Oswald Rivera

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LENTEJAS CON SALCHICHA

October 20, 2025 / / 0 Comments

This recipe combines two Nuyorican favorites: lentils and sausage. Now, the lentils can be brown, green or red lentils. In terms of the sausage, it can be beef, turkey, smoked or Italian sausage. Even the Vienna sausage out of the can cane be used. We don’t stand on formality here. Some folks prefer Spanish chorizo sausage common to our cuisine. And normally that would be our preference. Except that we had a package of chicken sausage links on hand, and we went with that. Also, for this recipe we used brown lentils which, depending on how old they are, will take 30 to 40 minutes to cook. Red lentils cook fast, maybe simmering 10 minutes or so in water. Green lentils take about 15-20 to cook at a slow simmer. Just use the taste test. That is, they should be tender with a slight crunchiness but not mushy.

When cooking with sausage note that some variety of sausage comes with a casing that has to be removed before cooking. To do this, make a cut along the sausage with a knife, peel off the casing and then slice the meat.

Normally with this dish, we would serve it with boiled rice.  This time around we paired it with wild rice which is not a true rice. It is a native North American grain. You can also pair it with couscous, quinoa or a small pasta such as orzo or radiatori. Even on its own, Lentejas con Salchicha makes for a great dinner.

LENTEJAS CON SALCHICHA
(Lentils with Sausage)

Ingredients:

1½ cups dried brown lentils (can use green or red lentils, see above)
4 cups water or broth
1 bay leaf
1 (12 -16 ounce) package sausage, cut diagonally into ¼-inch slices
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
¾ teaspoon dried oregano

Instructions:

  1. Rince lentils in a fine-mesh strainer under cold, running water.
  2. Place lentils to a medium-sized saucepan. Add water or broth plus bay leaf. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil over high heat. Immediately reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer and cover. Cook until tender (30-40 minutes). If using red or green lentils, see above.
  3.  While lentils are cooking, heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a fry pan or skillet. Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is soft and translucent.
  4. Add sausage and cook over medium heat until browned on all sides.
  5.  Add tomato sauce, stir to combine, cover and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
  6. Drain any excess liquid from the lentils. Stir in the sausage with the tomato sauce. Serve over rice, pasta or favorite grain.
    Yield: 4-6 servings.

 

Cordera con Achiote (Lamb with Achiote)

October 14, 2025 / / 0 Comments

This dish is a favorite both back on the Island, and for Nuyoricans on the mainland. The main ingredient is Achiote, or ground annatto seeds.  So, what the hell is Achiote? What’s this annatto business? Well, annatto seeds are small, brick red seeds from the tropical achiote tree used as a natural food coloring and flavoring in Caribbean, Mexican and Filipino cuisine. In our cooking, they impart a yellow to deep orange color and a mild, and peppery flavor to dishes like rice and meat. The seeds can also be ground into a powder or paste. We mixed it with olive oil to enhance food and give it color, as we did it with lamb in this recipe. Paired with rice, potatoes or pasta, or, as we did it, with couscous. it makes for a delicious and memorable meal. 

Nore that for this recipe, 4 lamb chops give you 2 servings. You can double the recipe for 4 servings if desired. Le me add that today achiote can be found in most supermarkets, or specialty stores, either in seeds or ground powder form.

CORDERA CON ACHIOTE
(Lamb with Achiote)

Ingredients:

4 lamb loin or rid chops (1-inch thick)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon achiote (or more to taste)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons white wine (dry or sweet, your choice)

Instructions:

  1. Season chops thoroughly on both side with salt, pepper, oregano. garlic powder and achiote.
  2. Hest olive oil in a pan or skillet (we prefer cast iron) over moderate-high heat. Add chops and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.
  3.  Add butter and, as it melts, spoon it over each of the lamb chops for about 5 minutes.
  4.  Sprinkle wine over chops. Turn heat to high and sizzle chops with the wine until evaporated.
  5.  Remove chops from pan and serve.
    Yield: 4 servings.

