Oswald Rivera

Author, Warrior, and Teacher

Tag: #latino food

BEEF WITH BELL PEPPER (Carne con Pimiemto)

August 11, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Bell peppers, also known as sweet pepper, are called pimientos in Spanish. In our culture we love the suckers. They have an underlying sweetness that we cherish. In today’s recipe we pair pimientos with beef. In this instance, we are using beef stew meat. Back on the block, in what was then called Spanish Harlem, beef stew meat was cheap. As a result, it was a frequent dish at our table. We had steak only when we could afford it. Mostly chuck meat. A choice cut like Rib-eye, tenderloin or sirloin, or even flank steak was for special occasions. The most common thing we prepared. you guessed it, was beef stew, to which we added potatoes and tomato sauce.  And then we had Carne con Pimiento or, Beef with Bell Pepper. Just like beef stew, it would get us by. For the bell pepper, in those, days it was mainly red or green bell pepper. For this recipe we used yellow bell pepper.

Note that in this recipe we add sazón, a seasoning very popular in our cuisine. Goya brands and Bodega Badia make good versions. And, if for some reason you can’t find sazón, you can substitute a ¼ teaspoon turmeric. Also, we normally serve this dish with rice; but you can pair it with pasta. This time around we paired it with pappardelle, a large, very broad, flat pasta, similar to wide fettuccine,

CARNE CON PIMENTO
(Beef with Bell Pepper)

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef stew meat, large pieces cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and black pepper to taste
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoon flour
¼ cup olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium bell pepper, washed, cored and chopped
1 cup water or chicken broth
1 packet sazón
¼ cup red wine, preferably dry

Instructions:

  1. Wash meat under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
  2. Season and rub the beef pieces with salt, pepper, garlic and oregano.
  3. Dust the meat with one tablespoon of the flour.
  4. Heat the oil over moderate heat in a large skillet or frypan.
  5. Add meat and brown on both sides. Remove meat from pan and keep warm,
  6. Add remaining flour to the pan or skillet. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until lightly brown (do not burn).
  7. Add onion and bell pepper.  Cook about 3 minutes.
  8. Add water or chicken broth mixed with remaining tablespoons of flour and sazón. Add red wine and stir to combine. Cover and cook until beef is tender, about ½ hour.
    Yield: 4-6 servings.

LEEKS IN TOMATOE SAUCE

July 27, 2026 / / 0 Comments

This post could have been called “Cooking with Leeks.” Until my young manhood leeks were unknown to me. In Spanish Harlem we cooked with onions, garlic and, sometimes, scallions. Leeks were somewhere out there a world apart. Once I got to know them, I became a fan. In fact, they are part of the same family as scallions, garlic and chives. Leeks are pretty easy to cook and have a subtle flavor, becoming slightly sweet when cooked and tender. Just remember that, like scallions, the best parts to eat are the white and light green portions. So, they need to be trimmed. That is, cut off and discard the tough dark green tops and the stringy root end. Then slice leeks into half-moons or thin rounds. Leeks have tight layers that accumulate dirt and sand, so put them in a colander and wash thoroughly under cold running water.  Now you’re set to cook the suckers.

Added note: This recipe is my Nuyorican version of leeks. So, it includes sazón. a spice blend popular in Latin American and Caribbean cuisine. It adds an earthy and savory depth to dishes. Goya products and Badia make a good version. If you don’t have sazón, you can substitute ground turmeric. For this recipe use ¼ teaspoon. Also, we paired this dish with pasta, specifically bucatini, a thick hollow pasta similar to spaghetti. If desired, you can also pair it with a grain like rice or couscous.

LEEKS IN TOMATOI SAUCE

Ingredients:

2 leeks, thinly sliced (see above)
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 (15oz.) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 packet sazón

Instructions:

  1. Prepare leeks and wash under cold running water (see above)
  2. Heat oil over medium-high in a wok, large skillet or frypan.
  3. Add garlic and leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes.
  4. Reduce heat to low, pour in the tomato sauce and heavy cream.
  5. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sazón  and stir to combine.  Cook 3 minutes more and serve with pasta or favorite grain.
    Yield: 4-6 servings.

