Oswald Rivera

Author, Warrior, and Teacher

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MARINATED SKIRT STEAK

December 29, 2025 / / 0 Comments

This was our Holiday Dinner with friends. We had a juicy 3.5 pound skirt steak that looked more convenient by roasting in the oven This was hefty piece of meat, and we decided to marinate it first, then bake. The marinade recipe we got from Templeton Farm, a local place in East Montpelier Vermont that raises grass-fed beef (templetonfarmvt@gmailcom). The recipe itself is simple enough: Just sear the meat and bake. It was heavenly and paired well with mashed potatoes.

Ler me add that this recipe can also go well with pot roast, or any large piece of beef. You can also do it with individual steaks. As stated many times before, you are only limited by your imagination. So, go beyond it.

MRINATED SKIRT STEAK

Ingredients:

Skirt Steak, about 3.5 pounds (can use boneless chuck or pot roast)
¼cup maple syrup
¼ cup soy sauce
¼cup Worcestershire sauce
¼  cider vinegar
¼cup olive oil (just pour prior to baking in oven)

Instructions:

  1. Marinate meat in a glass container or plastic bag in the refrigerator for several hours or up to 2 days.
  2. Preheat oven to 425 degree F.
  3. While oven is heating, pour olive oil over meat. Place meat in a baking pan or skillet and, over high-medium heat, sear meat on both sides for 2 minutes.
  4. Place in oven and bake. Be aware that skirt steak cooks fast, so flip after 4 minutes, focusing on reaching an internal temperature of 130 degrees F. (for medium rare) using an instant-read thermometer. You can bake it a few minutes longer (about 10-15 minutes total) for medium well or well-done. Do not overcook. Remember, as stated above, skirt steak cooks fast and can get tough if overdone.
  5. Remove from oven and let for 5-10 minutes for juicy results. When serving, slice against the grain,
    Yield: 4-6 servings.

Chuletas con Cebolla (Pork Chops with Onion)

December 23, 2025 / / 0 Comments

This is one of those economical meals we use to have back on the block in what was once known as Spanish Harlem. At the time, pork chops were cheap and combining them with onion was a logical choice. It was such a simple meal: pork chops, salt, pepper, oregano and lots of onion. All cooked in a cast-iron skillet. Nothing could be simpler. If you don’t have cats-iron which, in our cooking is gospel, then a stainless-steel skillet will do, or even a non-stick pan. Use what suits your environment. Some folks prefer to drizzle some red wine into the chops while they’re cooking. That’s okay as well. You’re the boss and you decide. Paired with rice, potatoes or couscous, it’s an all-encompassing meal for those of us who still eat pork.

CHULETS CON CEBOLLA
(Pork Chops with Onion)

Ingredients:

4 boneless pork chops, about 1-inch thick
Salt and black pepper to taste
¾ teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoon butter

Instructions:

  1. Rinse pork chops under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Season on both sides with salt, pepper and oregano.
  2.  Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops and cook 3 minutes.
  3.  Flip chops with tongs or a fork and cook 3 minutes. Add butter and onion. This is where the basting comes in. Lower heat to medium and flip the chops every minute or so until they get a nice even sear and are golden brown. spooning the melted butter over the chops and onion. The chops are done when they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. with an instant-read thermometer
  4.  Remove chops from skillet and let rest 5 minutes before serving.
    Yield: 4 servings.

 

 

BROWN DERBY PAPRIKA CHICKEN

December 22, 2025 / / 0 Comments

As noted in the title caption, this recipe hails from the famous restaurant in Los Angeles, The Brown Derby, which closed gradually in the 1980s, with the famous Vine Street location shutting down in April 1985 due to lease issues. Other locations like the Wilshire Blvd one closed earlier (around 1980) or later, with the last original ones gone by the mid-80s. In its time, The Brown Derby was host to the rich and the famous inclusive of movie stars, celebrities and other prominent customers. It’s brown derby hat atop the restaurant made it an iconic spot to dine and be seen.

Paprika Chicken, as prepared in this recipe is similar to the famous Hungarian d8sh, Chicken Paprikash, only difference being that the Brown Derby recipe does not contain tomatoes, garlic, bell peppers and sour cream, which made Chicken Paprikash famous. Also, in the original Paprika Chicken, a whole broiler chicken is used. Chicken Paprikash normally uses chicken parts. In the recipe given, chicken breasts are what’s used. So, my friends, enjoy a piece of Hollywood lore, as well as a great dish, tasty, rich and delicious.

For full disclosure, this recipe comes from the Summer 2025 issue of Repast magazine, a quarterly publication of the Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor, Michigan. For more great recipes you can visit their website: https//culinaryhistoriansannarbor.org

BROWN DERBY PAPRIKA CHICKEN

Serves 4

4 medium chicken breasts
¼ cup all-purpose flour
Salt
ground pepper
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp onion, finely chopped
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken stock
¼ tsp celery salt

1, Dredge chicken in flour, salt and pepper on both sides in a shallow dish.

