Oswald Rivera

Author, Warrior, and Teacher

Category: beans and legumes (page 1 of 4)

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.

 

INDIAN-STYLE LENTILS

November 17, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Lentils are a favorite in my family  whether it’s green or brown lentils. They are easy to cook and provide a lot of nutrients.

The recipe given below is Indian style. It’s a recipe I got years ago and that I still use quite often. It’s a great vegetarian dish, especially when combined with plain steamed rice. The spices in the recipe serve as a great counterpoint for rice.  I f desired, you can also serve this dish with couscous or your favorite grain. In fact, I once tried it with  stringed pasta and it came out okay. It also makes for great leftovers.

INDIAN-STYLE LENTILS

Ingredients:

2 cups dried lentils
6 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 slices (¼-inch thick) peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
¾ lemon, sliced into 6 rounds, seeds removed

Instructions:

  1. Wash and drain lentils. Combine lentils, water, cinnamon stick,  bay leaf, garlic, ginger and turmeric in a 4-quart pot. Bring to boil, lower heat, cover and simmer gently until tender, about 35 minutes.
  2.  Heat oil in a skillet or frypan (preferably non-stick). Add crushed cumin seeds. Cook for about 1 minute until lightly browned and fragrant. Add to lentils along with salt, pepper and lemon. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes more.  Remove cinnamon stick and bay leaf, and serve.
    Yield: 4-6 servings.

 

WHITE BEANS WITH SPINACH

August 31, 2023 / / 0 Comments

This is a marvelous vegetarian dinner that came about through sheer coincidence and necessity. Friends of ours gave us a whole bunch of fresh grown carrots. Some we cooked with maple syrup. And that was a good dish; but we still had a lot of carrots left. So, the idea came about: why not cook them with beans? In this case, white beans, which we keep in stock. Let me add, this dish was prepared with said dried beans. I guess you could do it with canned beans and, yes, it wouldn’t be as time consuming. But the natural taste would not be there. In the Rivera family, we still like beans made from scratch. You could call it a Nuyorican thing.

Now, cooking dried beans takes patience. The cooking time will depend on the size and type of bean. On the internet, it states that you can prepare white beans in 20-30 minutes.  In practice, this is not so. Beans take time to cook. It can be anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour or longer. The beans must be cooked till they are tender but not mushy. You  just have to keep on testing them until done. Vegetable, like carrots, take less time. What we did was cook the beans for 45 minutes. If, perchance, the beans are still too crunchy for your taste, then cook them  longer. Finally, we added the carrots and cook for 15 minutes more. Again, it may take longer, depending upon how tender you want the beans and/or the carrots. Just use common sense.

For seasoning of this dish, we stir-fried onions and garlic in olive oil. Then added salt, pepper, and oregano. Then we added the carrots to the beans with some tomato paste for more flavor. That’s it. Yes, it’s not a quicky meal. But the results, despite the time invested, will be heavenly. In Puerto Rican cuisine the usual partner to beans is rice. This time around we combined the beans with Spanish yellow rice, and it was perfect. In fact, you can also combine the beans with pasta, say spaghetti or linguini, and you’ll have a new take on pasta fazool.

WHITE BEANS WITH CARROTS

Ingredients:

1 cup dried white beans (cannellini or great northern)
2 cups carrots, peeled and cut into diagonal 1/4-inch thick pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced into rings
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon fresh chopped oregano or ½ teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon tomato paste

Instructions:

  1. Rinse the dried beans in water and put them in a large bowl. Cover with water by at least 2 inches and leave to soak overnight.
  2. Drain and rinse the beans and put them into a pot with a heavy lid. Add just enough cold water to cover them. Bring the beans to a boil,  cover and simmer them gently for 45 minutes or until the beans are tender. The cooking time will depend on the size and age of the beans.
  3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet or frypan. Add onions and cook  until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Season with salt, pepper and oregano. Add to beans in pot along with the carrots. Cover and cook 15 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook about 2 minutes more. Serve over rice.
    Yield: 4-6 servings.

 

TOFU CON CHILI Y GANDULES

May 19, 2023 / / 0 Comments

I’m always experimenting with unique tofu recipes. The one I came up with today could be categorized as a fusion Nuyorican dish, Tofu con chili y Gandules. Basically it’s tofu spiced with chili and coupled with green pigeon peas or what we call gandules, a legume very popular in our cuisine.  For this dish I used pigeon peas because I happen to have a couple of cans on hand. I’m sure you can try it with any bean variety of your choice, be it red beans, black, white, pinto or, even black eye peas. The fusion element comes in when I add soy sauce and peanut butter to attain a distinctive sweet and sour affect. Trust me, you’ll love it.

