Category Archives: IxaRiveraCooks

IxaRiveraCooks: Glazed Ham

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My mom cooks! Take it away mom!

“This is what I cooked on Christmas day for friends.  We had good friends and good food.  I fixed a smoked ham and it turned out delicious.  The glaze included the following:  brown sugar, pineapple juice, fresh orange juice, little bit of lemon juice, mustard, maraschino cherries, peaches, mandarins, mixed nuts, oranges, dry mustard, cinnamon, cloves and wine.  Everyone liked it and of course the next day left overs were awesome.  Dinner also included, yellow rice with green pigeon peas, turkey, pasteles, morcillas and lots of other appetizers, arroz con dulce, cookies, chocolates, wine, beer, Don Q and my sangria NMJ.  I haven’t fixed any coquito yet, so I think I will fix some for the Three Kings Day (Epiphany).  We had lots of fun with our friends, but you, Mindy, Angelie and David were missing.

Love you always,

Mom
Ixa

IxaRiveraCooks: World Traveller

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You haven’t seen posts from my mom lately because she has been travelling around the world! She has wanted to do something like this all of her so she finally had the chance to go with a few girflriends and do a little globe trotting.  Don’t worry about my dad, he was “busy” on the boat in the sun with Pito (the dog).

I considered editing her comments in the e-mail she sent me but it’s her opinion and that’s the end of it.  It’s her opinion, she’s my mom, and she’s right. If you have a problem with it then I’ll put it in my suggestion box a.k.a. the delete comment box.

“Here are some pics. of my trip to the Mediterranean.  I had fun and it was a great experience.  Learned a lot, and I don’t want to see any more ruins for a while.  Don’t even invite me to Egypt.  Sorry, but the pyramids are beautiful, but no thanks.  Cairo and Alexandria are super dirty and ugly.  The pyramids are beautiful, but the surrounding area is horrible and dirty.  Camels are dirty and smelly.  People are super dirty and pushy.  Can you tell that I don’t like Egypt?  Yes, I do not like Egypt at all.  Being in Cairo is like living in the dumpster.  I don’t care what some people say that people are poor.  You can be poor, but if you don’t have pride that’s another thing.  When you have the tendency of saving junk and don’t get rid of crap, then you have a dirty problem.  I don’t know what type of government they have, but I don’t think president or the prime minister, whichever way you call them, care about their country.  I though certain places in here (Puerto Rico) are dirty, but after seeing Egypt nothing compares.  My advice is DON’T GO.

Greece was beautiful, Turkey and Italy are beautiful also.  Italy and Turkey are very crowded, but when you go out of the city, they are both nice.  Greece is awesome.  Mykonos is a beautiful island.  We had seafood in there and it was awesome.  Look at the picture.

We went to Pompeii, and also saw Mt. Vesuvius and it is amazing.  The Vatican its incredible.  Finally, I got to see the real David. Oh, David, the perfect man.  He is so gorgeous and beautiful.  I spent about an hour looking and studying him from every angle and Michelangelo created the perfect man.  We went to a huge mosk and it was amazing.  The ruins are something that are unbelievable.

I went inside a pyramid in Egypt and it was awesome.

The cruise is not for young people, they are for old people.  If you think you are going to have a great night in there, don’t even think about it.  I figured old fogies party with food and then go to bed.  The ship was beautiful and there was plenty of food.  The crew and the cabins were excellent.  The crew works their asses off.  They are in the ship for 10 months and they work 7 days for long hours.  They only get about 8 hours off once in a while.  Horrible life if you ask me.  They do a super job and I respect all of them a lot.

Over all, I had a good time and it was worth it.  Take Egypt out and it would’ve have been better, but it was a good experience to see what I saw in order to enjoy what I have.

I will send you more pics later.  Between my friend and I we took around 1400 pictures.

In Sorrento (see picture) we got to drink Limoncillo and saw a demonstration of how they make water buffalo mozzarella. It is delicious also.

Enjoy.

Eric, I hope you are feeling better.

Thanks Mom!

IxaRiveracooks: Homemade Pizza

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Take it away Mom:

“There is nothing better than having pizza and a family night.  I made two home made pizzas and the family was happy.  For dessert we had dulce de papaya and farmers cheese.  That included beer and other refreshments.  We played guitar hero.

