Oswald Rivera

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Author: Oswald Rivera (page 38 of 84)

VEGGIE DINNER: CAULIFLOWER AND PEAS

April 2, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Still on lock-down, and still experimenting with varied cuisines. I know. Most of us are home, enclosed by four walls, perhaps with kids and spouses demanding attention—and what the hell is for diner tonight? Or, perhaps, you just have time on your hands until the all clear. And you’re told you have to eat healthy in order to fight this coronavirus thing. That means a good veggie dinner—that even the kids will like.

Indian cooing is ubiquitous with regard to vegetarian dishes. They invented the thing. So I go back to the Indian repertoire. And cauliflower and peas is one of my favorites. It’s quick, delicious and nutritious. What more can you ask for? The normal accompaniment to this dish is white rice. Now, genuine Indian steamed rice is a little different from, let’s say, our Nuyorican  or even Mediterranean version. They don’t spice it up like we do, so that it complements the heat in an a spicy entrée. Here’s a basic recipe: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in large pot.  Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 cup washed and drained rice. Add 1 tablespoon butter, stir and cover tightly. Simmer for 20 minutes. If, at the end of that time, the rice is not yet completely cooked and there is no water left in the bottom of the pan, add 4 tablespoons of warm water and cook, covered, for another 10 minutes.  The rice should feel soft and fluffy.

Note that in this recipe you can use either fresh shelled peas or frozen. If using fresh shelled peas, they are added first (as noted in recipe). If using frozen peas, the are added later (again, refer to recipe)

CAULIFLOWER AND PEAS
(Ghobi Aur Matar)

Ingredients:

1 medium cauliflower, about 1 pound
3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon black or yellow mustard seeds
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 cup fresh or frozen shelled peas
¼ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon coriander powder
¼ cup water
Juice of half a lemon

Instructions:

  1. Separate the cauliflower into individual small buds or flowerettes. Wash, drain and set aside.
  2.  In a small wok or frying pan, heat the oil over medium flame. Add the mustard seeds and the cumin seeds. When the mustard seeds have stopped popping and the cumin seeds have turned brown,  add the cauliflower pieces, turmeric and salt. Sauté the cauliflower for 5 minutes. Reduce heat and cook, covered, for another 5 minutes.
  3.  Uncover the pot and add the fresh shelled peas, if using, at this point, and the rest of the spices. Stir and mix together.  Cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Add the water and frozen peas, if using, at this point, and cook for 10 more minutes. Remove from heat and squeeze the fresh lemon juice over the vegetables. Mix once and serve with white rice.
    Yield: 4 Servings

 

A GREEK DINNER: BAKED FISH AND GREEN BEANS AND POTATOES

April 1, 2020 / / 0 Comments

In these times of sheltering at home and self-imposed isolation, I find it’s a good opportunity to discover and experiment with cuisine other than my native Nuyorican repertoire.  Following that vein, one of my favorites is Greek cooking.  The Greeks have been cooking since 1000 B.C.E.  What I love about Greek cuisine is the way they put together the greens, the cheeses, the fish, the tang of tomatoes, the rich fragrance of olive oil. You can taste the sun-drenched wonder of the Greek Isles.

Below are two recipes that encompass this rich diversity. One is baked fish (psari plaki). The other is braised green beans and potatoes (fasolakia me potates yiahni). Both recipes hail from an old cookbook I’ve stored on my shelf: Greek Cooking by Ruth Kershner (Weathervane Books). I do not know if the book is still in print. It was published in 1977. If you collect old cookbooks and you have it, then you are blessed.

For the record, the only change I made is in the green beans and potato recipe. I had some red-purplish potatoes on hand as well as regular potatoes. So I did a combination of both. I reckon you can use whatever potatoes you have be they brown, yellow or red. Be creative is my motto.

