Oswald Rivera

Author, Warrior, and Teacher

Category: all (page 21 of 76)

GRILLED SALMON WITH CAJUN SPICE MIX

July 18, 2022 / / 0 Comments

I am a fan of Cajun cooking. Have been since the first time in my youth when I first heard Hank William’s ode to Cajun eats, the song  ‘Jambalaya.’ A little history first: ‘Cajun’ cuisine originated with the Acadians, French settlers who immigrated to Canada in the early 17th century and lived in what is known today as the Maritime Provinces, primarily Nova Scotia. Their cuisine, at the time, was inspired by rural French cooking. Then, in 1755, after refusing to swear allegiance to the British crown, most of them were deported to Louisiana, where they set up roots again and incorporated into their cooking most of the ingredients found in the South, which included crab, oysters, crawfish, bell peppers, and spices such as black pepper and cayenne. Add to that, influences from Spanish, Native American and African-American cooking, and you have the mix of Cajun cuisine today.

Cajun cuisine can be very spicy or mild, depending upon the ingredients and how much you use. For instance, in the recipe given, I prefer a hot, spicy rub. My wife prefers it mild. So, again, let your palette be your guide. I make enough spice mix to last me for a while, and leftovers can be stored as you would any spice or salad dressing.

Also, the recipe calls for a dry rub. I tweak it by adding olive oil to the salmon. I find it enhances the flavor.

GRILLED SALMON WITH CAJU N SPICE MIX

Ingredients:

4 salmon fillets, about 8-9 ounces each or 4 salmon steaks, about 1-inch thick
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
1 tablespoon celery seed
5 bay leaves
3 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon died oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
3 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions:

  1. Wash fillets or steaks under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
  2.  In a mortar, crush peppercorns, cumin seeds, mustard seeds. Crumble the bay leaves with your fingers and add to mortar. Crush it until it mixes all together. If you have a large mortar, add paprika, cayenne oregano and thyme. If not, then mix everything in a small bowl.
  3. Season the salmon with the spice mix, and then brush with olive oil  Heat grill to medium , about 370 degrees to 400 degrees F. Grill salmon on each side until seared and golden. If using fillets, cook skin side first for 4 minutes. Turn and cook 4 minutes more. Note that both  sides should show grill marks. If using salmon steaks, grill 4-5 minutes per side. Grill the salmon over direct heat with the grill closed. Remove  from heat and serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
    Yield: 4 servings.

GRILLED LEG OF LAMB

July 11, 2022 / / 0 Comments

This recipe could be called grilled half leg of lamb since that’s what I used this time for the lamb. I happened to have a half leg on hand, and it seemed a perfect summer day for grilling. Let me add that, in the recipe given, you can also used a butterflied leg of lamb. Let’s say 4-pound butterfly leg.  Note that when grilling the lamb, use indirect heating so that it doesn’t char and the interior cooks to perfection.

GRILLED LEG OF LAMB

Ingredients:

Half leg of lamb, about 2-2½ pounds
1 cup dry red wine
2 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
¼ cup chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

  1. Wash lamb under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels
  2. In a bowl,  whisk together the red wine, garlic, rosemary, mustard and olive oil. Put the red wine mixture and the lamb in a greaseable plastic bag.  Turn the bag several times to be sure all the lamb is coated with the liquid. Refrigerate overnight.
  3.  Preheat the grill to indirect heating. If using coals, arrange them in a circle, leaving the middle empty. If using a gas grill,  light the burners on one side of the grill.
  4.  Remove the lamb from the bag and discard the leftover liquid. Generously season the lamb with salt and pepper.
  5.  Place the lamb on the grill away from direct heat, either in the center of coals or on the opposite side of the grill. Close the lid. Cook the lamb until a thermometer registers 140 degrees F. in the center of the meat, or to desired doneness, about 10 to 15 minutes per side.
  6.  Remove lamb from the grill and let it rest on a serving platter for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with favorite grilled vegetables such as zucchini and/or potatoes.
    Yield: r4 servings.

