat all the items seperately or mix everything. I personally love to mix the crema with the beans and grab a piece of tortilla or bread to eat it with. Other times I place a little bit of everything on top of my bread or tortilla. Then I mix a piece of plantain with crema or beans. Other times I mix everything. Each bite can be a different experience! Give it a go and figure out what you enjoy more. If you want more Salvadoran recipes make sure to sign up for to receive our emails and follow me on TikTok and IG: @flourishwithg.

A Salvadoran dish that is said to make you sleepy... you be the judge. What is "Sopa de frijoles Salvadoreños?" I cannot tell you the amount of times I burnt the frijoles (beans) when I was younger. Beans are something that is on hands at all times at any Salvadoran home. If you go to my moms or tias house right now, I guarantee they have a pot of beans or left over beans from the week's batch. Salvadoran beans are small red beans and they are super nutricious. If you live in the states GOYA sells them and they are usually found in the "International" or "Latin America" isle of the grocery stores. Beans can be eaten in so many ways and used in endless recipes but all the recipes will require you to cook them first. In order to cook the beans you will have to boil them until tender and this is where you get the beans first use... sopa de frijoles (soup). Sopa de frijoles it's just the beans boiled in water with salt, onion and garlic. Boiling them creates a bean broth and you can eat it as soup with any garnishes you want. The most common garnishes are crema and queso salvadoreño (Salvadoran sour cream and cheese). I personally like to add avocado, tomato and cilantro. It's so delicious and fulfilling! What can you make with frijoles Salvadoreños? There are plenty of options on what to do with Salvadoran beans. You can cook the basic soup (which is what I made, recipe below) or you can make a fancy soup with beef or pork and any vegetables you'd like (squash, potato, carrots, cilantro, tomato, etc). If you opt for making a basic soup then you can refry them whole, blend them and refry them, or make rice. If you blend them and refry them, you can use them to make enchiladas salvadoreñas, tamales, pupusas, casamiento, and the list continues. A common dinner in a Salvadoran household includes beans, rice, a protein, queso or crema and handmade tortillas. What is pitos Salvadoreños? The scientific name I found for it in English is Erythrina berteroana and it's common in Central America, Northern South America and Mexico. Some countries may know it as lequeme, gallito, machete, pernila de casa, pito or poró de cerca. Let me know what you know it as. The "Pito" is the flower that this tree grows, it is said to make you sleepy after you consume. It's never had that side effect on me but many have experienced it. When cooked with beans it has a similar texture to a boiled thin onion layer or a cooked green bean. That's the best I can do to describe it! How to make sopa de frijoles con pitos salvadoreños? It's very simple to make bean soup, just make sure that when you want to make it you have a few hours to let the beans get tender. Ingredients for bean soup 1lb Frijoles Salvadoreños (Salvadora red beans) Water Peeled garlic cloves 1/2 onion Salt Pitos Salvadoreños: i usually use the Mamalycha brand! Garnishes Crema Salvadoreña (Salvadoran sour cream) Queso Salvadoreño fresco o duro, if you can't find this at your local grocery stores you can use Feta cheese! Diced tomato and cilantro (Optional) Avocado (Optional) Instructions: Clean and wash the beans Add them to a pot and add double the amount of water to the pot Add half of an onion and 4-5 garlic cloves Add about 3 table spoons of salt. You will need to taste the soup and add to taste as the beans cook. I like to add the salt at the very beginning that way the bean itself is cooked with salty water. Some people wait until the end however the soup has the salt but the beans don't. So I recommend adding them at the beginning. Cook until tenderness desired. I like to personally soak my beans for 2-3 hours before cooking them, this helps cut down the cook time. If you don't soak and depending on how old the beans are it may take anywhere between 1-3 hours to get them tender. Try it out and let me know how you like it. Add this recipe to your favorites as it will be a common one for other recipes to come. To stay up to date with the recipes I share, make sure you subscribe to our email list or follow us on social media (TikTok and Instagram): @flourishwithg. You can also find video recipes there to help guide you. Hope you enjoy this as much as I do!