vegetables – Page 12 – Oswald Rivera

Category: vegetables (page 12 of 14)

Marinated Portobello Mushrooms With Polenta

October 9, 2017 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

The reason for his recipe is that my wife gave me a present: six prized bottles of Brunello Di Montalcino wine. This was treat. Brunello di Moimtalcino is a premium wine made in the town of Montalcino in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is made from 100% Sangiovese grapes, one of the leading grape varieties also used in making Chianti. It has a ruby red color, a highly perfumed aroma of berries and light vanilla, and bold fruit flavors.

The main food pairings for Brunello are grilled steak, roast leg of lamb, pheasant, and truffles. They also pair well with portobello mushrooms—which I love. One of my favorite dishes with portobellos, is polenta, basically boiled cornmeal, which can also be grilled, fried or baked. Polenta is very easy to prepare: Just bring 4 cups water to a boil. Add a cup of cornmeal, stirring all the time to prevent lumps. Reduce heat to low and cook until mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. That’s it. Serve with marinated portobello mushrooms, it makes a fine accompaniment to a prized wine. If you don’t happen to have Brunello on hand, a good Chianti, Cabernet or Merlot will do the trick.

MARINATED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS WITH POLENTA

4 portobello mushrooms
1/2 cup olive oil plus 3 tablespoons
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano, or 1 tablespoon dried
1 tablespoon fresh chopped tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried
4 slices of your favorite cheese—it could cheddar, Munster, Swiss, ext. (or even American cheese)

Wash portobellos under running water and pat dry. Using as spoon, remove gills from underside of mushrooms and discard (or save for other use). Leave stems on. Set aside.
Mix 1/2 cup olive, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, and tarragon in medium bowl. Add portobellos, and mix to combine. Cover and marinate for an hour or more.
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a medium saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add portobellos, stem side down, and cook 4 minutes. Turn over, top with cheese slice, cover, and cook 3 minutes more or until cheese has melted. Serve with polenta (recipe given above)
Yield: 4 servings.

Mushrooms and Sausage

July 21, 2017 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Two of my favorite edibles are mushrooms and sausage. So why not combine the two? And here it is, the dish given below. I added a sweet note by adding raisins and, instead of the usual dry wine as a stock, I decided on a sweet wine: it could be sweet sherry or even muscatel. Remember, back in the Bowery, the old days, when cheap muscatel was the favorite of the old drunks? Those days are gone—you can’t afford the rents in the Bowery these days unless you’re rich. I wonder what the old rummies are drinking now?

In this entrée, in terms of mushrooms, any wild mushroom, such as chanterelle, is preferred. I used a combination of crimini and shitaki.

MUSHROOMS AND SAUSAGE

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound mild pork sausage, casing removed, cut into 1-inch rounds
1 medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 cup sweet sherry
1/2 pound wild mushrooms, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons pine nuts
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 bunch fresh leaf parsley, rinsed and dried (can substitute curley endive or chicory, if desired)

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan or skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and brown on all sides until cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate and set aside.
Reduce heat to low, add onions and cook, stirring, until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Increase heat to high and add wine. Cook until alcohol evaporates. about 30 seconds.
Reduce heat to medium. Add mushrooms, thyme and bay leaf. Cook until mushrooms brown, 3-4 minutes. Return sausage to pan; add raisins and pine nuts. Cook, stirring, until nuts are toasted, about 2 minutes. Stir in parsley. Remove pan from heat.
In a small bowl, whisk remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil with lemon juice. Season with salt, and toss lettuce with enough dressing to coat lightly.
You can serve the mushrooms with sausage on a large platter atop the red leaf lettuce. Or you can divide mushrooms and sausage with salad on four individual plates.
Yield: 4 servings.

Tostones, Fried Green Plantains

October 16, 2016 / admin / Comments Off

The archetypical Puerto Rican side dish. It’s served at breakfast with eggs and ham, at lunch, or with the evening meal whatever the entrée. It’s just plantains, sliced, and deep fried. In Puerto Rican cooking, we fry the slices twice after pressing then to form the patties. In other parts of the Caribbean, notably Jamaica, the slices are deep-fried just once. They are not pounded and re-fried. I have tried tostones this way, but it just doesn’t come out the same. Those who follow our method can acquire what is called a tostonera in any Latino market. This consists of two pieces of wood or plastic that hinge over to enclose and flatten the plantain slices. Here, again, I defer to tradition. I’ve tried these newfangled contraptions and fond them wanting. Nothing beats the plantain peels and the flat of the hand for forming genuine tostones.

