Oswald Rivera

Author: Oswald Rivera (page 59 of 83)

Salmon with Lentils

I’ve long been an aficionado of lentils. I enjoy their taste and the varied ways that they can be used. There’s good reason for their popularity these days, and not just among the vegetarians among us. Lentils, as part of the human diet, have been around for approximately 13,000 years. They come in colors ranging from red-orange to green, to brown and black; and the cooking time varies from 10 to 40 minutes, depending upon the size and variety. They are a popular staple in the Mediterranean basin, Africa, South and West Asia.

We Latinos usually serve rice with beans (red/black/white). Conversely, in India, Pakistan and Egypt, the rice is mixed with the lentils. In Europe, North and South America, they are popular in soups. That being said, they are also a great source of iron, protein, amino acids dietary fiber, vitamin B, a minerals. Lentils are considered one of the healthiest foods around. Their pedigree is such that they are mentioned in the Christian and Hebrew Bible wherein Esau sells his birthright (i.e. his inheritance) to Jacob for a pot of lentil stew, or a “mess of pottage.” (Note: if you want a good recipe for lentil stew, see my posting of 11/01/11—A Mess of Pottage).

Recently, I decided to mix lentils with salmon, one of my favorite fish variety. The result is the recipe given below. You can cook the fish in an outdoor grill and have it barbecue style. Or you can use the oven broiler. Either way you have a delicious and garlicky (yes, I love garlic) entrée.

SALMON WITH LENTILS

5 tablespoons olive oil (plus more if you’re grilling)
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced into rings

2 cups lentils (I use green lentils; but other types may be substituted)
4 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 bunch parsley, washed and chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup fresh basil, washed and chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, washed and chopped

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 pound salmon fillets, cut into 4 equal pieces, skin left on
1/4 cup scallions, rinsed and finely sliced

1. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add 3 cloves garlic and onion; and saute until onion is transparent.
2. Add lentils, water, bay leaf, parsley and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until lentils are tender, about 25-30 minutes. The lentils should be tender but still somewhat firm. Do not overcook. Drain lentils of any extra liquid that may be in the saucepan. Add 1 tablespoons olive oil, remove from heat and set aside.
3. While lentils are cooking, whisk together in a small bowl the remaining garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, basil, mint, and oregano. Add this dressing to the lentils. Stir to mix, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside and cover to keep warm.
4. Cook the salmon: Preheat a grill or broiler, or prepare a charcoal fire in an outdoor grill. Rub salmon pieces with olive oil and rub with salt and pepper. Place salmon pieces on grill, skin side down and cook for 5 minutes. Turn over gently with a spatula and cook on the other side, 2-5 minutes until desired doneness. If broiling, broil on one side only until done, 5-8 minutes.
6. Divide lentils among four dinner plates. Arrange salmon pieces over lentils and sprinkle with sliced scallions.
Yield: 4 servings

Sofrito with Pasta

July 23, 2014 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

These days, almost everyone interested in cooking knows about sofrito. It wasn’t always like that. When I was growing up, the condiment was hardly known outside of Hispanic and Puerto Rican enclaves in East Harlem and the South Bronx. My Anglo friends had never heard of it until I mentioned it to them. My Mexican friends stated they had their own version of sofrito, But that’s as far as it went. Then with the culinary explosion that enveloped America from the 1970s on, sofrito was popularized. This aromatic mix of herbs and spices, used as a base for countless Caribbean dishes, became the darling of innovative cooks everywhere.

As I demonstrated in my video on the topic (7/10/14), sofrito is an easy mix to conjure up. In my culture we use it for flavoring stews, casseroles, soups, meat, poultry, seafood, you name it. However, I got to thinking: what about combining it with one of my favorites—pasta? Has it even been tried? In recent years the talk has been about “fusion cuisine.” Well, what would be more daring than sofrito with linguini, or rigatoni, or penne, macaroni— whatever brand of pasta you like, be it strand or tubular?