INDIAN LAMB

October 9, 2025 / / 0 Comments

In our crowd, lamb has always been a favorite. So, I’m always on the lookout for good lamb dishes. Thias recipe, Indian Lamb, I got years ago. I can’t recall from whom, but it’s been a favorite in our repertoire ever since. It contains all the popular Indian spices we’ve come to know and love. We normally serve this dish with rice, as we did this time with parsley rice. Burt you can substitute couscous, quinoa or eben pasta such as orzo. No telling what you can pair with this dish. Or you can sreve it, as traditional done in India with pita bread and cucumber-yogurt salad. The possibilities are infinite. Enjoy this one.

Let me add that this dish is spicy, that’s how we like ity. But, if you want it less spicy, cut the curry powder to just one teaspoon.

INDIAN LAMB

Ingredients:

1 small onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, peeled and minced or 2 teaspoons dried
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 bay leaf
4 loin lamb chops (3 ounces or more, 1-inch thick) can substitute rib lamb chops
salt and ground black pepper to taste
½ cup water
½ cup raisins
1 teaspoon flour
1 cup chicken or beef broth
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions:

  1. Rinse chops under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
  2.  In a large deep skillet or frypan. heat olive over medium-high heat.
  3. Add onions and garlic and stir-fry until onion is soft, about 3-4 minutes.
  4.  Stir in ginger, curry powder, cumin, cinnamon and bay leaf. Cook 2 minutes.
  5. Add lamb, salt and prepper. Cook until brown on each side, about 3-4 minutes per side.
  6.  Add water and raisins. Brin water to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed, about20 minutes.
  7.  While lamb is coming, in a small saucepan, whisk together flour and broth, stirring constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens.  Add to lamb along with the cream. Cook a couple of minutes more to serving temperature. Srev with your faborite side dish.
    Yield: $ servings.

CHULETAS GUISADAS (Stewed Pork Chops)

September 15, 2025 / / 0 Comments

 

The beloved black sheep of our family was Uncle Phillip, my mother’s brother. He was bigger than life, a raconteur, storyteller, lover of food and drink, an unabashed lady’s mab. Among his many amours was a lady named Margie who live in Harlem. She was a fabulous cook who loved making the dish given today. What we call Chuletas Guisada, and what she called, just Stewed Pork Chops. Whatever name you gave it, the dish, to us, was the best rendition of pork chops we’ve ever had.

At Margie’s   place, the accompaniment to this dish was always, steamed white rice. In most Nuyorican households, we would serve the chops with Spanish yellow rice. Your choice. If desired, you can serve it with potatoes, mashed or fried. Thar’s the beauty of this recipe; any good side dish will do. Enjoy.

CHULETAS GUISADAS
(Stewed Pork Chops)

Ingredients:

4 loin pork chops
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried Marjoram
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 (28-oz.) can plum tomatoes

Instructions:

  1. Rinse pork chops in cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
  2.  In a cup or small bowl, mix salt, pepper, oregano and marjoram. Blend in olive oil and vinegar.
  3.  Rub each chop thoroughly with the seasoning
  4.  Place chops in a heavy skillet or frypan and brown over moderate heat on both sides (about 5 minutes per side).
  5.  Add onion, cover and cook about 5 minutes.
  6.  Add plum tomatoes and their liquid, and bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat and simmer for about 30-35 minutes.
    Yield: 4 servings.

LETTUCE-TOMATO TUNA SAUCE

September 12, 2025 / / 0 Comments

This is one of those meals that came out of necessity. I had some lettuce, a couple of tomatoes, and what could I do with them besides making an ordinary salad??  Simple, combine them with some canned tuna fish I had in the cupboard, and create a fabulous sauce. Now, this is not your typical salad or sauce. In this recipe I added one of the archetypical Nuyorican seasonings: Sasón Accent.  This is an ingredient that can be found in any Latino market or specialty store. These days you can even find it in your local supermarket. Goya foods make a good Sasón. All you do is combine it with water or chicken broth along with cornstarch as a thickener and add it to the sauce. Note that, if for some reason, the sauce is still too thin or too thick, you can add more cornstarch or water as desired.

