Oswald Rivera

Author, Warrior, and Teacher

Category: eggs (page 1 of 3)

SPINACH OMELET

November 2, 2023 / / 0 Comments

This is just your basic Spinach Omelet recipe. No cheese, no cream,  no ham, nothing from what is known as the French Canon (in terms of Continental cooking). Pair it with a crusty loaf of bread, some good light red wine (like a Beaujolais, Gamay or Bardolino), and it makes for a great brunch or dinner.

Note that you can use fresh spinach, if desired. This time around we couldn’t find it fresh, so we went with frozen and it was just as good.

SPINACH OMELET

Ingredients:

1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 medium tomato, washed and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley
4 eggs lightly beaten
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Cook spinach  in a medium-sized pan per package instructions.. Drain well, add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, garlic, tomato and parsley. Heat, stirring constantly, over medium heat for 5 minutes.
  2.  Add eggs, salt and pepper, Stir to combine.
  3.  Heat, to a sizzling point, the reaming 3 tablespoons olive oil in a 9-inch skillet or frypan (we prefer cast iron, but a nonstick pan will do). Pour in omelet mixture, spreading evenly.
  4.  Cook, covered, over medium heat for 10 minutes. Mixture should be fairly firm when done.
  5.  While omelet is cooking, heat broiler. Place skillet under broiler for 1-2 minutes to set top of omelet. Cut into wedges and serve
    Yield: 4 servings.

HUEVOS AL HORNO (Baked Eggs)

March 20, 2023 / / 0 Comments

In our culture, eggs are an every time meal, not just for breakfast or brunch. Back on the block we had them for dinner or whenever times were lean. With that in mind, the recipe given below was especially popular. It’s Huevos al Horno, or baked eggs. The eggs weren’t simply baked, they were served with a white sauce to give it a certain panache. I’ve modified the sauce by adding turmeric to it for color and enhanced flavor. Traditionally, baked eggs was served over rice or with tostones (friend green plantains) or crusty bread. Yes, it’ s thrifty meal but, done right, it becomes a banquet.

I would suggest, for this recipe, while the eggs are being boiled, prepare the white sauce and place it on low heat in the back burner while cooking the eggs. That way the sauce will be ready when the eggs are baked. Or you can prepare the sauce earlier in the day and have it ready. Whatever works for you best.

HUEVOS AL HORNO
(Baked Eggs)

Ingredients:

8 hard boiled eggs
3 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons butter
½ cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
½ chopped bell pepper (green, red or yellow)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 cups basic white sauce (see below)
¼ cup grated Parmesan or cheddar cheese

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2.  Slice hard boiled eggs in half lengthwise and reserve yolks. Set the hollow whites aside.
  3.  In a small bowl, mix eggs and cream. Set aside.
  4. Heat butter in a large skillet or frying pan. Add onion, garlic and pepper. Stir-fry until tender (2-3 minutes).
  5. Add eggs, salt and pepper and sauté briefly.
  6.  Stuff the hollow egg whites with the egg mixture. Arrange eggs in a baking dish.
  7.  Spoon white sauce over eggs and sprinkle with cheese.
  8.  Bake for 20 minutes, and serve.
    Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

BASIC WHITE SAUCE

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
1½ cups milk
½ teaspoon ground turmeric

Instructions:

  1. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Blend in salt and pepper.
  2.  Gradually add milk, stirring over medium heat until sauce thickens and comes to a boil.
  3.  Stir in turmeric and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
    Yield: About 2 cups

 

BUTTER SAUCE (Sauce Bátarde)

December 5, 2022 / / 0 Comments

We are fortunate that there is an open air market nearby where a Mexican family sells home-made prepared tamales. We love the suckers. Recently, we bought a batch but then considered, normally we have the tamales with a spicy salsa or a marinara sauce. We thought, why not have something different this time? What would be a good sauce that would accompany the tamales?  The answer was immediate: how about a nice butter sauce? One of the tastiest butter sauce I know is sauce bátarde from the classic French canon of sauces. It’s mainly a hot, thick simple sauce that is usually served with vegetables and boiled fish. And it was delicious when combined with the tamales.