BAKED FISH
(Psari Plaki)

Ingredients:

1 pound fish fillets (sole, flounder, or red snapper)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¾ teaspoon seasoned salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
3 slices lemon
2 tablespoons white wine

Instructions:

  1. Arrange fish in an 8-or-9-inch square baking dish (I use round cast-iron). Sprinkle with the parsley, lemon juice and seasoned salt.
  2. Heat the oil  in a small skillet and fry the onion and garlic until limp.
  3.  Top the fish with the onion mixture, including the oil from the skillet. Arrange the tomatoes on top of the onion mixture, then place the lemon slices between the tomato slices. Pour the wine over all and bake at 350ºF for 30 to 35 minutes or until the fish flakes with a fork.
    Serve with Braised Green Beans and Potatoes (recipe below). Makes 3 servings.

BRAISED GREEN BEANS AND POTATOES
(Fasoulakia me Potates Yiahni)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
½ cup chopped onions
1 pound green beans, ends nipped, and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 medium potatoes, pared and cut into ¼-inch slices
1 cup chicken broth
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon oregano

Instructions:

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and sauté onions until  limp. Add the beans and stir to combine with the onions. Arrange the potatoes on top of the beans. Pour on the chicken broth and sprinkle with salt and oregano. Heat to boiling. Cover and lower the heat to simmer. Cook for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Makes 4 servings.

 

 

 

CARAMELIZED VEGETABLES

March 21, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Caramelization is the process of browning when sugar is heated. This process can also be used in vegetables when the sugars found in fruits and vegetables turn golden brown and form new flavors. This oxidation or browning reaction is used extensively in cooking. It produces such foods as caramel sauce, crème brûlée, and caramelized sweetened milk (dulce de leche). You’ve probably seen it in French onion soup whereby the onions are caramelized before incorporating into the soup.

In the home kitchen, caramelized vegetables are very easy to make. Almost any vegetable can be turned into a great side dish or even a vegetarian meal by itself.  There are two basic methods of cooking the vegetable: roasting (baking) method or the stove-top method.  Both work equally well.  So, you want to make a quick pasta or rice dish? Simple: prepare the vegetables while the pasta or rice is cooking. My favorite vegetables in this process are broccoli, cauliflower or carrots, or combination thereof. Enjoy.

Roasting or Baking Method:

Rinse vegetable under running water, pat dry and cut into bite-sized pieces. Toss them with live oil (1-3 tablespoons depending on how much vegetables you have).  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread them on a sheet or baking pan (I prefer cast-iron) and bake at 425 degrees F. or higher until they become tender and caramelized.
When they come out all nice and tender, squeeze on a little lemon juice (usually juice of ½ lemon) or sesame oil.

Stove-top Method:

Stir-fry cut vegetables in a very hot wok or pan slicked with a little peanut oil (1-2 tablespoons or more). As above, the vegetables will take on the sweetness that comes from caramelization, which can be balanced with a splash of lemon juice or red wine vinegar.

SHRIMP MARINARA

February 19, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Sometimes the best meals are those done at the spur of the moment. You’ve been there: “What’s for dinner, honey?” Reply: “I don’t know, what we got?” You look around, and inspiration strikes. Or doesn’t. In which case, you order pizza. But what if you don’t want pizza? There’s the challenge. And this is one of those meals. I look in the fridge, and I have some shrimp. I look in the cupboard, and I find a can of Marinara sauce (or it can be spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, or even tomato sauce). Th rest is history, and a great meal. Add a good crusty bread, and a red wine like a Chianti or Zinfandel (or whatever the hell you want, even a white wine), and you have a delicious spur-of-the-moment dinner. It may not be haute cuisine, but it hits the spot.

SHRIMP MARINARA

Instructions:

1 pound capellini (angel hair) pasta (or any favorite pasta)
1 can (24- oz.) Marinara, spaghetti, or tomato sauce
¼ cup dry white or red wine
1 pound large or extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried

Instructions:

  1. Cooked pasta according to package directions.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan or skillet, bring the Marinara, spaghetti, or tomato sauce  to a boil. Add wine and shrimp. Reduce heat, add salt, pepper, and oregano. Cover, simmer for 7 minutes.
  3.  Drain pasta, place in a serving bowl. Pour sauce over pasta and serve.
    Yield: 4 or more servings.

