About Us
Compassionate and Empathetic Spanish Language Training
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Our mission is to help individuals and organizations connect and communicate efficiently and bring cultural awareness
How We've Helped Public Safety Responders.
In 1990, Law Enforcement Language Training (LELT) was founded by Alejandra Gómez to provide cost effective and efficient Spanish language training to police departments in the San Francisco Bay area. As the effectiveness of these courses became recognized, requests from existing clients led to the development of similar courses for Correctional Officers and Firefighters/ EMS personnel. To better reflect this broader range of clients, products and services, LELT changed it’s name to Public Safety Language Training (PSLT) in 2007.
PSLT has developed and delivered specialized language courses that enable public safety personnel to become proficient in Spanish, be safer and more effectively serve the Hispanic community. Over 700 personnel have taken these instructor-led courses along with hundreds of officers in 49 states who have used the self-study courses individually.
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Recipes
From time to time, we serve traditional Mexican dishes during instructor-led sessions. Below are some popular recipes. We hope you enjoy them.
Tinga Poblana
Serves 4 people.
From the city and state of Puebla, in Mexico. Can be served on May 5th (Cinco de Mayo) to commemorate the Battle of Puebla.
Tinga is a stewed chicken dish, cooked with a chipotle sauce and most commonly served on tostadas. (hard tortilla shells)
A chipotle is a dried jalapeño with a wonderful, smokey flavor. The chipotles called for in this recipe, called “chipotles adobados” are canned and can be found anywhere from Michoacán to Michigan. This is a good dish to prepare in advance (cover and refrigerate until needed, then reheat) and provide garnishes to let guests build their own tostadas.
Ingredients
- Cooked chicken breasts 2 pounds
- Mexican sausage ½ pound (CHORIZO “El Mexicano” brand sold in supermarkets- in the Ham & sausage section)
- CHIPOTLE 1 or 2 peppers. (smoked jalapeños, sold in a can, in supermarkets in the Hispanic Section or any other Hispanic Market)
- Tomato sauce 12 oz. can (or 6 fresh boiled tomatoes; add 1 clove of garlic, ¼ of onion, salt – all this in the blender)
- Onion 1 large
Directions
- Cover chicken breasts with water and add: 1/4 onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 tsp cumin, pinch of salt, pepper, bay leaf
- Slice the onion into thin rings, saute in 1 tsp. of olive oil)
- Cook Mexican sausage in pan (5 min).
- Add tomato sauce blended with chipotles. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Add cooked and shredded chicken. Cook 10 minutes.
- Add sauted onions at the end.
Serving
Serve over tostadas
Garnish with:
- Shredded lettuce
- Sour cream or Mexican crema
- Guacamole or sliced avocados
Gelatina de Piña (Pineapple Dessert)
Serves 10 people.
Ingredients
- 3 Unflavored Knox Gelatine envelopes (Baking section)
- 1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks(and save juice)
- 2 cups of boiling water + pineapple juice
- 1 pint of whipping cream
- 1 can of condensed milk
Directions
- Dissolve gelatine in 1/2 cup of cold water.
- Add pineapple juice to boiling water. Let it cool.
- Mix whipping cream, condensed milk, gelatine, boiling water and pineapple juice.
- Put pineapple chunks on bottom of a baking mold and pour the mixture over it.
- Refrigerate 4 hours.
Flan
Serves 8 – 10 people
Ingredients:
- Eggs (4)
- Condensed milk (14 oz can)
- Evaporated milk (15 oz can)
- Sugar (2 tablespoons)
- Vanilla (1 teaspoon)
Directions
Put sugar in an aluminum saucepan and cook at a low heat until it becomes a dark liquid (caramel). Let it cool.
Mix eggs, condensed milk , evaporated milk and vanilla in a blender until the mixture is smooth. Pour this mixture into the aluminum saucepan containing the caramel. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil. Half fill a large frying pan with boiling water, place the aluminum saucepan into the frying pan. Cook the flan for about 45 minutes on the stove until it’s firm – remove the foil. Once it’s firm and cool put it in the fridge.
Alternatively you can bake the flan in the oven (at 325 for half an hour); submerge the aluminum saucepan in a wide baking dish with enough water. (Water keeps the flan moist). Once it’s firm and cool put it in the fridge.
Use a knife around the edge of the sauce pan to release the flan and then flip it over onto a serving plate.
Pastes
Pastes (pass-tess) are small pastries produced in the state of Hidalgo in central Mexico and available in the surrounding area. Pastes are stuffed with a variety of fillings including potatoes and ground beef, apples, pineapple, sweetened rice, or other typical Mexican ingredients, such as tinga and mole. Pasties are considered typical local cuisine, they are similar to empanadas.
The Paste has its roots in the Cornish Pasty, introduced by miners and builders from Cornwall England who were contracted in the towns of Mineral del Monte and Pachuca in Hidalgo.