2, Heat butter in a heavy skillet and sauté chicken until golden brown on both sides. Add onion and sauté another 2 minutes. A dd
paprika and blend well. Add cream. stock, and celery salt. Cover and allow to simmer for about 18 minutes on low heat.

Note: The sauce should be reduced to a thick sauce. If necessary, you can add additional stock to thin it down.

Serving suggestions: On a bed of rice or thick pasta noodles.

 

Spinach-Mushroom Stir Fry

December 2, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Like all great meals these recipe cane out of necessity. I had some fresh spinach on hand, and what to do with it?  The simplest thing that came to mind was stir-fry it in some olive oil, like we do in Nuyorican cuisine. Simple and fast. But then, I though, this is the way I’ve cooked spinach a thousand times. How can I liven it up?  So, I went to the Local market to see what was available. Ad to my surprise, they had fresh mushrooms. By that I mean plain white mushrooms. Usually, when I cook mushrooms, I prefer portobellos or shitake or oyster mushrooms, you get the idea. But all they had was white button mushrooms. So, I ween with that.  And it made a perfect t combination with the spinach. As a complement to it I also cooked some parsley white rice. But you can pair it with pasta, couscous, quinoa or your favorite grain. Even potatoes, boiled, steamed or fried, will work with it. For a vegetarian meal, this recipe can’t be beat. Delicious, filling and inexpensive. What more could you want? So, impress family and friends with this one. It’s a winner, and a great cheap meal. Thus, if you’re trying to save on the pocketbook, this is it. Enjoy.

SPINACH-MUSHROOM STIR-FRY

Ingredients:

1 pound spinach
1-pound white button spinach
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
1 medium to large tomato, washed and sliced into serving peices

Instructions:

  1. Wash spinach thoroughly and press dry with paper towels, or a salad spinner, if you have one.
  2. Remove any tough stems, and chop or tear the spinach into small pieces, about 2 inches.
  3. Wash mushrooms and pat dry with paper towels.  Now, here you have a choice. You can cook the mushrooms whole or, as we did it, cut into bite-size pieces. Your choice.
  4.  Heat olive oil in a large frypan or skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is soft and translucent.
  5.  Add spinach and stir-fry for about 2 minutes.
  6.  Stir in mushrooms, combine with the spinach, and cook until lightly golden, about 6 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and oregano
  7.  Garnish with tomatoes and serve.
    Yield: 4 servings.

CARAMELIZED ONION-CURRY SAUCE

November 25, 2025 / / 0 Comments

This is a fabulous easy to prepare sauce that will win raves from everyone in your circle. That is assured. And it goes great with vegetables, chicken, pork, beef, vel or, as we did it, with lamb. You have an all-purpose sauce for any occasion. The onion mixed with curry is a godsend. Makes me wonder, why didn’t think of this? The onion is browned and combined with the curry to give it  a smooth delectable taste and texture. So, go at it, my friends. You won’t be disappointed.

CARAMELIZED ONION-CURRY SAUCE

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup peeled and sliced onion
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 cup chicken broth
1½ teaspoons cornstarch
1½ teaspoons water
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. In a large skillet or frypan heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté, stirring occasionally for 5-7 minutes until golden brown.
  2. Stir in curry powder, lower neat and cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
  3. Cook sauce, stirring occasional for about 5 minutes or until it has been reduced by 1/3.
  4. In a cup or small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in the water. Remove sauce from heat and stir in cornstarch mixture. Make sure it is thoroughly mixed into sauce.
  5.  Return sauce to heat and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Lower heat and cook for 2 minutes.
  6.  Add lemon juice, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
    Yield: 4 serving servings (makes about 1 cup)

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.

MEAT WITH PEAS (Keema Matar)

November 3, 2025 / / 0 Comments

 

This is an Indian dish I discovered years ago, and it still strikes my fancy. Though Nuyorican cuisine is a what I’ve always known; I am also partial to Indian cooking. The host of spices and condiments in the cuisine intrigue me. When I first discovered it, it was nothing like what we prepared back in Spanish Harlem. It has its own pedigreed and style. As you will see in this dish. Simple enough, at its basic it’s just ground meat combined with peas. The meat can be anything you favor or have on hand. Traditionally, it’s ground beef. But you can use ground pork, as we did this time, or it could be ground lamb. Simple, economical and delicious. And it goes great with rice, couscous, quinoa or even pasta. This entrée covers all basis. So, be adventurous and amaze and delight friends and family with this one.

MEAT WITH PEAS
(Keema Matar)

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 pound ground pork (can substitute beef or lamb)
½ teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
¾ teaspoon chili powder or more to taste
Salt to taste
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
8 oz, (1½) cups frozen green peas

  1. Heat the oil over medium-high in a large skillet or frypan. Add onions and garlic and stir-fry until onion is soft and translucent.
  2. Add meat and continue to fry until meat is brown, stirring frequently.
  3.  Stir in spices and salt.
  4.  Add tomato sauce and peas. Cove, lower heat and cook until meat is tender, about 10 minutes. Note that, if for some reason, the sauce starts to dry out, you can always add a little water to the sauce.
    Yield: 4 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.
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