Oswald Rivera

Author, Warrior, and Teacher

Category: vegetables (page 3 of 12)

CALAMARES CON PIMIENTO (Squid with Bell Pepper)

November 11, 2022 / / 0 Comments

It always amazes me the reaction I get from my Anglo brethren when the subject of squid as an edible comes up. It’s usually: “Yuk—Ugh–Ick!”—or another negative reaction. And this surprises me. In Latin American, Caribbean and Mediterranean cuisine, squid is something that is treasured. Growing up in Spanish Harlem, we ate a lot of it. Mainly because it was cheap, and nutritious. And I still eat it regularly. Especially now when you can get cleaned and prepared squid in almost any market. Gone are the days when you had to clean the squid, remove the tentacles and mouth from the head;  pull out the innards; discard head and viscera and, finally, wash the inside of the body thoroughly. Yes, a time-consuming task. So, as a result, we eat squid more often, as with this classic recipe, Calamares con Pimento or Squid with Bell Pepper. In  this dish you can use any bell pepper type you like be it green pepper, yellow, red, or a combination of each.

For nomenclature purposes, bell peppers are also known as “pimentos.” In Spanish we call them pimientos. I’m told that in Australia, India, Malaysia, New Zealand and Pakistan they are know as   capsicum. Whatever terminology used, this recipe can’t be beat when bell peppers are coupled with squid. Let me add that when we cook this dish, we serve it over yellow rice. Bur you can pair it with whatever grain you like, be it quinoa, couscous, farro or even pasta. The beauty of this dish is in its versatility.

CALAMARES CON PIMIENTO
(Squid with Bell Pepper)

Ingredients:

2 pound cleaned squid
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 small onion, peeled and minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
8-oz. can tomato sauce
¼ teaspoon coriander  powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. In a large frypan or skillet, heat the oil and add the garlic and onion. Sauté over medium and cook until onion is soft and translucent. Add the bell peppers and sauté for 3 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, cut the body of the cleaned squid into ½-inch rings. Add the rings and tentacles (cut up) to the peppers and toss for 2 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and cook for 5 minutes. Add the coriander and salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
    Yield: 4 servings.

 

BROCOLI CON SALSA (Sauced Broccoli)

November 7, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Back in the Barrio, when times were lean, Brocoli con Salsa was a cheapy weekday dinner. Basically it’s broccoli cooked with tomato sauce and spices. Depending on where you came from, it was also called Brocoli Guisado (stewed broccoli). Normally, in our family, we served it with rice. Once in a while we substituted spaghetti for the rice. In the version given below we served it with penne pasta and black olives, topped with grated cheese. Let me add you can substitute any preferred pasta be it noodles or shells. Your choice. The dish makes for an inexpensive and filling vegetarian dinner that even carnivores will love. We’ve come a long ways from Spanish Harlem but this dish, then and now, is a winner. With some crusty bread and a good wine, preferably Chianti, it can’t be beat.

Note that this dish includes that archetypical Puerto Rican flavoring, sofrito. Today you can find sofrito in almost any store or supermarket. It’s become ubiquitous. In our family, we still make it from scratch. If you need a good recipe, you can go to my post of 11/08/10, or my video on Spanish Rice (07/11/14). If all else fails, then substitute 2 teaspoons turmeric and add a chicken bouillon cube to the sauce.

BROCOLI CON SALSA
(Sauced Broccoli)

Ingredients:

1 bunch fresh broccoli
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
9 whole black peppercorns
¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2½  cups tomato sauce
1 tablespoon sofrito
½ cup black olives, halved
Grated Parmesan cheese or cheese of choice

Instructions:

  1. Wash broccoli under cold running water.
  2. Curt off the florets and chop the top half of the stems into small bite-sized pieces.
  3.  Put garlic, oregano, peppercorns and salt in a mortar. Pound with a pestle until crushed. Add olive oil and mix thoroughly.
  4. Add seasoning and broccoli to a large skillet or frying pan. Stir fry for 2 minutes over medium high heat. Add 3 tablespoons water and cook for 3 minutes more or until water evaporates.
  5.  Add tomato sauce and stir in sofrito. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover pan and simmer until broccoli is tender, about 8-10 minutes.
  6.  Add olives, stir to combine, and serve immediately with penne or rice. If using pasta, top with grated cheese.
    Yield: 4-6 servings.

