Secrets of our grandparents' kitchen: the art of cooking with love and seasoning

Presented by

"Family and health are what matter most," grandmother Yvette Rivera said as she served lunch during a family afternoon at her home in San Germán.

She wasn't wrong. Few things compare to the feeling of arriving at your grandparents' house and being greeted with the most affectionate question in the world: "Are you hungry?"

That desire to cook with intention and care led us to speak with a Puerto Rican grandmother who not only cooks from the heart but also holds secrets that make every recipe unforgettable.

💚 Those tricks she has shared with the younger generations of her family, and today we share them with you.

This guide also includes nutritional advice from Zilka Ríos, a nutritionist at Comiendo Libre, so that every dish nourishes both body and soul.

We also share a recipe so you can get to work and celebrate familiar flavors, now with a more mindful touch.

Because when we cook with love, health and memory, we are never alone in the kitchen.

Los 3 secretos de los abuel@s

1. Steak so tender it melts in your mouth

"Soak the meat in water with vinegar for several hours. That's the trick," grandmother Yvette explains. She then seasons the meat with garlic, oregano and oil. Onion is added in rings, and the meat is left to marinate overnight. The next day it cooks over low heat. Patience, seasoning and heart.

✨ Tips from grandmother:

Marinate 3–4 hours in water with vinegar
Season with garlic, oregano and oil
Add onion in rings and let it rest
Cook over low heat so the meat doesn't dry out

🌿 Healthy corner: "Red meat is a rich source of iron, and to optimize absorption it's ideal to combine it with foods high in vitamin C, such as peppers or broccoli. In general, it is recommended to limit red meat consumption to about 2 times per week or less," explains nutritionist Zilka Ríos, of Comiendo Libre.

2. Fresh sofrito (the soul of everything)

For grandmother Yvette, if there is no fresh sofrito, there is no flavor. Hers includes: culantro, oregano, onion, garlic, cilantro, and green and red peppers. All fresh, all blended. "That goes with everything," she tells us.

✨Tips from grandmother:

Base ingredients: culantro, cilantro, oregano, garlic, onion, peppers
Prepare at home and store in small portions
Use as a base for almost every savory dish

🌿 Healthy corner: "Sofrito is truly our super condiment, full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties," explains nutritionist Ríos.

3. Recipe for arroz con gandules with grated plantain and banana leaf

"Start with finely chopped onion. That's what gives it the good flavor," she told us. She then adds her homemade sofrito, oil, olives with peppers, tomato sauce, achiote and a splash of soy sauce. The rice goes into the pot already washed, along with the gandules. And when the water starts to dry up, grated green plantain. The finishing touch: a banana leaf on top before covering.

✨ Tips from grandmother:

Sauté the onion before anything else
Use fresh sofrito, achiote and a little soy sauce
Add grated green plantain before covering
Place a banana leaf at the end

📝 Ingredients:

3 cups medium-grain rice, washed
2 ½ pounds gandules (soak overnight before cooking the rice)
2 white onions
½ cup homemade sofrito
¼ cup pimiento-stuffed olives
¼ cup tomato sauce
1-2 tablespoons achiote
½ teaspoon soy sauce (optional)
¼ cup oil
1 green plantain, grated
2 1/4 cups water
1 banana leaf (clean)
Salt to taste
Fresh oregano

🍲 Preparation:

In a medium pot, sauté the onion until translucent. Add the sofrito, olives, oil, tomato sauce, achiote and soy sauce.
Add the gandules and sauté them.
You can use the water from soaking the gandules for the rice. Season with salt to taste.
Add the water, wait for it to heat up, then add the washed rice.
When the water begins to dry out, add the grated plantain and mix gently.
Place the banana leaf over the rice, cover the pot and lower the heat to a minimum.
Cook covered for 20–25 minutes. Stir only twice during the process.
Remove the leaf before serving. Ready to enjoy with whatever you have at home!

The secrets of grandmother Yvette and of our grandparents are more than cooking tricks: they are the way they express love, care for our health without realizing it, and keep traditions alive.

Cooking this way is a way of saying "I love you" without words. Today we can honor them with every ladle of rice, every dish seasoned with love.

Because when we cook like they do, we are never alone in the kitchen.

—

💚🌿 Do you have your own healthy recipe that honors our traditions? Participate in the MCS Wellness Nutrition Challenge 2025 by sharing your original recipe on Facebook or Instagram with #MCSWellnessNutrition and tagging @MCSPuertoRico.

Your recipe could be published in the official "MCS Wellness Nutrition 2025" cookbook. The contest is open until Aug. 25, 2025. You can learn more here.