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Pappa al Pomodoro

May 23, 2017 / admin / 0 Comments

Spring is upon us and that means that soon we’ll enjoy fresh, lush tomatoes denied to us in winter—unless you want to take a chance on those tasteless cellophane-wrapped things found in supermarkets. In fact, they taste like the cellophane they’re wrapped in. In winter, I mainly rely on Italian canned tomatoes, the only thing comparable to the summer stuff.

One of my favorite dishes at this time is a thick Tuscan tomato soup, papa al pomodoro. Now, here translations get tricky. “Papa” in Italian, is a phrase for “father.” Then we have Il Papa , which is the Pope. So could this soup translate as the “Pope’s soup?” My Italian friends tell me there is no reference to this dish having anything to do with the Pope. They say the closest thing one can refer to this soup is as a mash or “mush of tomatoes.” Whatever. The soup can be prepared with any spices on hand. But everyone agrees it usually contains garlic, olive oil, and basil. But the prime ingredient, apart from tomatoes, is bread, preferably stale or day-old bread. I’ve cooked this soup with fresh and stale bread and I’ve noticed no difference whatsoever in taste or texture. Wanna be traditional, use stale bread. Don’t have it, use fresh bread. Your call. Either way, it’s the perfect summertime dish served at room temperature.

Let me add that I like this soup thick, so I don’t use that much chicken broth (¾ cup is enough). If you prefer it soupier, you can add more broth as desired.

Ingredients

4 clove garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1-2 pounds ripe tomatoes (or 1 28-oz can Italian plum tomatoes), coarsely chopped

½ loaf of large baguette or Italian bread, cut into 1-inch chunks

¾ cup chicken broth or stock

2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dried

Ground black pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or skillet on medium-high heat. Add garlic and pepper flakes, and cook for about 30 seconds (do not let garlic get brown).
Add tomatoes and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes.
Stir in bread, chicken broth, and basil. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 1 hour or more. Serve at room temperature, topped with additional olive oil, black pepper, and Parmesan cheese.

Yield: 4 servings.

Pork Chops Al Pastor

April 27, 2017 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

A dear friend from Florida recently sent me a publication that promotes the American pork industry. The publication, Pork Checkoff Report (Spring 2017), highlighted a recipe, Pork Chops al Pastor with Chipotle Marinade, that garnered my interest. I come from a Hispanic culture that consumes a lot of pork dishes. And, in my family, we favor cooking pork in cast-iron. So the recipe was a perfect follow-up to my last post (Cast-Iron Steak) which sings the praises of cast-iron cooking.The recipe is easy, no fuss, and delicious—the traits I admire most in any dish. Served with Mexican rice and slice avocados, it’s glorious .

For those who have never prepared Mexican rice, it’s very similar to its Caribbean counterpart. A quick preparation would entail: heating 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 cup washed and rinsed long grain rice. Cook the rice, stirring until it puffs up and becomes golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with 2 cloves garlic, minced; and 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin. Stir in one small onion, peeled and finely sliced into rings. Cook until the onion is tender. Stir in 1/2 cup tomato sauce and 1 1/2 cups chicken broth. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes until rice is done. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and serve. That’s it.

Note: the recipe serves two people, but you can double it for four servings (as I did).

PORK CHOPS AL PASTOR WITH CHIPOTLE MARINADE

2 bone in ribeye (rib) pork chops, 3/4 inch
3 tablespoons olive oil

CHIPOTLE MARINADE
1 white onion, halved
2 cups pineapple, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2 inch thick rounds
3 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon oregano, Mexican
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce

FOR CHIPOTLE MARINADE:
Combine all marinade ingredients in a large blender and puree until smooth.

In a large bowl, marinate pork chops with the marinade. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.

Heat a large suate pan with olive oil to medium heat and saute pork chops unil golden, approximately 10-12 minutes (5-6 inches on each side), and chops reach an internal temeperature between 145 to 160 degrees F. (use a digital thermometer).