The dish may be a bit repetitive in that you use two pans to cook the ingredients. Other than that, it’s quite easy to make. Also, It’s an entrée that you can serve by itself or over rice or pasta. If you’re a tofu fan, this recipe will hit the spot.

Final Note: in our family, we like extra firm tofu but, even with extra firm, we still press it before cooking.  Pressing the tofu compresses it and squeezes out extra moisture, making it firmer and dryer, which means you can get a more  closed-grained interior and wonderfully crisp exterior when you cook it. The procedure is easy enough: wrap a block of tofu in a couple sheets of paper towels, then place in a plate with a lip. Put something heavy like a frying pan on top and weigh it down with 2 full cans or jars, or even a couple of books, and leave for 30 minutes.. The tofu will lose about two-thirds its original thickness, and up to 100ml water will have been removed. You can take a chance on  cooking the tofu without pressing, but you might end up with shredded tofu and a soup-like consistency. Better to be safe and sure.

TOFU CON CHILI Y GANDULES

Ingredients:

1 bloc tofu (14-16 oz,) rinsed and cut into chunks or serving pieces
¼ cup soy sauce
1½ tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ cup water
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
2 (15 oz.) cans gandules – reserve the liquid in the cans
1 tablespoon chili powder or to taste
1 tablespoon cumin  powder

Instructions:

  1. In a bowl, combine the tofu, soy sauce, tomato paste, peanut butter, oregano and water. Mix until the tofu is evenly coated.
  2. In a wok or large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive  oil and fry the tofu pieces until all liquid is absorbed and the tofu is browned.
  3. In another smaller pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat until the onion is transparent. Add these, the browned tofu, and gandules to the wok or large pan. Add reserved water from the cans, chili powder and cumin. Stir to mix, cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes or until  hot.
    Yield: 4-6 servings.

 

 

POLLO CON HABICHUELAS (Chicken and Beans)

May 5, 2023 / / 0 Comments

 

In our culture we love chicken and we love beans. So why not combine them together in a one pot meal, as we did back on the block with Pollo con Habichuelas. Just mix the ingredients, season, cook, and you have a marvelous one dish entrée.

In our family we use dried beans when preparing this dish. It will not work with canned beans, which are already precooked. You would have to prepare the chicken and beans separately, and then combine—which negates the idea of a one dish meal. Also, since it’s dried beans we’re dealing with, that means they need to be soaked for at least 8 hours or, preferably, overnight. This makes it easier to cook, and reduces the gas produced when the food is being digested.  There is a quick presoak method I’ve seen online: In a large pot, add 6 cups of water for each pound (2 cups) of dry beans. Heat to boiling; boil for 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and soak for at least 1 hour. Full disclosure, I’ve never tried this method; so I can’t vouch whether it works or not. Proceed as you think best.

Note that we use white beans in this recipe, which cuts down on the cooking time (about 1 hour). It takes longer to cook other beans. For instance, black beans take 60 to 90 minutes, kidney beans, navy beans and pinto beans take 90 to 120 minutes. With those varieties, since we’re cooking the chicken and beans together, by the time the beans are done, the chicken will be overcooked and dry.

The usual accompaniment to this dish is rice. In out family we like it as is with a crusty loaf of bread. Whichever way you serve it, it makes for a great dinner and the leftovers taste better the next day.

 

POLLO CON HABICHUIELAS

Ingredients:

2 cups white beans
1 2½-3 pound chicken, cut into serving pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon fresh chopped leaf oregano  or 1 teaspoon dried
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup black olives, sliced

 

Instructions:

  1. Day before, rinse beans, place in a large pot and add water to cover by 2 inches. Cover pot, and soak overnight. Note that the beans do not need to be refrigerated while soaking. Just leave in the kitchen counter while soaking or atop the stove.
  2. Rinse chicken under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Place in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, add salt, pepper, garlic and oregano. Mix to combine. Let stand for 15 minutes so that the spices blend into the chicken pieces.
  3. Drain beans, place in large pot, add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and add chicken, bouillon cube and turmeric. Stir to mix. Lower heat to gentle simmer, cover and cook until beans are tender, about 1 hour. Add more water, if necessary, during cooking. Add olives, cook 4 minutes more and serve.
    Yield: 4-6 servings.

