Oswald Rivera

Author, Warrior, and Teacher

Author: Oswald Rivera (page 32 of 83)

LAMB CHOPS ITALIAN STYLE

October 14, 2020 / / 0 Comments

On my mother’s side, the heritage is Italian. In fact, my crazy Uncle Phillip once made it his mission to track down the Italian connection and he discovered that the Bizardi’s, my mother’s maiden name, hailed from Brindisi in Southern Italy. This comes to mind with the dish featured today. It’s one of our family favorites. We love lamb chops with garlic and tomatoes. Sometimes my Mom would use ripe tomatoes. In the winter,  it would be canned Italian tomatoes and, when times were lean, marinara sauce. The dish never disappointed.

Through experimentation, the only changed I’ve made to the recipe is to add ground cumin. It improves and hightens the taste. Here it is, the Rivera family Lamb Chops Italian Style.  Any grain accompaniment or even pasta will go with the dish. True to our Boricua lineage, this time around I served it with tostones, friend green plantains. Want a good and  quick recipe for tostones? Check my post from 10/16/16.

Also, if you want to make this dish Tex-Mex, substitute 1 cup prepared salsa for the tomatoes.  Thus, the recipe gives you two dining options.

LAMB CHOPS ITALIAN STYLE

Ingredients:

6-8 lamb chops
2 tablespoons olive oil
Ground cumin to taste
4 large tomatoes, chopped, or 1 medium-sized can  Italian tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
¼ cup grated cheddar cheese

Instructions:

  1. Brush chops with olive oil and sprinkle with cumin. Heat a pan or skillet over medium-high heat and brown chops on both sides (2-3 minutes).
  2.  Add tomatoes and garlic. Lower heat, cover and simmer very gently for 15 minutes.
  3. Top with grated cheese. Cover briefly to melt cheese. Serve immediately.
    Yield: 4-6  servings.

 

NIU JOU SUNG (Chopped Beef with Peas)

October 12, 2020 / / 0 Comments

I call this recipe “Asian Picadillo” because it’s so similar to the Picadillo dish so popular in Latino cooking. Picadillo, to us, is mainly stir fried ground beef with tomatoes, olives, raisins, pepper, salt and oregano. And, yes, sometimes we do add peas to it as in Niu Jou Sung (Chopped Beef with Peas).

Now, this dish is interesting in that there’s a Cantonese version which uses oyster sauce in its ingredients. A Korean version has ginger, sesame seeds and scallions in it. And some versions include monosodium glutamate. The version given below is much simpler. All it contains is soy sauce mixed with dry sherry, brown sugar and cornstarch. It’s so easy to prepare. Another one of its benefits, maybe 20 minutes to make, tops.

So, here it is, Niu Jou Sung served over plain steamed rice, the preferred accompaniment.

NIU JOU SUNG
(Chopped Beef with Peas)

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef
Marinade:
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon dry sherry
¼ teaspoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ teaspoon turmeric

1 package (16 ounce) frozen peas (completely thawed)
2 tablespoons peanut oil or corn oil
½ tablespoon cornstarch combined with
2 tablespoons cold water

  1. Combine ground beef with marinade ingredients. Set aside.
  2.  Heat pan or wok over medium heat until very hot. Ad oil, then beef. Stir-fry over medium heat until meat separates and has mostly changed in color (no red showing). Turn heat to high, add peas and mix them in with meat, letting them cook together for 1 minute.
  3.  Mix cornstarch- and- water combination well. Slowly add to meat and peas while you continue stirring until sauce thickens and coats everything with a clear glaze. serve hot with plain rice.
    Yield: 4 servings.

TRI-TIP STEAK

September 29, 2020 / / 0 Comments

This recipe came about because of the wine club I belong to. It’s Laithwaite’s Wine. It’s because of them than I can afford to drink premium wines. One of them is Tri-Tip Malbec from Lodi, California. Now, Malbec is normally associated with Argentina, where it is the star varietal. But Lodi, California, where Zinfandel is the star, is no slouch when it comes to producing mouth-watering Malbecs. Tri-Tip Malbec, with its inky color, hints of dark fruit, and berry flavors is a prefect match with the recipe given. It complements a steak grilled to perfection.

If you can’t get your hands on a Tri-Tip Malbec, then any good quality Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah (Shiraz), or Zinfandel will do.

For this recipe I used  sirloin steak. But, it doesn’t have to be sirloin. It could be any steak of choice, even the humble chuck steak. The marinating process make it all even out.