 

HABICHUELAS CON CHORIZO (Beans with Sausage)

February 12, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Whether you call them, habicheulas,  frijoles, or granos,  beans are a popular foodstuff in Puerto Rican cooking. In my parents day, during the dark times of the Great Depression, beans and rice is what staved off hunger on the island. It was cheap and nutritious. When Boricuas first came to New York during the mass wave in the 1950s, they brought with them their penchant for beans . I was raised on beans and whatever grain was available. And the dish given below was one of our favorites. It’s Bean with Sausage. The sausage being chorizo, the cured, spicy Spanish sausage so beloved in our culture. They come in an 8-ounce package and, for this meal, you’ll need three.

Now, if you’ve acquired my book, Puerto Rican Cuisine in America (Running Press) you will note that I give two  methods for soaking beans. Most likely you’ll be getting dried beans from a store or supermarket. They require soaking in water before cooking if for no other reason that the dry beans you pick up could be older and drier than last year’s meatloaf. I prefer overnight soaking as oppose to the quick soaking method. It follows that the more soaking time, the more tender the product. But, if you’re pressed for time you can do quick soaking: put the beans in a pot with water to cover (about 2 inches). Bring water to a boil and cook beans for 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover with a lid and let soak for 1 hour. Drain the beans, rinse and cook according to recipe.

Now, for this recipe you can use whatever beans are available. It can be red kidney beans, black beans, white beans, Lima beans, pink beans, black eye peas, or green peas (what we call pitipuas, a mispronunciation of the French petitpois).  This time around I used pinto beans, which we hand on hand. Yes, you’re saying, who not just use beans from a can. You could, and it would be convenient, but it just wouldn’t taste the same. Believe me, the result would be different.  If nothing else, dried beans are healthier (canned beans are chock full of salt).

Also, in preparing the beans, I use sofrito as a condiment.  Sofrito is an aromatic mix of herbs and spices that is a base for cooking countless dishes. In my cookbook I give a recipe for making sofrito. You can also access a recipe from my post of 11/08/10. Or you can prepare the recipe without it. Some cooks use Sazón Accent (Goya makes a good product).  And, of course, the perfect side dish for this recipe is white or yellow rice

HABICUELAS CON CHORIZO
(Beans with Sausage)

Ingredients:

1 pound package of whatever bean desired
3 cups water
½ cup olive oil
3 chorizo sausages, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
2 tablespoons sofrito
¼ cup tomato sauce
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried

Instructions:

1. Rinse the beans in a colander under cool running water. Check and discard any stones or other debris. Soak overnight in a pot with water to cover.
2. Drain and rinse. Place in heavy kettle or Dutch oven with 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over moderate-high heat for 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a skillet or frying pan, heat olive oil. Add chorizo and stir-fry on moderate heat for 5 minutes.
4. Add sofrito, tomato sauce, salt, pepper and oregano. Sauté another 5 minutes.
5. Add sofrito mix to the beans. Stir, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Serve with rice.
Yield: 6 servings.

 

 

 

ROAST PORK WITH FENNEL

February 6, 2020 / / 0 Comments

 

I’m always on the lookout for particular ingredients that can enhance my cooking. This recipe falls under that category. I’ve always been curious about fennel, an aromatic and flavorful herb, very similar to anise, from which comes that popular cordial, anisette. Fennel is used in the cooking of many cultures such as Indian, Afghanistani, Middle Eastern, and is one of the ingredients in Chinese five-spice powder. But, in western cuisine, how would it hold up on its own? Let’s say, if we pair it with meat? I pondered this and decided to combine it with some pork loin which I had on hand. The results were marvelous. And that is the genesis of Roast Pork with Fennel. You will not be disappointed in the results.

I’m sure this recipe can also be paired with steak or lamb. It would be too overpowering with fish.  I would say the same for chicken. But, who knows, it you want to try it with these other staples, go at it and let me know.

I served this dish with mashed potatoes, since the pork loin rendered a great gravy to go with it. A side dish such as rice, couscous or quinoa would complement it as well. Add a good red wine, such as a Cabernet, Zinfandel, or a lighter  Valpolicella or Beaujolais, and you have a feast.