IRISH LAMB STEW

October 19, 2022 / / 0 Comments

This is my version of Irish Lamb Stew. And we serve it with parsley dumplings; which is nothing more than a variation on Puerto Rican domplines.  In my version of the stew, I eliminate the browning of the lamb. I just put all ingredients in the pot and let it cook until the lamb is tender. I found that this saves time and gives the stew a flavor all its own.

IRISH LAMB STEW

Ingredients:

4 pounds lamb chuck, cut into cubes
2 carrots, washed, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 onions, peeled and quartered
2 potatoes, quartered (wash but do not peel)
4 whole black peppercorns
1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Instructions:

  1. Place lamb in a stew pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil.
  2.  Skim foam from top. Lower heat and add remaining ingredients. Simmer, covered for 60 to 70 minutes or until lamb and vegetables are tender. Serve with parsley dumplings (see recipe below).
    Yield: 8 servings.

PARSLEY DUMPLINGS

Ingredients:

½ pound flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¾ teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
Water as needed
½ cup minced parsley

Instructions:

  1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper and baking powder.
  2. Beat eggs and olive oil together and add to flour mixture. Stir until blended with enough water to make a soft dough, usually about half cup. Stir in parsley.
  3.  Form dumplings, using about a tablespoon of dough in palm of hand. Drop dumplings into pot of boiling water. Cook until they expand, about five minutes. Remove with slotted spoon. Arrange on a serving platter and sprinkle with additional parley. Place on stew and enjoy.

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.

SEA SCALLOPS WITH TOMATOES AND ZUCCHINI

September 22, 2022 / / 0 Comments

This recipe is Provençal in origin. Provence is  a region in southeastern France bordering Italy and the Mediterranean Sea. It’s cuisine is known for its spices, especially that mix of thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, savory, marjoram, oregano, and bay leaf. known as “herbes de Provence.” Because of its location, it is also renown for its seafood.  And this is were Scallops with Tomatoes and Zucchini come in; a prime example of Provençal cooking.

Sea scallops are bigger than bay scallops. On average they measure five inches across the shell, and the thick meat they provide can be an inch and a half or more wide. That’s why in most sea scallops recipes, it’s prudent to slice the scallops horizontally. That way, the scallops cook faster and more evenly. For the recipe given, the cooking time for the scallops should be about three minutes total.

The vegetable base here is tomatoes and zucchini. The scallops are pre-cooked then added to the vegetables just before serving. Scallops and vegetables is a seafood dish that traditionally goes well with noodles or pasta. This time around, we paired it with couscous, and it was delicious.

SEA SCALLOPS WITH TOMATOES AND ZUCCHINI

Ingredients:

1½ pound sea scallops
3 small zucchini, about ½ pound
4 small, ripe plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper taste
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
4 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:

1, Halve each scallop crosswise  if ¾inch thick or more. Set aside.
2. Wash the zucchini. Trim the ends of the zucchini and slice thinly
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet or fry pan. Add zucchini, salt and pepper. Cook about 2 minutes over high heat, stirring and tossing. Remove zucchini to a plate and keep warm.
4. In the same skillet, heat remaining olive oil over high heat and sauté the scallops about a minute. Season with salt and pepper while stirring.
4. Add butter, shallots and garlic. Cook briefly, add tomatoes and  and cook for a minute more. Add the zucchini, lemon juice and rosemary. Cook, stirring, for a minute over high heat. Blend well, and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings.