So recently I set myself an experiment, and decided to combine sofrito with a pasta type. In this case, perciatelli. I love perciatelli. It looks like spaghetti but it’s slightly chunkier, more like a cable than a strand. As my father woulds say, “It’s a manly-man pasta!” No angle hair in this family. Not that there’s anything wrong with angel hair or other fine pasta. Just that perciatelli (like fettuccine) sticks to the ribs. Anyway, if you don’t want percialtelli, use whatever pasta suits your taste.

Naturally, in all of this, the main ingredient is sofrito. And a basic recipe for sofrito would include 1/2 cup parsley or 12 whole leaves recao (a small green stemmed herb found in Hispanic, Oriental, or Indian markets); 1/2 cup of cilantro; l medium green bell pepper, chopped; 2 cloves garlic. crushed; 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped; and 1/4 pound sweet chili peppers (also known as aji dulce–but they’re sweet, not hot and spicy. They’re sold loose by the handful or in 1/4 or 1/2 pound packets. A 1/4 pound packet contains about 12 peppers). Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor, with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and puree until it has a smooth, sauce-like consistency. This will yield about 1 1/3 cups of sofrito. You can store the sofrito in a closed jar or container in the fridge for 3-4 days, on in the freezer compartment indefinitely.

SOFRITO WITH PASTA

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup sofrito
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 pound ground beef, turkey, or chicken
1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch sticks about 1-inch long
1/2 cup water or chicken broth
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 pound perciatelli (or any other pasta—your choice), cooked according to package directions
2 tablespoons fresh, chopped parsley

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet or pot. Add sofrito and tomato paste, and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add ground beef or poultry and cook until meat loses its red color (5-7 minutes). Again, stirring frequently to break up any lumps in the meat.
3. Add the zucchini, stir to mix. Season with salt and pepper. Add the water or chicken broth, cover, and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. Check periodically: if the meat becomes too dry, you can add more water or chicken broth.
4. Add the cooked pasta. Stir to combine, sprinkle with the parsley, and serve.
Yield: 4-6 servings.

Crabmeat Salad

July 16, 2014 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Summer time is salad time. And in that vein, one of my favorite is crabmeat salad. The easiest thing to make during these dog days. Most of the ingredients are right at hand. The recipe given can be served as an appetizer or dinner salad. I’ve done crabmeat salad many times; but this time around I had some fresh basil lying around, and I added that to it. It made for a good mix. Along with a carrot, onion, lemon juice, herbs , and the ubiquitous mayo and mustard, you have yourself a great salad. Served on a bed of lettuce, and with a good hunk of bread, and some white wine, you have a great summer meal.

CRABMEAT SALAD

2 6-ounce cans crabmeat, drained and flaked
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves

1. In a medium bowl, mix and toss lightly the crabmeat, carrot, onion, basil, and oregano.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, and lemon juice.
3. Add the mayonnaise dressing to the crabmeat and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, and serve on a bed of lettuce. If using at a later time, you can refrigerate the crabmeat salad until ready to serve.
Yield: 4-6 servings, depending on whether it’s served as an appetizer or dinner salad.

Sofrito: Spanish Rice Video

July 10, 2014 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Check out the new video:

Adobo

July 10, 2014 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Adobo, along with sofrito and achiote, is a magic word to those of us whose forbears hail from the Caribbean. It is an indispensable item in our cuisine. At its basic it’s simply a mix of black peppercorns, oregano and garlic. In the old days these ingredients were crushed in a mortar and the mix was rubbed thoroughly into meat, fish or poultry. That’s still the way it’s done by purists (and yours truly). Back on the block, most people just sprinkled the meat with ground pepper, ground garlic, dried oregano and, sometimes, onion powder, then marinated it in olive oil and vinegar. Others, like my Uncle Phillip, preferred fresh lime juice to the vinegar. And there were no strict guidelines. We all did it by eye measurement and repetition.