ROAST PORK WITH FENNEL

Ingredients:

1 3½ to 4 pound boneless pork loin roast
3 to 5 cloves garlic, peeled and cut into slivers
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon crushed fennel
½ cup chicken broth

Instructions:

1. Wash the roast under running water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Make gashes at various points in the roast, top, back, sides. Stud the holes with the garlic slivers. Sprinkle the roast with salt and pepper. Rub the roast with the fennel seeds.
3.  Place in large zip-lock bag, bowl or pan with a cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or, better yet, overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degree F. Remove roast from refrigerator and arrange fat side down on a shallow baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn over on meat side and continue roasting another 30 minutes.
5. When the roast has baked a total of one hour, add the chicken broth. cover lightly with foil, and bake 30 to 45 minutes longer depending on size of tenderloin. Note that roast should register 140 to 145 degrees on a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the meant when done.
6. Remove from oven, and pour fat and drippings into a medium pan. Place roast on a cooking board and let it rest while you prepare the gravy:  Sprinkle 4 tablespoons flour onto the roast drippings over medium heat, and quickly stir with a whisk. Slowly add a cup of water or chicken stock, whisking vigorously. Allow the gravy to simmer and thicken, adding more liquid as needed until you have 2 cups of gravy. Now, some people insist that the gravy should be strained and then served. I do not do this. I like the gravy as is. Your choice.
7. Serve roast with the gravy.
Yield: 4-5 servings.

 

 

BUTTER-SPICED PEAS

January 29, 2020 / / 0 Comments

My wife’s favorite vegetables is peas. I can take ’em or lave ’em. My favorite veggies are broccoli and mushrooms. However, when a good sweet pea recipe comes my way, I’m game. The dish given below attracted me because of its ingredients. I would say it’s probably Indian nature in nature. It calls for caraway, coriander, and mustard seeds. Which convinces me the recipe hails from the sub-continent. The only thing missing is cumin. But, if you want to make it even spicier, you can add cumin. This is a quicky recipe as well.  Start to finish: 15 minutes.

Th underlying ingredient for this dish is butter. In Indian or Pakistani cuisine it would be ghee, a clarified butter where all the milk solids have been removed.  And, if you want, you can make it that way. Ghee is made by heating sticks of butter on the lowest flame possible. Letting it cool for 5 minutes or more, then straining through a piece of muslin cloth and storing in a jar.  Yet I’ve discovered that regular unsalted butter will do as well. For convenience, this is what I use.

Rice would be the regular accompaniment  to this dish. But this time around I added a grain that I’ve come to appreciate: millet. This is a staple that hails from Asia and Africa, and is used not only as a food source for humans but as a fodder food for animals. In Akira Kurosawa’s classic, the Sever Samurai (not the Magnificent Seven movie, which was its cowboy western version) the poor villagers who hire the samurai to protect them from a bandit army, feed the heroes millet, the only food they have.  The samurai eat it, but still dream of meat, and lamb, and pastries. That being said, miller has a nutty flavor which toasting enhances. Simple recipe: toast a cup of millet in a skillet or pan over medium heat 4-5 minutes until the grains are golden brown and become fragrant. Add 2½ cups boiling water or stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook, covered, until liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork when done, and serve with the peas.

BUTTER-SPICED PEAS

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon paprika
10 ounce sweet peas
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. In a medium pan or skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
  2.  Add caraway seeds, coriander, mustard and paprika. Cook, stirring frequently, until toasty and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
  3.  Add peas and sauté 3 to 4 minutes, or until just tender. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.
    Yield: 4 servings.

 

CHULETAS CON LIMON (Lemon Pork Chops)

January 24, 2020 / / 0 Comments

This recipe came about because my wife made a batch of cornbread, and it was delicious: “Splenfiferous” as Zorba the Greek would say. When I ventured down south, corn bread and pork chops was a natural combo. My wife’s singular cornbread made me hark back to those great gustatory memories. Now, as to the cornbread, you can use whatever family recipe you have or you can go on-line where there are hundreds and pick the one you like.