HAMBURGERS WITH PICKLES

June 2, 2026 / / 0 Comments

 

I’m always on the lookout for a good hamburger recipe and, luckily, I came across a burger preparation I had from years ago. For the record, it was a burger recipe from the old 60-Minute Gourmet column in the New York Times by renown chef Pierre Franay. He called it “A German Touch for Ground Beef.” The recipe is essentially, Hamburger with Pickles. Obviously, this is not a Nuyorican dish. Yet the ingredients and preparation mirror how we make Hamburgesa Criollo, or Creole Burgers. You can find a recipe for Creole Burgers in my first cookbook, Puerto Ruican Cuisine in America (Running Press). So, go at it with this recipe. No fuss, no mess, just add finely chopped dill pickles to the ground beef, and there you have it.

Unique about this dish is that it can served as dinner with a side like say, rice, couscous. potatoes or a favorite vegetable. In this case we used sliced tomatoes as a garnish. Also note that, in the original recipe, it called for corn, peanut or vegetable oil for frying. I used olive oil and the tase was great. Again, you’re choice.

This time around, elevate the humble hamburger to the center a fine meal. It won’t disappoint.

HAMBURGERS WITH PICKLES

1½ pound ground beef
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon corn, peanut or vegetable oil (I used olive oil, see above)
½ finely chopped onions
4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
½ cup finely chopped dill pickles
½ teaspoon finely minced garlic
Salt to taste if desired
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons finely chopped parley

Instructions:

  1. Put the meat in a mixing bowl.
  2. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a small saucepan of skillet and add half the onions. Cook, stirring, until wilted. Cool briefly.
  3. Add the cooked onions to the meat, Add the breadcrumbs, pickles, garlic, salt and pepper, and blend thoroughly with the hands.
  4. Divide the mixture into four equal portions and shape each into a patty about 1 inch thick.
  5. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet and when it is very hot add the patties. Cook over moderate heat about 5 minutes or until nicely browned on one side. Turn the patties and cook 2 minutes or to the desired degree of doneness on the other side. Transfer the patties to a warm platter. Pour off the fat from the skillet and add the butter. When it is hot and melted add the remaining onions. Cook, stirring, until wilted and add the vinegar, stirring. Cook about 45 seconds and stir in the sour cream. Stir and heat without bringing to the boil. Pour the sauce over the patties. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.
    Yield: 4 servings.

 

CORDER0 SALTEADO (Stir-Fried lamb or Lamb Stir-Fry)

November 13, 2025 / / 0 Comments

As you can see in the title above, this recipe is simply, Stir-fried Lamb or Lamb Stir-Fry. The nomenclature I leave up to you. Or you can call it Carne Salteada (Stir-Fried Meat) since you can use beef, pork turkey or chicken instead of ground lamb for the dish. So, why did we use ground lamb? Because that’s what we had on hand. This comes from experience. Back on the block in Spanish Harlem, when times were lean, we had to go with what was available. I figure, given today’s economy and the Mad Man in the White House cutting off all benefits to working folks so he can procure tax cuts for his billionaire friends, you get what I mean by “lean times.”. So, we have to be innovative in terms of our foodstuff.  Enough of my irrational ravings. Just give this one a try. It goes great, as we served it, with rigatoni; but you can substitute rice, couscous or your favorite grain. With a good loaf of crusty bread and a good red wine (or white) you’ll have a banquet.

Note that in this recipe we used a condiment common to Nuyorican cuisine. This is sazón, an ingredient that enhances flavor and gives color to any dish (except dessert). Goya make a good one. But there are other brands out there like Spice Supreme, which makes one they call Sazón Everything, or Badia Sazón Tropical. Whichever you use will be okay. Mainly it’s a mix of coriander and annatto seeds. For the record, annatto seeds come from the achiote tree and are used as both a natural food coloring and a spice. They impart a yellow- orange to red color to foods and have a mild, earthy, and slightly peppery flavor.

