Oswald Rivera

Author, Warrior, and Teacher

Category: beans and legumes (page 1 of 4)

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.

ENSALADA DE GARBANZOS (Chick Pea Salad)

July 28, 2025 / / 0 Comments

 

Garbanzos, or chickpeas are a common staple in our cuisine. Island born Puerto Ricans and Nuyoricans alike love the suckers. It’s a popular dish served with rice. But we also do it in salads. Which is convenient for this time of year when the temps are way up there and so is the humidity. Full disclosure: I posted a Chick Pea Salad recipe back in a post of 09/04/15. It was a good enough dish, and it had a multitude of ingredients, such as the common herbs, salt, pepper etc., but also such ingredients as onion, parsley, tomatoes, hard boil eggs, scallions and black olive paste. It had a profusion of stuff.

The following recipe, Ensalada de Garbanzos, is a simpler version of chickpea salad. A minimum of ingredients, but the flavor profile is the same: delicious! No stovetop cooking required. A typical, easy summer salad you can whip up in no time. Perfect for these dog days. So, beat the heat with this one and enjoy.

ENSALADA DE GARBANZOS
(Chick-Pea Salad)

Ingredients:

2 (16-oz.) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 (6½ oz.) can tuna fish packed in water, drained and flaked
1 small red onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 cup spinach, washed and chopped
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon r5ed wine vinegar (if desired, can substitute balsamic vinegar)
¼ teaspoon oregano
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Combine chickpeas, tuna, onion, garlic, spinach and capers in a medium bowl.
  2.  Combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper in a small bowl or cruet and beat with a fork or mix in the cruet.
  3.  Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss slightly.
    Yield: 4-6 servings.

HABICHUELAS CON TOCINETA (Beans with Bacon)

May 22, 2025 / / 0 Comments

 

In our culture we love beans. It’s as natural to us as ice cream is to other people. We stew it, boil it, bake it, you name it. And, from time to time, we enhance it with other ingredients. Like today’s entrée, Habichuelas con Tocineta, or Beans with Bacon. This is a dish that requires some definition. The word, Tocino, to us, means fatback, or salted pork. But in other cultures, tocino translates as “bacon.” We call it tocineta. Why? I honestly do not know. That’s just the way it is.

There is also lard. Basically, it’s rendered pork fat which, at one time we used a lot in Puerto Rican cuisine. In time, for reasons of health and well-being, lard fat fell out of favor (remember Crisco?). Today, in our cooking, it’s olive oil or canola oil that dominates our cooking. And we do use bacon to liven things up like, as noted above, combining it with beans, in this case, black beans. But any favored bean can be used, be it white beans, red beans, pinto beans or, even chickpeas. You have a wide choice. The usual accompaniment to this meal is, you guessed it, rice, white or brown. But you can pair it with couscous, quinoa, farro or, even pasta. It is a meal for all occasions. Have fun.

Now, here’s where we get into the weeds.  Today, since we are all so pressed for time, the easiest thing to do is pick up a couple of cans of beans and that’s it. Just heat up the suckers. I concur, it is convenient and time saving. Yet, to this day, in our family, we cook beans from scratch. Why? Well, it’s tradition but, more than that, you get a better flavor and all the basic nutrients you need in a dish, no processing involved. Also, canned beans, for preservation purposes, contain a lot of salt. If you’re trying to lower your salt content, it’s not a viable option. Problem is, dry beans need to be prepared for cooking. This involves soaking the beans. Preferably overnight. Why? The more soaking the tender the final product. Be aware that packaged dry beans have been stored for transport. That means they could be older and dryer than last year’s leftover meatloaf. You do not want to chew on beans that crack your teeth.

Soaking is fairly easy. Note that dry beans come in one-pound packages. Place beans in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Then place in a pot or pan with water to cover by, at least, 2 inches. Also never use warm or hot water. And, in extremely hot weather, it’s a good idea to soak them in the fridge. Ideally one should change the water once or twice to prevent the beans from fermenting. That’s it.  Lastly, drain beans and cook as given in the recipe. Let me add that in this recipe we include Sasón, a flavoring and seasoning popular in our cooking. Goya brand makes a good one they call Sasón Accent. This is optional.  But I would encourage you to try it. These days you can find it in most food stores or supermarket. If beans as a diet, is new to you, well, you’re on your way to discovering this healthy, delicious, and nutritious food. As we say in our lingo, Disfrute, Enjoy.