For the recipe given you can use whatever lettuce you have on hand. It can looseleaf, chicory, romaine, escarole, arugula, even iceberg. Whatever you can find, as long as its fresh is okay.

Let me add that with canned tuna, the weight factor may depend on the brand. Some cans are 4 ounces, some are 4.5 ounces, and others are 5 ounces. The ones I used, Natural Catch White Albacore Tuna Fillets were 4.5 ounces. That was good enough for us. By the way, we served this sauce over linguine, and it was a perfect match, You’re the boss. You can pair it with rice, couscous or, serve by itself with a good crusty loaf of bread. Whichever you choose, the result will be magnificent.

LETTUCE-TOMATO TUNE SALAD

Ingredients:

1 large head lettuce of your choice (see above)
2 medium-sized tomatoes, washed and chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cans tuna, preferably albacore
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon oregano
½ cup water or chicken broth
½ teaspoon cornstarch
1 packet Sasón (see above)

Instructions:

  1. Wash lettuce leaves under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Finally, coarsely chop the lettuce.
  2. Heat olive oil in a saucepan or frypan over medium-high heat,
  3. Add lettuce and tomatoes and cook until lettuce is wilted,
  4. Stir in tuna. Season with salt, pepper and oregano.
  5. In a cup, combine water or chicken broth with cornstarch and Sason mix.  Add it to the sauce. Cook on medium heat for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently until desired consistency, and serve.
    Yield: 4-6 servings.

 

 

INDIAN-STYLE LENTILS

September 8, 2025 / / 0 Comments

If you like Indian food, you’ll love this recipe. I grew up on Nuyorican food but, when I reached my young manhood, I started scouting around in order to discover other cuisines. In this endeavor, Indian food became one of my favorites. And to this day, I still love the spices and norms it provides.  One memorable recipe is Indian-Style Lentils.  I consider it a supplement to that Nuyorican stand-by, Arroz con Habichuelas, or Rice and Beans. Like the Puerto Rican namesake, it’s simple, filling and delicious. So, today, amaze family and friends with this one. It will not disappoint. As noted, the accompaniment to this dish is plain white rice (or brown rice if that’s your preference).  You can also serve it with couscous, quinoa or millet. On the pasta sider, you can try it with orzo.

INSIAN-STYLE LENTILS

Ingredients:

2 cups dried lentils
6 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 slices (½-inch thick) fresh ginger, peeled
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
1 lemon, sliced into 6 rounds (about 1/8-inch thick), seeds removed

  1. Wash and drain lentils under cold running water.
  2. In a large pot or Durch oven, combine lentils, water, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, garlic, ginger and turmeric. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Then cover, lower heat and simmer gently until tender, 35 to 40 minutes.
  3. While lentils are cooking, heat olive oil in a skillet or frypan over medium-high heat. Add crushed cumin seeds and cook, stirring, about 1 minute until lightly browned and fragrant. Add to lentils along with salt, pepper and lemon. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve with steamed white rice or other (see above).
    Yield: 4 servings.

SALMÓN EMPANADO (Breaded Salmon Steak)

September 2, 2025 / / 0 Comments

In our family, we love fresh salmon whether it’s broiled, baked, or sautéed. To us, It’s one of life’s great culinary pleasures. Today’s recipe is one of the easiest ways to prepare this great seafood It’s simply breaded salmon steak. Now, salmon is often cooked as is in a butter-wine sauce but, in our crowd, we like the crunchy edge the breadcrumbs bring.

Let me add that this recipe can be prepared two ways: broiled or sautéed on the stovetop. Since it’s summer and it was a fairly hot day when we prepared the dish, we decided to cook it on the stove. Also, for the teetotalers among us, you will note that the recipe contains rum in the breadcrumb mixture, and we add wine while cooking on the stove. Do not be troubled. You will not be affected by the alcohol. You will not get a buzz. The alcohol content dissipates in the cooking.  All that remains is the flavor. So, don’t worry about Uncle Harry getting tipsy and pinching everyone’s bottom.