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It was an awesome Friday night.”

Ixa

IxaRiveraCooks: Baked Salmon ala Rivera with Cous Cous

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Take it away Mom:

“Here is the salmon I fixed following your recipe (click).  The only thing is that I didn’t have the truffles or the beets, but I followed the rest of the recipe for the flavor.  I added onions and red peppers.  Great vinaigrette.  It was delicious.

Keep the good work in school.

We are very proud of you.

LYA,

Mom & Dad

Ixa

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IxaRiveraCooks: Beach, Eating, and The Backyard Showcase

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Mom, take it away:

“Here are some pictures of Rincon, our backyard and the brujita harvest.  All the veggies are from our gardens in Juana Diaz and La Parguera.  I am going to make sofrito.

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Oh, by the way the picture of the auto parts is a gas station where they sell gas, auto parts, goats (yes goats) and auto leather covers.  Funny and weird at the same time. Goats in a gas station?  Only in PR.

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LYA,

Mom
Ixa

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MomIxaRiveraCooks

I’m making my mom into a food blogger. She likes it :)

IxaRiveraCooks: Shrimp Chayote Salad

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chayote salad

A salad my mom made on a lazy day at their house in La Parguera, Puerto Rico. Take it away Mom…..

“Today it was a very hot and humid day in La Parguera and I didn’t feel like cooking a big heavy duty dinner, so I made a fresh refreshing salad for dinner.  I made my salad with the following ingredients, shrimp, farmers cheese, chayote’s, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, onions, celery, peppers, a little bit of oregano, a little bit of cumin, salt, pepper, olive oil, organic vinegar, and a little bit of fresh lemon juice.  Dad got some fresh bread from the bakery and that’s it.  Eat, refresh and enjoy.”

Mom

Thanks Mom. Great Salad!

IxaRiveraCooks: Harvesting Apple Bananas

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My mom’s posts are the best!

“Our first apple bananas.  It took a year to get this and it is worth it.  Now, get them ripe and share with neighbors.  A few days and we will be eating them and thinking about how much you both like apple bananas.  By the way the aji dulces are from my garden.”

They’re called apple bananas because they taste exactly like apples…….Mr. Obvious is here to help!

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IxaRiveraCooks: Mofongo and Chicken Soup

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My mom is on fire with recipes! Here is her take on Mofongo, a typical Puerto Rican dish (on the left), and chicken soup.

Mofongo

Equipment:

  • Mortar and Pestle
  • Saute Pan

Ingredients:

  • Two plantains, sliced
  • Two garlic cloves, smashed
  • BACON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • A few fresh oregano leaves
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

  1. Fry the plantains until cooked then let rest
  2. Cook bacon then let rest
  3. Place a little bit of the plantain, garlic, bacon, oregano, olive oil, salt, and pepper in mortar and pestle and smash away.  Keep doing this in small stages until you have smashed all the ingredients together
  4. You can eat the mofongo from the mortar and pestle or you can serve it over a broth.

Chicken Soup

Equipment:

  • Stock pot

Ingredients:

  • chicken broth
  • sofrito
  • 1 fresh carrot
  • 1 potato
  • 1/2 small squash
  • small piece of yuca
  • yautia (similar to taro) since they are not very big you can use one
  • three small pieces of corn on the cob
  • noodles, enough for the soup
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • chicken thighs and chicken breast without skin. Remove excessive fat and dice

Procedure:

  1. Bring the chicken broth to a boil, add the sofrito, salt and pepper and simmer
  2. Simmer for  5 minutes and then start adding the vegetables.
  3. Simmer for 15 minutes and add the chicken.
  4. Simmer for another 30 to 35 minutes
  5. Add the noodles and cook until they are done.
  6. Simmer for 15 minutes and that’s it.
  7. Let is set for 5 minutes get some french bread and start eating to get warm!

This concludes another episode of IxaRiveraCooks

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Thanks Mom!