Serve with Mexican rice, sliced avocados and charred pineapple.

Cast-Iron Steak

To this day, my favorite cooking utensil is cast iron. I know, it has fallen out of favor in recent times due to the proliferation of Teflon and other non-stick appliances. I can understand the convenience of quick cleaning of a pot or pan. Even aluminum and stainless steel sometimes require a degree of elbow grease to get the thing clean. Point taken. But cast-iron is not that hard to clean. Just wash in hot soapy water, using a scrub brush or sponge. Yes, you can use soap on cast-iron. Today’s gentle, modern soaps will not strip away the pan’s seasoning. I’ve been using soap to wash my cast-iron for years, and they’re as beautiful as ever. After washing, wipe clean, and store. Some recommend rubbing a thin film of oil that’s been heated for a couple of minutes.They say it keeps better. My experience is that, after being completely wiped dry, the thing will store forever with or without the film of oil. Some folks recommend cleaning cast-iron with a hefty dose of kosher salt, and then scrub clean. Honestly, I’ve never tried it this way but, if it works, more power to you.

The other thing I enjoy is a good steak now and then. And cast-iron is perfect for cooking steak. It’s fast, easy, and the results are sublime. The union of two perfect ensembles. Note that with the recipe given, any good cut of meat will do—porterhouse, flatiron, flank steak, whatever. But if you’re short on change and want to do chuck steak, go right ahead.

This time I served the steak with that perennial favorite, potatoes. In this case, parsley potatoes. Simple: boil 2-3 large potatoes until tender, and cut into chunks. Mix 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice with 1/4 fresh chopped parsley. Toss potatoes with parsley-lemon juice mixture, and you’re set.

CAST-IRON STEAK

1 1/4 pounds of your favorite steak, about 1-inch thick
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1. Wash steak under running water and pat dry with paper towels. Season steak with salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano.
2. Heat oil in a large 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak and cook 3 minutes. Flip over and cook 2-3 minutes more for medium rare. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice steak and serve with potatoes.
Yield: 4 servings.

Easter Lamb (with Pineapple)

April 13, 2017 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Here we are again, the Easter Holidays. Time to break out the big Easter ham or, in our case, the lamb. In our family, lamb was it for this particular occasion. It was made Puerto Rican style with lots of spices so that it tasted more like pork than anything else (we did the same thing with the Thanksgiving turkey).

This time around, we’re going to try something different: leg of spring lamb with pineapples. It’s a really neat and easy dish to make. Perfect it you’re lucky enough to procure a New Zealand or Australian leg of lamb with its tender and more delicate flavor. I find these variations the best—unless you’re near a farm that raises lamb on premises. You can find lamb in the frozen meat section of your supermarket, or Caribbean markets where you may be able to find it fresh. Whichever, you can’t go wrong with this dish. Just right for one of the most important and oldest of Christian festivals.

EASTER LAMB (WITH PINEAPPLE)

1 leg of lamb, about 5 pounds
2 cloves garlic, sliced into small slivers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 can (1lb. 4-oz) pineapple chunks

1. Wash leg of lamb under running water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. With a sharp knife, make small slits throughout the lamb. Insert the garlic slivers into the slits.
3. Brush the lamb with the olive oil. Sprinkle all over with the oregano, salt and pepper. Place in a covered dish, or wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Place in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or better yet, overnight.
4. Place lamb in a roasting pan, and roast in a 325 degree oven for 1 hour.
5. Pour undrained pineapple chunks over lamb. Roast 1 1/2 to 2 hours or more depending on desired degree of doneness, basting frequently.
Yield: 8 servings.