Final note: this recipe is from my first cookbook, Puerto Rican Cuisine in America, which is in its third printing. Enjoy the meal.

SALMÓN EMPANADO
(Breaded Salmin Steak)

Ingredients:

4 salmon steaks, about ½-inch thick
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons butter
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons Puerto Rican rum (white or gold)
½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
¼ cup dry white wine

Instructions:

  1. Rinse salmon steaks and pat dry with paper towels.
  2. Brush both sides of steaks with 3 tablespoons olive oil.
  3. In a small bowl, combine butter, salt, pepper, garlic, rum and breadcrumbs.
  4. Coat both sides of salmon with breadcrumb mixture.
  5. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or frypan.
  6. Add salmon and cook 3 minutes on medium-high heat. Then carefully turn over and cook 3 minutes on other side.
  7. Add wine, lower heat to medium, cover and cook 5 minutes more.
    Yield: 4 servings.

FUSION PICADILLO

August 28, 2025 / / 0 Comments

I call this dish “Fusion Picadillo.” Why? Because it’s a novel take on Picadillo (pronounce “peekahdeeyo”). One of the most popular dishes in Puerto Rican cuisine. It was, and is, fairly inexpensive, delicious and satisfying. If you wanted to feed the family back on the island, or in Spanish Harlem in New York city, it was the go-to dish. The recipe today is a variation on traditional  picadillo (see post of 03/12/16). As in the original recipe, it incudes ground beef and the usual Nuyorican seasoning. But we add canned cream of mushroom soup rather than tomato sauce or anything else. The ingredients are minimal, but the result is outstanding.

In terms of the meat, back on the block we used ground chuck or ground round. Now, if you want to use a finer cut like sirloin, go right ahead. For those who want to replace the beef, you can substitute ground turkey, or even ground chicken.

I know there are purists out there who would never consider adding canned cream of mushroom soup to a dish. What can I say? I can hear them crying out, “Sacre Bleu” (“My Goodness!” or “Heaven Forbid!” in English). Linguistics aside, consider that this recipe is easy, delicious and comforting to the tummy. So, why fret? Just try it out. With rice, couscous, pasta, or whatever side dish you prefer, this meal will be a winner for you, family and friends.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon dill
1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup

Instructions:

  1. Heat olive oil in large skillet or frypan.
  2. Add beef and cook on high heat until meat loses its red color
  3. Reduce heat to medium, add onion and garlic, and sauté until until onion is soft and meat is brown (about 3 minutes).
  4. Season with salt, pepper, oregano and dill.
  5. Add cream of mushroom soup and stir to combine. Lower heat and simmer 20 minutes. Serve with favorite grain or a good loaf of bread.
    Yield: 4 servings.

SPINACH, SALMON AND AVOCADO SALAD

August 26, 2025 / / 0 Comments

 

Mid-summer is the perfect time for a nice, cool salad. You know what I mean. Even with A/C, the idea of slaving over a stove is a non-starter.  So, here today we have a nice salad just right for the occasion. With regard to making salads, I’ve grown fond of spinach. Yet in the recipe given any choice green will do, be it romaine lettuce, arugula, loose leaf, mesclun or even iceberg. Use what’s available and what suits you best. In this rendition, we add salmon. Mainly smoked salmon. This usually comes in either a 4 or 6-ounce package. Again, go with what you’ve got.  Note that hot-smoked salmon is fully cooked and ready to use as is.

The other thing to consider for this recipe is avocados. When the avocado arrives at the store, usually it’s hard as a rock. Or if left outride for a while, it gets mushy. So, how do you know when the sucker is ripe for consumption? Simple, pick up the fruit and gently squeeze on its surface. You should feel a slight give on the peel. Also, the color of the skin should be a dark green.  If it’s too soft, pass it.

Also, for this recipe I use regular tender young spinach. Some chefs dictate that baby spinach is best for salads and regular spinach is best for cooking. I’m practical, I use what I have on hand. If you prefer baby spinach, go for it. If you have regular spinach, then use that. To me, once sprinkled with the vinaigrette, there’s no difference in the flavor profile.