Punjab Eggplant

I’m an eggplant aficionado. This is most obvious in my prior posts on the subject: Tuscan Eggplant (2/6/15), and Prized Eggplant Recipe (2/20/10). That means I’m always on the lookout for new and innovative eggplant dishes. Recently I was at the neighborhood deli getting my bagel with whitefish when, pursing the store shelves, I happen upon a package of something called “Punjab Eggplant.” It had a nice looking picture on it, and a caption that claimed it was the easiest thing to make: just heat and serve. I thought, why not? In retrospect, I should have listened to my wife who always cautions me about buying processed, pre-cooked stuff. But, being a hard-head, I didn’t listen. I bought the stuff, took it home, and heated it up.

It was terrible! It had this metallic aftertaste that just clung to my tongue. The thing was awful.

I decided then and there that I would make my own Punjab eggplant. It couldn’t possibly be as bad as the store-bought thing. So I queried my Indian friends as to how to prepare the dish. This being the age of the internet, most said, Go on-line, see what you can find. I did just that and came upon a plethora of excess information on Indian eggplant, baingan bharta, burtha bharta, baingan ka bharta, and a host of other arcane trivia that boggled the mind. Generally speaking, “Bharta” refers to a type of North Indian cuisine where ingredients are chopped or mashed before or after the dish is prepared. Punjabi Bharta is Eggplant Bharta prepared in this way. I finally found an acquaintance who gave me a reasonable recipe which I tweeked here and there to come up with the dish given below.

Thus here is my version of Punjab Eggplant, using fresh ingredients, no chemicals, and it sure as hell is better tasting that the packaged stuff. I’m informed that, traditionally, this dish is served with steamed white rice. It makes for a great vegetarian meal.

PUNJAB EGGPLANT

1 large eggplant
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 clove garlic, peeled and minced
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 green chili, chopped
Salt to taste
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish (about 1 tablespoon)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Wash the eggplant under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Pierce eggplant in 4-5 places with a sharp knife or fork. Rub with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and bake eggplant until soft, about 30-40 minutes. You can tell the eggplant is soft because it will start to cave in on itself once it’s done. Cool, peal the skin, and chop up the flesh, then set aside
3. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and cook until they start to crackle and turn golden brown (be careful not to burn the seeds).
4. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, turmeric, coriander, chili, and salt. Cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add eggplant to skillet and cook for 5 minutes more. If the moisture evaporates or it gets too dry, you can sprinkle a little water on it. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve.
   Yield: 4 servings.

Cooking with Garlic

April 18, 2016 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Back in January 2010 I did a post on the wonders of garlic, inclusive of a recipe, Chicken with Garlic Sauce, which called for 12 garlic cloves in the ingredients. That’s right, twelve. Now, you’re saying to yourself, Twelve garlic cloves? This Rican is crazy. And, yes, guilty as charged—for garlic. I’ve decided to revisit this wondrous perennial. One can never go wrong or tire of garlic. It was use as a medicinal herb in Ancient Egypt. Greek warriors ate garlic before a battle (it increased their physical strength). Slaves ate garlic while building the pyramids since it enhanced their endurance. Think of that the next time you see the movie version of The Ten Commandments while Charlton Heston and company struggle to erect the pyramid tomb of Sethi.

It’s common knowledge that garlic promotes cardiovascular health. It has a high Vitamin C content, and prevents the accumulation of LDL (bad) cholestteral in the arteries. But more, it can reduce the chance of developing common cancers like breast and colon cancer. So, what’s there not to like about it? Yeah, I know, you’re saying, How am I gonna kiss my significan other after eating garlic? Get over it. If she or he doesn’t like it, get another partner

Cooking with garlic is the easiest thing. Crushed, chopped, minced or roasted, it gives a marvelous flavor and depth to any dish. A little garlic goes a long way, but a lot of garlic, to my mind, is better. Yes, I am a fanatic when it comes to the glorious bulb. But, as the following recipes show, garlic can enhance any dish, transforming it into a softer, sweeter, nutty-like rendition. And, you’ll never have to worry about vampires invading your home.

GARLIC BUTTER

Combine one stick melted butter with 3 cloves finely minced garlic over medium heat until the butter absorbs the garlic. Stir in one teaspoon chopped parsley, and that’s it. Great for eggs, omelets, brushed on bread or warm biscuits; or spread over steamed or baked fish, or cooked chicken. Even a juicy steak will benefit from garlic butter.

GARLIC OIL

Heat 1/2 cup sunflower oil in a small pan. Add 3 cloves crushed garlic. Cook, strring gently. for about 5 minutes until garlic is lightly golden. Do not let garlic burn or it will turn bitter. Cool, strain, and use oil as a flavoring or for frying. Very popular in Asian dishes.

GARLIC SAUCE

This is very popular in Greek cuisine. In a blender or food processor, blend 4 cloves garlic, crushed; 2-3 slices bread, soaked on water, 1/2 cup olive oil; juice of half a lemon; 1 tablespoon white vinegar; salt and ground black peppper to taste. In some recipes they add 1 cup mashed potatoes for greater consistency. Your choice. This sauce is great with cold or hot meat or fish dishes. If you like it stronger, you can add more garlic.