HABICHUELAS CON TOCINETA.
(Beans with Bacon)

Ingredients:

1 pound package dry red beans (or beans of your choice)
1 small to medium red onion, peeled and chopped
1 small green bell pepper (pimento), cored seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 (12 oz,) package chopped bacon
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 packet Sasón
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon dried oregano

Instructions:

  1. Place beans in a heavy kettle or Dutch oven pot with 2 quarts (8 cups water). Bring to a boil, cover and cook on moderate-low heat until beans are tender (about 1 hour).
  2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet or frying pan. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic.  Cook for 2 minutes.
  3. Add chopped bacon and sauté over moderate heat until tender.
  4. Add tomato sauce and cook 3 minutes.
  5. Mix in sasón,  and add this sauce mixture to the beans. Stir to combine.
  6. Add salt, pepper, oregano and bring to a boil on high heat.
  7. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
    Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

FRITTATA WITH REFRIED BEANS

May 12, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Back on the block, my mother would make omelets for breakfast, lunch or dinner. This was long before the term “brunch” came into our lexicon. The omelet, for us, was just a regular meal. With breakfast or lunch, we would have the thing with a crusty loaf of bread. With dinner, we would have it with rice.

What we didn’t realize was that we were making a “frittata.” Now, a frittata is an Italian egg dish made by whisking eggs with milk or cream, and adding fillings like a vegetable, cheese or meat, and baked in a skillet. Our omelet was similar, since we cooked it on the stovetop. And we then finished it in the oven, with some cheese on top to create a golden finish. To us it was just a partially baked omelet. Whatever you call it, it’s a marvelous dish that, yes, as noted above, can even be served for dinner.

With our omelet we used anything that was available as a filling. Following that vein, in today’s dish, we add refried beans as a filling. That’s right, refried beans. It was an experiment on our part that worked out marvelously. Also, for this dish we use cheese slices, and it can be whatever you have on hand, be it cheddar, Swiss, pepper jack or even American cheese.  So, try this one out, and discover what a Nuyorican omelet is all about. And, for the sake of consistency, I call it a frittata.

FRITTATA WITH REFRIED BEANS

Ingredients:

8 large eggs
¼ cup tablespoons milk or cream
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
¾ teaspoon oregano
2 (15.5 oz.) cans refried beans
3 tablespoons olive oil
5-6 cheese slices of your choice

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Crack eggs into a bowl. Add milk or cream, salt, garlic powder and oregano. Whisk to combine.
3. Stir in refried beans and mix well.
4. Heat oil over medium heat in large skillet (12-inch). Let me add that, in this round, we prefer cast-iron (it’s a Nuyorican thing).
5. Top and cover with the cheese slices. Place in oven and bake about 15-20 minutes or until the eggs are set and the top is melted and
slightly golden.
Yield: 6 servings.

 

 

LENTEJAS CON CHORIZO (Lentils with Sausage)

April 17, 2025 / / 0 Comments

In our family we love lentils. Perhaps because they’re part of the group of beans and legumes; and we cook them in a similar fashion. For this recipe, if you can find fresh lentils, then go for it. If not, dried lentils work just as well.  The only difference comes at first sight: fresh lentils look similar to the dried variety except they’re slightly larger and greener. In our crowd we’ve had both, and both are just as good.

This recipe combines lentils with sausage, specifically the Spanish variety known as chorizo, which is sundried and flavored with smoked paprika and salt. At one time, back in the old days, this type of sausage could be found only in Hispanic markets or fancy food shops. I remember that, back in Sanish Harlem, you would go into the local bodega where the owner kept an open can of chorizo on the counter, and he would scoop out whatever amount was needed for each customer.  Today, you can get chorizo almost anywhere, be it your local grocer or supermarket. With this dish, we seldom used any other kind of sausage. Though I’m sure the recipe will work with almost any variety, even Libby’s sausage from the can.