ENSALADA DE HONGO Y ACEITUNAS (Mushroom and Olives Salad)

July 6, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Simmer time is salad time, especially when the thermometer rises and the thought of turning on the stove is anathema to most mortals (even with air conditioning). Following that vein, here is a quick Nuyorican salad that was popular back on the block. If you like mushrooms, this salad is it. Simply, it’s mushrooms mixed with pimento stuffed Spanish olives and herbs. With a crusty loaf of bread and a light wine (or light red, if that’s you preference) it’s a luscious summertime lunch or dinner.

ENSALADA DE HONGO Y ACEITUNAS
(Mushroom and Olives Salad)

Ingredients:

1 pound mushrooms of your choice, washed and thinly sliced
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
1 teaspoon fresh chopped cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried
Black ground pepper to taste
½ cup pimento stuffed Spanish olives
1 bay leaf
Lettuce or spinach leaves for salad plate

Instructions:

  1. Place mushrooms in a bowl. Add olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, cilantro, thyme and pepper. Mix well.
  2. Add olives and bay leaf. Toss to blend and refrigerate for ½ hour.
  3. Discard bay leaf and make a bed of crisp lettuce or spinach on a serving platter. Spoon mushroom olive mix on top.
    Yield: 4 servings.

SALMÓN EMPANADO (Broiled Salmon)

June 23, 2022 / / 0 Comments

This recipe is one of the easiest ways to prepare salmon, be it salmon fillets or salmon steaks. It was immensely popular with our family when  I was growing up back on the block in Spanish Harlem. It is also very versatile in that if you want to cut corners even more, you can skip the bread crumbs given in the recipe and broil the salmon as is with the condiments. But I like the crunchiness the crumbs bring to the dish.

It should be noted that I broil my salmon fairly close to the heat source, about 2-3 inches. Thus the initial broiling time is cut down to no more than 6-7 minutes. It should also be noted that this is one of the recipes included  in my first cookbook Puerto Rican Cuisine in America (Running Press).

Ingredients:

4 salmon fillets, about 6 ounces each
(Note: if using salmon steaks, they should be about ½-inch thick)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
2 tablespoons Puerto Rican rum, light or dark (your choice)
½ cup light bread crumbs

Instructions:

  1. Preheat broiler to high.
  2.  Rinse salmon fillets and pat dry with paper towels.
  3.  Brush both sides of fillets with olive oil. Place in a slightly greased broiler pan (we prefer cast-iron).
  4.  In a small bowl, combine  butter, salt, pepper, garlic, rum and bread crumbs.
  5.  Put half of bread crumb mixture on top of salmon (skin side), and broil  2-3 inches from hear source for 3 minutes.
  6.  Carefully turn over salmon with a spatula. Put on the remaining crumb mixture. Broil 4 minutes longer.
    Yield: 4 servings.

SAUCED CUALIFLOWER AND SPINACH

June 20, 2022 / / 0 Comments

I happened to have some cauliflower and spinach on hand. So, what to do with it? I thought, how about cooking the suckers in a nice sauce? And the dish came out superb.

This is what I call a one dish meal. I find it’s best cooked in a wok. If you don’t have a wok, then a large skillet or frypan will do. It’s a simple enough project. Just make a nice white sauce, add the cauliflower and seasonings (inclusive of turmeric), cook some more, then finish with the spinach. The dish can be served over rice, quinoa, farro or pasta of choice. This time around we combined it with Israeli (or pearl) couscous. It made for a fabulous vegetarian meal that even carnivores will love.

SAUCED CAULIFLOWER AND SPINACH

Ingredients:

Half a stick butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken or beef bouillon
2 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 head cauliflower cut into florets
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 cups fresh chopped spinach

Instructions:

  1. Melt butter in wok or skillet over medium heat. Add flour and stir until smooth. Add chicken bouillon and cook, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes until it makes a creamy sauce. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more.
  2.  Mix in cauliflower florets, salt, pepper, oregano and turmeric. Cover and cook about 10 minutes or until florets are fork tender.
  3. Stir in spinach and cook 2 minutes more. Serve immediately over couscous or preferred grain.
    Yield: 4 servings.