GARLIC POTATOES

2 pounds Idaho or Yokon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, washed and scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch
wedges
6 tablespoons olive oil
5 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or tarragon

1. Place potato wedges in a pan with about 1&1/2-inch water. Bring water to a boil, cover, lower heat and steam until wedges are very tender, about 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large pan or skillet, heat 5 tablespoons olive oil over low heat. Add garlic and sauté unitl golden, about 5-6 minutes.

3. Add potatoes and thyme (or tarragon) to pan or skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about a minute more. Drizzle with ramianing olive oil and serve.

Yield: 4 servings.

OMELET WITH GARLIC

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
6 eggs, beaten
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 cup mushrooms (button, shitake, or portobello), thinly sliced
1/2 cup grater cheddar or Swiss cheese

1. Heat oil in medium non-stick pan or skillet over moderate heat. Manwhile, mix salt and pepper with eggs. Add to pan and cook until top begins to set.
2. Add garlic, mushroons, and cheese. Place a lid on the pan to help the top part of the omelet to cook.
3. Starting from the edge of the pan, use a spatula to fold one-third of the omelet toward center of the pan and cointinue until the omelet is roll-shaped. Cook for about 1 minute more; and slide the omelet off the pan onto a serving platter.
Yoeld: 4 servings.

SHRIMP WITH GARLIC SAUCE

1 pound medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Lemon wedges for garmish

1. Combine shrimp, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl or a large ziplock bag. Stir to conbine, cover (if using bowl), and marinate in the refrigerator overnight or, for at least 4 hours.
2, Heat a pan or skillet (I prefer cast-iron) on medium heat. Add butter and, when sizzling, add shrimp. Cook until pinkish red. More garlic can be added, if desired, during cooking (but don’t let the garlic burn). Serve with lemion wedges
Yield 3-4 servings.
Note : This dish is great with steamed white rice.

Roasted Turnips

December 2, 2015 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

We Puerto Ricans love root plants, or what some would call root vegetables. We’ve got plantains, yuka (cassava), yame, malanga, yams, you name it. When my family got to the mainland a couple of generations ago, we discovered winter root plants; and a whole new aspect to our cookery evolved. In the mainland you had such things as beets, rutabaga, artichokes, parsnips, radishes. We learned that you could cook these vegetables the same way as our forebears had done forever in the Caribbean. Boiled, fried, with a little olive oil over it . . . And we got recipes from our Anglo friends. This made us experiment even more.

The recipe given below follows in this vein. It’s roasted turnips. But you can substitute any good, firm, winter root vegetable. I’ve discovered that one of the best methods to enhance these tubers is to caramelize them using honey, sugar or, my favorite, maple syrup. The recipe is easy, but the result is a toothsome, tender veggie that makes a welcomed side dish to you next roast, chicken dinner, or juicy steak.

ROASTED TURNIPS

4 large turnips (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
3 tablespoons maple syrup (can substitute brown sugar, honey, or molasses)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, toss the turnips with the olive oil, salt, pepper, sage and thyme.
3. Drizzle with the maple syrup.
4. Place in a baking pan or dish (I prefer cast-iron). Bake for 45 minutes or until tender.
Yield: 4 servings or more.

Papas Rellenas – Stuffed Potato Balls

November 23, 2015 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Papas rellenas, or stuffed potato balls, makes a great appetizer or side dish for the Thanksgiving table. Yes, that venerable holiday is upon us again. So how about giving that potato dish a unique take. Tired of the old potato salad? Then papas rellenas is it. You family and friends will say, Wow! C’mon, liven up that Thanksgiving turkey. Make papa rellenas a part of your tradition. You won’t be disappointed.

This recipe calls for sofrito, the Puerto Rican seasoning that is ubiquitous in our cooking. A recipe is readily available in my posting of November 8th 2015. If that’s not good enough for you, you catch my video of July 10th 2014 on how to make sofrito, step-by-step. Otherwise, you can get it store bought in almost any supermarket—but it won’t the same as the genuine product.

By the way, this recipe, among many others, is from my first cookbook, Puerto Rican Cuisine in America, which is now in its third printing (Running Press, Avalon Books)

PAPAS RELLENAS
(Stuffed Potato Balls)

1 pound Idaho or Maine potatoes, peeled
2 quarts (8 cups) water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound lean ground beef (can substitute ground pork, chicken or turkey, if desired)
2 tablespoons sofrito
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Vegetable oil for frying

1. Rinse potatoes under cold running water and pat dry.
2. Place in a pot or medium saucepan. Add water and boil on moderate heat, covered, until tender (about 30 minutes).
3. Meanwhile, for filling, heat oil in a skillet or fry pan. Add meat and stir-fry over medium heat until meat losses its color. Add sofrito, tomato sauce, oregano and salt. Mix and sauté 3-4 minutes.
4. Cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Drain potatoes, place in a bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher.
6. Add butter, egg and one teaspoon cornstarch. Mix well and let cool.
7. Spread some of the potato dough mix in the palm of your hand (keep palms wet while doing this). With fingers makes small nest in the center of palm, and stuff with a spoonful of the filling. Cover the filling with more dough mix and shape into a ball. Brush lightly with cornstarch. repeat until filling and mix are used up.
8. Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Yield: 6 to 8 stuffed potato balls, depending on size.