GRILLED KEBABS

September 6, 2022 / / 0 Comments

This past Labor Day we did what countless other Americans did, we barbecued. In this case, it was grilled kebabs (or kebob, if you want). This is a very straight-forward meal. When we cook kebabs, we brush the meat with an olive oil-cumin mixture. You can also add ground dried chili if you want to spice it up a bit.  In addition, we added some chopped cilantro leaves for garnish.

When we grill kebabs, we prefer lamb; but you can use beef or pork, if that’s your desire. In case you get rained-out, or the weather is not cooperative, the dish can also be prepared by broiling indoors. Either way, have fun.

GRILLED KEBABS

Ingredients:

1 pound lamb or other meat, cut into chunks
1 pound cherry tomatoes or bigger tomatoes cut into chunks
1 green bell pepper, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 large onion, peeled and cut into chunks
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 coarsely ground dried chili, optional
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leave

Instructions:

  1. If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 10 minutes. Heat a charcoal or gas grill. If you are using charcoal or briquettes, be generous, you want a broad fire.
  2.  Thread meat and vegetables alternately on skewers. Mix olive oil and cumin, and brush on the meat and vegetables. Sprinkle with half of the chili and some salt and pepper. Let the kebabs sit while grill heats up.
  3.  When fire is hot but not scorching, place kebabs on grill. Brush them with the olive oil-cumin mix  once or twice as they cook. Grill until they begin to brown and become tender, about 10-15 minutes. Place on a serving  platter and sprinkle with remaining chili. Sprinkle with cilantro for garnish, and serve.
    Yield: 4 servings.

 

COLIFLOR A LA ESPAÑOLA (Spanish Cauliflower)

August 23, 2022 / / 0 Comments

The Spanish table does things does amazing things with vegetables. In this case Coliflor a la Española, or Spanish Cauliflower. Let’s be honest, you either love or hate cauliflower or just bypass it at the table for something more appetizing. This dish makes cauliflower sexy! It brings to the lowly veggie a taste and flavor you never knew existed. My wife, who is no fan of cauliflower, called this the best cauliflower dish she’s ever had. And that’s high praise indeed coming from someone who would never countenance cauliflower in a meal. Plus the dish is really easy to make: tender cauliflower, with garlic and parsley braised in olive oil, and chopped eggs sprinkled on top. That’s it. With a good crusty loaf of bread, a good light wine (red or white), and you’ve got a great meal that vegetarians and non-vegetarians will love,

As is the norm in Spanish cuisine, we served this dish with yellow rice; but you can substitute couscous, quinoa or farro, if desired.

COLIFLOR A LA ESPAÑOLA
(Spanish Cauliflower)

Ingredients:

1 cauliflower, rinsed, trimmed and divided into florets
Salt to taste
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 cup olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

Instructions:

  1. Boil cauliflower florets  in salted water for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender.
  2. While cauliflower is cooking, heat olive oil in  small heavy skillet and fry garlic and parsley until crisp.
  3.  Drain cauliflower, place in a serving dish and sprinkle with chopped egg; then sprinkle with garlic/parsley mix, and serve.
    Yield: 4 servings.

 

WILD MUSHROOM SAUTE

August 4, 2022 / / 0 Comments

I came across some wild mushrooms recently, and decided to do a sauté with the suckers.

Wild mushrooms are a variety of mushrooms that are not cultivated commercially, but are gathered in the wild, such as morel and chanterelle. They have a strong earthy scent and more flavor than cultivated mushrooms. Their mild, peppery taste is prized by chefs. They are excellent when sautéed and are often paired with pasta dishes.

The recipe given is quick and easy; and it takes less than 20 minutes to prepare. This time around we served it with couscous and it made for a great vegetarian meal that even meat lovers will love.

WILD MUSHROOM SAUTÉ

Ingredients:

3 teaspoons olive oil
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
3 cups wild mushrooms, washed. cleaned and sliced
1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon fresh chopped oregano or ½ teaspoon dried
½ cup chicken broth
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Heat olive oil in a medium-sized skillet or saucepan. Add shallot and cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, thyme, oregano, and sauté for about 30 seconds.
  2.  Add chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or until mushrooms are softened.
    Yield: 4 servings.

