Oswald Rivera

Author, Warrior, and Teacher

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HONEY-LIME GLAZED SALMON

December 17, 2020 / / 0 Comments

This is a recipe that will provide a great dinner in minutes. And, if you like salmon, you’ll love this sucker.  Honey-Lime Glazed Salmon provides fillets with a flavor all its own. Glossy and sweet-tart, it’s a memorable dish. And if you like it spicy, you can add a teaspoon of chili powder to the honey-lime glaze and still wow your guests and family.

For the salmon, you can use salmon fillets, already cut. Or you can purchase one 2-pound center-cut skin-on salmon, and cut into into four pieces. Either way will render a great meal easy to prepare, and a strong flavorful crust on the salmon that will make it unforgettable.

HONEY-GLAZED SALMON

Ingredients:

4 (5-ounce) salmon fillets or 1 (2-pound) center-cut salmon, cut into 4 fillets
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon grated lime zest plus 2 tablespoons juice
½ teaspoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  2. Wash salmon fillets under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
  3.  In a small saucepan, whisk together the honey, grated lime zest, lime juice, cornstarch and cayenne pepper. Simmer over medium-high heat until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
  4.  In a small bowl, combine sugar, salt, cornstarch and pepper. Rub this mixture evenly over flesh side of salmon fillets.
  5.  Heat oil (until just smoking) over medium-high heat in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet (I prefer cast-iron). Lay fillets flesh side down in skillet and cook until well browned, about 1 minute. Carefully flip salmon and cook on skin side for 1 minute. Remove from heat and spoon honey-lime glaze over fillets. Transfer skillet to the oven and bake until center is translucent and tender when checked with a fork or pairing knife, about 7-10 minutes.
    Yield: 4 servings.

 

LAMB CHOPS WITH GRAVY

December 12, 2020 / / 0 Comments

This recipe came about because of the leftover gravy we had from the Thanksgiving turkey. We had some loin chops on hand and decided to cook them in the gravy. Now, this recipe can work as we did it, with leftover gravy. But in a pinch, you can make your own gravy. Its not that hard, and it’s much better than the watery canned gravy you get in a  supermarket.

This dish is great with mashed potatoes. A combination made in heaven.

LAMB CHOPS WITH GRAVY

8 lamb loin chops or rib chops, about 1-inch thick
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
½ teaspoon dried thyme
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups leftover gravy—or you can make your own gravy in recipe given which includes:
¼ flour
2 cups chicken or turkey stock

Instructions:

  1. Wash lamb chops under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
  2.  Season with salt, pepper, oregano and thyme
  3.  Heat olive oil combined with butter pan a large pan or skillet over medium heat. Add lamb chops and sear about 2 minutes on each side.
  4.  Remove chop from skillet, set aside. To the oil in the skillet, add the flour, and blend thoroughly. Add stock, and cook, stirring constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens.
  5.  Add lamb chops to gravy in pan, bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until lamb chops are tender.
    Yield : 4-6 servings.

 

 

SEEKH KABAB

November 24, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Years ago I acquired an Indian cookbook that had a recipe for Shish Kabob. They called it Seekh Kabab. I’ve been a fan of skewered meats since I can remember, so I tried the recipe. Problem was it didn’t work. It called for lamb mixed with spices to be threaded onto skewers and grilled. The meat did not bind, It just fell of the skewers whether it was wood or metal skewers.  Then I tried something different, I forwent the skewers and cook the kabobs in oil—and it came out perfect.

Thus here is my modified Indian kabob recipe.  It goes great with boiled or friend rice. It may not be a true shish kabob since it’s not grilled on skewers; but it hits the spot if you want a delicious, satisfying Indian meal.

Seekh Kabab

Ingredients:

1 pound (2 cups) ground lamb or beef
1 large onion, finely chopped
½ inch piece fresh ginger root, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Salt to taste
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup olive oil

Garnish:
lemon slices
tomato slices
Chopped coriander leaves or chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:

  1. Mix meat with onions, ginger, garlic, ground spices and salt.
  2.  Stir in beaten egg and form the mixture into 8 balls. Then flatten the balls into sausage shapes.
  3.  Heat oil over medium flame in a large skillet or pan. Add meat and cook on all sides until meat is browned and tender.
  4.  Garnish with lemon and tomato slices. Sprinkle with coriander or parsley and serve.
    Yield: 4 servings.