Since then, I’ve discovered that adobo is not solely a Puerto Rican or Caribbean thing. In the town of Puebla, in Mexico’s central range, they have a version of adobo that is a paste of ancho chiles, garlic, peppercorns and cumin seeds. And they normally use it when cooking pork. This is interesting, since in some Puerto Rican versions of adobo , they may also add cumin seeds. In my family we didn’t add cumin seeds. We just kep it to the basics.

When I was growing up in Spanish Harlem, no one knew about adobo outside my neighborhood. It was well known in the Dominican enclaves on upper Broadway, but that’s as far as it went. As adobo was popularized by assorted gourmands and gourmets, it was, like all else, commercialized. So that today you can find it in a jar in any store. It’s convenient but, if you want the real thing (and not just something with chemicals and preservatives), you can make your own adobo quickly and efficiently. And it’s far more tasty and healthy than the store-bought stuff. The recipe given below is the one we’ve been using in my family for generations. You can go the traditional method and use a mortar and pestle to grind the ingredients, or not. Also note that the ingredients can be doubled or tripled, if you want more. Just store the remainder in an air-tight container away from heat and light or in the fridge.

ADOBO

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper or 8 whole peppercorns, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or three cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried or fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon onion powder (optional)

If using fresh peppercorns and garlic, just combine with other ingredients and crush in a mortar. If not, just combine all ingredients in a bowl. Another variation is to heat the salt and peppercorns in a dry skillet on medium heat until the spices are lightly toasted (about 3 minutes). Then combine with the other ingredients and grind in a blender or spice mill. Some say this renders a more fragrant adobo. In the Rivera family we just mix the ingredients and forego the frying part. Your choice; and enjoy!

Fish Fillets with Lemon and Capers

July 3, 2014 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

I’m told that one of the first things they teach in cooking school is preparing a dish “meunière” style. I’ve never been to cooking school but its seems we in the Rivera family have been cooking “meunière” style all along. It’s simply dipping fish fillets (or a whole fish) in milk, coating with flour, and frying. A variation of this is meunière with lemon and capers. This is called grenobloise style. My mother had been preparing fish like this for years without knowing of its highfalutin background. In French classical cuisine they use mainly an unflavored oil such as peanut or corn oil for the frying. Given our Latin roots, we in the Rivera clan use olive oil.

What’s great about this dish, whatever you want to call it, is its simplicity. It’s one of the most basic of entrées. Boiled potatoes is the classic accompaniment to this dish, but you can serve it with rice or pasta, or any other preferred grain. With a crusty piece of bread, it’s the best thing around.

FISH FILLETS WITH LEMON AND CAPERS

4 boneless fish fillets, such as haddock, cod, flounder, turbot, ext. (about 1/4 pound each)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon (plus three-four thin lemon slices for garnish)
6 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup drained capers
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1. Rinse the fillets under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Place the fillets in shallow dish and add the milk. Turn the fish to coat evenly with the milk.
3. Place the flour in another shallow dish and season salt, pepper, and oregano. Dredge each fillet in the flour; and shake to remove excess flour from the fish.
4. Heat the oil in a large skillet (I prefer cast-iron), and cook the fillets over moderate to high heat about 4-5 minutes until golden brown on one side. Turn and cook until golden brown on the other side. As the fish cooks, baste with the oil in the skillet. Total cooking time is about 10-15 minutes.
5. Remove the fillets to a warm serving dish. Sprinkle with the lemon juice.
6. Pour off the oil from the skillet, and wipe the skillet with a kitchen towel or paper towel. Heat the butter in the skillet over medium heat until it starts to brown. Add the capers and cook about 15 seconds. Pour the butter sauce with the capers over the fish fillets. Sprinkle with the parsley. Garnish with the lemon slices, and serve.
Yield: 4 servings.

Char Siu – Style Eggplant

June 26, 2014 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

In the Rivera clan we love eggplant. And we prepare it in whatever fashion: fried (breaded or not), braised, sauteed, baked, you name it. That said, I’m always seeking novel ways to prepare the vegetable—which led me to char siu– style eggplant.

