“Pinchos” is what Puerto Ricans call good ol’ shish kabobs. They are considered one of the best street foods on the island. Mainly because they are delicious, and pretty affordable when you are on the go. They are typically made with chicken or pork, but chicken are definitely the most popular. Here I will teach you how to make them as they have the potential to be a sensation during your next bbq. Plus, I will also share the SECRET SAUCE that made my best friends dad a hit during the 90’s when he lost his job and put up a little stand in front of their house. They would sell out every time! That’s how I learned how to make pinchos and the secret sauce… I’d come over to visit my best friend, and was offered to work for a bit in exchange for free food. It was a win win, and I was one a happy teenager with my belly filled with pinchos. 🙂 

What you’ll need: (Makes approx. 24 pinchos) 

• Approximately, 6 lbs of chicken thighs (boneless & skinless)
• Adobo for seasoning (check out my homemade recipe HERE)
• 3 medium yellow onions
• 3 large green peppers
• Shish kabobs sticks
• 16 oz or 2 cups of BBQ sauce
• 16 oz or 2 cups of Thousand Island dressing (yup! that’s the secret sauce) 

Directions: 

• Cut the chicken thighs into square pieces. Between 2-3 inches thick. Cut off the fat (white chunks) if needed. Depending on the size, you can get 4 to 6 pieces from each thigh. Add chunks to a large bowl.
• Season the meat thoroughly with the Adobo seasoning. If Adobo is not available, add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.
• Chop the onions and peppers into approximately 1-2 inch squares . (See picture below)
• Prepare the pinchos/shish kabobs by adding a chunk of meat, one slice of each of the onion and pepper, and repeat the process until the stick is full. To avoid the meat from flopping out, you can fold or twist the meat before adding to the stick. (See picture below)
• Cook on a charcoal or gas grill on medium/low heat to avoid burning. Slight burning might occur on the outside, especially when cooking with charcoal. That is why low heat is recommended to allow the meat to cook thoroughly.
• Depending on the thickness of the meat, it will take approximately 45 – 60 mins to cook. The thinner you cut the meat, the faster it cooks.
• For the sauce, add 2 cups of bbq sauce, and 2 cups of thousand island into a large bowl. Divide into 2 bowls. One is for applying onto the raw chicken, and one to apply right before serving.
• Add the sauce mixture onto the raw pinchos immediately after placing them on the grill.
• Close/Cover the grill.
• Half way through, flip the pinchos, and add another layer of sauce. Continue to add sauce, every time you flip the pinchos.
• Be careful and do not use the same utensils used to add the sauce onto the raw meat, onto the cooked meat.
• Add the last layer of sauce right before serving.
• Serve with a slice of Italian style bread (or how we call it “pan de agua”) on top (not shown in pictures).
• Enjoy! 

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Made with lots of love, 

Mayra – Your Nutrition Dork Guide

P.S. Stay tuned for the release of our new book; Healthy Rican – How to make traditional Puerto Rican food in a healthy way! Pre-Register to get notified when the book comes out. 

Gazpacho is a cold dish made with “Bacalao.” Bacalao is salted codfish that is used in many ways in Puerto Rican dishes, and it’s actually one of the healthiest. It’s high in protein, omegas, and healthy fats.

Codfish health benefits include; high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, the same type found in oily fish or seafood like salmon, mackerel and sardines. It’s also one of the few and best vitamin D–rich foods. No wonder our ancestors were so healthy, they would eat bacalao almost every day.

Omega-3 fatty acids and healthy fats are proven to improve joint mobility, brain function, reduce inflammation, improve overall health, and much more. Check out more of the benefits in the resources below.

Nutrition Dork Tip: Make sure the package says “Wild Caught” and/or codfish from Alaska. Due to ocean contamination, we need to make sure we get our fish and any other seafood from great healthy sources.

