Tasty Plan

Pea and Kale Soup

 Serves 3-4

• Olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp salt and black pepper to taste
• ½ medium onion (sliced)
• 1 ¼ inch slice of ginger
• 1 bunch oregano
• Half a bag of frozen peas
• 3 large Kale leaves (sliced)
• 3 cups vegetable broth, or water

In a medium to large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, salt, and cook for five to seven minutes. Incorporate garlic, ginger and oregano leaves. Cook until fragrant. Add kale, peas, and broth (or water). Bring to a boil, and then remove from heat. Ladle ½ cup and puree until smooth. Continue to add ½ cup at a time until all soup has been pureed. Pour back into the saucepan and heat. Taste for seasoning. Serve immediately with a drizzle of olive oil, Parmigiano, and fresh oregano leaves.

Though not officially settled, I have now been living in a new place for a week. It is cramped, small, and totally disorganized. The walls and the floor do not always align, but I kind of love it. I am now living in a quaint neighborhood in Brooklyn, full of pastry shops, bakeries, and cute little restaurants. And though I haven’t had much time to cook, I am happy to share this quick simple recipe with you today. In the spirit of the New Year, this recipe is clean and light, with a lot of vitamins to help fight those nasty colds running around.

The beauty of this salad lies in the combination of flavors and textures. Like any good salad, you need an array of ingredients that will keep things fun and entertaining. (Think party in the mouth!) In this salad the cauliflower and fennel serve as perfect foils: soft-crunchy, sweet-salty. The peas, avocado, pistachios, and Parmigianino Reggiano, compliment the cauliflower and fennel beautifully.  The only ingredients that need to be cooked are the cauliflower and sweet peas, which you can microwave with a bit of water for a couple of minutes in the microwave if feeling specially lazy. Why eat tomato and lettuce salad when you can eat this instead!

Cauliflower Fennel Salad

Serves 2-3

• ¼ large cauliflower head, florets
• ½ fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup sweet peas
• ½ has avocado, cubed
• ¼ cup shelled pistachios
• Parmigianino Reggiano (optional)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• About a handful cilantro
• Spear fresh oregano leaves
• Spear of fresh fennel prawns
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoon olive oil

In a medium sauté pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil. Add cauliflower and cumin. Toss until florets are coated with olive oil. Add a bit of water (about couple tablespoons of water) cover, and cook for five minutes, or until tender. Add frozen peas, cilantro, and oregano. Remove from heat and let sit.

 Slice fennel and cube avocado, and mix with remaining tablespoon of olive oil and fennel prawns. Once the cauliflower is lukewarm, incorporate into the bowl with avocado and fennel. Add pistachios and cheese, if using. Add salt if needed. Eat immediately.

After a serving of this, some warm baguette, and a large glass of wine, I am ready to continue unpacking: to a wonderful year in NYC. Cheers! 

Tasty Plan is moving back north! I am saying goodbye to the sunshine state, and trading it for some NYC love. I met a lot of interesting people here, and reunited with my best friend from high school. I had fun. But, this place is just not for me… The driving just drives me crazy.

I want to share this recipe, as the last baked in Miami; a transition into a hopefully good new life. I found it while looking for some New Year’s dessert inspiration… and am I glad I found it. You can make this cake in 45 minutes total. It is easy, and requires almost no effort to make if you have a stand-mixer. The best part, is that is has very little sugar, and almost no flour. Its intense flavor will leave you satisfied quickly, though, I confess, this cake is mildly addictive.

Arrivederci Miami, lets play in the snow!

Blackout Chocolate Cake

Adapted from So Good and Tasty

•  9 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup cane sugar
• 4 eggs at room temperature, separated
• 1 tbsp good cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons flour
• pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Butter 8-inch spring form pan. Set aside.

In a double boiler, melt chocolate until glossy and smooth. Add half the egg yolks, sugar, cinnamon and flour. In a stand mixer, whip egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Add the remaining sugar slowly, until egg whites hold their shape.

Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture using a rubber spatula. Be gentle not to deflate the egg whites. Mix until well incorporated, and no white streaks remain. Bake for 30 minutes, or until firm in the center. Cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve. Eat!

This year was an intense one! It was filled with wonderfully good things and terribly bad ones. I’ve been the happiest and the angriest all at the same time. I have rediscovered how wonderful my friends and family are (I love you all!), and how evil and selfish some people can be. I learned that sometimes good things just happen, and trying your hardest doesn’t always lead to results. Most of the time you are just a consequence to life, and everybody else’s decision.

This blog has helped me channel it all, and find my voice through trial and error. I’ve cooked mostly healthy things, some naughty ones. I’ve learned a lot on photographing food, and that sunshine is any photographers best friend.

The foundation of this blog is vegetable based, easy cooking that is above all tasty and playful in nature. All the recipes here are easy to make, delicious, and with the exception of the occasional cake, healthy. I find my inspiration in Latin and Italian flavor combinations, to add a twist to traditional recipes. I am in a constant search for new flavor combinations.   

At some point in my life (early college years), I decided that life is too short to waste time eating “bad” food. By “bad” I mean unhealthy, ill tasting food. From that day on, I decided to make an effort to cook more to ensure that what was in it was exactly what I wanted in it.

With a solid seven months of blogging under my belt, and 65 recipes, I more inspired than ever before. And even though I have a small crowd of readers, it makes me happy to know that someone, in the most remote corner of the world could be reading these words right now, and plan enjoy eating my food.

This is Tasty Plans last 2011 recipe. With all the parties and celebrations, there is always room for one last hors d’oeuvre recipe. This pea pesto is a delicious variation from the traditional stuff. No nuts, less oil, less calories, super healthy. Its intense green hue is festive and blissful.  Toast some bread, moisten with olive oil, top with pesto, avocado, tomatoes, or cheese, some pine nuts and serve.

End of the Year Pea Pesto Crostini

Inspired from Giada de Laurenti’s “Giada at Home”

Pea Pesto

Makes about a cup

• 1 cup thawed sweet peas
• 5-6 green onions (white and green parts) or 1 clove garlic
• ¼ cup grated Parmigianino Reggiano
• ¼ cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor puree all ingredients until smooth. Add water if necessary. Taste, add salt and pepper as needed. Will hold covered in the refrigerator for several days.

Crostini

• ½ French white or whole-wheat baguette
• 1 small avocado, sliced
• 4 cherry tomatoes, sliced
• Handful of pine nuts
• Couple tablespoons grated Parmeggiano Reggiano

Pre-heat griddle. Slice baguette into ½ inch thick slices. Brush Olive oil on both sides and place on griddle until golden. Smear a tablespoon of the pea pesto. Top with tomato or avocado slices, a couple pine nuts and a sprinkle of grated cheese. Serve immediately. 

Chumichurri is one of those things that is highly undervalued and underused. While designed as condiment for meats, I see great potential in it as a flavor booster in everyday dishes. Its basic components, garlic, parsley, cilantro, olive oil, are present inmost Latin foods. Using a tablespoon or two in pasta, rice dishes, quinoa, etc… can change the flavor profile without adding unwanted calories.

Here, I am blending it into one of my favorite foods to create a hummus that will blow your socks off. I am serious. This hummus is super easy to make, healthy, and oh-so flavorful. Perfect for entertaining, or for self-indulgence. Enjoy!

Chimichurri Hummus

• 1 8 oz. can chickpeas
• 1 tablespoon chimichurri
• 1 large garlic clove
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• handful parsley
• salt to taste

In a food processor puree chickpeas, chimichurri, garlic clove, and olive oil. Pulse until smooth. Add parsley and continue to pulse. Taste, and add salt if necessary. 

Here it is: back-to-back coconut-rum extravaganza. This cheesecake is amazing; creamy fluffy, delicate, and decadent. The almond crust adds crunch and tecxture, with a mild nutty flavor.