Fish Fillets with Bread Crumbs

April 7, 2017 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Breadcrumb crusted fish (or breaded fish) is a popular item these days. You can even find it in fast-food joints with such names as “Filet-O-Fish Sandwich” and “Fillet Fish Sandwich;” and sometimes a place may even own up by calling it a “Fried Fish Sandwich.” Usually served on a bun, these items are sheer killers in terms of health. They average from 350 to 480 calories, and 640 mg. of sodium or more. No matter how tasty, they are heart attacks on a plate.

Making this dish at home is much easier, healthier, and, yes, tastier. It’s an inexpensive way to satisfy your cravings while giving your arteries a break. In the recipe given you can use any firm fleshed fish fillet—cod, haddock, perch, turbot, etc. Wanna splurge, get some fillet of sole. You probably have all the ingredients already in your cupboard. In terms of breadcrumbs, want to be fancy about it—make your own, or use Japanese panko. Anyway, forget about the greasy spoon down the street. Stay home and cook something good.

The usual accompaniment to fish fillets is potatoes and/or greens. True to my Puerto Rican heritage, I serve them with tostones (deep fried plantains). For a good recipe on tostones check my post of 09/09/10. My website (www.oswaldrivera.com – 10/16/16) also offers both a recipe and video on how to prepare fried plantains. Making them ain’t that hard.

FISH FILLETS WITH BREADCRUMBS

1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup light or low-fat mayonnaise
Juice of half a lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
1 1/4-2 pounds fish fillets

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

2. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil. In another bowl, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and oregano.

3. Place fish fillets on a greased baking pan (I prefer cast-iron). Top with yogurt-mayonnaise sauce, and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake fish until fillets are tender and breadcrumbs are golden, about 15 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings.

Shakshuka

April 1, 2017 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Shakshuka which translates as “mixture” in Egyptian Arabic, is a dish very common in the Middle East. It’s simply a mess of eggs poached in tomatoes, greens, bell peppers and onions. What I like about this flavorsome dish is that it’s traditionally prepared in a cast-iron pan. Of course, you can use any adequate deep skillet if cast-iron is not your thing. In North Africa they use an earthenware pot. Either way, it’s a glorious mix which can also include spicy sausage (a Spanish innovation) or salty cheeses. In Israel, it’s a popular breakfast dish served with challah bread.

Another thing I like about shakshuka is that you can add or change anything to it. So it works for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Caribbean shakshuka would add oregano, garlic and parsley. French shakshuka could add a hollandaise sauce, Mexican shakshuka could add re-fried beans.You get the idea, It’s versatile, quick, and delicious. What more could you want?

SHAKSHUKA

1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into strips
1 teaspoon brown sugar
I bay leaf
2 tablespoons chopped scallions
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried
4 medium tomatoes, cored and chopped, or 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon saffron thread (or can substitute turmeric)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 bunch spinach, washed and sliced into ribbons
1 15-ounce can white kidney beans, drained
4 to 8 eggs, depending on how many servings
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese (can substitute goat cheese, Parmesan, Asiago, or Romano)

1. In a large cast-iron skillet, toast cumin seeds over high heat for approximately 2 minutes. Lower heat to medium, add oil and onion. Sauté until onion is soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add bell peppers, sugar, bay leaf, scallions, and thyme. Cook over high heat, stirring until peppers are browned (6-8 minutes).
2. Add tomatoes, saffron and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. If mixture becomes too dry, add a little water.
3. Remove bay leaf. Stir in spinach, reduce heat to low, and cook for 4-5 minutes until spinach is wilted.
5. Stir in beans. Increase heat to medium, and bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to low. With the back of a large spoon, make evenly spaced shallow hollows for as many eggs as you are using. Carefully crack each egg into a hollow. Season each egg with salt and pepper, cover pan and cook gently until eggs are set (10-12 minutes).
6. Spread cheese over mixture. Allow heat to soften the cheese, and serve shakshuka with crusty bread.
Servings: 4 or more.