GAZPACHO RECIPE: 

Ingredients:

• 1 pack of fully cooked boneless salted cod or pollock fish fillets (pollock is a marine fish species of the cod family)
• 2 or 3 small ripe avocados (the more the merrier)
• 1 or 1/2 small chopped yellow or red onion (your preference)
• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 2 – 3 tbs of extra virgin olive oil
• Optional: 1 tsp of vinegar or squeezed lemon (maintains the freshness of the salad)
• Pink salt (if needed) and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Rinse the salt of the fish very well (2 or 3 times). You can also soak overnight or for a few hours. I usually rinse the fish very well, then boil it to remove the excess salt. Sporadically taste the fish to make sure it’s to your liking.
• Let it cool and rinse with cold water.
• In a large bowl mix the chopped avocados, chopped onion, chopped tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice.
• Pull the fish into flakes and make sure there are no stray bones.
• Add the fish to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients and mix very well.
• Add pepper to taste and salt if needed. The fish might still have some remaining salt.
• Serve immediately and ENJOY!
• You can refrigerate for up to 24 hours but it’s best when served immediately.
• Typically this dish is served inside soft roll, or with white rice as shown in the picture. 
• Other healthy pairings are, 1 cup of brown rice, and/or cooked quinoa, for a low-carb option.  
• If served with quinoa, this dish is high in protein, omegas, and healthy fats. All proven to promote weight loss, so ENJOY!!

Note: For a healthy vegan option, omit the fish and add over greens for a tasty and delicious salad!

Buen Provecho!

Mayra – Your Nutrition Dork Guide!

 

Resources:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/17-health-benefits-of-omega-3#section14

https://draxe.com/omega-3-benefits-plus-top-10-omega-3-foods-list/

http://nourishingtraditions.com/are-we-over-dosing-on-omega-3s-or-why-we-need-fish-liver-oil-not-fish-oil/

Everyone makes Puerto Rican sofrito in their own way. Just like cooking, we all have our own styles. This is my personal way of making sofrito. You will find that everyone makes it slightly different. There isn’t a perfect, right or wrong way, we all have our own “Sabor” aka style. After making sofrito a few times, and cooking with it, you’ll be able to play around with the recipe and make it your own.

Ingredients:

• 1 small bag of yellow onions
• About the same amount of onions, buy a variety of peppers (green, red, orange, yellow). It’s your choice, although they can all be green.
• 1 bunch of cilantro (and/or culantro)
• 6 to 8 oz. of peeled garlic cloves. I don’t measure, but I’d say about 2 or 3 handfuls. I like a lot of garlic so I buy a pack of already peeled garlic cloves and put it all in there.

The next 2 ingredients are optional, as these are harder to find in stores sometimes. It all depends on where you live, and how much access you have to Latino groceries. No biggie if you can’t find these, as cilantro and bell peppers are very similar in flavor.

• About 2 handfuls of “Ajisito” aka “Aji dulce” (similar to a sweet pepper).
• 1 bunch of “Recao” aka culantro. In stores, it would be near the cilantro as they are very similar in taste. If you do find it, it’ll be long green leaves and probably say “Recao” on it.

Note: You would add these in addition to the other ingredients.

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together in a blender, if it’s too hard to mix, add a bit of water or oil until they start to blend. If they don’t all fit, you can start a bit at a time or in batches.

To store; Keep 1 jar or container in the fridge to use as needed, and freeze the rest.  You can either use various plastic containers or use ice cube trays to freeze the sofrito in portions, then move to a large ziplock bag, and save in the freezer. It’s all up to you!

Sofrito is a very important ingredient in Puerto Rican cooking, and even on a daily basis. It’s used in rice, beans, stews, soups, meats, and more. It’s what gives Puerto Rican foods it’s amazing flavor.

Depending on what I’m making, I use about 1 or 2 tbs at a time. It all depends on the amount of food you are making. Examples, for 1 can of beans, I’d use 1 tbs, and for 3 cups of rice, I’d use 2 tbs. It is all preference, and you may have to play around with it to find out yours.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and able to apply to your next Puerto Rican dish!

Made with love,

Mayra – Your Nutrition Dork Guide