Char Siu is is a popular way to flavor and cook meat in East Asia. Now, like everything else, there are variations in the way it is prepared. It is mainly a mix of soy sauce, sugar or honey, hoisin sauce and five-spice powder. Some recipes add ouster-flavored sauce and wine to it as well. In Cantonese cooking, char siu literally means “fork burn/roast,” where strips of meat, typically pork, are marinated in the char siu sauce, then skewered with long forks and cooked over a fire. In Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, the sauce is mixed with rice. In Japan it is called chāshū and likewise is used in cooking meat, bu they omit the sugar and five-spice powder. In Hawaii, it’s used in cooking chicken, wild birds, and even goat meat.

So it came to mind: Why not try it with eggplant? If char siu can be used with meats and rice, why not vegetables? And the result is the dish given below. You can serve it as an appetizer, or side dish, or as an entree with rice, couscous or whatever grain desired. It makes for a great vegetarian meal. Coupled with a bottle of your favorite white wine (or light red, for that matter), you can’t miss on this one.

CHAR SIU -STYLE EGGPLANT

1 medium eggplant
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons oyster-flavored sauce
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder*
3 tablespoons white wine

1. Wash eggplant under cold running water. Trim off the end and cut eggplant into 1/4-inch slices (do not peel). Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
3. In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, honey, hoisin sauce, oyster-flavored sauce, five-spice powder and wine. Toss eggplant with the mixture and marinate at least 1 hour in the fridge. You can also place eggplant in a large zip-lock bag, add mixture and marinate that way.
4. Remove eggplant from marinade, place in a baking dish (I prefer cast-iron) and bake until tender (about 30).
Yield: 4 servings.

Note: Five-spice powder can be obtained in any Asian or Oriental market, or health food store.

Greek Grilled Octopus

June 20, 2014 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

We Puerto Ricans love Octopus. The favored way of preparing it is in octopus salad, where the cooked and
sliced octopus is combined with herbs, garlic and onions and served over steamed rice or in sandwiches—that’s right, octopus sandwiches. Don’t knock it till you try it. In the Mediterranean they’ve been preparing octopus for over a thousand years. The following recipe is grilled octopus – Greek style. It’s innovative in that the octopus is cooked in its own liquid with a wine cork added (supposedly to help in the reduction of the liquid).

I like this recipe because it minimizes the cooking time. The problem with octopus is that if it’s cooked too long it becomes rubbery. In my experience it should have minimal boiling, otherwise you’ll be chewing on rubber. This recipe can be prepared on a grill or, my favorite, seared in skillet and then served. Either way gives you a great, tasty dish. Served over steamed white rice, it’s a memorable meal.

GREEK GRILLED OCTOPUS

1 medium to large octopus, beak and ink-sac removed (most octopi are already cleaned when purchasing)
1/3 cup dry red wine
Balsamic or red wine vinegar
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Fresh or dried Greek oregano
Olive oil
Salt to taste (preferably sea salt)
Juice from half a lemon

1. Wash octopus under cold running water. Then place (with a wine cork) in a pot over high heat and cover.
2. Allow the octopus to boil for 5-8 minutes. Remove the lid and have a look-see if the liquid has been released. The octopus should be almost covered in liquid.
3. Replace the cover and reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes, checking occasionally to see if there’s enough braising liquid. You may add some more water and continue to braise until the octopus is fork-tender.
4. Remove from heat. Add the wine, 3 tablespoons vinegar, and oregano. Allow the octopus to steep until the liquid has cooled or, better still, place in the refrigerator overnight.
5. If you’re grilling the octopus: preheat gas grill to high. You may cut the octopus into pieces now or after it’s been grilled. Take the octopus out of the liquid and place in a bowl, add about 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, a splash of vinegar, oregano and pepper. Salt is optional. Place octopus on a grill and cook about 2-3 minutes on both sides. Remove and place on a serving platter. Drizzle with more olive oil, a squeeze of lemion juice, a good sprinkling of oregano, and a little salt.
6. If you are not grilling and want to prepare it on the kitchen range: take the octopus out of the liquid and place in a bowl. You may cut the octopus into bite-sized pieces at this time. Add 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, a splash of vinegar, oregano, pepper and some sea salt, if needed. Heat a skillet or, preferably, a cast-iron pan, and sear the octopus 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet and place on a serving platter. Drizzle with more olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, a sprinkle of oregano and sea salt if desired.
Yield: about 4 servings.

