Oswald Rivera

Author, Warrior, and Teacher

Page 41 of 85

LAMB WITH BLACK OLIVES

May 4, 2019 / / 0 Comments

I like lamb, and I like olives. So, why not mix ’em together? This recipe, by the way, is from an old cookbook I acquired years ago: Ismail Merchant’s Florence. The rosemary sprigs and black olives impart a tantalizing flavor to the lamb.  I do not know if this will work with green olives, or even stuffed Spanish olives. But you are welcomed to try.  Also, you can serve the recipe with any preferred grain or pasta. I served it with  spaetzle (Swiss dumplings) and it was perfect. Note that the ingredients call for a cup of dry white wine. Whether that means you have to serve the dish with white wine, I don’t know. I served it with an Australian Shiraz, and it hit the spot. Enjoy

LAMB WITH BLACK OLIVES

Ingredients:

¼ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 fresh rosemary sprigs
2½ pounds stewing lamb, cut in chunks
1 cup dry white wine
2 fresh ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
30 black olives

Instructions:

  1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium, add the garlic and rosemary. When garlic is golden, add lamb chunks and brown on all sides.
  2. Pour in the wine. When it evaporates, add tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat about 15 minutes.
  3. Add olives to the lamb. Cover and cook very slowly 1½ hours or until the lamb is tender. Add water or beef stock if meat seems to be drying out.
    Yield: 4-6 servings.

RATATOUILLE NICOISE

April 24, 2019 / / 0 Comments

I like ratatouille, the classic French stew whose origin goes back to the late 18th century.  Yet, of all the recipes out there, I prefer the more modern incarnation, Ratatouille Niçoise. This rendition hails from Nice, and is very popular in the Riviera, where it is served hot or cold.   Let me add that it contains garlic, which I love (in the Rivera family we never had to worry abut vampires). That being said, add garlic according to preference and social interaction.

With a loaf of crusty bread, and a fruit-rich Cabernet either from California or France, and you can’t go wrong.

RATATOUILLE NIÇOISE

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil
2 or more cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 onion, peeled and sliced
2 zucchini, rinsed, scrubbed and sliced
1 eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 green and 1 red pepper (or 2 green peppers), seeded and cut into strips
1 pound 4-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, drained and choppped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon capers

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in large skillet or fry pan over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent.
2. Dust the zucchini and eggplant lightly with flour.  Add to the skillet, along with the peppers, cover and cook  slowly over medium-low heat  about 1 hour.
3. Add tomatoes, bring to boil, lower heat and simmer until the mixture is thick. Season with salt and pepper.  Add capers during last 15 minutes of cooking. Serve hot or cold.
Yield: 4 servings.

 

 

 

 

QUICK PIZZA MARGHERITA

April 16, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Who doesn’t like pizza? We all do.  Because it’s probably the healthiest fast food there is.  Today’ recipe mirrors that with the quickest, most delicious recipe that you can make at home in a jiff.  Historically, it’s the oldest pizza dish there is. So, you’ll be making not only a delicious dish, but one filled with history. Pizza Margherita  traces its origin to the late 18th century. It was popular in Naples by the 1830’s. It was the typical Neopolitan pizza made with tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil and olive oil. It’s still the most popular pizza style in the region.

And you can make it at home with no effort at all. I like convenience, so the trick is to use ready made pizza crust like the ones made by the Boboli brand. Which can be found in most stores these days. They carry thin crust, original pizza crust, and 100% whole wheat, which is the one I prefer. But, if you have the time, and desire, you can prepare your own pizza crust.

This is the recipe that I saw prepared in countless bistros in Napoli. I tweaked it a bit in that I added garlic for more oomph. You can skip the garlic if desired. It ain’t fancy. There’s no pepperoni, anchovies, chicken, pineapple rings as in so-called Hawaiian pizza, or any of that stuff.  Most important of all, it’s home-made. So, forget Domino’s, Pizza Hut,  Little Caesar’s, et all.  This is the original. The genuine product as served in Naples.  It won’t disappoint.

QUICK MARGHERITA PIZZA

Ingredients:

1 Boboli pizza crust (I prefer whole wheat)
¾ cup marinara sauce, home made or store bought
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup (or more) thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
1 package basil leaves, rinsed and pat dry with paper towels

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Place the crust on a pizza stone, tiles, or large sheet of aluminum foil. Pour the sauce over the crust. Using the back of the spoon, spread it evenly over the surface, stopping about ½-inch from the edges.
3. Sprinkle the garlic over the sauce; and drizzle the olive oil over the pie.
4. Spread the mozzarella slices over the sauce; and scatter the basil leaves on top. Place in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes (or until the cheese is bubbling).
Yield: 3-4 servings.

