Our VAs Share Snacks From Their Countries

Have you ever heard the saying ‘good food brings people together?’ Well, that’s a fact! Six of our virtual assistances, each from the countries we hire from, came together virtually to discuss their favorite homemade snacks, and we’re about to share them with you:

Mexico Chamoy Tajin Caramel Apples

A chamoy tajin caramel apple is a popular snack among many Mexicans. This mouthwatering nibble is an apple on a popsicle stick dipped in caramel, tajin, and chamoy. Many say that the added chamoy, a popular kind of sweet but spicy sauce, is the golden ingredient that makes this snack one of their all-time favorites.

Ingredients:

nonstick cooking spray for greasing
1 cup water(120 mL)
half a cup tajin seasoning(100 g)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sugar
4 small red apples, washed, dried, and stems removed
1 cup heavy cream(240 mL), warmed
1 tablespoon chamoy

Preparation:

Grease a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Turn stove plate high and wait until hot. Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook, without stirring, for about 10 minutes, until the mixture turns golden brown.

Reduce the temperature to low. Pour in a little bit of the heavy cream. The mixture will bubble. Wait for it to recede, and carefully whisk to mix the cream. Add more cream in increments, stirring to incorporate. Add salt and stir.

Increase temperature to medium-high and cook for 10–12 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to cool for about 5 minutes. Add the caramel to a heatproof liquid measuring cup and stir in the chamoy.

Stick a popsicle stick through the top of each apple, and dip it into the caramel. Lift the apple and spin the stick for 15–20 seconds to remove excess caramel. Roll in the tajín seasoning. Add the apples to the baking sheet and serve immediately, or leave for 1 hour at room temperature.

Arepas

Our Colombian virtual assistant promised that this easy-to-make treat would win the heart of many who are unfamiliar with it. Arepas are delicious cheesy bread made out of cornmeal, and the best part is that you can add any topping of your desire!

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups lukewarm water
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups pre-cooked white cornmeal
¼ cup vegetable oil, or as needed

Preparation:

Stir water and salt together in a bowl. Add cornmeal with your fingers and stir until the mixture forms a malleable dough. Form dough into balls and pat each ball to flatten into an arepa patty.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium temperature. Once heated, fry the arepas in batches until golden brown; 5 to 6 minutes per side. Add cooked arepas to a paper towel on a plate. Slice each arepa horizontally and add toppings of your choice.

Tortas Fritas

Tortas fritas (fried cakes or fried pies) are popular street food in Argentina. It’s a crispy fried dough sprinkled with sugar, and you can enjoy the wonderful snack with coffee or milk! Or… just eat it as it is. It’s so good!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening or lard
1 cup milk
1 quart vegetable oil, for frying, more or less as needed
Sugar, for garnish

“This file is licensed under the Cc-by-sa-4.0| Description: Torrta frita caaserita| Author: Jerowiki| Date: 2011-10-16″

Preparation:

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons butter and shortening. Mix into the flour until well blended. Add a cup of milk, stir, and knead, until the mixture forms a soft dough. Roll dough out and use a round cutter to make 3 circles. Poke a hole in the center of each.

Add a quarter of vegetable oil to a small skillet. Wait till heated. Add the dough and fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain tortas on paper towels and sprinkle with sugar while still hot. Serve warm.

Catrachitas

Catrachitas is a popular Honduran snack consisting of deep-fried tortilla chips topped with hot sauce, cheese, and mashed refried beans. The toppings may vary, and it’s all up to you to add whatever you desire!

Ingredients:

1 cup corn flour
1 cup water
2 onions
1 cup cooked beans
1 bell pepper
half a cup of tomato sauce
1 tomato
1 avocado
half a cup grated queso duro or parmesan cheese
full cup oil for frying
1 lemon
1 cilantro

“Chef Juan Jose Navarro/Buen Provecho/Photo Stock”

Preparation:

Mix corn flour with water. Knead until you have a soft dough. Divide into balls, and flatten them. Heat the oil, and fry the tortillas until golden on both sides. Place on paper towels to drain.

Add one diced onion and salt to a small amount of oil. Blend the beans in a food processor with some cooking liquid. Add the beans to the onions, and cook for 10 minutes. Remember to stir often.

Dice an onion, chili, tomato, and cilantro. Mix and season with salt, pepper, and the juice of one lemon. Assemble the catrachitas by smearing the fried tortillas with the refried beans. Add chimol as a topping. Sprinkle with grated queso duro. Place avocado wedges on top, and drizzle with tomato sauce.

Pastelitos

El Salvador, please stand up! Pastelitos is a puff pastry-style wrapper that has either savory or sweet fillings. Some of the most popular sweet fillings are coconut, guava and cheese, and dulce de leche.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
2 1/2 tsp of salt
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 egg, slightly beaten
3/4 cup of water
vegetable oil for frying
4 cups Puerto Rican picadillo

Preparation:

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add flour and sliced shortening and mix with 1 egg. Slowly add water while mixing. Once done, the dough will be brittle or in pieces.

Press the dough together. Knead until soft and smooth. Form the dough into a ball and cover it with a plastic wrap for 30 minutes.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Roll dough out into a rope about 15 inches long. Once rolled out, cut off disks about ¾ of an inch thick. Dust your rolling pin and roll out into a 1/8 thin circle.

Lay dough rounds on a prepared sheet pan and cover with a kitchen towel. Place 1 spoonful of picadillo (or filling of choice) in the center of each prepared dough.

Wet the edges of the dough with water. Fold over to make a half-moon. Pinch the dough together using your fingers, and press it with the teeth of a fork.

Heat 1 1/2 inches (38ml) of oil to 350 degrees in a large deep skillet. Carefully place the dough into the oil. Cook on each side for about 2 minutes until golden brown. Add to a plate and let cool.

Jaffels

Whenever you mention the word “jaffel” in front of a South African, their heart skips a beat from excitement. A jaffel consists of two pieces of toasted bread with a filling of savory minced meat, cheese, tomato, onion, ketchup, and mustard.

Ingredients:

8 slices white bread
4 tablespoons butter
15 ml olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
2 bird eye chili chopped
1 small onion finely chopped
500g minced meat
1 large potato peeled and chopped fine
1 carrot peeled and chopped
2 cups water
1/2 packet instant brown onion soup
salt and black pepper to season
8 slices tomato
1 cup greated cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
2 tablespoons mustard

Preparation:

Heat olive oil and saute the garlic, chili, and onion. Add the minced meat. Add water with chopped potatoes and carrots. Cook for 30 minutes until vegetables are soft. Add the brown onion soup powder and mix until thickened.

Make sure you have a hot stove plate and some nonstick spray to prepare your jaffel pan. Put the closed jaffle pan flat on the stovetop, and heat it.

Add a slice of buttered bread on the hot surface with spoonsful of savory mince, a slice of tomato, about a tablespoon of grated cheddar, and a squeeze of tomato sauce and mustard.

Top with another buttered slice, close, and remove the crust by sliding a knife around the edges and back to the stovetop. Check every 15 – 20 seconds by turning the hot side over. Turn the toast to the other side until both sides are brown. Remove carefully, let cool slightly and enjoy!

Are you going to cook some of these delicious snacks? Let us know in the comment section below. We sure are ready to treat ourselves! Click HERE if you’re interested in building an amazing career with Job Duck!

Until next time,

The Job Duck Team