Persian Grilled Chicken

June 10, 2014 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

One of my favorite cuisine is Middle Eastern. And I’m told this is the favorite way of preparing chicken in Iraq; and it harks back to the Persian Empire. The recipe can be done over hot coals on an outdoor grill or in an oven broiler. I like this recipe because its very similar our method of broiling chicken in Puerto Rican or Nuyorican neighborhoods. The only difference being that we add oregano to the marinade. And Iraquis marinate the chicken overnight, just like we do. Farther afield, in Turkey, they like to flavor the chicken with a little cumin instead of the garlic and lemon in the marinade.

PERSIAN GRILLED CHICKEN

1 3-pound broiler fryer chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
Juice of 1 lemon
1 small onion, chopped and crushed to extract juices
1-3 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper to tatse

1. Rinse chicken pieces under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Place chicken in a bowl or large zip-lock bag. Add the remaining ingredients. If using a bowl, rub the seasoning thoroughly into the chicken parts. If using a zip-lock bag, make sure the chicken parts are thoroughly coated with the marinade. Refrigerate overnight.
3. If using a grill: place the chicken pieces on an oiled grill (preferably over a charcoal fire) that is very hot and glowing, and no longer smoking. Grill the pieces until golden brown but still pale and tender inside, basting with marinade and turning once.
4. If using oven broiler: broil in a pan (I prefer cast-iron), rack or greased aluminum foil 7 inches from heat source for 30 minutes. Turn once during broiling and baste frequently with the marinade.
Yield: 4 servings.

Home Made Fish Nuggets

June 4, 2014 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

In recent times our illustrious fast food culture had co-opted fish nuggets. They are now selling like hotcakes in every fast food venue. Problem is, though they may be artificially tasty, they suck in that they are very bad for you health-wise. They are chock full of sugar, chemicals and artificial ingredients. In essence, you are ingesting poison. So why eat this crap when you can make tasty fish nuggets at home? That’s right, home-made fish nuggets at very minimal expense and time. You can also make you own dipping sauce as well. With that in mind here’s a quickie, tasty recipe for crunchy fish nuggets with an appropriate sauce.

The recipe is easy as pie: coat the fish with seasoned milk, then dredge in seasoned bread crumbs; bake and serve with a honey-curried mustard dipping sauce. The whole thing takes about twenty-five minutes to prepare, if that. By the way, you can try the same recipe with chicken fillets and have chicken nuggets. It works just as well.

HOME MADE FISH NUGGETS

1/2 cup milk
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 1/4 pound cod or haddock fillets, cut into 1 by 2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (or more if you want it really spicy)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Honey-Curried Mustard Sauce:
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons mustard (preferably coarse-grained)
1/2 teaspoon curry powder (more if you want it really spicy)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, salt and pepper to taste.
3. In another shallow bowl or pie plate, mix together the breadcrumbs, chili powder, cumin and garlic powder.
4. Immerse the fish nuggets in seasoned milk, turning to coat evenly. Then dredge the nuggets in the breadcrumb mixture, coating all sides evenly.
5. Arrange the fish on a greased baking pan (I prefer cast-iron), baking dish or greased foil paper. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until the breadcrumb coating is golden brown and crisp (the fish should be opaque at the center).
6. Meanwhile, prepare the dipping sauce: in a small bowl, whisk together the honey, mustard, curry powder, salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve the fish nuggets with the honey-curried mustard sauce.
Yield: 4 servings.

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