 

MAPLE BAKED BEANS

November 23, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Back during the Punic Wars when I was a youngster there use to be a Horn and Hardart Automat on East 42nd Street in New York City. This place was a goof to me and my buddies. You would go in, see all this small glass windows, put some change into a slot and a prepared meal would come out.  It was like magic. And our favorite,  at the time, was their baked beans that you could get for 10-15 cents.

The Automat is long gone, having been replaced by such things as McDonald’s and Wendy’s. But I still recall their baked beans. Thus I’m always on the lookout for a good recipe. The one given below should fill the bill. It’s bakes beans infused with maple syrup. I’ve tried baked beans with brown sugar, honey and other sweeteners. Nothing can compare to dark maple syrup as a flavoring.

Now, this recipe can be made  from scratch with dried beans. Or, if pressed for time, you can use canned beans. If it’s dried beans, soak them in water to cover overnight. Drain the next day, place in a pot with water to cover by a two inches or so. Bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer and cook, partly covered, for about an hour or until tender. Depending upon the age of the beans, it may take longer to cook. Just be patient. Some folks add salt to the beans while cooking. I do not. Your choice.  That’s it. Once beans are done, you add the ingredients needed, and bake.  If it’s canned beans, drain them before cooking.

Almost any type of bean can be used in this recipe. It can be kidney beans, pinto beans, great northern, lima beans, garbanzo beans, whatever. Or, if desired, you can use a mix of beans to give it more oomph. This time around we served the recipe with anther favorite, chicken wings. But you can serve the dish with beef, pork, lamb or just plain rice. The choice is endless, and the meal will be great, be it a formal dinner, a cookout or picnic.

MAPLE BEAKED BEANS

Ingredients:

2 cups favorite cooked beans, or a combination thereof
½ cup chopped onion
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼  cup mustard
Chili powder to taste (optional)
½ teaspoon fresh chopped ginger
¾ cup dark maple syrup
8 ounces bottled spicy barbecue sauce

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2.  Mix together all ingredients in an oven-proof pot or pan and bake for 1 hour.
    Yield: 6 servings.

LEMON-GLAZED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

November 20, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Brussels sprouts is one of those items that you either love or hate, and usually the latter. Until some years back I was not a fan of this root vegetable (some call it a cabbage).  Then a dear friend gave me a recipe for sauteing brussels sprouts in soy sauce. It was delicious; and ever since then I’ve been on the lookout for good, tasty sprout recipes. The dish given below has brussels sprouts cooked in lemon juice so that they obtain a glazed coating. It is a supremely easy dish to make. It goes well as a side dish or, as we did it, an entrée served over rice. It makes for a great vegetarian dinner.

LEMON-GLAZED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Ingredients:

2 pounds medium brussels sprouts, trimmed
¾ cup water
¼ cup (½ stick) butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

Instructions:

  1. Combine first 4 ingredients in large skillet or pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally,  until brussels sprouts are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes.
  2.  Stir in lemon juice. Cook, uncovered, until glaze coats brussels sprouts, about 1 minute.
  3.  Season with salt and pepper, transfer sprouts to a serving bowl or dish ,  sprinkle with lemon peel and serve.
    Yield: 6 servings as a side dish or 4 servings as a main course.

TOMATO-MEAT SAUCE

November 14, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Back on the block, the go-to pasta sauce was marinara. You now what I mean, the sauce made with tomatoes, garlic and onions that has graced Italian-American cuisine since time immemorial. So I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting ways to make a tomato sauce. And then I came upon makaronada, a Greek version of tomato-meat sauce. The ingredients are novel. They include cinnamon sticks,  allspice and cloves. These are seasonings not found in everyday marinara sauce. I tried it, I loved it, and I was a convert.

Greek tomato-meat sauce is normally served over macaroni, with the addition of grated cheese. We used feta cheese. This dish has become one of our favorite ways to cook a pasta sauce. In this variation, we served it over farfalle, or bow ties. It hit the spot. With a good red wine, preferably Greek wine, or any wine of your choice for that matter, it is marvelous.