TRI-TIP STEAK

Ingredients:

2 1¼ sirloin steaks (or steaks of your choice)
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon white sugar
½ teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon chipotle

Instructions:

  1. Wash steaks under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
  2.  In a bowl, combine all of the remaining ingredients. Rub mixture on steaks.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Or you can place steaks in a zip-lock bag and refrigerate.
  3. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before grilling.
  4.  Heat your grill to high. Then grill steaks over medium-high heat with lid closed until desired level of doneness, usually 5 to 7 minutes per side. The steaks should cook until golden brown and slightly charred.
    Yield: 4 servings.

ARISTA OF PORK AND BEANS

September 21, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Arista of Pork and Beans is the classic dish of Tuscany. It is made, traditionally, with pork loin. One can also use pork shoulder. My version is made with pork shank. In fact, there’s a theory that arista, in Latin, means upper part, possibly referring to pork shank, or upper part of the pig. The most popular story of how the dish got its name is that in 1430, the Byzantine Patriarch, Bessarion, came to Florence for an ecumenical council and, when he tasted the roast pork, he exclaimed “Aristos!”, the Greek word for best or excellent.

The beans in the dish refers to Tuscan Beans. That is,  white beans, either Great Northern or navy beans, and cooked with sage and plum tomatoes.

This is a special dish for that special occasion when you want to impress family and friends. However, anytime would be a great occasion for this classic. With a good Chianti, nothing could be better.

ARISTA OF PORK AND BEANS

Ingredients:

1 four-pound pork shank  or loin of pork
3 cloves garlic, cut into slivers
2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary or 1½ teaspoons dried
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
3 whole cloves
2 cups dry red or white wine
2 cups water

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
  2. Trim excess fat from pork. Roll garlic slivers in rosemary. With the point of a sharp knife, cut small incisions in the meat and in each incision insert a garlic sliver. Rub the meat with salt and pepper. Insert the whole cloves in the meat.
  3.  Place the pork on a roasting pan. Pour the water and wine in the pan. Cook for 2¾ hours, basting occasionally. Cut roast into thin slices and serve.

TUSCAN BEANS

Ingredients:

1½ cups small dried white beans, picked over and rinsed
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 plum tomatoes, chopped; or 1/3 cup canned, drained and chopped

Instructions:

  1. Soak beans overnight in a large bowl with water to cover.
  2.  Drain beans and place in a Dutch oven or large pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil over moderate heat. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes or until beans are just tender. Drain.
  3. In a large skillet, heat butter and olive oil over moderate heat. Add beans, sage, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring with a fork, 3 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and toss lightly to blend. Cook 3 minutes more and serve with pork roast.
    Yield: 6 servings.

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

September 20, 2020 / / 0 Comments

This is my wife, Holly’s, Fried Green Tomatoes recipe. It’s her family recipe that she had frequently while growing up in Southern Indiana. It’s a hearty, simple no frills version that I’ve gown to love.  The only thing I’ve added is oregano; and I’ve combined olive oil, canola oil and butter for the frying rather than just frying it in Crisco as in the old days. It’s a basic dish of eggs, flour, salt and pepper. That’s it. And that’s another point on which Holly is adamant. In her family, it was always flour that was used for breading, not breadcrumbs or cornmeal or anything else.

The origins of fried green tomatoes have change since I first had it down south during my young manhood. It is now claimed that the dish is not southern in origin.  For example, the dish is mentioned in the International Jewish Cookbook by Florence Kreisler published in 1919. And there is a recipe for it in a 1902 cookbook, 365 Luncheon Dishes, published in Philadelphia. According to Robert A.  Moss, author of The Fried Green Tomato Swindle and Other Southern Culinary Adventures, the only Southern  mention of the recipe that he could find was from a 1944 Alabama newspaper. Southern dish or not,  it’s a great and unique dish. I mean, who would ever think of frying green tomatoes? A lot of folks, it seems.

Ingredients:

3 large green tomatoes, rinsed and wiped dry with paper towels
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup canola oi
3 tablespoons butter

Instructions:

  1. Slice tomatoes ½-inch thick. Discard the ends.
  2. Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl. Pour the flour onto a plate, and season flour with salt, pepper and oregano.
  3.  Dredge tomato slices in flour and then dip in egg mixture.
  4.  In large skillet, combine olive oil, canola oil and butter. Heat over medium heat. Fry tomatoes in batches. Do not crowd tomatoes and they should not touch each other. Cook until browned on one side, 3-4 minutes. Flip and fry on the other side. Drain on paper towels.
    Yield: 4 servings.