Like all the other recipes at Tasty Plan, cheesecake batter is easy to make, and utterly delicious.  The challenge, which is not really a challenge, is to prepare a bain-marie, for the cake to bake in. Bain-marie is basically a water bath into which you place a cake to bake, for even heat distribution. This prevents the cake from cracking.  

I think this will be my last decadent recipe for a while, as we move into a new year, of clean, healthy eating. Lots of easy healthy recipes to come!

Almond Crust

• 1 ½ cup ground almonds
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 3 tablespoons sugar

In a bowl, mix all ingredients until well incorporated. Press into a 9-inch spring form pan, until the bottom is completely covered. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, or until slightly golden. Remove from oven and cool completely. Wrap and seal the bottom of the pan completely with aluminum foil. This will prevent water from getting into the cheesecake as it bakes in a bain-marie.

Coquito Cheesecake

• 2 8oz. packages cream cheese (room temperature)
•  1 8oz Greek yogurt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• ¾ cup coquito
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons rum
• 1 pinch cinnamon
• juice and zest half a lime

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Farenheit.

In a saucepan, bring 6 cups of water to a simmer. Leave at this temperature until ready to use.

In a blender, or food processor, mix cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, flour, and coquito. Blend until smooth. Add eggs, rum, and cinnamon. Pour into crust. Place baking pan, in baking sheet, pour water, and bake for 10 minutes.

Lower temperature to 250 degrees Fahrenheit, and bake for another 45 minutes. Remove from oven and release spring. Let cool completely. Place in refrigerator overnight.

Devour!

I’ve been a little disconnected from the food blog world for a while. A lot has happened since my last post. And for the sake of privacy I will not go into detail, but let me say this: I got married (!!!), went on a honeymoon to Belize (will post about this soon), and came back to Puerto Rico for Christmas with the family. It’s been an amazing couple of weeks, and I am a bit sad to go back. These next couple of posts are some of the recipes I shared with my family and friends over the past couple of days.  

Traditional Christmas in Puerto Rico revolves around the pig. Roasted on a pit, with a side of rice and gandules, and pasteles…all meat based “delicacies”. I steer clear from most traditional Christmas dishes and stick to the salad I’d make. Though generally satisfied, I’d indulge in desserts. My sister and I always make cheesecake. A couple of years ago I experimented with it, by adding Coquito, the traditional Christmas drink. People always give it as gift, and with a little extra, I decided it would be best to use it in dessert. Let me warn you, this is delicious and addictive. It hints of coconut and rum. The cinnamon adds warmth. This dessert is indulgent and delicate.

Before I get to the cheesecake, I wanted to share the recipe for coquito. Even though milk based, I love the ingredients that give it life: ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. And because the Holidays are not over yet, we can still party and make it for New Years, or three Kings Day. Enjoy!

Coquito

(adapted from El  Nuevo Dia)

• 1 cup water
• 12 cloves
• 2 cinamon sticks
• 1 inch fresh ginger (peeled)
• 1 can coconut cream (Coco Lopez)
• 1 12 oz can evaporated milk
• 1 cup rum
• cinnamon

Place water, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and fresh ginger in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and steep covered for 15 minutes. In a glass jar mix coconut cream, evaporated milk, and rum until well incorporated. Pour hot aromatic water through a sieve into the jar. Mix again. Cool completely for 4-5 hours in refrigerator. Transfer to a sealed jar presentation. Serve chilled, in a small glass, sprinkle with cinnamon.

Creamy Raw Nut Dressing

I consider myself a salad expert extraordinaire. I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, plenty of times. It has been my go to meal over the past seven to eight years. After years of experimentations I’ve collected an arsenal of tips. I want to talk about dressings.  

Salad dressings can make or break a salad. Too much dressing: soggy. Too heavy: gross. Not enough dressing: dry and boring. When making a salad dressing, you need the perfect ratio of acidity and sweetness to fat. I like to mix the dressing ingredients at the bottom of a large bowl, add the salad ingredients, then a sprinkle of salt and toss. This should be done when ready to serve to prevent the greens from wilting. Heftier greens, like kale for example, can sit dressed for longer periods of time.

