May 2012
5 posts
8 tags
Goats Milk Rhubarb Ice cream
It is summer. And summer calls for barbeques, gatherings, and above all ice cream. This recipe combines two of my favorite summer flavors: tart and tangy. The goat’s milk is creamy, with a bit of funk. The rhubarb is sweet and tangy. To be honest, the combination is refreshing and satisfying without the heavy feeling that usually follows eating ice cream.
The beauty of this recipe is that you can...
6 tags
Cinnamon-Sugar French Toast
The origin of this recipe is quite funny. While eating breakfast on a Saturday morning, Day jokingly suggested making sugar cinnamon French toast. Not only would it be a decadent breakfast recipe, but a combination of his two favorite breakfast items: cinnamon sugar toast bagel and French toast. Five days later one of my all time favorite bloggers posted about none other that Cinnamon Toast...
10 tags
Eggplant Stack with Miso & Peas Puree
Miso is delicious. Its perfect match: the humble, sweet pea.
I came to know miso through and article on the NYT by Mark Bittman. Ever since, I have been using it regularly. I like miso because, when mixed to other food, it adds complexity and texture without much fat. Because it miso is fermented, it has a complex flavor profile that can be simultaneously sweet and salty, earthy and fruity. It...
10 tags
Spicy Corn
Spring has barely sprung, and I am already dreaming of summer produce. The thing is, spring is like the hors d’oeuvre to seasonal harvest, just a teaser that prepares you for what follows. Fresh, crisps, sweet greens can only anticipate more complex flavors, right?
I had a version of this dish several months ago, while still in Miami, at Michelle Bernstein’s Sra. Martinez. I can only respect...
9 tags
Lemon Poppy Anniversary Cupcakes
I’m not usually the type to celebrate anniversaries, but I found this occasion to be worthy of both a cake and a candle. Tasty Plan turns 1 year old today. Can you believe it? It has been an amazing eighty something recipes, stories, states of mind, and significant moments. I have moved several times, and lived in three different cities (Cambridge, Miami, Brooklyn). Started and ended several...
April 2012
5 posts
11 tags
Spring (in a) Roll
I love the weird texture of rice paper in fresh summer rolls. It feels like skin, like plastic, but isn’t. And since most of the stuff I eat is not artificial in texture or flavor, this ingredient fascinates me. Rice paper has no “artificial” ingredients (unless you consider flour artificial), which makes it all more fascinating. Rice paper is made from rice flour, tapioca flour, salt, and water...
10 tags
Decadent (Almond-y) Chocolate Ice Cream
Over the past year, since the origins of this blog, I have made an effort to make more foods at home. I say make foods because I have always cooked at home, but not always been adventurous about making my own bread, for example, or trying to copy Day’s favorite cinnamon loaf. We are avid farmers markets consumers, and quick learners in the produce department, nevertheless the desire for home...
8 tags
Bitter Greens Baked Risotto
Risotto is the king of all rice dishes. It is the marriage of “form and function”, filling and affordable, luscious and elegant. Traditional recipes call for constant stirring of rice and broth, which, when entertaining, can put a damper on your own enjoyment. Don’t get me wrong, I love the lonely job of preparing a meal for others, but sometimes, spending time with your friends is more...
11 tags
Best Granola Yet
I feel the most enlightened when in presence of grandiose environments. These landscapes are rare; usually sweep you off your feet, and transport you to another state of existence. They blur reality to understand, that which is true.
I don’t mean to be philosophical. But as an individual, it is oh so beautiful to enjoy the magnificence of the mind, when encountering nature.
This is the...
9 tags
This Spring’s Spanish Omelet
The abundance of farm fresh leeks is overwhelming. Alongside onions, garlic, and shallots, they are the “it” item in farmers markets right now. Though favorites in everyday cooking, leeks seem too ordinary to make it the source of inspiration when making a dish. Asides from vichyssoise, can you think of any other dish in which the leek takes the leading role?
The inspiration for this dish comes...