 

 

15-MINUTE MEAT LOAF

April 8, 2019 / / 0 Comments

“When I can’t write, I read. When I can’t read, I cook.”
—M.F.K. Fisher

This is a recipe that I cut out years ago from some newspaper. I still have it, yellowed paper and all. It comes from one of my heroes, M.F.K. Fisher. Long before James Beard, Julia Charles, et all, came on the scene, there was  Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher, a beautiful statuesque lady who wrote 27 books, mainly on food and travel. My favorite is “How to Cook a Wolf.” No, she  does not give instructions on cooking a wolf. The book was written in 1942, in the midst of World War II when the US was fighting for its live against the Fascists. To aid in the war effort, there was a food rationing program with strict limits on the purchase food basics such as sugar, butter, flour,  coffee, and meat. The book instructs on how to survive on what you have and still cook delicious, nutritious meals. If, as President Eisenhower once said, the war was won by the jeep and spam. The war at home was won by “How to Cook a Wolf.”

This recipe is great for its quickness and convenience. And, yes, the meat loaf cooks in just a mere 15 minutes. Talk about time saving! I’ll leave the last word to Ms. Fisher herself: “This is a far cry from the dry meat loafs we once hoped would taste like a pate de champagne rather than Sunday-in-jail, and it should be eaten soon, preferably with a big salad.”

15-MINUTE MEAT LOAF

1½ pound best ground beef
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons chopped green pepper
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 generous teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper

In the morning for use that night or at least 8 hours later, combine all ingredients and mix well. Put into well-oiled baking dish in loaf form; that is, do not pack in but make a small oaf in a large space. Chill.
To serve, bake in a preheated 450º oven on lowest shelf for exactly 10 minutes.
Then place under broiler for exactly 5 minutes. Remove at once; let stand 5 minutes. Serves 4-6.

 

FISH AND SPINACH ROLLS-UPS

March 28, 2019 / / 0 Comments

This is a relatively quick seafood dish that will wow your family or guests. Simple: fish fillets rolled up with spinach as a stuffing. The fish can be any firm-fleshed fish fillets, cod, haddock, perch, whiting, or whatever is available in the fish aisle. Still, I can hear you say, spinach? Ugh! Hey, you don’t have to be Popeye to like spinach. Here, the veritable green is seasoned to taste with salt, pepper, and garlic; and brushed with an lemon-butter sauce.  Believe me, you’re gonna love it.

The recipe can be done with fresh spinach, but I happened to have frozen organic spinach on hand and, you know what, it was easier in the preparation than the fresh stuff. You can still substitute fresh spinach if it’s on hand. We served the dish with a wild rice mix. But regular rice, or couscous, or quinoa, or even orzo pasta can work just as well.

So, whatcha waiting for? Go for it and amaze everyone at the table. You can lie and tell them it’s a complex, classical cuisine recipe that took hours to prepare just for them. Oh, yes, it goes perfect with a Riesling. I prefer the German or Alsatian Rieslings that still have a hint of sweetness. California and Australian Rieslings have a dryer flavor.

FISH AND SPINACH ROLL-UPS

Ingredients:

4 fresh fish fillets
2  10-ounce packages frozen leaf spinach
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup butter or margarine, softened
Juice of ½ a lemon

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Wash fillets under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
3. Cook frozen spinach, along with garlic (following package directions), drain, and chop coarsely. Spread fillets evenly with spinach, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roll up like jellyrolls and place, seam side down, in a grease shallow baking pan (I prefer cast-iron).
4. In a small bowl, mix butter and lemon juice, and brush heavily over fish. Place in oven and bake 20-25 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Serve fish rolls on a a bed of wild rice or favorite grain.
4 servings.

 

 

 

POACHED SALMON WITH GINGER-MUSTARD SAUCE

March 18, 2019 / / 0 Comments

We had promised a close friend a salmon dinner. So, I thought, we could just bake or broil the salmon, in this case, fillets, in butter. But, why not give it that extra oomph with a ginger-mustard sauce? This is a recipe that I came across years ago, and I can’t remember where. But it does liven up the mild, nuanced flavor of salmon without overwhelming it.

In the recipe given, fish fillets are the normal ingredient. When I did it, I used two a whole, wild  sockeye salmon fillets that weighed about a one pound each. You can go that route, or for four servings, you can use four boneless salmon fillets It depends on what’s available in your store. The recipe is unique in that the salmon is not baked or broiled, but poached in water resplendent with dill and other herbs. Then you prepare a ginger/mustard sauce, and serve it with the salmon. Nothing could simpler, or more delicious.