IxaRiveraCooks: Avocado Gazpacho and Hummus and Guacamole

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My mom is taking over this post to give you three fantastic recipes. She did her own pictures and wrote the recipes! I think it’s pretty damn cool and if she keeps this up I might just give her her own blog, it will definitely be a lot more fun than this one! :) Her presentations are much better than mine and I can always count on a pretty flower to be included in the pictures. She cooks everything to taste so you won’t be seeing quantities. She taught me how to make food taste great and how now to get worked up over exact quantities for things…….if it tastes better the next time you make it then thank her! Good stuff. Ladies and Gentlemen………….IxaRiveraCooks:

Avocado Gazpacho

Equipment:

  • Large mixing bowl or food processor

Ingredients:

  • Two ripe avocadoes cut in squares
  • 7 tomatoes on the fine cut is half
  • 1 white onion cut into thin slices
  • Half yellow pepper, sliced
  • Half red pepper, sliced
  • apple cider vinegar to taste
  • olive oil
  • lemon juice
  • balsamic wine vinegar
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • fresh anise leaves
  • fresh basil leaves, minced

Procedure:

  1. Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic, and apple cider vinegar
  2. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and make sure you add the basil leaves last

Enjoy,

Ixa

Hummus

Equipment:

  • Food processor

Ingredients:

  • 1 can of Goya chick peas
  • olive oil
  • two garlic cloves
  • lemon juice
  • salt and pepper
  • cilantro
  • yellow and red pepper

Procedure:

  • Blend the chick peas with a small amount of olive oil until you get a paste.
  • Slowly add the garlic, more olive oil, lemon juice, cilantro, yellow and red peppers, salt and pepper to taste.

Guacamole

Equipment:

  • Food processor

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium ripe avocado
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • cilantro
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • olive oil
  • red and yellow peppers

Procedure:

  1. Mix everything in the food processor and that’s it!

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Flower from the Flamboyan tree.

IxaRiveraCooks: Feed Dad then Girls Night Out!

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IxaRiveraCooks

This is where I get it from. Mom knows how to keep things simple but always knows how to add flair to her food. Good stuff happens after this sentence.

“Here is what I fixed Dad before I went out.  Keep him happy with food, of course.

Menu

  • Chick peas yellow rice with sofrito.
  • Chicken breast with lots of garlic, onions, hot peppers, bell peppers and basil.  (hot peppers from the garden and also the basil)
  • Avocados bought from a house down the road for a $1.00
  • Wine-   Finca Del Mar-Tempranillo

Total cost for dinner?  Less than $7.00.  Any questions?  Now that Dad is fed, it’s girls night out.  Oh, I see that he is going for seconds!!!.  That’s Dad.

LYA,

Mom”

Thanks for sharing some more food Mom!

(The new format is officially in BETA)

IxaRiveraCooks: Churrasco with a Light Garden Salad

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(Click each picture to make it larger)

Ixa is my mom and she cooked something for this blog. She cooked this last night and sent me over the pictures and a sort of recipe. Here’s the thing, she doesn’t cook from recipes either so that’s something we share. I created this blog to start storing these recipes but there is a little room for a little extra this or that. My mom’s philosphy on cooking is just to cook to achieve a good flavor…..it’s something I agree with.  If it needs a little more pepper then dammit it’s getting more pepper whether yor recipe says so or not! I’ve never seen my mom cook from a recipe before and since I’ve started this blog I’ve only used a recipe once and it was to cook a pizza dough.  Thanks again mom for sending me a recipe to post, I needed it!

Churrasco:

2 lbs. flank steak

Marinade

3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 tbsp. lemon juice
Pinch of Fresh Oregano
1 tbsp. Olive oil
1/2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
pinch of sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients for marinade then pour over flank steak and cover and place in refrigerator overnight. Remove meat from refrigerator then let the meat get to room temperature then cook on BBQ to desired doneness.

Light Garden Salad:

Red and Yukon Gold Potatoes, Cooked….use about 1/2 lb. total
White onions
Yellow and Orange Bell Peppers
Cherry Tomatoes (from her garden)
Anise leaves  (from her garden)
Green Beans
Pinch of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes
Fresh Basil           (from her garden)

Dressing

Olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar                    2:1 ratio of oil to vinegar
Few drops of Orange Juice
A little salt and pepper

That’s it!

For comparison here is how I make Churrasco (click) and here is how I make a light salad (click)

Enjoy the Rivera’s!

Eric