CURRIED BLACK BEANS

December 28, 2022 / / 0 Comments

This is a recipe that came out of necessity. In Nuyorican culture we love beans. For example, rice and beans, to us, is manna from heaven. It is an integral part of our diet. Of course, we’ve refined and modified our bean intake so that we have all sort of bean dishes. And, usually, I cook beans from scratch. That’s the way my mom did, and it is family dogma. However, looking though my cupboard, we came across a couple cans of black beans. I do not recall when these were purchased  or by whom. And they were just short of the expiration date. I hate throwing away items that can still be utilized. So, I figured, okay, this one time I’ll conjure up a good bean dish that will make use of the canned stuff. That’s when I thought of Curried Beans. In my experience, most curried bean dishes, especially in Indian or Southeastern Asian cuisine involved chick peas. What we call garbanzo beans. But would the curry combo work with back beans. I considered, why not? And gave it a try. Let me say it was an experiment that rendered majestic results. I’ve come to the conclusion that almost any bean category could be used in a curried context. It may not work with green beans, which is more of a vegetable category, but then, as stated numerous times before, you’re only limited by your imagination.

This is an easy and quick dish to prepare. Following on the Asian concept, we decided to serve it with rice noodles. Just like regular rice and beans, it’s a marriage made in heaven. Note that if you don’t have rice stick noodles around, you can always substitute vermicelli pasta. So, enjoy these suckers. You won’t be disappointed.

CURRIED BLACK BEANS

Ingredients:

2  (15oz.) cans black beans
½ cup minced onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon curry powder (or more to taste)
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth

Instructions:

  1. Heat oil in a skillet or saucepan. Add onion and cook over medium heat until somewhat soft and translucent.
  2.  Add curry powder, flour and chicken broth. Mix well. Slowly mix in broth. Stir until slightly thickened. Add black beans. Stir and cook until beans are heated though.  Serve over rice noodles.
    Yield: 4 servings.

 

SOPA DE AJO Y HABICHUELAS

December 15, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Back on the block, in my family, this was one of our popular meals, especially when times were lean. Essentially it was just a soup of garlic and beans but, through time, we added other ingredients to enhance our palette. That’s the beauty of this dish. You can doctor it anyway you want depending upon what’s on hand. In terms of the beans, we always liked white beans, although it also works with garbanzo beans (chick peas).  We never did it with red, black or pinto beans, although you’re welcomed to try and let me know how it works out.

In our version, apart from the garlic, we add parsley, marjoram, salt and pepper, and sazón accent (you can substitute Goya sazón if desired). You can also use a teaspoon of turmeric in place of the sazôn. Your choice.  Note that in our culture, we soak the beans overnight and then cook the following day. If you’re press for time you can do the quick soaking method:  drain beans, place in a heavy pot or Dutch oven with 2 quarts (8 cups) water and bring to a boil. Cover and boil over moderate-low heat and cook until beans are almost ender. Then follow recipe as given. Also note that the recipe calls for water or chicken broth.  To us unsophisticates, adding 2 chicken bouillon cubes to the water counts as chicken broth—unless you have ready made chicken broth on hand.

With a good crusty loaf of bread you have a perfect inexpensive or (as my father use to say) beggar’s banquet. And you can make the soup as thick as you want adding less water (about 4 cups) and turn it into a stew.

SOPA DE AHJO Y HABICHUELAS
(Garlic-Bean Soup)

Ingredients:

1 pound dry white beans
2 quart water or chicken broth (or less if you want to make it into a stew)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 clove garlic, peeled and minced
4 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1 tablespoon fresh chopped marjoram or 1 teaspoon dried
1 large potato cut into chunks (wash, scrub but do not peel)
1 packet sazón accent
Salt and ground black pepper to atste

Instructions:

  1. Soak beans overnight in a pot with water to cover. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Place in a heavy kettle or Dutch oven with 2 quarts water or chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover and boil over moderate-low heat until beans are tender, about 1 hour.
  2.  Heat olive oil in a skillet or frying pan and sauté  garlic, parsley and marjoram for 3 minutes. Add to beans along with the potato chunks and sazôn. Stir to combine.
  3.  Add  salt and pepper and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
    Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
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