WILD MUSHROOM SAUTE

September 18, 2020 / / 0 Comments

I want to the local farmer’s market and I came across a species of mushroom I’m not familiar with: ouster mushrooms. Pleurotus ostreatus, also known as pearl oyster mushrooms and tree oyster mushrooms are very popular in Chinese, Japaneses and Korean cuisine. But what could I do with these suckers? Then I figured, mushrooms are mushrooms. So why not sauté them in olive oil with herbs and chicken broth? The same as I would do with button mushrooms?  Whether it’s wild mushrooms picked in the forest or  store-bought, the process is the same. And, you know what, it always works out.

The recipe given can work with whatever mushroom type you can get your hands on, whether it’s Shitake, Portobello, Crimini, you name it. Still,  I call it Wild mushroom Sauté. Also, you can serve it as a side dish or an entrée  over rice, couscous or quinoa. I served it over spaghetti.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
4 cups mushrooms, rinsed, cleaned and sliced
1 tablespoon fresh chopped leaf thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon fresh chopped leaf oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
½ cup chicken broth
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan or skillet, Add shallot and cook on medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, thyme and oregano. Sauté for 30 seconds.
  2.  Add chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper. Lower heat, and simmer for 15 minutes or until mushrooms are softened.
    Yield: 2-3 servings

SHERRY BAKED PEARS

September 15, 2020 / / 0 Comments

I have a friend who has a pear tree. And every year around this time I go to his place and collect a many pears as I can. I do this because every years I make pear schnapps. It’s become a tradition in our family. This time around, as opposed to last year, the tree was fruitful, and we got a lot of leftover pears.  So, apart from pear schnapps, what can I do with these things? The most obvious was create some sort of dessert. And that is the recipe given today, Sherry Baked Pears. Now, keep in mind these are wild pears falling from the tree. Once they hit the ground, they were fairly ripe.  If you try the recipe with store bought pears or those from a farm stand, just make sure they’re ripened.

I make the pears with a combination of sherry, lemon and honey. It makes a delicious sugarless dessert that can be served warm by itself, with whipped cream, or spooned over plain vanilla ice cream.

SHERRY BAKED PEARS

Ingredients.:

1/3 cup water
1/4  cup honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
6-8 ripe pears, depending upon size (enough to make 4 cups)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a saucepan, combine sherry, water, honey, lemon juice and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
  3.  Wash, core and split pears into halves or quarters. Again, should have enough for 4 cups. Lay pears on a greased baking pan or dish and bake for 1 hour.
    Yield: 4 or more servings.

 

PORTOBELLO BURGERS

September 8, 2020 / / 0 Comments

On Labor Day I did what most Americans do—which is heat up the old grill and have a barbecue. So, what else is new? With me, it was that I didn’t go the usual burgers and franks route. I decided this time around to grill portobello burgers. That’s right, portobellos, as in mushrooms. In fact, you could call these mushroom steak burgers.  A while back it was discovered that portobello mushroom have a great texture, like steak or meat, except they’re richer in flavor. So why not portobello burgers? Portobello mushrooms are big and meaty, just like a regular hamburger or steak.  That makes them perfect for the recipe given. It’s  meaty mushrooms marinated in a mix of mustard, vinegar, olive oil and garlic. Then grilled and stuffed with a separate mix of roasted red peppers, black olives and scallions. Add some mayonnaise combined fresh rosemary and you have a dish worthy of the gods (or family and friends). Believe me, meat eaters will love this dish; and so will anyone who wants something new, different and delicious on the grill.

PORTOBELLO  BURGERS

Ingredient:

4 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon mustard (Dijon preferred)
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for scallions and hamburger buns
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
½ cup canned or jarred roasted red peppers
½ cup medium pitted black olives, chopped
6 large scallions, bottoms trimmed
4 hamburger buns
4 slices cheese (cheddar or provolone)

Instructions:

  1. Wash mushroom caps under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
  2.  Preheat grill to medium.
  3.  In a small bowl, combine the garlic, mustard, vinegar, olive oil, and a hefty pinch of salt and pepper. Brush this marinade on both sides of the mushrooms. Transfer to a zip-lock bag along with the remaining marinade. Marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the mayonnaise and rosemary, then season with salt and pepper. In a medium bowl combine the peppers and olives, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  4.  Drizzle the scallions with a little bit of olive oil and then grill, turning often until they re charred at the edges and crisp tender, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer them to a cutting board and let cool slightly. Chop the scallions and add them to the bowl with the peppers and olives.
  5.  Brush the hamburger buns with a little olive oil. Then grill until slightly toasted on both sides. Set aside.
  6.  Grill the mushrooms, gill side down, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn them over and grill on the second side until tender when pierced with a knife or fork, another 3-4 minutes. Spoon a quarter of the olive-pepper mixture evenly on top of each mushroom. Top with a slice of cheese, cover the grill and cook until the cheese melts, 1-2 minutes.
  7.  Spread the mayonnaise mixture on each hamburger bun. Top with mushrooms, and serve.
    Yield: 4 servings

ROSEMARY-OLIVE FOCACCIA

September 6, 2020 / / 0 Comments

When the precooked package pizza crust came out years go, it was a game changer. Now you could have ready-made pizza without the bother of having to make pizza dough, which was a challenge in itself depending on the ingredients used.  This was a quick, easy solution to a common problem. I became an instant convert and, ever since, have been  making all types of pizza toppings. My favorite is the classic Pizza Margherita with fresh basil, home made sauce,  olive oil  and cheese. But I’m constantly experimenting.

I am also a fan of focaccia, the flat oven-baked Italian bread product similar to pizza dough. In Italy, focaccia is served as an antipasto, appetizer or a sandwich. My favorite focaccia dish is Focaccia  al Rosmarino or simply, rosemary-olive table bread. Then inspiration struck: why not use the same ingredients with ready-made pizza crust? The result is my version of Rosemary-Olive Focaccia. Admittedly, a  shortcut process. The only difference with the recipe is that focaccia is usually made in the form of a big square or rectangle. In my creation you get regular pizza slices.

ROSEMARY-OLIVE FOCACCIA

Ingredients:

1 ready made pizza crust (like the Boboli brand)
3 tablespoons olive oil
¾ cup (or more) grated Parmesan cheese (can use Asiago or Romano cheese, if desired)
6 Kalamata olives (or any black olives), pitted and quartered
4 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and cut into strips
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
  2. Rub 1 tablespoon olive oil over top of pizza crust. Sprinkle with ½ cup Parmesan cheese. Place in oven (in an oven proof pan) and bake until cheese begins to brown.
  3.  Arrange olives, sun-dried tomatoes, rosemary and garlic atop pizza crust. Sprinkle enough remaining Parmesan cheese to cover lightly. Drizzle with remaining olive oil
  4.  Continue baking until cheese melts and crust is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, cut into slices and serve.
    Yield:  servings.

POLLO EMPANANDO – BREADED CHICKEN

September 3, 2020 / / 0 Comments

In our family, Pollo Empanado or Breaded Chicken has long been a favorite. It’s one of the poultry recipes that is featured in my first cookbook, Puerto Rican Cuisine in America (Running Press). Over the years we have experimented by using such ingredients as soy sauce, mustard, and salad dressing for dipping the chicken. But we always come back to the ubiquitous egg-oil mixture. For those who worry  about that bugaboo, cholesterol, egg whites can be used. The flavor won’t be the same. And let me state that in recent years, some studies (as in one from the Mayo Clinic) now state that the cholesterol in eggs doesn’t seem to raise cholesterol levels the way other cholesterol containing food do, such as trans fats and saturated fats. We’re back to square one: one study study says one thing and another may say something else. Seems more research is needed. So, what else is new? Just enjoy the recipe.

POLLO EMPANADO
(Breaded Chicken)

Ingredients:

2 boneless chicken breasts, about 2 pounds
1 egg, beaten
¾ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 cup dry bread crumbs
Salt  and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
¼ cup butter

Instructions:

  1. Rinse chicken beasts under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
  2.  Place  chicken breasts between 2 sheets of wax paper and pound thin to about ¼-inch thickness.
  3.  In a bowl, combine egg, ½ cup olive oil, vinegar and garlic. Spread dry bread crumbs on a plate and season with salt, pepper and oregano.
  4.  Dip the chicken in the egg-oil mixture, and then dredge in bread crumbs, turning gently to coat.
  5.  Heat butter and additional ¼ cup olive oil in a large skillet or frying pan. Cook cutlets over medium heat until crusty and brown (around 3 minutes per side). Drain on absorbent paper towels.
    Yield: 4 to 5 servings.
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