Creamed Spinach with Baked Eggs

November 4, 2015 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

This recipe is my take on a Mediterranean favorite. Spinach with bake eggs is a popular dish in Spain, where they serve the eggs and spinach in individual ramekins or small cups. I’ve also seen it in Greek cuisine. In my version, the spinach is cooked with various seasonings and heavy cream. Then the eggs are baked on top. For the baking part you can use a reliable baking dish. But my preference is always for cast-iron. It’s a family thing. My mom cooked with cast-iron and so do I; and that goes for the baking part as well.

This recipe makes a great brunch dish. But it can also be served as a dinner entrée. With dinner, I serve it along with a grain, be it rice, couscous, or even kasha. A good crusty loaf of bread, a light wine, and you can’t go wrong.

CREAMED SPINACH WITH BAKED EGGS

1 medium onion, peeled and cut into thin rings
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 bunches fresh spinach leaves, about 1 1/4 pounds, coarsely chopped
2 clove garlic, finely minced
1/3 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Heat butter in a heavy skillet over moderate heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent.
3. Add spinach and cook, covered, stirring a couple of times, until wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Remove lid, add garlic. Cook, stirring, until most excess liquid is evaporated, 2-4 minutes.
4. Add cream, salt, pepper, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Crack each egg into a section of the pan. Place in middle of oven and bake until eggs are set, about 15 minutes.
Yield: 4 servings.

Potatoes Stuffed with Hummus

June 24, 2015 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

This is the easiest appetizer to prepare—short of filling a plate with crackers and cheese. It is simple and delicious. Most everyone likes hummus, the thick spread made from chickpeas and (sometimes) sesame seeds, and which had become very popular worldwide over the last two decades or so. Given that fact, what’s easier than stuffing potatoes with it? Not only that, it’s a great beginning to any meal.

In the recipe given I use baby potatoes. But you can use regular Maine or Idaho potatoes. I know friends who prefer big potatoes with the hummus. To me, this is more of a first course than a run-of-the-mill appetizer. Use whatever suits best.

BABY POTATOES STUFFED WITH HUMMUS

1 bag (24 ounces or so) baby yellow and/or red potatoes, washed and scrubbed (not peeled)
1 tub (8-10 ounces) hummus, plain or any flavor desired.

1. Fill a medium pot or pan with water.
2. Bring to a boil. Add potatoes and boil until fork-tender. Do not overcook.
3. Drain. Let the potatoes cool (or rinse under cold running water for faster preparation). Cut the top third off from each potato, and just enough from the bottom so that it can stand upright.
4. Scoop out insides of each potato without cutting or collapsing the sides. Using a small spoon, stuff humus into the cavity.
5. Place on a serving dish or platter, and serve.
Yield: about 10 stuffed potatoes.

Stewed Potatoes – Papas Guisadas

June 11, 2015 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Back in the old neighborhood, during our lean times, we had certain meals that would tie us over until the next paycheck came in. Examples of these renderings would such standbys as spaghetti with ketchup (yes, ketchup), or with blue cheese; or a stir-fry of franks and onions. But, invariably, our favorite was papas quisadas, or stewed potatoes. This, believe it or not, was served as a main entrée.

Now you’re asking yourself, Potatoes as a main dish? Crazy. No, not really. In our family this became such a popular dish that sometimes my mother would cook it as a treat. And it was to my father and I. We could never get enough of it. Steak, and chicken, and fish was good in times of plenty—but papas guisadas were good anytime.

Stewed potatoes is an easy enough dish to prepare: all you need is potatoes, garlic, tomato sauce and cilantro, that’s it. And served over plain steamed or yellow rice, it’s heavenly, whether on lean days or not.

PAPAS GUISADAS
(Stewed Potatoes)

1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 1/2 pounds Maine or Idaho potatoes, cut into cubes. Note: if organic, unpeeled (if you prefer).
If non-organic, peeled.
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped oregano, or 1/4 teaspoon dried.
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, washed and chopped
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet or frying pan. Add garlic and sauté until garlic is slightly browned.
2. Add potatoes and stir-fry for 5 minutes.
3. Add tomato sauce and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low heat until potatoes are tender.
4. Serve piping hot.
Yield: 4 servings.

Oswald Rivera

Author, Warrior, and Teacher