POACHED SALMON WITH GINGER-MUSTARD SAUCE

Ingredients:

4 boneless salmon fillets with skin (about 6 ounces each)
10 large sprigs fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf
6 whole cloves
8 whole black peppercorns
2 tablespoons  white vinegar
Ginger/mustard sauce (see recipe below)

Instructions:

  1. Place salmon fillets in a saucepan with water to cover. Add dill, bay leaf, cloves, peppercorns, and vinegar. Bring water to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes. The center of the fillets can be underdone. Some like it this way. If not, then cook 2 minutes longer.
  2.  Drain and serve with the ginger-mustard sauce.
    Yield: 4 servings.

GINGER-MUSTARD SAUCE

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoon tarragon vinegar (or 2 tbsp, vinegar mixed with ¼ tsp. tarragon)
¼ cup diced canned pimentos
Ground black pepper to taste
½ cup olive oil

Instructions:

  1. In a bowl, mix mustard,  ginger, shallots, garlic, vinegar, pimentos and pepper.  Blend well with a wire whisk.
  2.  Add olive oil, whisking rapidly until well blended.
    Yield: ¾ cup

 

 

WILD BOAR ROAST

March 8, 2019 / / 0 Comments

I was in the supermarket the other day and came across something I’ve never encountered before: a wild boar roast. Now, I’ve seen these critters on the National Geographic channel; but I had never cooked one. I thought, this is my chance. Let’s see what it’s all about.

A wild boar is, simply, a tusked wild pig from which domestic pigs are descended.  I’ve seen countless movies where the protagonists, usually uppity English and French types, go on wild boar hunts. I would tend to think it’d be a dangerous endeavor.  And now I had a chance to make a roast. I’m told that wild boar is particularly popular in Tuscany, where it’s  cooked in ragus, and also made into sausages. The meat is similar to pork, only darker and more intensely flavored. Note that  a  wild boar roast is made from the knuckle and is pre-tied to hold its shape and allow for even cooking. Please remove the string before cooking.

The recipe I contrived is more along the lines of Nuyorican cuisine, of which I am most familiar. Thus it has the usual ingredients: salt, pepper, oregano, garlic, and olive oil. On the suggestion of  friend, I also added rosemary and thyme for more nuanced  flavor. The meat was roasted atop potatoes (red or white), bell pepper (I used yellow, but you can use green or red pimentos), and carrots. All in all, a meal that harkens to scenes of upper class aristocrats enjoying  boar and a fine Bordeaux.  No, we did not get dressed up for this one. We sat in our lounge pants while listening to the Eagles as background music.

WILD BOAR ROAST

Ingredients:

1½ pounds wild boar roast
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced into slivers
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced into rings
1 bell pepper (red, green or yellow), sliced into strips lengthwise
2 carrots, cut into ¼-inch chunks
1 pound unpeeled potatoes, washed, scrubbed and sliced into thin rounds
6 sprigs fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried
6 sprigs fresh rosemary or ¼ teaspoon dried
¾ cup beef stock
¼ cup dry red wine

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2.  Rinse boar roast under running water and pat dry with paper towels. Make incisions at equal space around the roast and stuff with garlic slivers. Season and rub roast with salt, pepper, and oregano.
  3.  Heat olive oil in a roasting pan or oven-proof fry pan or skillet and sear the roast on all sides over medium-high heat. Remove roast and set aside.
  4.  In the same pan, saute onion, bell pepper, carrots and potatoes for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the thyme and rosemary. Place the roast boar on top. Add the beef stock and wine. Bring to a roiling boil and place in the oven, covered, and roast for ½ to 1 hour, or as long as it takes to reach an internal temperature of 155-160 degrees with a meat thermometer. Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
    Yield: 4 servings.

 

COQ AU VIN

February 18, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Once in a while I like to indulge in classic cooking. By that I mean French Continental fare. Coq au Vin is in that vein. , A French stew where chicken is braised in red wine to yield a  rich sauce filled with mushrooms and small pearl onions.

Normally, a red Burgundy is used to create the dish. I decided to try it with a dry white wine and, since I had them on hand, I added carrots. Also, for the mushrooms I used crimini mushrooms instead of button mushrooms. And, please, always fresh, no can stuff.

The normal accompaniment to Coq au Vin is mashed potatoes or buttered noodles. Harking to my Nuyorican heritage, I did it with yellow rice. It’s up to you to experiment. I’m sure the dish would go good with quinoa or couscous,  or any other grain that strikes your fancy.

