Some of my fondest memories while growing up were during the holidays, especially Easter. Right after church we walked home alongside my aunt and cousins and they celebrated this special holiday with us the entire day. While my mom and aunt cooked Easter dinner and told stories in the kitchen the kids would play, create art work, and watch the traditional cartoons and Easter movies that were played year after year.

I am always looking forward to celebrating Easter and one of my favorite traditions is finding Easter menu ideas that I can recreate at home for my family. I will be sharing with you two of my family’s favorite Easter dinner ideas with a Latin Twist that you’ll love. I will also share with you some of my tips on how to give any Easter meal, a fun flair that will remind you of the Easter recipes of your childhood.  

Two Easy Easter Dinner Recipes

There is nothing like enjoying a mouth watery mojo pork lettuce wrap. Pork is nested in a lettuce wrap topped with fresh cilantro and crunchy pickles. 

Step by Step Instructions

For my mojo pork recipe, I used a boneless pork shoulder. You can also use a pork tenderloin and create a pull pork, or a sirloin pork roast. Boneless or bone-in is not an issue for this recipe. What matters most is the seasoning and the cooking process.

Make sure you cover your meat with aluminum foil to keep the juices in and use low temperature for an extended period of time. Here are some of my favorite baking dishes for this meal. This is a slow cooking recipe, but oh so worth it!   

Grilled chicken marinated with a sriracha, honey and garlic sauce served in a taco bowl drizzled with a creamy avocado sauce is the perfect way to end any day. 

Step by Step Instructions

Several of my uncles grow avocado trees in Puerto Rico and we enjoy them when they are ripe and ready to eat. Avocados are an integrated part of our meals. Imagine a slice of avocado sprinkled with sea salt between a piece of bread. It is a great snack.

Those thoughts take me back to my mom’s kitchen, that is why I always try to include avocados in our family meals. Cooking Easter dinner with some of my mom’s favorite spices and flavors takes us all back to our Latin culture.

Tips and Tricks to Give Eastern Dinner a Latin Twist

1. Sauces: Introduce sauces that represent your culture and the flavors from your upbringing. As seen above we made a Creamy Avocado Sauce, which brings back many memories of the delicious and juicy avocados from my uncle’s avocado tree farm.  

Sauces that Enhance Latin Flavors 

• Chimichurri Sauce. An Argentinean sauce or condiment, similar to pesto popular throughout South America. This basic version uses fresh parsley, oregano, garlic, oil and vinegar and a little bit of chili pepper, though the variations on this theme are endless. 
• Mojo. In Cuban cooking, mojo applies to any sauce that is made with garlic, olive oil or pork lard, and a citrus juice, traditionally bitter orange juice. It is commonly used to flavor the cassava tuber and is also used to marinate roast pork. 
• MayoKetchup or Fry Sauce. To make what is known as Puerto-Rican Fry Sauce or mayoketchup, you need about equal part mayonnaise and ketchup. But what makes our “mayoketchup” dip unique is that you can add more ingredients to make the flavor unique. Perfect for Easter side dishes.  

To create this ketchup and mayonnaise dip, you are going to need the following ingredients: mayonnaise, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder. 

2. Sofrito:  Latin flavor all in just one blend. This aromatic blend of vegetables, herbs, and spices is easy to make. Sofrito comes together by combining a few fresh ingredients that are staples in Latin American and Caribbean households. It is very practical and a time saver when it comes to making delicious stews, soups, and meats. It is also a great option for vegetarians to add flavor to dishes like beans and grains, pasta or even roasted or sauteed vegetables. You are probably writing down some Easter dinner ideas with sofrito as a seasoning. I can relate.  

It is traditionally made with garlic, peppers, culantro, cilantro, onions, olive oil, and some salt. Other ingredients that are used in an authentic sofrito are cubanelle pepper and ajicitos gustoso (which are sweet small peppers). 

3. Sazon Seasoning: Sazón gives Spanish and Latin rice dishes their traditional yellow color and signature flavor. Homemade Sazón Seasoning is an easy-to-make alternative to the store-bought packets that eliminates MSG and lets you control the salt. Ideal for homemade chicken & rice, a variety of Latin dishes, and as a dry spice rub.  

Sazon is traditionally store bought, but to make a homemade version all you need is ground cumin, powder garlic, coriander, ground annatto (achiote), salt and ground black pepper. 

4. Fresh herbs: When I think of a fresh herb I use and go back to over and over for my main dishes at home. Cilantro features distinctive, jagged leaves and a strong flavor that is often present in Mexican dishes, but the fresh herb pairs well with a variety of foods. Try cilantro in soups, on sandwiches, in sauces and in your casseroles.  

Growing your own cilantro gives you constant access to fresh leaves. Here are some easy indoor gardening tips and how to start an indoor garden and save money. If you purchase your cilantro at the store, however, avoid leaves and stems that are limp, wilted, or uneven in color. Use the cilantro right away for the best flavor. 

5. Dry spices: Dry spices like cumin, garlic powder, and ground pepper are important spices in Latin America. Usually toasted before grinding. Whole seeds are best as ground cumin, for example, rapidly loses flavor and aroma.  

6. Aromatic dry herbs: Home cooks add bay leaf and sprigs of herbs to stock, which in turn becomes the essential liquid stirred into mole, rice, and guisados. 

 Different herbs are also blended into soups, stews, beans, and moles. This does not count the fresh herbs that also flavor soups, beans, and other savory dishes. We love having at hand a mix of thyme, marjoram, bay leaves, and oregano. These herbs, which are used either fresh or dried, make an appearance in almost every savory dish.