March 2012
5 posts
10 tags
Transition Salad
Spring. Lovely spring. Why do you tease us with the scent of flowers and fleeting warmth? It is March after all.
This is a salad made with raw Brussels sprout, asparagus, roasted cauliflower, figs, almonds, as a sweet, delicate mustard-maple syrup dressing. Easy. Fresh. Delicious.
Perfect for lunch, in a park, with a heavy dose of sun on face and a soft breeze caressing the skin.
Salad
¼...
8 tags
Cookies for the Soul
I was working two jobs up until two weeks ago. Now, I am just teaching, and spending most of the time home, looking for a job, cooking for Tasty Plan, and wandering what it is that I should be doing with my life. Most of the time I am just wondering, tossing back and forth ideas of what I should be doing to get where I want to go in life.
Nobody told me that my 20’s where going to be hard....
10 tags
Bringing Sexy Back
I recently stumbled upon my first photography class binder; its contents are almost six years old. While most of the photographs were amateur in nature, one roll caught my attention. It contained photographs of food: vegetables placed atop a thick cutting board, right at the edge, ready to fall over. Beautiful!
In these photographs, bok choy was clearly the star. I was living in a tiny basement...
10 tags
Brazilian Escapades and a Caldo Verde
Rio, is a city of both evident contradictions and subtle mixtures. Made of concrete and jungle, formal and informal constructs, Rio’s urban fabric is burdened by an immobilizing modernist legacy. Nevertheless, its music and food escaped this movement by latching on to its history, its roots. Rio’s playful culture is present though its flavors, through its music, through its foods.
The...
8 tags
Playing with Curry and Peanut Butter
I meant to post about these amazing cookies a week ago. I was in the middle of having brunch with people I knew very well, and others I didn’t, when I decided to make this recipe. One thing led to another, and I ended up on a digital start-up career fair schmoozing with people totally different from myself. Once back home, I had to start packing for a one-week trip to Rio de Janeiro (yes,...
February 2012
5 posts
8 tags
Notes on Transitions and a Gingered Pound Cake
I began writing this blog, right before graduating from architecture graduate school. This has not only been a recorder of culinary experiments in four different kitchens (yes! I have moved that many times in the past nine months), but of the transition into the professional world, flirting with independence from the typical post graduation path, to quick reinstitution into the world of...
6 tags
Curried Scrambled Eggs
I typically dislike breakfast. And when I go to brunch I can never find something to eat. Everything is covered in either bacon or sugar. And while I have been avoiding eggs for a while, I am rediscovering as a super food.
The secret to scrambled eggs is low heat and constant whisking. The secret to great scrambled eggs is curry powder, maybe some Parmesan. Perfect for breakfast, lunch, or...
5 tags
Red Beet Risotto
I discovered beets through the Food Network. Ina Garten demonstrated the ease of vegetable perfection through roasting. I fell in love. And, ever since I roast beets all the time. Sweet, salty, crispy edges.
Growing up, beets were not part of our typical meals, probably because our understanding of beets was limited to the canned bitter version. Every time I tell my dad I am making them he...
8 tags
Black Beans and Rice
This one is for Nate, who I taught how to make this recipe years ago. It makes me smile, thinking of the aroma of my grandmother’s black bean perfuming his Rotterdam apartment.
I love making rice and beans. It grounds me and reminds me of home, it reminds me of my family, and of my childhood. It reminds me of why I love cooking, especially when for others. And how food brings people together,...
8 tags
Gnocchi in Carrot Cumin Sauce
Lets face it. It is a weeknight; you get home exhausted from work, hopefully not at eleven, with the least amount of energy to cook anything that requires more effort than punching three digits on the microwave’s touch pad. It is O.K. don’t feel guilty, it happens to everybody.
This is a simple, healthy alternative to ramen. It takes maybe ten minutes to make. But it is a healthy,...