Note that this recipe calls for aji dulce, or sweet chili peppers. These are not the hot variety; these are mild and have a pleasant taste and aroma. If, for some reason, you can’t find aji dulce, then you can skip them and cook the recipe as is. Yes, there have been times when we have been in places where this item could not be found—until the next time.

Let me add that this dish is not a quick fix. It takes time to prepare. That being, said, the results are well worth the effort. You’ll have an entrée that will satisfy everyone and will leave family, friends and guests vying to get the recipe.  They will sing your praises.

The main accompaniment to this entrée was, and is, rice, be it white or brown rice. Burt I’m sure you can pair it with your favorite grain be it couscous, quinoa, or even pasta. The choices are endless.

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh lentils, or dried, soaked overnight
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 chorizo sausage, sliced into ¾-inch rounds
1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peed and crushed
3 aji dulce (sweet chili peppers), seeded and chopped
6 fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
Salt and ground black pepper
1 bay leave to taste
4½ cups water or broth (beef or chicken)

Instructions:

  1. If fresh, pick over lentils, discarding broken or shriveled ones. Rinse under cold running water.
  2.  Place lentils in a heavy pot, kettle or Dutch oven with 4½ cups water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on moderate-low heat for 45 minutes.
  3.  While lentils are cooking, heat oil in a skillet or frying pan. Add chorizo and cook over moderate until browned (about 5 minutes).
  4.  Add onion, garlic, aji dulce, cilantro, tomato sauce, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Sauté another 5 minutes.
  5.  Add skillet contents to lentils. Check water level, adding more liquid if necessary. Cook, uncovered, 30 minutes or until sauce has thickened somewhat.
    Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

CORDERO CON HABICHUELAS (Lamb with Beans)

November 20, 2024 / / 0 Comments

 

This dish is lamb and beans cooked Nuyorican style. In every recipe I’ve seen online, when making this dish the beans used are always white beans, either cannellini or great northern beans. We go against the grain and use red beans in this presentation. Nothing against white beans (which I love) but red beans, to my mind, gives the dish a whole different aspect, and consistency.

With this recipe, you can use canned beans, if desired, no problem there. Saves time and fuss. Since I’m a purist, I use dry red beans. Which means you have to soak them overnight and then cook. That’s the way my mother cooked beans, and its ingrained in family heritage. To me, dry beans render a better flavor and consistency. Maybe it’s all in my mind, I don’t know. Again, if you want to use canned beans, go right ahead.  It’s all an individual preference. Also, note that this dish calls for sofrito as one of the ingredients. Sofrito is an aromatic mix of herbs and spices that serves as abase for cooking countless Boricua (Native Puerto Rican) dishes. You can find a recipe for sofrito in this blog in a post on 08/11/10. Better yet, I have a video on making sofrito posted on 07/10/14. If you don’t have the time or inclination for making sofrito you can substitute a packet of Sazón, another flavoring popular in our culture. Goya makes as good version, and you can also get Sa-són Accent,  another equitable r brand

This time we served the lamb and beans with couscous; and it was a perfect pair. You can also serve it with  rice or farro. You can even pair it with pasta. The possibilities are endless.

If you’re a bean lover, and you like lamb, this dish is it. So, be adventurous. Try this one out, and impress everyone in your circle.

CORDERO CON HABICHUELAS
(Lamb with Beans)

 Ingredients:

1 ½ cup dry red cup beans
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup onions, peeled and chopped
1 pound lamb (bone leg or shoulder) washed and cut into ½-inch cubes
Water
1 tablespoon sofrito (see above)
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon oregano
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 (14-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

Instructions:

  1. Rinse beans under cold running water and place beans in a large saucepan or pot with water to cover by at least 2 inches and soak overnight.
  2. Next day, drain beans and put large pot with water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat and simmer for 1½ hours. Once beans are tender, remove to a platter and set aside.
  3. In a heavy kettle (or same pot you used to cook beans) heat olive oil on medium-high heat and sauté onion until lightly browned.
  4. Add lamb and cook until browned on all sides.
  5. Add beans and again, water to cover by 2 inches, sofrito, bay leaf, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low heat for 1 hour.
  6. Add tomatoes and parsley and cook for another 30 minutes.
    Yield: 6 servings.