Ingredients:
Dough:
- 4 pounds of flour
- 1/2 pound vegetable shortening
- 1 can of Tecate beer (or any other brand)
Filling:
- 2 pounds of raw grated potatoes
- 1 pound of uncooked ground beef or pork
- 2 big chopped onions
- 1 cup of chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper
- 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons of milk
Directions
Mix flour and shortening; once both ingredients are mixed well, add beer. This should form a nice dough. Cover the dough with a wet towel and set it aside as you prepare the filling.
Mix all the ingredients for the filling — adding salt and pepper to taste.
Make small balls and flatten each ball to form a thin pancake.
Place a spoonful of the filling onto each pancake, then fold in half, pinching the edges of the “paste” with your fingers to seal it.
Whisk together the milk and eggs. Once both ingredients are well mixed, brush each “paste”. Put them on a greased cooking sheet and bake the pastes at 180f for about 40 minutes until they look gold on the top.
Tatemado
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds of pork shoulder or chicken
- 8 pasilla chiles – seeded and boiled 3 times in hot water
- 1/4 cup of apple vinegar
- 1 tsp. of cummin seeds
- 4 big garlic cloves
- 4 bay leaves
- salt to taste
Directions
Put the pasilla chiles, vinegar, cumin seeds, cloves and salt in a food processor or a powerful blender. The mixture should be very thick. Pour this mixture on the pork or chicken, covering all the meat. Put the marinated pork or chicken in a baking dish and put the bay leaves on top. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. (oven temperature: 350).
Serve with white rice, black beans and warm tortillas.
Salpicón
Serves 4 to 6 people
Ingredients
- Beef flank or skirt steak — 2 to 2 1/2 pounds
- Onion – ¼ of a small onion
- Garlic – 2 cloves
- Salt and pepper — to taste
- Chicken Bouillon – 2 tbsp
- Tomatoes, seeded and chopped — 3
- Potatoes (cubed and cooked in salty water until tender) — 3
- Green peas (cooked 4 minutes in microwave ) – 1 cup
- Avocado, chopped – 2
- Fresh Mexican Cheese (Queso Fresco) – cubed – 1 cup
- Capers – to taste
- Olive oil — 1/3 cup
- Cilantro — 1 or 2 tablespoons
- Garlic powder – 1 tsp
- Salt and pepper — to taste
- Onion, thinly sliced – 1 (optional)
Directions
Add the beef, onion, garlic, 1 tbsp of chicken bouillon, salt & pepper to a large pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until meat is very tender. If you have a pressure cooker, you can cook the meat in 25 minutes. Shred the meat with your fingers when it is cool enough to handle.
Gently add tomatoes, potatoes, green peas, fresh cheese, capers. cilantro, 1 tsp. of chicken bouillon, garlic powder, salt, pepper and olive oil. Add chopped avocado before serving. Spread on a serving platter and serve at room temperature with tostadas or tortilla chips.
Salsa Verde
Ingredients
- 15 Green Tomatillos – peeled and washed
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/4 small onion
- 1 cup of cilantro (washed)
- 1/4 of a jalapeno pepper ( or 1/2 if you want it hotter)
- 1 avocado (no skin)
- 1 tbsp of Knorr chicken flavor bouillon
Directions
In 2 cups of boiling water, add the tomatillos for ONLY 3 MINUTES. Discard the water and put the tomatillos and the rest of the ingredients into a blender until smooth.
Serve with tortilla chips or vegetables.
Buen provecho !
Atún a la Vizcaína
Serves 4 – 6 people
Ingredients
- Olive oil – 2 tbsp
- Garlic – 3 cloves
- Onion – medium – 1
- Tomatoes – chopped – 4 medium
- Red peppers – chopped – 2 medium
- Tuna – 2 cans
- Potatoes – cubed – 3 medium
- Capers – 2 tbsp
- Green Olives – ½ cup
- Black Olives – ½ cup
- Almonds – chopped – ½ cup
- Parsley – chopped – 2 tbsp
- Salt & Pepper – to taste
- Chicken bouillon – 1 tsp
Directions
Heat olive oil in a sauce pan. Add garlic and onion and cook until transparent. Add tomatoes and peppers; cook for 5 minutes, medium flame. Add tuna, potatoes, capers, olives, almonds, parsley, chicken bouillon, salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and cook at low flame for 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Serve with sourdough bread or crackers.
Pipián
Serves 8 – 10 people
Pipián sauce is a piquant Mexican sauce traditionally served over pork, roast chicken or enchiladas. It is part of a larger family of ground sauces known as moles, and it has a very distinctive, nutty, earthy flavor which some consumers find quite enjoyable. It is possible to find this sauce packaged in an 8 oz glass container in Mexican grocery stores (brands such El Mexicano, Doña Maria, etc).The best pipián sauce, however, is made fresh at home, as needed, to preserve the flavor.