You’re not limited with this butter sauce. I’ve had it over chicken, venison, even steak. To me, it’s an all-purpose sauce, easy to make and simply delicious.

BUTTER SAUCE
(Sauce Bátarde)

Ingredients:

2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon cold water
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups warm water, lightly salted
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

  1. Put the egg yolks into a bowl with the cold water. With a fork or a whisk, beat the mixture until it is smooth. Set aside.
  2.  In a heavy  saucepan or skillet over low heat, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Add flour and stir until the mixture begins to bubble. Take the pan from the heat and add the lightly salted warm water, whisking rapidly. Return the pan to the heat and continue whisking until the mixture boils. Remove the pan, allow the mixture to cool for at least a minute, then add the beaten egg yolks. Return the pan to the heat and continue whisking until the sauce thickens slightly. Do not allow the sauce to boil.
  3.  Again remove the pan from heat, pour in the lemon juice, add the rest of the butter and whisk steadily until it is combined with the sauce. Serve immediately.
    Yield: about 2 cups sauce.

EGG-CRABMEAT FRITTATA

November 29, 2022 / / 0 Comments

I call this dish a frittata. But it can also be referred to as an “egg-bake.” See, in a classic frittata, the thing is baked, usually in a 400 degree oven. In my version, I let the eggs set first, and then broil briefly. I still referred to it as a “frittata.” Though some of my  conservative friends don’t regard it as such. They think of it as an egg-crabmeat bake. Whatever. I’m a fan of crabmeat, and this makes an exquisite dish. As a side, all you need is some crusty bread and a good light wine. Another way we like it, in our family, is over rice. It makes for a marvelous combo.

Before setting in the broiler, you should top the recipe with cheese. By that, I mean sliced cheese. You can use whatever cheese slices you desire,  be it American cheese, cheddar, gouda or other. And, oh, yes, this time around, we served it with that Puerto Rican favorite tostones (friend green plantains).

EGG-CRABMEAT FRITTATA

Ingredients:

6 large eggs, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 (6 oz.) cans crabmeat, drained
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons light or heavy cream, your choice
6 cheese slices of choice
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley (optional)

Instructions:

  1. in a large skillet or frypan, heat olive oil.
  2. Add onion and stir-fry over medium heat until onion is soft and translucent.
  3. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more.
  4. Stir in crabmeat and cook until combined. Mix in oregano, salt and pepper. Add cream and cook until eggs are are set (the top should be somewhat firm but not burnt).
  5.  Cover with cheese slices. Place in broiler and cook until cheese melts. Garnish with parsley, if using, and serve immediately.
    Yield: 4 servings.

 

 

DEVILED EGGS IN TOMATO SAUCE

November 16, 2022 / / 0 Comments

As an appetizer and party favorite, I always like deviled eggs. Question: Why are they called “Deviled Eggs?” Well, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term originated in the 18th century to describe boiled or fried spicy, condiment filled dishes. It was eventually used to describe eggs. Now that we go that settled, I decided to experiment with the thing. What if a sauce, say tomato sauce, were added to the eggs? I imagined that would enhance the flavor even more. And that’s what we did. And it worked. Just prepare the eggs as you would normally, and then bake briefly in the tomato sauce.

The dish will make an excellent luncheon or supper served over buttered toast. Or you can pair it with your vegetable of choice. It is especially good with parsley potatoes. Go at it.

DEVILED EEGS IN TOMATO SAUCE

Ingredients:

6 hard-boiled eggs
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon mustard
3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2.  Halve the hard-boiled eggs and remove yolks to a small bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the tomato sauce, salt, sugar, paprika, mustard and 2 tablespoons of the Worcestershire sauce. Mix well and spoon back into egg whites.
  3.  In a skillet or saucepan. heat remaining tomato sauce with 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce to the boiling point.
  4.  Pour into shallow baking dish or pie plate (10in.) and arrange egg halves on top. Spoon a little sauce over each egg half. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes. Serve over hot buttered toast with some sauce spooned over  eggs and toast.
    Yield: 4 servings.