Ingredients:

2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and halved
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
8 ounces spinach (regular or baby spinach)
4 smoke salmon fillets (4 or 6 ounce each)
2 medium sized avocados, peeled and sliced lengthwise about ½-inch thick

Instructions:

  1. First thing is boiling the eggs. I’ve found that the easiest way to do this is: Place eggs in a small saucepan or pot, fill with cold water to cover by 1-2 inches. Then bring the water to a rolling boil on high heat. Once it starts boiling, cover pot, remove from heat and let sit for 14 minutes. Some say just 12 minutes. My experience is that I want them truly hard-boiled eggs with a tender yolk and a firm white skin. Thus, I let them stand a bit longer. Peel eggs, cut into halves, and garnish salad when ready.
  2. In a bowl or cup, mix the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic and oregano. This is known as a vinaigrette.  Set aside until ready to use
  3. Remove stems from spinach. Place under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
  4. Rinse salmon fillets under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut each fillet lengthwise into ¼ to ½ inch slices.
  5.  Arrange spinach on a serving platter or salad bowl. Adorn with alternate rows of salmon slices and avocado. Garnish eggs in center of dish. Drizzle olive-oil vinaigrette over spinach and serve
    Yield: 4-6 servings.

STEAMED CHICKEN WITH WINE

August 12, 2025 / / 0 Comments

I discovered the art of steaming food back in my young manhood when my social circle and love of a good meal expanded. A prime influence was my dear friend, Edward Hor. Yes, that was his name, Hor, pronounced “Whore.” It’s interesting to note that the younger generation in his family all changed their names to Ho. But Eddie, rebel that he was, never changed his name. It was a sense of pride. He was born with the name, and that’s the way it was. Besides being a raconteur, lover of women, and all-round good guy, he was also a great cook, one of his many talents. My fascination and love of Asian cuisine came from Eddie. He was eclectic and innovative. Whether it was Japanese or Thai, or Korean cooking, he was a dedicated exponent of good cuisine. It was from him that I learned about steeming foods. And it has been a longtime passion ever since.

Thus, I’m always on the lookout for a good, steamed dish, especially chicken. Full disclosure, I’ve posted steamed chicken recipes in the past, If interested, you can check my steamed chicken posts of 06/04/10 and 10/03/18. These are classical Asian steamed recipes with varied ingredients inclusive of such standbys as soy sauce and sesame oil. Today’s recipe is much simpler with just a few ingredients (salt, scallions, ginger, sherry wine). It’s easy to prepare in a wok or steamer. If you don’t have either, you can improvise:  place chicken, cut up, on a plate, put plate atop a small 8-ounce can inside a large pot or Dutch oven; pour two cups water inside pot, bring to a boil, cover and steam the chicken. As they say, easy as pie.  The accompaniment to this dish is, you guessed it, rice.  But you can substitute couscous, quinoa or your favorite pasta, be string like spaghetti or linguine, or shells like penne or macaroni.  You’re in charge, my friends.

Not that the recipe calls for a for dry sherry. If desired, you can substitute any dry whiter wine like Chablis or Sauvignon Blanc or even a semi-sweet wine such as Riesling.

STEAMED CHICKEN WITH WINE

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (about 1½-2-pounds)
Salt to taste
2 scallions, white part only
4 slices ginger (do not peel)
½ cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons hot olive oil

Instructions:

  1. Rinse chicken under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
  2. Rub chicken inside and out with salt. Cut into bite-sized pieces—except for the drumsticks which you can leave whole, if desired.
  3. Arrange on a plate, preferably breasts side up.
  4. Spread scallions and ginger on top. Then pour sherry over chicken.
  5. Place in streamer and steam over boiling water for 35-45 minutes or until chicken is tender.
  6. Heat olive oil in microwave or on stovetop in a small pan, and drizzle over chicken. This will sizzle the chicken, and that’s what you want for greater flavor.
    Yield: 4-6 servings.

 

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