Hungryman’s Special Stuffed Chops

March 25, 2017 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

I have a friend whose mother passed on; and while he was packing up her possessions, he came across a small, pocket cookbook, more like a pamphlet with, the title, Pork for Two. He gave the book to me, and I found it fascinating. The book, I think is from the 1950s (it has no copyright date). It was published by the National Pork Producers Council (Des Moines, Iowa), and is a compendium of pork dishes popular to that era. It has such gems as “Basic Frozen Pork Mixture” and “Fruit Glazed Butterfly Pork Chops.”

A recipe from the book that intrigued me is “Hungryman’s Special Stuffed Chops.” Admittedly, I don’t have that much experience with stuffed pork chops. I’ve done stuffed fish, lamb, fowl, even steaks. But never chops. So, I figured, Give it a try. And the end product is delicious. Note that the booklet is geared toward two servings; but the recipe can be doubled, if desired. Also, the ingredients call for double-rib pork chops but, as I discovered, boneless loin chops are just as good. Another thing to note is that it includes canned mushrooms. You can use fresh button mushrooms; it works just as well.

HUNGRYMAN’S SPECIAL STUFFED CHOPS

2 double-rib pork chops, cut 2-1/2 to 3-inches thick
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 can (3 ounces) chopped mushrooms, drained
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup herb seasoned stuffing
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth

Cut a pocket in each chop by cutting into center of chop from rib side, parallel to the bone and surface of chop. Sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper. In a medium skillet, melt butter. Cook onion in melted butter over moderate heat till onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in mushrooms, stuffing, and 2 tablespoons wine. Stuff half the stuffing mixture into each chop. Pour 1/2 cup wine and broth over chops. Bake, covered, in a 350° F. oven till chops are done, about 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours. Makes 2 servings.

Ginger Steamed Fish

March 16, 2017 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Once in a while, as a break from broiled, backed, or fried fish, steamed fish is the go-to dish. Simple to prepare, and quite healthy. I’ve discovered that, with an Asian flair, it does the trick. A little soy sauce, a little fresh ginger and you’ve got yourself a marvelous meal. The recipe given below follows this trend. For a dish such as this, rice is the usual accompaniment. This time around I served it with soba (or buckwheat) noodles; but you can use whatever pasta, or grain, desired. The fancy-dan foodies called it fusion cooking.

Note that it’s best to cook the noodles while fish is steaming (and ginger sauce is being prepared) and combine everything at the end.

GINGER STEAMED FISH

4 cod, halibut, striped bass (or any flaky white fish) steaks or fillets, 4 to 6 oz. each
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 cup sesame seeds
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 scallions, sliced, for garnish
12 ounces soba/buckwheat noodles, cooked according to package directions

1. Bring about 2 inches of water to a boil in a regular or bamboo steamer. If you don’t have a steamer, set four mugs upside down in a large pot, add water, and place a large heatproof dish on top. Place four portions of fish on plate or steamer, cover and bring water to a boil. Steam fish until tender (about 5-6 minutes per inch of fish).
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine ginger, garlic and sesame seeds. Heat oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Add ginger mixture and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add sesame oil and soy sauce and cook 1 minute more.
3. Place noodles on a serving platter. Add fish on top; and pour sauce over fish and noodles. Garnish with scallions and serve.
Yield: 4 servings.

Pollo Guisado (Stewed Chicken)

March 8, 2017 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

My father called this dish the poor person’s banquet. It is similar to that popular Italian entrée, chicken cacciatore, but with a Puerto Rican boricua slant. What I like about this recipe is that the ingredients can be added or changed to suit the circumstances or the pocket book. If desired, roasted red peppers can be substituted for green bell peppers (pimento). You can add peas. mushrooms or almost any other vegetable you have on hand. Or keep it simple. Some folks prefer to remove the skin from the chicken before cooking. Others like to retain the skin since it renders a richer flavor. It’s all a matter of individual taste.