January 2012
4 posts
7 tags
The Raw Brownie
Happy Birthday to me! There is no better way to celebrate it than with this post: a delicious chocolaty (raw) brownie. Yes, you read that right. And before you close your browser, or move on to the next, read carefully. This is truly delicious, moist cake, for which you do not need to turn the oven on for. All you need is five basic ingredients, a trusty blender, and an hour for cooling. This...
7 tags
Pea & Kale Soup
This is a belly warming, super soup. The combination of peas and kale is delightful, healthy, and light. You can put this together in less than 15 minutes for a lazy weekend lunch.
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...
11 tags
Cauliflower-Fennel Salad
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...
7 tags
Blackout Chocolate Cake
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...
December 2011
6 posts
7 tags
Pea Pesto Crostini
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...
8 tags
Chimichurri Hummus
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...
8 tags
Coquito Cheesecake
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...
7 tags
Coquito
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...
6 tags
Creamy Raw Nut Dressing
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:...
8 tags
Fennel, Chickpeas, Quinoa
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,...
November 2011
6 posts
8 tags
Spiced Cauliflower Soup
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,...
8 tags
Balsamic Dark Chocolate Truffles
Truffles have the power to make any chocaholic smile. They are small, elegant, indulgent treats. I used to indulge on the extra dark chocolate kind as a teenager.
Perfect as a holiday gift, these are easy to make, and surprisingly affordable. You can buy perfectly shaped truffles almost anywhere, but its more special if you make them yourself.
The process is simple. Make a ganache by melting...
8 tags
Honey Grapefruit & Almond French Toast
With the holidays around the corner, my mind is set on grapefruit season. This recipe uses the juice and zest of half a grapefruit, and is a perfect addition to a Holiday Brunch menu. Warm, sweet, and, wait for it, grapefruit-y!
After reading a recent post by Melissa Clark, I was inspired to test her tip. She suggests toasting bread slices before soaking in the custard. The reasoning: dryer...
10 tags
Black Bean Quinoa
We had a bunch of dudes guys over for dinner the other day. I usually struggle to feed this kind of crowd, as I am more of a grass grazing, vegetables-only kind of person. When people come over, I put my food issues preferences aside, and plan a meal.
When making food for a dinner party, I always try to make dishes that are fun, festive, flavorful, and filling. I usually stress out for a second,...
7 tags
Spicy Cilantro Salsa
This is a variation on the traditional chimichurri. This recipe makes a less oily more fragrant salsa. You can add this to anything that needs a kick. It is truly amazing, specially when having friends over for a BBQ.
Spicy Cilantro Salsa
Makes apprx. 1 cup
1 bunch cilantro
½ green pepper
3-4 green onions
½ habanero pepper (without seeds)
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp. olive oil
1tbsp. white...
7 tags
Ginger Cardamom Cheese Flan
Flan is eaten everywhere. There are a million variations, and every country has its own twist on the basic recipe. In Puerto Rico, flan is made with four basic ingredients: eggs (lots of them), evaporated milk, condensed milk (amazing!), and caramel, to which you can add pumpkin, vanilla, cream cheese…. It is sweet, smooth, silky, and decadently creamy.
Making flan is similar to making...
October 2011
6 posts
7 tags
(my kind of) Potato Salad
I used to hate potatoes. I thought of them as bland and boring; a tuber not worth eating. Asides from its taste, or lack there of, I thought of potatoes as fattening, and unhealthy, mainly because I associated them with fast food and high fat snacks. Lets not even mention the picnic staple, potato salad: disgusting! (Have I ever mentioned I hate mayonnaise?) All this dishes/food placed potatoes...
7 tags
Playing with Chocolate Cake
Let’s face it; everybody loves cake. And in the world of cakes there are a million different recipes. With milk, with sour cream, with cold water, hot water, more sugar, less sugar; the combinations are endless. I particularly like chocolate cake. The denser, super chocolaty, bitter kind. So why not experiment: make two similar recipes, and see the difference, side-by-side.
Having taught myself...