Magic Beans and Broccoli

August 2, 2024 / / 0 Comments

In my lifetime, I’ve had an eclectic circle of friends. One of them was a gregarious sort who came from the heartland and called me, affectionately, “The Beaner.” There was a reason for this: I love beans. I would make great bean dishes and he would exclaim, “My God, Oz, you’re a beaner!” And he was right, Maybe it’s genetic, maybe it’s a cultural thing, I don’t know. But, give me a good bean dish, and I fall in love.  Recently, experimenting in the kitchen with what I had on hand, I enlarged the repertoire. I happened to have some broccoli and beans and decided, why not fused them together in a recipe? The result is what I call Magic Beans and Broccoli. Why? Because the beans are majestic, and flavorful.  For this dish you can use whatever variety of beans preferred, be it red beans, black beans, pinto bean, even garbanzo beans. As stated numerous times before, you’re only limited by you’re imagination.

I’m a traditionalist. When I cook beans I do them from scratch. That is, I soak them overnight in water and next day, drain, then place them in a heavy kettle or Dutch oven with water to cover by two inches, bring to a boil, cover and cook over moderate-low heat until beans are tender (about 1 hour).  I know, given today’s time constraints and rapid culture, most people  do not have the time or inclination to cook dry beans from scratch. In that case, use canned beans (but do not drain). You’ll get the same results. You’re choice.

Note that we like this dish by itself with a crusty loaf of bread. But, if desired, you can pair this dish with you’re favorite grain be it rice, couscous, quinoa or other. Even even pasta works but, in this case, I would prefer tubular pasta like penne, elbows or macaroni.

MAGIC BEANS WITH BROCCOLI

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and slice into thin rounds
2 cloves garlic, peeled and mince
2 medium to large head of broccoli, rinsed and cut into florets
2 cans (15 oz.) red kidney beans (can substitute red beans, pinto beans or other)
1 chicken bullion cube
2 tablespoons dry white wine
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon oregano

Instructions:

  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan. Add onion and cook over medium  heat until wilted. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more.
  2.  Add broccoli florets and stir-fry for 3 minutes.
  3.  Add beans (do not drain). Add bouillon and wine. Season with salt, pepper and oregano. Stir to mix. Lower heat and simmer 8-10  minutes more or until beans are cooked through.  Serve immediately.
    Yield” 4-6 servings.

COOKING WITH BAY LEAVES

July 3, 2024 / / 0 Comments

The humble bay leaf has been with us since time immemorial. But it amazes me of how many cooks that I know who relegate it to a second tier status and use it infrequently, if ever. Bay leaves are primarily considered a spice but, to my mind, the bay leaf should be up there at the top of the condiment pyramid along with salt and pepper. They’ve been in use since the time of ancient Greece and Rome. Its leaves constituted the wreaths of laurel that crowned victorious athletes in the ancient Olympics. But it’s not only cuisine; they’ve also been used in folk medicine to help relieve such ailments as diabetes, colds, high cholesterol, asthma, constipation, gas and bloating.

Of course, it goes without saying, one of their great values is enhancing recipes. For example, when making a meat sauce with ground meat, add four or six  bay leaves into the oil that cooks the onion and garlic at the beginning. Then add the meat and the rest of the ingredients, and continue cooking as you would a regular sauce. Or when grilling Shiskabab (kebabs), soak bay leaves in water, them skewer them on directly next to the chicken, lamb, beef, veggies. etc. Then grill as you would normally. Or you can wrap a whole, seasoned chicken or chicken parts in foil with a carpet of toasted bay leaves on top and on the bottom. Seal it and cook in a slow oven. Finally, you can boil bay leaves in water to make a tea that helps digestion.

As noted above, there are myriad bay leaf recipes. My favorite simply involves rice and beans, a dish common to Latino cooking. In this case, the bay leaves give an interesting twist to the dish, and make the rice and beans a glorious endeavor.