CORDERO SALTEADO
(Stir-Fried Lamb)

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground lamb
1 medium potato, washed and cut into small bite-sized pieces (do not peel)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon chives
¼ teaspoon herbes de provence
1 packet sasόn
¾ cup water
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Instructions:

  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or frypan.
  2. Add ground lambs and stir-fry until lamb is evenly browned and no pink remains, about 6 minutes.
  3. Stir in potato, salt, pepper, chives, herbes de provence and packet of sazón.
  4. Add water mixed with cornstarch. Stir to combine, lower heat and simmer until lamb is done and potato pieces are tender, about 10 minutes more.
    Yield: 4 servings.

PARSNIP STIR-FRY

November 11, 2025 / / 0 Comments

It’s wintertime here in the northeast, and if you’re seeking vegetables, you have to go with what you’re got. So, I came across parsnips in the local market. For the record, I normally do not cook parsnips. I do know that it’s a comestible you either love or hate. But it’s a winner—if it is done properly.  Like the way we did it, in a sauce.

I decided to stir-fry the bunch of parsnips I got. Parsnips can also be boiled or roasted. But, to me, stir-frying brings out its natural flavor. They become sweet and delicious when prepared this way. And we served them with bucatini, a hardy string pasta. But you can use spaghetti, or tubular pasta like macaroni or penne. Or skip the pasta and use rice, or couscous. Whatever you decide, you can’t go wrong with this marvelous root vegetable. Also, I added raisins to this recipe. That gives parsnips an added dimension that enliven the taste buds.

Note that there are about 4 medium parsnips in a pound. Thus, to be on the safe side, figured two pounds should be enough for a dinner of 4-6 people. Again, use your judgment and common sense. Do not be troubled, the recipe will come out delicious and memorable. Even those who hate parsnips, and by that I mean kids, will come out loving this dish.

PARSNIP STIR-FRY

Ingredients:

2 pounds parsnips (about 8 medium-sized to large parsnips)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 cup water or broth (either chicken or beef, your choice)
Salt to taste
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ ground coriander
¼  teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon black raisins

Instructions:

  1. Peel parsnips and slice into bite-sized pieces, either rounds or matchsticks, you’re choice. Be aware that rounds will take longer to cook, where matchsticks will be done sooner.
  2. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large fry pan or skillet.
  3. Add Parsnips and garlic, and stir-fry until parsnips are slightly browned, about 2-3 minutes.
  4. Add water or broth, salt, oregano, coriander, turmeric and raisins. Cover, lower heat and simmer until parsnip’s are soft and caramelized, about 5-7 minutes. This is where their juices and sweetness will become apparent. Also, while cooking, you can add a little more water, mixed with cornstarch, if the sauce is too thin.
    Yield: 4-6 servings

 

BÓCOLI CON CURRY (Curried Broccoli)

November 6, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Recently I had some vegetarian friends over for dinner. Being a meat eater, I asked myself, “What the hell do I do now?” Luckily, I had some broccoli on hand and then I thought, how about how about doing a curry sauce with it? Thus, was born Brócoli con Curry, or Curried Broccoli. Think of it as a new take on Nuyorican cuisine. Let me add that the perfect accompaniment to this dish is rice; but you can substitute couscous, quinoa or pasta, either tubular like penne or string like spaghetti or linguini. The choice is endless. I think you’re gonna like this one.

BRÓCOLI CON CURRY
(Curried Broccoli)

Ingredients:

1 medium to large head of broccoli, about 2 pounds (can use frozen if can’t find fresh)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1½ cups broth or water
1 teaspoon curry powder (or more to taste)

Instructions:

  1. Rinse broccoli under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into florets.
  2. Heat oil in large skillet or frypan over medium -high heat
  3.  Add onion and garlic and stir-fry until onion is soft and translucent.
  4.  Mix water with curry powder and add to broccoli. Stir to mix, cover, lower heat and cook until broccoli is tender, about 7 minutes.
    Yield: 4-6 servings.