 

 

MEATBALLS STRAOGANOFF

June 15, 2022 / / 0 Comments

We’ve all heard of Beef Stroganoff, a dish of Russian origin consisting of sautéed pieces of beef in a luscious sour cream sauce. The following recipe is a variation on that dish. We’ve made the beef into meatballs. Thus, Meatballs Stroganoff. Meatballs? you say. And I say, Why not? The meatballs come out delicious; and are superb served over buttered egg noodles or rice.

This s an experiment that came out great.

MEATBALLS STROGANOFF

Ingredients:

2 pound lean ground beef
1 cup bread crumbs
½ cup chopped onion
1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
¾ cup flour
½ cup olive oil
1 cup beef bouillon
2 cups sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

Instructions:

  1. In a bowl, combine bread crumbs, onion, 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.  Mix well and shape into meatballs. Now, in terms of the meatballs, in our clan, we like them large. If you make them small, you’ll get about 18 meatballs.  If you make them 1½-inches in diameter (or larger), you’ll get about 12-13 meatballs.  Just use your judgment as to how big you want them, and proceed accordingly. Once you have the size desired, coat them in ½ cup  of the flour.
  2.  Heat oil in a large skillet or frypan and brown meatballs over medium heat.
  3. Combine bouillon and remaining flour. Pour over meatballs. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Blend in reaming Worcestershire sauce and sour cream.  Heat very gently. Pour over noodles and rice and serve immediately, garnished with fresh chopped parsley.

 

MUSTARD SAUCE

June 10, 2022 / / 0 Comments

There’s this old wives’ tale about mustard sauce being too strong for delicate fish dishes. The following recipe puts a lie to that old tidbit. Mustard sauce, if done correctly, can be as fine and smooth as the best velvet sauce. Simply, you just have to be careful in the amount of mustard you put in it.

As noted, the following recipe makes a great sauce for broiled or baked fish, be it fish fillets, fish steaks or a whole fish. Also, it’s quite easy to make. No fuss, no bother.  It’s perfect for a good seafood dinner. By the way, you can also use the sauce for vegetables or even by itself over rice or pasta. The possibilities are endless.

MUSTARD SAUCE

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
¼ cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon mustard, preferably Dijon
½ cup heavy cream

Instructions:

  1. Melt butter over medium heat  in a small saucepan and add shallots, stirring briefly until wilted.
  2. Add wine and cook about 30 seconds, stirring. Add mustard and stir.
  3.  Add cream and bring to a boil. Cook down over relatively high heat about 3 minutes or until reduced to about ¾ cup
    Yield: About ¾ cup.

SARCHICHA CON CEBOLLA Y UVA (Sausage with Onion and Raisins)

May 31, 2022 / / 0 Comments

In Nuyorican cuisine it is common to add raisins to certain meat recipes.  Think of pasteles (root plants stuffed with meat) and carne guisada (beef stew). We also add it to sausage. In this case the recipe given: Sarchicha con Cebello y Uva (Sausage with Onion and Raisins).  This is a simple dish to prepare. It’s just sausage cooked with onion and raisins, to which we add garlic, salt, pepper and a little white wine, that’s it. Normally, we pair this dish with white rice. In my family we like it with potatoes or bianda (root plants like cassava, pumpkin, green bananas, etc.). This time around we serve it on a bed of steamed cabbage and parsley potatoes and it was great.

Be aware that we refer to sausage as “sarchicha.” I’ve been informed that this is a colloquialism.  If you look it up in an English-Spanish dictionary, it refers to sausage as “embutidos.” Back on the block, we never beard of this embutidos thing. To us it was always sarchicha or sarchichas (plural). And that’s what we call this recipe, end of story.