Note that, with the beans, you can use black beans, red beans, white beans, pinto beans or even back-eye peas. Also, I’ve taken a leaf from Mexican cooking and add Mexican crème or cream fraiche to the recipe. I find that Mexican crème is easier to prepare than cream fraiche, which is a more involved recipe. For Mexican crème: In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon sour cream, 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice, and a dash of salt. Whisk for a minute or so. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest on the counter for four hours during which time it will thicken. That’s it. When serving, you can top off the beans with the crème.

RICE  AND BEANWITH BAY LEAVES

To make the rice:

Ingredients:

2 cups long grain rice
Water to cover rice
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
3 bay leave
Small piece of cinnamon stick
6 cardamom pods
1 chicken bouillon cube

Instructions:

1. Wash rice under cold running water and drain to get rid of starch. The way I do this (wash the rice) is to place rice in a pot with water to cover.        Let it sit for 3-4 minutes, then drain and rinse again in a colander until the water runs clear. Friends ask me, why do this? Simple, the  rice will            cook to perfection.
2. Heat olive oil in a heavy kettle or pot. Add rice and stir until grains are opaque.
3.  Add water to cover by ¼ to ½ inch. Add salt, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods.
4. Bring to a boil, add bouillon cube, cover and simmer on low heat until water is absorbed, usually 20-39 minutes. Remember that, when                         serving with the beans, remove and discard cinnamon stick and cardamom pods.

To make the beans:

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3 bay leans
2 (15-oz.) cans of black beans
I cup fresh chopped tomatoes
½ cup fresh chopped cilantro

Instructions:

  1. While rice is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet or frypan over medium heat.
  2. Add onion and garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes.
  3. Add bay leaves and continue sautéing until onions are caramelized.
  4. Add beans, tomatoes and cilantro. Lower heat to simmer and continue cooking, stirring, for 5 minutes more. Serve over rice and topped with the Mexican crème.
    Yield: 4 servings for big eaters, 6 servings for light eaters.

 

WHITE BEANS, GREEK STYLE

May 2, 2024 / / 0 Comments

This is a wonderful bean dish that goes well with any grain, be it rice, couscous, quinoa or farro. It also compliments pasta, as we did this time around serving it with orzo, that type of pasta that looks like rice but is actually made from whole grain semolina.

I like cooking beans from scratch. Which means you have to soak the beans overnight in cool water to cover by at least 2 inches. When soaking beans, you can cover the pot, but it does not  have to be refrigerated. Then drain beans and cook as directed. If pressed for time, you can go the quicky way and use canned beans. It’s time efficient, but it will not give you the same flavor and texture. Your choice. Whichever way you prepare it, the recipe given makes for a great veggie dinner.

WHITE BEANS, GREEK STYLE

Ingredients:

2 cups small white beans
¼ cup olive oil
4 scallions, rinsed and chopped
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
1 large clove garlic, peeled and pressed

  1. Soak beans overnight. Drain, cover with fresh water by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil, and cook beans over moderate-low heat until almost tender but not mushy (about 1 hour).
  2. Add rest of ingredients and mix well. Lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until beans are completely tender. If water dries out, you can  add more water as needed to complete the process.
    Yield: 4-6 servings.

CURRIED GARBANZOS

February 13, 2024 / / 0 Comments

 

Garbanzo beans (or chickpeas) are a  popular staple in Nuyorican cuisine.  When we got to the North American mainland, we discovered curry, that piquant sauce seasoned with spices and popular in South Asian cooking. Naturally, we had to combine garbanzos with curry. This recipe is my own version; and it makes for a great vegetarian dish. Back on the block, we combine it with rice. This time around we served it with quinoa, that popular grain that originated in the Andean region of South America.

CURRIED GARBANZOS

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter
¼ cup flour
1 cup vegetable broth or water
¼ cup heavy cream
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced into thin rings
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Salt to taste
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 (15 oz.) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

Instructions:

  1. Melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan or skillet. Add flour and blend, stirring constantly.
  2. Stir in broth or water. Add cream and cook until sauce has thickened. Mix in onion, oregano and salt. Stir in curry powder and cook for 5 minutes. Note that if the sauce is too thick, you can always add a little more water or broth.
  3. Add garbanzos (chickpeas) and cook until heated through, about 3 to 4 minutes.
    Yield: 4 servings.

 

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