Tomato-Meat Sauce
(Makaronada)

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter
Half an onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 pound ground beef
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
2 cups water
¼ cup red wine
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 2-inch cinnamon stick
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
Dash of ground cloves

Instructions:

  1. Melt butter in a large skillet. Add onion, garlic and beef and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until meat loses its pink color.
  2.  Combine the tomato paste and water and add to the meat mixture. Add wine, salt, pepper, cinnamon stick, allspice and cloves. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 1 hour. Remove the cinnamon stick.
  3.  Serve over favorite tubular pasta with grated cheese.
    Yield: Makes 4 servings as a main dish or 6 to 8 servings as a side dish.

STUFFED TOMATOES WITH EGGS

November 12, 2020 / / 0 Comments

 

We all know about stuffed green peppers and, yes, stuffed eggplant. But what about stuffed tomatoes? Not many are aware of the versatility and deliciousness of a stuffed tomato. Here is a recipe that will get you going on that front. The stuffing includes bread crumbs and grated cheese topped with eggs; and all baked to perfection. The dish can be served as an appetizer or main course. An appetizer would be one serving per individual. A main course would be two servings.

STUFFED TOMATOES WITH EGGS

Ingredients:

4 large tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ onion,  peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried
Pinch of dried thyme or marjoram
¾ cup bread crumbs
4 eggs at room temperature
½ cup grated cheese

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  2.  Heat olive in a pan or skillet and cook onion over medium-high heat until translucent.  Add garlic and cook  2 minutes more.
  3.  Cut the top of the tomatoes at the stem end and scoop out the pulp.  Mix about 1/3 of the pulp with the onion, basil and seasonings.
  4.  Add the bread crumbs and fill each tomato about half full. Drop an egg into each tomato, cover with grated cheese and arrange the filled tomatoes on a greased baking dish or individual baking dishes.  Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the eggs are set to a firm softness and the tomatoes are soft but not collapsing.

SAUTEED CHICKEN WITH GARLIC

November 11, 2020 / / 0 Comments

This is what my Uncle Phillip called one of them “Frenchy-fied” dishes, Sauté Dauphinois. It’s nothing more or less than  Sautéed Chicken with Garlic. So, want to impress family and friends? Tell ’em to come over for Sauté Dauphinois.

What’s great about this recipe is that it contains a lot of garlic. In the Rivera Clan, we love garlic. Count Dracula has nothing over on us. Yet the garlic does not overwhelm the dish. It complements it in a delightful way.

Despite the highfalutin moniker, this is very simple dish to prepare. Season the chicken, brown in olive oil, add the garlic (unpeeled) and cook until chicken pieces are tender. When the chicken is served, the guests should  squeeze the garlic cloves (which become as soft as butter) out of the skins and onto their plates and eat the cloves along with the chicken. With some crusty bread and good wine, this meal is heavenly. In terms of wine, if you prefer a white, then Chenin Blanc or Chardonnay will do the trick. If you go for a red, then a Merlot, Pinot Noir or Beaujolais is a good combo. Hell, you can have this dish with beer, if you want. Go with whatever pleases the palette.

SAUTÉED CHICKEN WITH GARLIC
(Saute Dauphinois)

Ingredients:

1 chicken, 2½ to 3 pounds, cut into small serving pieces
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
½ teaspoon dried chives
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
12 garlic cloves, unpeeled
¼ cup  chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:

  1. Season chicken pieces with salt, pepper, oregano and chives. Sprinkle with vinegar. Heat oil in a large pan or skillet and cook chicken over high heat for 5-6 minutes, turning pieces from time to time. Reduce heat to low, cover pan or skillet and let chicken cook for another 15 minutes.  Remove the lid occasionally to turn the pieces.
  2.  Add garlic cloves and cook for another 20 minutes or so or until chicken is tender. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve. If desired, you can transfer chicken to a warm platter and sprinkle with parsley. Either way is okay. It just depends on your proclivities. Some like it served from the pan or skillet. Others prefer the table platter for more formality.
    Yield: 4 servings .