Ingredients:

Fryer chicken, about 2 pounds
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup diced salt pork
8-10 small white onions
4 carrots, thickly sliced
4 scallions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
¼ cup warm cognac or brandy
¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
½ pound fresh small mushrooms (if large, sliced in half)

Instructions:

  1. Rinse chicken under cold running water, and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into serving pieces. Place in a bowl, add wine, cover, and marinate for at least 2 hours. Or, you can place chicken pieces in a large zip-lock bag, add wine, zip close and marinate. Remove chicken from marinade and wipe dry with paper towels. Reserve marinade. Dredge chicken in flour.
  2.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet or fry pan. Add chicken and brown lightly over medium-high heat. Remove chicken pieces and set aside To pan or skillet, add salt pork, small onions, carrots, scallions and garlic. Brown lightly.  Reduce heat and return chicken to pan. Blaze with warm cognac. Mix well, add parsley, salt, pepper, marinade, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
  3.  Stir in mushrooms and continue simmering, covered, for 20 minutes more.
    Yield: 4 servings.

 

POTATO HASH

February 7, 2019 / / 0 Comments

This winter has been a time to try men’s (and women’s) souls. At least in the northeast. We’ve been beset by snow, rain, sleet, you name it. So, a stick-to-the-ribs rendition is needed. And that is Potato Hash. Now, who among you, does not love potato hash? If you don’t, you are a godless advocate of Communism, fascism, Darth Vader, and all that is evil in the world. Potato hash is the elixir, the one thing that will make everything right.

This hash recipe is baked rather than cooked atop the stove. Reason is that baking concentrates the potatoes’ flavor and gives it a unique richness. A splash of lemon juice helps to moderate the favor. So, go at it, kiddies. The dish makes for a great lunch and an even better dinner.

POTATO HASH

Ingredients:

2 pounds small potatoes, white or red, sliced in half
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
4 large eggs
6 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons lemon juice
4 scallions, thinly sliced

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Rinse potatoes under running water, but no do peel. Bring a large pot, filled with water, to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add potatoes and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Strain potatoes and placed in a large baking pan (I prefer cast-iron—can also use a baking sheet if don’t have a large enough pan).
3. Toss potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano, and spread them out in a single layer. Place in oven and roast, flipping potatoes halfway through baking, until browned and crisp, about 12-15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, to a medium pot filled with cold water, add eggs, place over high heat and bring to a full boil.  Cover pot, remove from heat and let sit 12 minutes. Drain, run eggs under cold water, peel and chop.
5. In a medium sauté pan, melt butter over medium heat, and cook gently until it turns brown and aromatic, about 5 minutes.  Monitor carefully to prevent it from blackening. Toss roasted potatoes with brown butter, lemon juice and  scallions. Scatter chopped eggs over potatoes and serve immediately either in baking pan or, if you want to be fancy about it, in a serving bowl.
Yield: 4 servings or more.

 

 

 

 

 

SAUSAGE AND ONIONS

January 31, 2019 / / 0 Comments

This recipe came about by chance (like most great recipes do). Some friends gave us a pack of sausages to try out. It was VT99 Blue Cheese sausage from Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont. We’ve had Jasper Hill meats before, but not their sausage product. I figured, Mmmm, what do I do now? When I prepare sausage as a meal, I usually prepare it with bell peppers, be it red or green peppers.  It’s a common entrée in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. It happened I had no green peppers around, but I had lots of onions. So it became sausage and onions.

I was fortunate in acquiring the blue cheese sausage, and it was delicious! But you can substitute whatever sausage you prefer, be it Italian, German bratwurst, French andouille, Spanish chorizo, turkey or chicken sausage. You can even use the Libby canned sausage—which we substituted back in Spanish Harlem during our lean days. Let me add that some sausages (like the VT99 product) come with a casing that has to be removed before cooking. Check to see what you got.  Also, the recipe runs along the Nuyorican method of preparation with some basic staples. It ain’t complicated at all.

In my family we almost always had the dish over steamed rice. This time we tried something new, red rice. If you can find it, great. If not, regular rice will do, either white or brown; or you can try the dish with quinoa, or even kasha.  This is America, where we experiment and come up with the unusual, as long as it’s tasty.

SAUSAGE AND ONIONS

Ingredients:

4 links sausage, cut into ½-inch rounds
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 clove garlic, peeled and  minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons dry red wine

Instructions:

  1. Rinse sausage under running water and pat dry with paper towels.
  2. Heat olive oil in a skillet or fry pan over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until brown, about 2-3 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring, until onion is translucent. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Season with salt, pepper and oregano. Stir in wine, raise heat to high and and cook until most of the wine has been absorbed, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with the rice.
    Yield: 4 servings.

 

 

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