Side

Buttery chunks of avocado, little hits of radish heat, and a simple, lemony vinaigrette make this salad a crisp and refreshing balm.

Meaty yet melt-in-the-mouth and with slightly caramelized edges, butternut-reminiscent calabaza comes alive with a squeeze of lime.

Though this rice mainly functions to sop up the meat's red sauce, a quick sauté with garlic and onion and the use of chicken broth as well as water means it can hold its own.

Encurtido de repollo In addition to mounding this refreshing slaw on every bite of the Salvadoran Stuffed Masa Cakes , you can proudly serve it as an accompaniment to burgers or grilled chicken.

This fresh-tasting Cuban dish attests to the terrific quality of canned octopus that is now widely available. However, if you can't find octopus, feel free to substitute two cans of tuna packed in olive oil.

Yuca, also called cassava or manioc, is a staple of many Latin American cuisines. This traditional Cuban preparation brings together yuca's mild flavor and starchy texture with a piquant citrusy garlic sauce. Simple and delicious, it will quickly become a staple of your kitchen as well.

Tostones In many Latin American countries, crunchy tostones are as popular (and served as often) as french fries are here. A single bite of their salty crust and tender interior will tell you why they're so beloved.

Collards are normally associated with long, slow cooking, but cutting them into thin strips reduces cooking time dramatically. The result is a bright, lively flavor that will make you realize these greens are more versatile than most people think.

Wait until you try these llapingachos. The name may be hard to pronounce ("yop- in-GAH-chos," if you were wondering), but these mashed-potato patties from the mountains of Ecuador have a crisp exterior and a warm, cheese-laced pillowy middle that might be better served by a word that's much easier to say: perfecto.

These tasty cornmeal cakes can be found grilled, baked, or fried in several Latin American countries. We love this Colombian version—the outside fries up crisp and golden, while the cheesy middle stays wonderfully moist. They can be eaten as a side dish or paired with hot chocolate for an afternoon snack.

One serving packs more than two times your requirement of vitamin C.

Spanish anchovies in vinegar (boquerones) are milder than salted anchovies and have a light pickled taste. They are available in the refrigerated section of some specialty foods stores and online from markys.com.

Chef Scott Boswell of Stella! in New Orleans keeps it simple: Sweet plum wedges are served with greens, goat cheese, and a bright vinaigrette.

There have been Lebanese living in Latin America for more than 100 years, and the community in Mexico is particularly large, so creating a Mexican version of tabbouleh is not as odd as it might seem. This version is less time-consuming than the original, because cilantro can be chopped up, stems and all, whereas parsley leaves need to be picked off the stems.

This simple salad is designed to highlight the delightful spotted cargamanto beans. You can use either the red or white variety; both lose their mottled colors when cooked. Because these beans are so meaty, we use a dressing inspired by chimichurri, the Argentinean sauce for grilled meats.

Adding large flakes of pleasantly pungent smoked mackerel to a straightforward potato salad gives it a deeper, more savory dimension. Smoked mackerel comes in herbed and peppered varieties as well as plain; all of them will work well here—especially the peppered version.

Fingerlings have a particularly earthy quality that tastes of the essence of potato. Steaming them, rather than boiling, preserves their delicate shape and prevents them from becoming waterlogged, so that the simple dressing really comes through.