 

 

BAKED TOMATOES WITH EGGS

October 15, 2022 / / 0 Comments

This recipe is mainly stuffed tomatoes with an egg on top. Nothing  fancy, not hard to prepare, and delicious. We all know about stuffed bell peppers. Well, tomatoes stuffed with bread crumbs mixed with the pulp of the tomatoes and, finally, baked with eggs, is another glorious variant. With a good crusty loaf of bread, nothing could be simpler or more appetizing.

BAKED TOMATOES WITH EGGS

Ingredients:

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

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees  F.
  2. Cut out the tops of the tomatoes at the stem end and scoop out the pulp.
  3. Mix about 1/3 of the pulp with the onions, basil, thyme, marjoram and garlic. Add the bread crumbs and fill each tomato about half full.
  4.  Drop an egg into each tomatoes, cover with grated cheese. Arrange on a baking dish and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until eggs are set to a firm softness and the tomatoes are soft but not collapsing.
    Yield: 4 servings.

FRIED EGGS IN PEPPER RINGS

March 30, 2022 / / 0 Comments

This is a simple quick meal that is a novel way of doing fried eggs: cook them in pepper rings. You can use whatever bell pepper desired, be it green, red or yellow. The color combination is up to you. The dish can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner, your choice. For breakfast you can add the usual bacon as an accompaniment. For lunch, you can pair the eggs with French fries. For dinner, we prefer to serve the egg rings over rice. You can call this recipe a multi-purpose meal.

Note that you may have to cook the eggs in batches. Even with a large skillet you can cook about four pepper rings at a time. If, by chance, you have a skillet that can accommodate more, then more power to you.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
2-3 sweet peppers of your choice of colors
8 eggs
Sprinkle of salt and pepper
Sprinkle of dried oregano

Instructions:

  1. Wash peppers under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Slice crosswise into ¼-inch rings, seeds removed.
  2. Warm butter in a large skillet until butter sizzles. Add three or four pepper rings, spread out, and crack an egg into each and cook until set. In our crowd we like well-cooked eggs, so we don’t mind if the yolk gets broken. But, if you prefer a soft yolk, be gentle so it stays intact. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano, then flip over with a spatula and cook just until set on the other side.
    Yield: 4 servings.

EGG-CAKE BAKED IN A WOK

January 3, 2022 / / 0 Comments

EGG-CAKE BAKED IN A WOK

This is a recipe I acquired from an old cookbook, The Wok, A Chinese Cookbook by Gary Lee and published in 1970 (Pacific Productions). Yeah, 1970, when I was a young whippersnapper and on the prowl (I had just returned from Vietnam). Over the years I’ve come back to this tome. As far as I know, it was one of the “modern” Chinese cookbooks published in that era. It’s got great recipes that can no longer be found in more contemporary Asian cookbooks. And this is one of them: Egg-Cake Baked in a Wok.

Until that time I did not know that one could bake anything in a wok, let alone eggs. But it’s an easy recipe and delicious. If you don’ have a wok, a fry pan or skillet will do. Note that the recipe calls for ‘oil’ in the preparation. By that is meant peanut oil. Yet I’m sure you can use olive oil or vegetable oil. In my rendition I used olive oil included in the egg mix, but peanut oil for the frying. I also tweaked the recipe by adding mince garlic. It came out marvelous. My wife, who is a stone critic and judge of food, declared it’s the best egg cake she’s ever had. And that, from her, is resounding approval.

I imagine this dish would be served with steamed white rice. We had it with homemade baked rolls, and it was just as good. So this dish could be for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Your choice. You won’t be disappointed. The recipe makes 4 servings. Yes, you can add more eggs if you have more people coming over. By the way, the recipe calls for “green onion.” By that, it means scallions

EGG-CAKE BAKED IN A WOK

1 cup eggs (8-6 six eggs)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon peanut oil
2 stalks green onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

This is a practical dish for a variety in egg dishes.
Beat eggs with salt, onion., garlic and oil (olive oil). Heat the wok, but not too hot and add 1 teaspoon oil (peanut oil). Tilt the wok around and around until the oil coats the entire cooking area of the wok. Pour in the beaten eggs. Lower the heat to medium-low and cover the batch with a small lid – just big enough to cover the eggs. Wait for several minutes then add in a few drops of oil (peanut oil) around the edge of the lid. Repeat after a few minutes. The eggs should be firm after about 6 to 10 minutes. Take the eggs out and serve upside down on a plate, cut diagonally into strips ¾” to 1 ½” in size.