SAUCED CUALIFLOWER AND SPINACH

June 20, 2022 / / 0 Comments

I happened to have some cauliflower and spinach on hand. So, what to do with it? I thought, how about cooking the suckers in a nice sauce? And the dish came out superb.

This is what I call a one dish meal. I find it’s best cooked in a wok. If you don’t have a wok, then a large skillet or frypan will do. It’s a simple enough project. Just make a nice white sauce, add the cauliflower and seasonings (inclusive of turmeric), cook some more, then finish with the spinach. The dish can be served over rice, quinoa, farro or pasta of choice. This time around we combined it with Israeli (or pearl) couscous. It made for a fabulous vegetarian meal that even carnivores will love.

SAUCED CAULIFLOWER AND SPINACH

Ingredients:

Half a stick butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken or beef bouillon
2 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 head cauliflower cut into florets
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 cups fresh chopped spinach

Instructions:

  1. Melt butter in wok or skillet over medium heat. Add flour and stir until smooth. Add chicken bouillon and cook, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes until it makes a creamy sauce. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more.
  2.  Mix in cauliflower florets, salt, pepper, oregano and turmeric. Cover and cook about 10 minutes or until florets are fork tender.
  3. Stir in spinach and cook 2 minutes more. Serve immediately over couscous or preferred grain.
    Yield: 4 servings.

 

 

CREAMED SPINACH AND COUSCOUS

May 6, 2022 / / 0 Comments

This rendition makes for a great vegetarian dinner than even non-vegetarians will love. And it has spinach. Yes, spinach—but it’s creamed spinach, which even recalcitrant young ones will like. Seems, if it’s creamy, it’s no longer spinach.

Cream spinach also comes in the canned variety. Yet nothing compares to this dish being made from scratch. Fact is, it’s not that hard to prepare. It’s quite easy, and more nutritious and delicious than the canned stuff.

The other dish given is couscous, Creamed spinach over couscous is as marriage made in heaven. But you can use whatever grain desired, be it rice, quinoa, farro, or even kasha.  And with regard to couscous, this time around we used what is called Israeli or Pearl Couscous. This is couscous with an oval  grain texture, like orzo. If you prefer the fine grained variety, go right ahead. Both  will a make a meal that will garner oohs and aahs, even from those vegetable adverse. With a good crusty loaf of bread and some good wine, be it white or red, you have a winner of a dinner—that is good tasting as well as heart healthy.

The guideline for this recipe is to cook the couscous first. And while the couscous is cooking, prepare the creamed spinach. Simple as that.

CREAMED SPINACH AND COUSCOUS

Couscous

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1½ cups Israeli (Pearl) couscous
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley or 1 teaspoon dried
2 cups chicken broth

Instructions:

  1.  In a medium pot or saucepan, heat olive oil. Add onion and garlic and cook over medium-high heart until golden.
  2.  Stir in couscous. Add salt, pepper, and parsley and mix well. Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until couscous is tender.
    Yield: 4 servings.

Creamed Spinach

Ingredients:

2 pounds fresh spinach, coarse stems removed, washed and drained
Salt to taste
Pinch of nutmeg
5 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions:

  1. Heat a large heavy skillet or saucepan. Add spinach and sprinkle with salt and nutmeg. Turn heat to high. Toss and stir the spinach for 3-4 minutes; by which time the spinach should be cooked. No additional water is necessary. Sufficient water will adhere to the spinach leaves.
  2.  Drain spinach and press out any excess moisture. Place spinach in a blender with the cream and blend until smooth. Return spinach to the skillet or saucepan and reheat. You can add a little more nutmeg if you want. Some say this improves the taste.
    Yield: 4 servings.

 

 

 

 

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