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Food Management
18 twists on Latin America’s best sauces
Tara Fitzpatrick Jun 20, 2019

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Taste the rainbow

The Sodexo foodservice team at Chapman University in Orange, Calif., draw on the West Coast’s many culinary links to Latin America to create an array of versatile sauces. From left to right: Cuban mojo, chimichurri, salsa roja, avocado tomatillo and Caribbean jerk sauce.

Rosita’s huevos rancheros

Awesome Mexican menu items is something Morrison Healthcare takes pride in at the Hospitals of Providence in El Paso, Texas. For breakfast, cheesy, eggy huevos rancheros is the No. 1 seller, with a simple blend of toreados (raw jalapenos that have been gently pressed and rolled between your palms, releasing the seeds and softening the veins from inside to bring out more heat), fresh garlic, white onion, fresh tomatoes and tomato paste finished with spices.

Breakfast torta

Also at Hospitals of Providence, the breakfast torta is made with fresh-baked telera bread from a local bakery. Typically served for lunch, it’s such a favorite that the team decided to do a chorizo and egg breakfast option.

Salsa bar

Staples of the salsa bar at Hospitals of Providence include salsa roja, salsa verde and guacamole with the occasional pico de gallo served as well. Pictured is a variation on pico de gallo with an emphasis on citrus.

Elotes dog

Elotes—Mexican street corn with cheese and spices—is the inspiration for this elotes dog at Spectra Food Services at Isotopes Park, a minor league baseball stadium in Albuquerque, N.M.

Carnitas nachos

Isotopes games also get heated up for fans with these nachos, featuring succulent pulled pork with queso and that classic nachos topper, pickled jalapeno slices.

Mariachi dog

And one more from Isotopes Park, this mariachi dog pays tribute to simple taco toppings: cheese, sour cream, shredded iceberg, diced tomatoes and black olives.

Chipotle tostadas
Brandon Dover/USC Auxiliary Services Design Studio

Moreton Fig at the University of Southern California is the flagship fine-dining spot on campus, and it’s easy to see why with sophisticated takes on tostadas. Created by USC Chef Mireya Medina, these tostadas feature chipotle, which can trace its roots back to the Aztecs.

Design Studio
Brandon Dover/USC Auxiliary Services

Moreton Fig at the University of Southern California is the flagship fine-dining spot on campus, and it’s easy to see why with sophisticated takes on tostadas. Created by USC Chef Mireya Medina, these tostadas feature chipotle, which can trace its roots back to the Aztecs.

Latin American menus
Eagle Dining at NCCU

Student groups teamed up with dining to celebrate Latin American culture with special menus tied into events at North Carolina Central University, a Historically Black College (HBC) in Durham, N.C.  

Week of flavor
Eagle Dining at NCCU

The NCCU Eagle Dining team created many Latin American menu items, including Jamaican curried chicken patties, carne asada and chorizo tacos, equites with corn and cotija cheese and horchata, too.

Pistachiomole
American Pistachio Growers

Made with lightly toasted pistachios finely chopped, diced avocado, onion, minced serrano chili, lime juice, salt and pepper, this pistachiomole is a nod toward the traditional use of nuts in moles.

Sikil p’ak de cacahuate
National Peanut Board

Speaking of nuts in moles, peanuts are used in this Mexican salsa beautifully executed by renowned Mexican chef and teacher Iliana de la Vega of Austin, Texas.

Prune mole
California Prune Board

And another take on mole features prunes, which work very well with the flavors of cocoa powder, cinnamon, cloves, cumin and orange juice.

Mango mole
National Mango Board/The Culinary Institute of America

Curious about how to make mole? Check out this video from The Culinary Institute of America in which mole is made with crunchy pepitas and by using all parts of the mango, including the core! Get the full recipe here.

Carnitas taco with mango-tomatillo salsa
National Mango Board

With their sweet, mellow flavor, mangos also work very well in salsa. Get the recipe here.

Watermelon-jicama salsa
watermelon.org

The great fruit of summer, watermelon is the perfect seasonal add-on for salsa. Bread bowl optional! Get the recipe here.

Sweet potato wedges with avocado chimichurri
California Avocado Commission

Make sweet potato fries exciting again with a creamy avocado chimichurri, making the traditional South American herb sauce more like a dip. Get the recipe here.

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