I usually stay clear of the heavy creamy dressings, and go for the super simple olive oil-balsamic vinaigrettes. But for special occasions, I like to embellish my salads with a little more “oomph”. The recipe I’m sharing with you today I learned to make several years ago. It is a simple and versatile, creamy and rich without the mayonnaise, cheese, or cream. When ground, the nuts become creamy and smooth. I found the original recipe in one of my mother’s old Puerto Rican Cookbooks. It called for pistachios, which I substituted for almonds. If you have pistachios, they are amazing on this dressing. The combination of mint, parsley, grapefruit, and olive oil is amazing. The nuts here serve as body to the dressing, giving it a thick, delectable, texture.

I like to use it mostly in salads, but you can also in cooked pastas, roasted vegetables or on toast for an easy quick lunch.

Creamy Raw Nut Dressing

• Handful blanched almonds (about ¾ cup)
• Juice and zest of half a grapefruit
• Handful of parsley
• 5-6 leaves mint
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Salt to taste

Place all ingredients, except for olive oil, in a food process. Pulse until smooth. Slowly add olive oil, while continuing to pulse until dressing reaches desired consistency. Pour over salad greens or pasta to use as dressing. 

Fennel is one of those strange vegetables most people in the US steer clear of. To be honest, I don’t think I know anybody who actively uses it, maybe because it is just looks strange, non-commercial, and complicated. Here at Tasty Plan we love fennel! And I think the best part about it is how weird it looks. Let’s face it: it has a personality of its own.  It is sophisticated and complex, without the price tag. Its mild anise flavor adds elegance to any salad when thinly sliced, or used instead/with onions in stews, risottos, soups… you name it!

I used both the bulb and the herb for this recipe. While the bulb softens and sweetens as it cooks, leafs add freshness. 

Fennel Chickpea Quinoa

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• ½ fennel bulb (sliced)
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 1 (8 oz.) can cooked chickpeas, drained
• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water (or vegetable broth)
• Couple spears fennel leafs (chopped)
• Chopped parsley

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium high temperature.  Add sliced fennel and salt, cook for 3-5 minutes. Add chickpeas, and cook for another couple of minutes. Add quinoa and combine, toasting for another couple of minutes. You want all the juices from the olive oil and fennel to adhere to the quinoa. Add water, or vegetable broth (if using). Cook until water is absorbed, then cover. Quinoa should be ready in 10-15 minutes after covering. Add fennel leafs and parsley. Serve warm. 

It’s been a while since my last post, two weeks to be exact. I think I was avoiding the stuff-yourself-to-death-day extravaganza. My apologies. 

Throughout the past two years, I’ve become obsessed with a handful of ingredients. I keep using them over and over again; in salads, vegetable stews, quinoas, roasts, and soups. They add a lot of flavor, and marry beautifully to vegetarian dishes. Cumin, coriander, curry, cinnamon, and ginger add warmth, spice, and flavor. They work best together.

This recipe is simple. It is belly warming, and totally satisfying, without the guilt. This soup is perfect for this time of the year. Cauliflower is flavored with cumin, coriander, curry, cinnamon, and ginger to make a decadent, vegan soup.

Spiced Cauliflower Soup

• Olive oil
• ¼ onion
• 1 large cauliflower head
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. curry
• 1 tsp. coriander
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• Couple slices fresh ginger
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 2-cup (approx.) water

In a large skillet heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Sautee onions for a couple of minutes. Chop cauliflower into florets. Add to skillet with onions, and cook for a couple of minutes. Add spices and ginger. Add a couple tablespoons of water to pan, reduce heat and cover. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until tender. Transfer Cauliflower to blender. Add a coup of water, or vegetable stock if readily available, and puree until smooth. Add water until you reach desired smoothness.  Serve hot with a couple of cilantro leaves.