In the island of Puerto Rico, for this dish, the accompaniment is rice and beans. Back in Spanish Harlem, when I was growing up, in our family we paired this dish with macaroni. For some reason, my father loved it with tubular pasta like macaroni or rigatoni. It was our thing. Actually, you can serve this recipe with whatever you want—be it potatoes, pasta, quinoa, couscous, or kasha. It’s that versatile.

The dish calls for sofrito, that popular base condiment used in our cooking. My prior post (Biftec Estofado – 03/04/17) has a quickie way to prepare sofrito. Refer to that and you won’t have any problems whipping it up. And, as noted in that post, under no circumstance get the store-bought variety—it’s chemicalized crap.

POLLO GUISADO
(Stewed Chicken)

1 medium stewing chicken, about 2 1/2 pounds, cut into serving pieces
2 cloves garlic, peeled
8 whole peppercorns
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs fresh parsley
2 medium Idaho or Maine potatoes, halved and quartered
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sofrito
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
8 pitted black olives, rinsed in cold water and halved
1/2 medium green bell pepper, cut into strips

1. Rinse chicken pieces under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Put the garlic, peppercorns, salt and oregano into a mortar and pound until crushed. Rub this seasoning thoroughly into the chicken pieces.
3. In a large pot or casserole (a Dutch oven is great for this), place the chicken pieces along with the bay leaf and parsley sprigs. Add water to cover chicken pieces. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium. Cover and simmer until chicken pieces are tender (about 20 minutes).
4. Add potatoes, onion slices, sofrito, tomato sauce and olives. Stir and combine.
5. Cook, covered, until potatoes are tender and sauce has thickened somewhat (about 1/2 hour). Garnish with bell peppers.
Yield: 4 servings.

Biftec Estofado

March 4, 2017 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

This is a simple, no frills way to prepare beefsteak; and it comes from my cookbook Puerto Rican Cuisine in America (Perseus Books). The recipe calls for traditional spices and onions and not much else. However, it’s ingredients include sofrito and aji dulce, or sweet chili peppers. Sweet chili peppers can be found in any Caribbean or Asian market. Sofrito is a base seasoning used for countless dishes in our cooking. A good recipe for sofrito can be found in my post of 11/08/10. Or you can also access the video version (11/23/15) which gives you a step by step method of making the condiment. If for some reason you don’t have the time or inclination to research the thing, a quick method is thus—in a blender or food processor, puree until smooth: 1/4 cup chopped cilantro; 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped; 2 clove garlic, crushed; 1/4 pound sweet chili peppers; and 1/4 cup parsley. That’s it. You can store any leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days or indefinitely in the freezer compartment. One last caveat: under no circumstances buy the processed, bottled sofrito you find in the supermarket. It’s chemicalized crap.

The dish is called ‘smothered steak” because, traditionally, the beef is topped, or smothered, with onions. It also calls for steaming the meat as it cooks in the pot. A good cut of beef is called for this preparation (we user sirloin or top round). We would not recommend boneless chuck. The usual accompaniment to the beef chunks is rice or boiled potatoes.

BIFTEC ESTOFADO
(Smothered Steak)

2 pounds beef sirloin or round steak, trimmed of all fat and cut into 1-inch chunks
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/2 medium green bell pepper, seeded, cored and chopped
2 aji dulce (sweet chili peppers), chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
Dash of sage
Juice of 1/2 lemon or lime
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon sofrito
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced

1. Wash meat and pat dry with paper towels. Place meat in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper, add bell pepper, sweet chili, garlic and sage. Mix well and sprinkle with lemon juice. Cover and marinate for 15-20 minutes.
2. Heat oil on medium flame in a large skillet or heavy frying pan and sear meat on both sides. Add marinade ingredients, water, sofrito, and onion slices. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes or until meat is tender.
Note: If desired, the onion slices can be stir-fried in a little oil and arranged over the beef when it’s done. It works either way,
Yield: 4 servings.

Oswald Rivera

Author, Warrior, and Teacher