5 tags
Crispy Chickpeas and Cauliflower Salad
This is an everyday kind of dish: simple, delicious, satisfying. It works for lunch or dinner. I promise you will love this! It is so easy to make you won’t think you are cooking.
Chickpeas crunch up in a hot oven, and with a little bit of spice, you can turn a boring meal into a party-in-your-mouth kind of meal. And the best part is that you can substitute the cauliflower for any seasonal...
8 tags
Sesame Crusted Brussels Sprouts
I have been in a roasting spree. Ever since I discovered the olive oil-salt-pepper-400-for-25-minutes magic a year ago, I cannot have enough. While cauliflower is still my all time favorite (roast-able) vegetable, variety is always welcomed. Through some serious experimentation, I have come to the conclusion that you can roast anything, period.
Growing up in a tropical country I had limited...
10 tags
Honey Ricotta filled Spelt Ravioli
I have been keeping a little secret, and I think it is time to confess. Some have asked me why I haven’t posted about it yet… The truth, I wanted to save it for the right moment. This is my 50th post, and to celebrate I want to talk about the wedding. Day and I decided to get married several months ago; everything is set for December. We have been extremely involved with the design of the whole...
8 tags
Honey-Ginger Banana Bread
Ever since I moved down to Miami, I have been making an attempt to embody the tropics with the food I make. At the farmers market we’ve been buying a lot of mysterious looking fruits. I am not sure I like them, since they all have strange textures. Nevertheless, I don’t think anything screams tropics more than bananas. Everybody loves them. I specially love the manzanos, which are small apple...
September 2011
8 posts
8 tags
Honey Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
I have been a bit uninspired lately. I apologize. Don’t get me wrong, I have so many things to be grateful about; a new town, a new job, new expectations, and this blog. There is something missing though, something is just not there… and what bugs me is that I cannot put a finger on it. Maybe it is not living in my own place. Maybe I just miss the fall, the idea of visible change. And as I...
6 tags
Almond Cake
I love this recipe. Even as a declared chocaholic, I choose almond cake as my favorite cake of all time. It is moist, sweet, nutty, and decadent. The recipe is very easy to follow, and sure to satisfy even the pickiest eater. I made this cake on Saturday afternoon, and it was gone by Monday night. It is that good. You can of course also make them into cupcakes.
Almond Cake
adapted...
1 tag
10 tags
Balsamic Roasted Red Onion Sandwich
I am on an onion withdrawal (I know, this is not normal). I love onions, and learned to use them in almost everything as base for the sweet tangy undertones that add complexity to any soup or stew.
Unlike most recipes I wanted to make onions the star of this dish. When combined with soft whole wheat bread, creamy avocado, and tang arugula… yum! Am easy lunch alternative.
Balsamic Roasted Red...
8 tags
Cauliflower-Green Bean Salad
This is a quick post on a salad idea. Because two thirds of my meals revolve around a salad, I have to be constantly reinventing myself, with hopes of avoiding repetition and food boredom.
What I like about this salad is that it is made of a lot of different ingredients with different textures and flavors. The chickpeas, when roasted, get crunchy and delicious. As you already know I am a big fan...
6 tags
Coconut Lime Cupcakes
With my fourth-month’s-of-blogging anniversary coming up, (and almost 40 recipes to date!) I wanted to celebrate with something truly special. Not only am I settled in a new city, I am reconnecting with old friends, and meeting new ones. Getting used to Miami’s culture is not an easy task; too many high heels and sporting events for my liking. But, as long as I have a working kitchen, where I can...
6 tags
Endless Summer Tomato Coucous
While everybody celebrates the end of summer up north, I am basking in the sun. Dreaming of tomatoes, cilantro, and basil. The Farmer’s Markets are about to start bursting with tropical fruits and vegetables, the sun is shining, and it is still difficult to go outside in jeans.
By the looks of it, summer is endless in the Sunshine State! Frequent BBQ’s have me on my toes, waiting for yet another...
Fellow leaf lovers