SALMON AL VAPOR (Steamed Salmon)

October 29, 2025 / / 0 Comments

 

Steaming is a great a deficient way to cook food. Following that vein, today we give you Steamed Salmon. And it’s not as difficult as it seems.  If you have a regulate streamer, then it’s a cinch. Same if you have a bamboo steamer, again no problem. This also works well with a wok. But what if you don’t have a steamer or a wok? Then we improvise. Simple, take a big pan or kettle, place an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce in the bottom of it, fill it up with water until it reaches the height of the can, place the salmon fillets on a dish atop the tomato can, bring to boil, cover and cook until the salmon fillets are done.  Salmon fillets usually take 7-10 minutes to cook depending upon the size and thickness the fillets.  Check for doneness. If it flakes easily, then the fillet is done. This dish goes great with boiled rice, couscous, quinoa or your favorite pasta product, such as orzo or penner. We felt adventurous so we paired it with French fries. Again, it’s your show, so use whatever works.

That’s it. Try something new today: Steam rather than frying your fish. It’s a healthier choice I’m told, and just as delicious. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

4 salmon fish fillets, about 6-ounce each
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons white wine (dry or sweet, your choice)
4 tablespoons butter

Instructions:

  1. Rinse fillets under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
  2. Season thoroughly on both sides with garlic powder, salt, pepper and oregano.
  3. Arrange on a plate, drizzle wine over fillets. Place fillets in steamer. Fill steamer with water, bring to a boil, cover and stream 7-10 minutes until fillets are done (they should flake easily with a fork).
    Yield: 4 servings.

LENTEJAS CON SALCHICHA

October 20, 2025 / / 0 Comments

This recipe combines two Nuyorican favorites: lentils and sausage. Now, the lentils can be brown, green or red lentils. In terms of the sausage, it can be beef, turkey, smoked or Italian sausage. Even the Vienna sausage out of the can cane be used. We don’t stand on formality here. Some folks prefer Spanish chorizo sausage common to our cuisine. And normally that would be our preference. Except that we had a package of chicken sausage links on hand, and we went with that. Also, for this recipe we used brown lentils which, depending on how old they are, will take 30 to 40 minutes to cook. Red lentils cook fast, maybe simmering 10 minutes or so in water. Green lentils take about 15-20 to cook at a slow simmer. Just use the taste test. That is, they should be tender with a slight crunchiness but not mushy.

When cooking with sausage note that some variety of sausage comes with a casing that has to be removed before cooking. To do this, make a cut along the sausage with a knife, peel off the casing and then slice the meat.

Normally with this dish, we would serve it with boiled rice.  This time around we paired it with wild rice which is not a true rice. It is a native North American grain. You can also pair it with couscous, quinoa or a small pasta such as orzo or radiatori. Even on its own, Lentejas con Salchicha makes for a great dinner.

LENTEJAS CON SALCHICHA
(Lentils with Sausage)

Ingredients:

1½ cups dried brown lentils (can use green or red lentils, see above)
4 cups water or broth
1 bay leaf
1 (12 -16 ounce) package sausage, cut diagonally into ¼-inch slices
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
¾ teaspoon dried oregano

Instructions:

  1. Rince lentils in a fine-mesh strainer under cold, running water.
  2. Place lentils to a medium-sized saucepan. Add water or broth plus bay leaf. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil over high heat. Immediately reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer and cover. Cook until tender (30-40 minutes). If using red or green lentils, see above.
  3.  While lentils are cooking, heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a fry pan or skillet. Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is soft and translucent.
  4. Add sausage and cook over medium heat until browned on all sides.
  5.  Add tomato sauce, stir to combine, cover and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
  6. Drain any excess liquid from the lentils. Stir in the sausage with the tomato sauce. Serve over rice, pasta or favorite grain.
    Yield: 4-6 servings.

 

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