El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America at 21,040 km sq. (about the size of New Jersey), and the most densely populated one. It borders the Pacific Ocean between Honduras and Guatemala. It’s situated on the Gulf of Fonseca and has a population of approximately 5.7 million people.

Interesting Facts:
- A Salvadoran civil war  was fought  between the government of El Salvador and and a coalition of four leftist groups and one communist group known as the Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional from 1980-1992.  Approximately 75,000 people were killed in the war. The Salvadoran Civil war happened in the context of the Cold War, with Cuba and the USSR backing the militias and the U.S.  backing the Salvadoran government.

- El Salvador eliminated its currency, the colón, and adopted the U.S. dollar in 2001. (Most of us are not too happy about that one.)

Recipe: Sorry, I’m a bit biased I decided to make a couple of dishes from El Salvador. Call it nostalgia… Check out part 2 tomorrow.

Quesadilla Salvadoreña: (cheese coffee cake)

1 Cup Flour (I used whole wheat and it works fine)
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Sour Cream (I use the low fat kind)
4 oz Parmesan Cheese (grated) (again… low fat)
3 eggs (you can get away with 2 eggs and egg whites)
1 stick butter (small)
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
Sesame Seeds

Directions Mix butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs one at the time. Sift flour and Baking powder. Add to sugar mixture little by little. Add sour cream and parmesan cheese mixing well. Grease baking dish or muffin tin with butter. Add mixture evenly. Decorate with sesame seeds. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 40 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

VERDICT: What can I say?  PERFECTO!!! Like always, I try to modify the dish to make it a little bit healthier to go with my new lifestyle.  The whole wheat flour really doesn’t make a bit of difference in the taste and it gives you that extra bit of fibre. The extra egg white gives you a bit more protein… Really, it’s an excellent idea to make little changes… This cake is always a big success whenever I make it and I get at least one recipe request. It goes perfect with your afternoon cup of coffee. The reason I opt for muffin cups instead of a rectangle pan is because of that ease in “serving size” , it’s so much easier to grab one little muffin (or two! ) than to try and guess how big of a piece to cut for your snack… let’s face it, I always cut a big piece… and then some!  I encourage you to try this recipe. It’s not difficult and the result is a scrumptious snack that fills your kitchen with a very delicious smell.