February 2012
4 posts
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
August 2011
6 posts
8 tags
The Healthiest Cupcake, Ever: Zucchini Hazelnut...
It’s been a while since my last cupcake recipe. I have been searching for the right recipe; one that felt right, appropriate to present times. With all the moving, packing, and now a new city, I have been finding it difficult to be inspired. I am not running out of ideas, I just wanted one that was perfect: healthy, nutritious, and above all, yummy. Healthy cupcakes? They do exist!
I want to...
5 tags
Lentils
My grandmother taught me how to make this dish. When she found out I was no longer eating meat, she would lure me into her home by offering her delicious lentils over rice. I, of course, pushed the white rice to the side, and ate just lentils.
I don’t want to come off as sentimental, but this was the last meal I cooked in Cambridge. It was perfect: nostalgic comforting, satisfying, and energy...
5 tags
Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad
I wish I had more time to cook and write. Times are tough, and I am currently a nomad.
I already confessed my love for beets. Here I am pairing it with sweet farmer’s market carrots.
Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad
3 medium carrots
2 large beets
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt
pepper
handful of cilantro
To make, clean, peel, and slice carrots and beets. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit....
6 tags
Garlic and Onion Soup
A couple of weeks ago, I went to the post office to deliver resumes for teaching jobs in Miami. As usual, my pessimistic personality possessed my aura as I walked into the store, defeated, knowing there was no hope. I knew I would not get any of the jobs I was applying for, and the next three months would continue to be as uncertain and miserable as the past three. The middle aged Indian man...
6 tags
Eggs for Breakfast
I promised a back-to-back kale recipe. Here it is.
I never eat eggs for breakfast, I used to when I was a kid, but at some point, I stopped. Probably because they take to long to cook, and I never have time in the morning. I have been making an effort to eat less boxed cereal and more fruits and whole wheat breads, just to be more healthful and less processed. A couple of days ago after an...
6 tags
Massaged Raw Kale Salad
I apologize for my silence. It’s been crazy here: a lot of travelling, a lot of planning, and a lot of everything except cooking. I am finally home, not in Cambridge, but in Puerto Rico in the house I grew up. I can’t really cook here, but I am enjoying being fed for a change, before going back to what seems like will be a busy week of packing. Yup! I am moving again. More on this later…
I am...
July 2011
8 posts
Winner at GOOD, revive your leftovers →
7 tags
Roasted Beets Sweet Pea Salad
I know, I know. I have yakked about my obsessions with salads to exhaustion. But there is no other way to convince you that they are a delicious versatile meal. It is not a secret; I eat salads all the time, for lunch, for dinner. And while most people stare at me in disbelief when I say this, I don’t care: I am a salad-hollic; a la Michael Pollan. Not only am I convinced that by eating salads I...
5 tags
Honey Coriander Ice Cream
This ice cream recipe is simple. It has an unusual flavor profile, but don’t let this discourage you, as it is totally delicious. Honey-coriander Ice cream is refreshing, satisfying and rich: perfect for hot summer evenings. Who would have thought: coriander and honey?
When I made this recipe, I was a bit angry and frustrated. I needed to make something that did not involve using the oven. The...
7 tags
For the love of Cupcakes, The Marta Fenollosa...
The
I had resisted the temptation to write about chocolate for a while. Once I gave in, I can only talk about how delicious chocolate is. What I like about chocolate is how versatile it is. It’s potential seem to crystalize when combined with other ingredients.
Salt, caramel, chocolate; a combination designed to sweep anybody off their feet. Moist, rich and totally decadent, these are Marta’s...
8 tags
Tostones (i.e. double fried, smashed plantains)
Watch out, the Puerto Rican in me is finally coming out. Currently, I am double fried and totally smashed, hence the recipe. July has been a rather busy month. Between business meetings in tropical places and endless hours cataloging, re-organizing, writing, and distributing “old stuff”; I have been left with little time to rejoice. The sun is shinning, and I am stuck indoors, again.
I don’t...
6 tags
Chocolate, soufflé
Two words: chocolate, soufflé.
Metaphysically, chocolate soufflé exists on this planet for the sole purpose of being eaten by two. It is soft, silky, and decadent. I know, it is the middle of the summer. Days are long and hot, but chocolate is not seasonal. Neither is soufflé. Sharing a delicious dessert with someone special is priceless, no matter what time of the year.
Mark Bittman’s recipe is...
6 tags
The ultimate green salad
I finally got back from a long business trip to the Dominican Republic. No, I did not get to go to the beach, and no, I did not get a tan. Nevertheless, it was fun to pretend; be a successful architect, with the intention of designing real buildings for real people. Knocking on the door of real life, just for a second.
I was not appropriately fuelled during this trip. I missed the taste of...
6 tags
Raspberry Energy Smoothie
Five years ago I travelled to Mexico and Brazil with a big group of fellow students from college. Under the instruction of three professors, we were able to see and experience some of Latin America’s greatest cities. I struggled to find food in Mexico, but once we got to Brazil I was overwhelmed with all the good food available. Our final destination was Rio, where I came across the perfect...
June 2011
12 posts
7 tags
The Creamiest Hummus
It has been a very productive almost two months of cooking! I have been able to make both very healthy-simple foods, as well as decadent-complex ones. While it might seem contradictory, it is an attempt to achieve balance and pleasure others. In combination to this project, I am working on other, much more complicated things, which have unfortunately left me a bit depleted. I am therefore...
7 tags
For the love of Cupcakes, The Lance Walters...
This has to be one of the best things I have ever baked. It is an intense, full-bodied, smoky, bittersweet experience: chocolate-stout batter, chocolate-whiskey frosting. It is as complex as the combination of its ingredients. It is a masculine, beautiful recipe that should be enjoyed in a dark wooden room, covered with books, the sound of Adele’s music in the background. I usually eat chocolate...