The key ingredient in pipián sauce or pipián verde, as it is sometimes called, is pumpkin or squash seeds (pepitas), which may be roasted or simply dried. The seeds are ground before being seasoned with spices like cumin, pepper, garlic, and cilantro, and dried hot chilies are also thrown into the pipián sauce to give it a distinctive and rather fiery kick. Ingredients like lemon juice may also be added, turning the pipián sauce more runny, and less like a paste
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of pork in small pieces or
- 2 pounds of chicken breasts ( cut in 8 pieces )
- 1 8 1/4 oz of Pipian (sold in Latino Supermarkets)
- 1 15 oz can of Tomato Sauce
- 1/2 of a small onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 pound of cubed yellow or green zuchini cooked “al dente” (a little crunchy)
- 2 tbsp of chicken bouillon
- 1 tbsp of oil
Directions
Cover pork or chicken with enough water, add 1/4 of a small onion, 1 garlic clove, a tbsp of Chicken bouillon, salt and pepper. Cook until tender ~ 20 minutes in a pressure cooker or an hour in a regular saucepan (for pork); about 30 minutes for chicken. Heat oil in a saucepan and saute the other 1/4 of onion and 1 garlic clove. Remove from oil and put in the blender with tomato sauce, 1 tbsp of chicken bouillon, salt, pepper. Fry this mixture in the remaining oil at low flame for 1 or 2 minutes; add the Pipian, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup or 1 1/2 of pork or chicken broth. Cook until is thick. Add the pork or chicken and the cubed zuchini. Serve with white rice and warm tortillas.
Ceviche de camaron
Ingredients
- Prawns – one pound, deveined and chopped in small pieces
- Limes – 10-12
- Onion – 1 small finely chopped
- Jalapenos – 3 fresh and chopped
- Cilantro – a bunch and chopped
- Avocados – 1 or 2 diced
- Spanish olives- 1/2 cup & chopped
- Olive oil – 2 tbsp
Directions
Marinate the prawns for 6 hours with lime juice, salt, pepper, chopped onion, fresh jalapenos, cilantro. After 6 hours, add 1 or 2 diced avocados, olive oil and Spanish olives. Refrigerate for 2 more hours. Serve on tostadas or saltine crackers.
Mole Verde
Serves 8 people
Ingredients
- 1 pound of tomatillos
- 1 small onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 bunch of fresh cilantro
- 1 oz of peeled pumpkin seeds (optional – sold in any Latino market)
- 1 8.25 oz container of Mole Verde (“Doña Maria” or ” Mole Bueno” brand, sold in any Latino market)
- 1 pound of chicken breast or small pieces of pork
- 2 tsp of chicken flavor bouillon
- 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
Directions
Cook the chicken or pork covered in water, with salt, pepper, one clove of garlic, 1/8th of a small onion until tender – about 30 to 40 minutes.
Wash the tomatillos and cook them in boiling water for 3-4 minutes
Remove the water and put the tomatillos, onion, garlic, cilantro, pumpkin seeds and chicken flavor bouillon in the blender.
Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan; add the Mole verde and stir constantly over low heat; add the broth from the chicken or the pork -about 3 to 4 cups. Add the mixture of tomatillos and continue stirring over low heat. Add the cooked chicken or pork.
Serve with white rice and warm tortillas.
Lentejas "Alexis"
Serves 5 or 6 people.
Ingredients
- Lentils (1/2 lb)
- Water (6 cups)
- Potatoes cubed (2 medium)
- Onion (1 ¼ medium chopped)
- Bell Peppers (small) (1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow or orange chopped)
- Tomato sauce (12 oz can)
- Tomatoes (3 chopped)
- Garlic (4 cloves- chopped)
- Chicken Bouillon (1 tablespoon)
- Vegetable or olive oil (1/4 cup)
- Cilantro – chopped (1/2 bunch)
- Bayleaves – 2 or 3
- Salt and Pepper (to taste)
Optional:
- Smoked pork chops in small pieces (optional) (1/4 lb)
- Mexican Sausage or Portuguese sausage in small pieces (1/4 pound)
Directions
Wash lentils and cook at medium heat in 6 cups of water and bay leafs for 15/20 minutes or until tender.
In a blender, mix the tomato sauce with 1 garlic clove, 1/4 of an onion, chicken bouillon and pepper.
Heat oil and sautee 3 garlic cloves and 1 medium onion; add chopped bell peppers and tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes. You can add here the pork chops and Mexican or Portuguese sausage and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring constantly; or if you want the vegetarian version, you can skip the previous step.
Add the mixture from the blender (tomato sauce, garlic onion, chicken bouillon and pepper) and cook on medium heat until it starts boiling.
Add the cooked lentils with liquid and cubed potatoes; cover with a lid and let it simmer until potatoes are tender – about 20/25 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat. Add chopped cilantro and mix well.
Serve with sourdough bread.
Buen provecho!