 

 

SCALLOPS IN CREAM AND MUSTARD SAUCE

November 9, 2020 / / 0 Comments

In our family, we love shellfish. And one of our greatest treats is scallops.  In French, scallops translate as coquille St Jacques, which means the “Shell of Saint James.” Back in the Middle Ages a shrine was built to Saint James the Apostle at Santiago de Compostela in Spain. It is said that pilgrims who visited the site would wear a scallop shell in their hats as a symbol of their devotion. And that’s how we get the name.

What’s interesting about scallops is that they make a fine combination with any number of other ingredients. One of the best combinations is with cream. Add mustard to it and you have a match made in heaven. The trick is to use the mustard sparingly or it will overpower the dish. Once you have the right mix, it is a splendid dish fit for a  commoner or a king. Want to impress family and friends? This is the go-to recipe.  It will cement your reputation as a high class gourmand. Serve over noodles or, as we did it here, rice, it is a winner.

SCALLOPS IN CREAM ANS MUSTARD SAUCE

Ingredients:

1 pound scallops, preferably bay scallops
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 cup heavy cream
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon mustard, preferably Dijon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:

  1. If sea scallops are used, cut them in quarters. If bay scallops are used, leave them whole. Set aside.
  2.  Heat butter in a skillet and add the shallots. Cook briefly, stirring. Add vinegar and cook until almost all the vinegar has evaporated.
  3.  Add cream and cook down over high heat until reduced by half. Stir in the scallops and salt. Cook, shaking the skillet so that the scallops cook evenly, about 1 minutes.
  4.  Remove from heat and stir in the mustard. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
    Yield: 4 servings.

CHULETAS RELLENAS (Stuffed Pork Chops)

November 5, 2020 / / 0 Comments

A family favorite down memory lane. This was a singular dish for us in the Rivera household. It’s one of the prominent beauties featured in my first cookbook, Puerto Rican Cuisine in America (Running Press). Think of a fabulous Sunday dinner.  I’ll admit, the dish takes time to prepare, but it’s worth every minute of the effort. The lowly pork chop comes up front as never before. You’ll never think of pork chops the same way again. This dish is not just for Sunday, but for whenever you want something special, even if it’s the middle of the week. Believe me, this is one recipe you’ll go back to again and again. You can serve it with gravy or without. If you’re a barbarian at heart (like some of us) you can pour ketchup over the chops and forget the gravy.

CHULETAS RELLENAS
(Stuffed Pork Chops)

Ingredients:

4 rib pork chops, 1½ inches thick (about 3 pounds)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 cup bread crumbs
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon capers, drained
¼ cup flour
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter

Instructions:

  1. Rinse chops in cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
  2. Place chops, one at a time, on a cutting board and place one hand on top. With a sharp boning knife, cut chops lengthwise all the way to the rib, creating a small pocket. Be careful to keep the knife blade equidistant between the cutting board and the palm of your hand.
  3.  Trim off excess fat and season inside and out with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or frying pan. Add onion, garlic and bell pepper. Sauté over moderate heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in bread crumbs, rosemary and capers to complete the stuffing.  Continue cooking for 3 minutes more.
  4.  Fill each pork chop pocket with about ¼ cup stuffing. Close pockets by fastening together with wooden toothpicks.
  5.  Pour flour on a flat plate and dredge pork chops in flour until they’re coated on both sides.
  6.  Heat vegetable oil and butter in a large skillet (you can wipe clean and use the same skillet as before). Brown chops on both sides over low heat (about 8-10 minutes per side). Depending on the size of skillet you may have to cook them two at a time. When finished, reserve pan juices.
  7.  Arrange chops in a greased, shallow baking pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake in a 350º preheated oven for exactly 1 hour.
  8.  Remove foil and wooden toothpicks. Continue baking, uncovered, for about 45 minutes or until tender.
  9.  Chops can be served as is. If a gravy is required, dissolve leftover flour in ½ cup water. Cook baking pan and reserved juices over moderate heat, adding dissolved flour while stirring. Cook until thickened and boiling. Strain and serve over chops.
    Yield: 4 servings
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