In Latino culture, the sausage used would be chorizo, the spicy Spanish version. But you can substitute beef, pork, chicken or turkey sausage. In my family, we are partial to lamb, and that’s what is used in this recipe. Look, even if it’s Libby’s canned sausage, you’re still gonna love this dish.

SARCHICHA CON CEBOLLA Y UVA
(Sausage with Onion and Raisins)

Ingredients:

2 pounds fresh kielbasa lamb sausage
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced into thin rings
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons black raisins or more to taste
Salt and black ground pepper to taste
1/3 cup dry white wine

Instructions:

  1. Remove sausage casing if it has such. Rinse sausage links under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Then sliced into 1/4-inch rounds.
  2.  In a large skillet or fry pan, heat olive oil and butter. Add sausage and onion. Stir fry on medium-high heat until sausage is browned and onion is soft. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more.  Season with salt and pepper.
  3.  Stir in raisins and cook for 2 minutes. Lower heat, cover and simmer 4 minutes.
  4.  Add wine to pan and cook over high heat, stirring, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Serve immediately.
    Yield: 4-6 servings.

PULPO GUISADO (Stewed Octopus)

May 20, 2022 / / 0 Comments

In my culture, octopus is considered heaven sent because of its nutrition and value.  Just like squid, it is something that we relish. We bake it, we broil it, and we even make it as salad. Yet, in our family, the favorite was stewed octopus that we served over steamed white rice. But you can also pair it with pasta or couscous, or quinoa.

In the old days octopus could only be found in Latino, Greek, Asian or Portuguese neighborhoods.  Today it’s readily available in most markets, fresh or frozen, and already cleaned. If fresh, the skin should be firm and elastic to the touch, and it should be purplish pink. If the color is brownish or brownish purple, skip  it.

Octopus is cleaned just like squid in that the head cavity is flushed out. Before cooking, octopus should be rinsed in water and drained thoroughly. The mouth, a hard piece underneath the body and that looks like an eye, should be cut off and discarded. Now you’re set to go.

PULPO GUISADO
(Stewed Octopus)

Ingredients:

2½ to 3 pound baby octopus
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon fresh chopped oregano leaves or ½ teaspoon dried
2 teaspoons fresh chopped basil or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Place octopus in a heavy kettle or Dutch oven and cover with water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover pot, lower heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes. At this point the octopus should be pink and slightly tender. Remove octopus from kettle, drain and cut into bite-sized pieces.
  2.  Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a deep skillet. Add bell pepper, onion and garlic. Sauté over moderate for about 5 minutes.
  3.  Stir in tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt and pepper.  Cook 3 minutes more.
  4.  Add octopus meat. Cover skillet and simmer over low heat for another 10 minutes.
    Yield: 4 servings.

SKORDALIA (Garlic Sauce)

May 18, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Skordalia is Greek sauce that is very versatile.  It can be used as a sauce for fried fish, as a dip, with crackers or vegetables.  It’s prime ingredient is garlic. Thus, it’s rather spicy. In the Rivera clan, that’s not a problem. But, if you want to make it milder, cut back on the garlic; use maybe 3-4 cloves.

The sauce should have a slightly rough texture so it’s best to make it with a mortar and pestle, although a blender or food processor can be used if you don’t blend the mixture too smoothly. Note that the sauce can be made in advance, covered and refrigerated, but bring back to room temperature for serving.

SKORDALIA
(Garlic Sauce)

Ingredients:

5 clove garlic, peeled
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/3 cup pignoli (pine) nuts
1/2 pound bread crumbs
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup warm water

Instructions:

  1. Using a stone or wooden mortar and pestle, pound the garlic and salt together to form a paste. Add walnuts and pignoli nuts and pound to a uniform mixture.
  2.  Soak the bread crumbs in water and squeeze out the excess moisture. Add to the mortar and blend thoroughly.
  3.  Continue pounding while adding the oil and then the vinegar. Add the half cup of warm water gradually until you have reached the desired consistency.
    Yield: About 2 cups.
Older posts Newer posts

Menu

© 2025 Oswald Rivera

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