Chuletas con Limón was one of our family’s go-to dish during lean times.  It has minimal ingredients, is fairy inexpensive, and still gave you a great meal. We would serve it with rice or potatoes, and it never failed.  My father called it “chuletas hervidas,” or boiled pork chops because the chops are steamed in water. Therefore, going back to what was referenced above, it is a healthy dish, no deep frying other than the initial browning. In our family that was not the main concern. We just wanted something cheap and good tasting.

This dish can be done with either center-cut pork chops or boneless tenderloin (which I prefer). Let your taste and pocketbook decide. Also, you can use the pork fat itself for cooking or you can use olive oil or vegetable oil. Your choice. I know, those among us who are health conscious, and that is a worthy endeavor, can forgo the pork fat. But there is no argument that the chops taste better if using the pork fat. I figure, using the latter method once in a while will not kill you; and it’ll give you a great tasting meal.

CHULETAS CON LIMÓN
(Lemon Pork Chops)

Ingredients:

Four pork chops (1-inch thick)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
4 slices lemon rings, seeded
1 cup water

Instructions:

1. Trim some of the fat that remains around the edge of the pork chops and melt in a large heavy skillet or pan. If the chops are well-trimmed, use one or two tablespoons of olive oil or vegetable oil. You can also substitute shortening, if desired.
2. Sprinkle chops with salt, pepper and oregano on both sides. Add to skillet and brown on both sides slowly, using medium-low heat.
3. Top each chop with a lemon slice and pour in water. Cover tightly and simmer gently until chops are very tender, about 45 minutes. Serve with pan juices
Yield: 4 servings.

 

 

SWEDISH SHRIMP

January 21, 2020 / / 0 Comments

As a shrimp aficionado I’m always on the lookout for good non-traditional shrimp recipes. And the one given below fits that bill. I did not know there was something called Swedish Shrimp until I came across this recipe. It is a hearty shrimp dish. I’m told that in Sweden, it’s usually served over rice with peas. But the sauce with it came out so rich that I served it over angel hair pasta. This is one of those recipes that can go with your favorite grain (apart from rice) or almost any pasta, be it shell or string. With a good red wine, let’s say a Cabernet, Chianti, Merlot, or Zinfandel, it’s a winner.

 

SWEDISH SHRIMP

Ingredients:

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon corn starch
¼ cup chopped fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dried
Juice of half a lemon

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes.
2. Add ¾ cup of the chicken broth, bring to a boil. Add shrimp, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until shrimp are pink, about 3 minutes.
3. Whisk together ¼ cup broth, sour cream, mustard and cornstarch in a cup until smooth. Whisk into skillet. Cook, stirring to thicken.
4. Stir in pepper, dill and lemon juice, and serve.
Yield: 4 servings or more.

 

 

 

 

BRAISED VEAL SHANKS (OSSO BUCO)

January 5, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Osso Buco (or Ossobuco) is famous in Lambard cuisine.  It’s basically braised veal shanks with vegetables, white wine and broth. What I did not know is that my mother had been cooking this dish for years in our humble adobe in Spanish Harlem. She called it  Carne Ternera Guisada, or Braised Veal Shanks. All that time she was cooking a Northern Italian specialty, and we didn’t know it. It just shows the cross-currents of regional cuisines, and how they influenced each other.

Depending upon her whim, my mom would add carrots or potatoes to the dish; and we would serve it with yellow rice. Not the traditional risotto or polenta as done in Lombardy.

This is a hearty meal permeated with herbs, spices and wine. This time around we served it atop couscous, one of our favorite grains. You can use whatever grain is favored, or pasta. Add a good Chianti, Zinfandel or Cabernet, and you’re set.

BRAISE VEAL SHANKS
(Osso Buco)

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
4 medium-sized veal shanks
3 tablespoons flour
1 medium onion, chopped
2 small carrots, chopped
1 (15-oz.) can whole or diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 cup Chablis or Rhine wine
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. In a Dutch oven or heavy kettle, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and lamb shanks dusted lightly with flour; and brown on all sides.
  2.  Add onion, carrots, tomatoes, bay leaves and wine. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and cook very slowly until tender, about 1½ to 2 hours.
  3.  Stir in parsley and grated lemon rind. Add salt and pepper, and serve.
    Yield: 4 servings.

 

 

 

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