 

TORTILLA CON ESPINACAS (Spinach Omelet)

February 24, 2021 / / 0 Comments

This is your basic omelet, but with the addition of spinach. It’s our version, Tortilla con Espinacas. Back in Harlem, when we prepared this dish, we used frozen spinach. I guess you can use fresh spinach (if it’s in season); but my mom always used frozen. I reckon it was a choice of chance and economics. In this one, we also add a tomato to the recipe. This dish, to us, was not a breakfast deal.  We would serve it at dinner over rice, a cheap and delicious meal. But it also goes good as a brunch special with some crusty bread. Either way, a wonderful repast.

TORTILLA CON ESPINACAS
(Spinach Omelet)

Ingredients:

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 medium-sized tomato, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon minced parsley
4 eggs
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions:

  1. Cook spinach in a medium-size saucepan following label directions. Drain well, add the 3 tablespoons oil, garlic, tomato and parsley. Heat, stirring constantly, over medium heat for 3 minutes.
  2.  Beat eggs lightly in a medium-size bowl, just until mixed. Add salt, pepper and the spinach mixture; stir well.
  3.  Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a 9-inch skillet (with an oven-proof handle) to the sizzling point. Pour in omelet mixture, spreading evenly.
  4.  Cook, covered, over medium heat for  10 minutes (mixture should be fairly firm)).
  5.  While omelet is cooking, heat broiler. Put skillet under broiler for 1 to 2 minutes to set top of omelet. Cut into wedges and serve.
    Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

PUERTO RICAN FRITTATA

July 27, 2020 / / 0 Comments

As we all know, a frittata is a type of omelette. It derives from the Italian word friggere, which means “fried.” In Spanish it would be frito. So I started thinking? How about a fritata with all the ingredients native to Puerto Rican cuisine? What would that be? A boricua frittata? A Latino frittata? A Nuyorican frittata? You can use whatever term desired. I decided to stick with the Puerto Rican moniker.

Here it is, my own genuine P.R. frittata. Note that I add sour cream (or yogurt) to it, along with turmeric. This came about by accident. We had some sour cream on hand and I decided to use that as a topping rather than cheese. It came out great! Also note that you can fancy up the dish by adding whatever vegetable or ingredients you want, be it mushrooms, broccoli, spinach, or even sausage or chicken. You add the vegetables or cooked sausage or chicken to the eggs and follow recipe directions. No limitations here. With a crusty loaf and some good white wine (or red), and you have a feast, be it for breakfast, brunch or dinner.

PUERTO RICAN FRITTATA

Ingredients:

10 whole black peppercorns
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
½ teaspoon salt.
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
8 large eggs
¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
2 tablespoons  butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and sliced into thin rings
1 cup sour cream (or yogurt)
1 teaspoon turmeric

Instructions:

  1. In a mortar, crush peppercorns, garlic, oregano and salt. Add vinegar and mix.
  2. Crack eggs into a medium mixing bowl and whisked vigorously until the egg yolks and whites are blended. Add mortar mixture and parsley. Mix well.
  3. In a 12-inch cast iron skillet (or any skillet or pan that’s oven proof), warm the butter and olive oil over medium heat until oil is shimmering (be careful not to burn the butter). Add onion and cook until soft and translucent. Stir in the eggs and cook until edges are set, about 2 minutes. Cover, turn the heat to low, and cook about 8 minutes. Allow the frittata to gently cook and steam.
  4. Meanwhile, combine the sour cream with the turmeric. Set aside. Check the frittata by lifting the lid. It’s done when it is set in the middle and the eggs have released from the sides of the pan. Top with the sour cream-turmeric mixture, spreading evenly over the frittata. Place, uncovered, in the top rack of the oven, and broil (on high) for 1-2 minutes until the frittata has cooked through and is golden on top. Keep a close eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn.
  5. Remove from oven (with pot holders or oven-mitts). Let cool lightly, cut into wedges and serve.
    Yield: 4-6 servings.
     
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