Recipes

Some corn cakes (arepas) are simply corn meal and water. This recipe calls for eggs, cheese and milk, making for interesting eating. It can be made dairy-free and egg-free (see instructions). You can make these arepas as an appetizer, too; spoon tablespoons of batter onto a hot griddle to make them bite-size.

Spoon this tangy sauce over grilled chicken thighs for incredible flavor. This recipe makes enough sauce for more than just one meal. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for serveral days.

This dish is served at Café Milagro with coconut rice and beans and grilled spiced sweet plantains and corn cakes. You can serve it family-style with Jerk Sauce, warm corn cakes and a side of rice and beans.

This dish can be served alone or spooned onto four plates and topped with Red Snapper and Cilantro Pesto. If dairy is an issue, use substitutes or omit the cheese and cream altogether.

Fresh-caught fish paired with bright lime-infused cilantro pesto brings out the best of the Pacific coast. At Mirador in the Arenas del Mar Resort, red snapper is plated on a bed of quinoa pilaf with cilantro pesto drizzled artistically on top and around the fish for an elegant casado-style meal. This dish can also be served fuss-free and family-style; let each person arrange their own plate. If you can’t have fish, replace the red snapper with pan-seared or grilled boneless chicken breast.

Sweet and savory, this breakfast sandwich is a welcome break from standard breakfast fare. The pear sauce can be made a few days ahead and reheated in a saucepan or microwave before serving.

Most people would benefit from eating more vegetables, so why not rise and dine on this savory upgrade on scrambled eggs? For faster mornings, the millet can be prepared up to 3 days ahead. Leftovers of the scramble can be reheated over low heat in a skillet or in the microwave at medium (50%) power. This dish is good for lunch and dinner, too. For variety, top each serving with a dollop of sour cream and some diced avocado.

Yes, you can enjoy hearty, gluten-free steel-cut oats on harried weekday mornings. Soaking the oats in hot water overnight softens them; your only task in the morning is to stir in other ingredients and warm it up. Pumpkin and apple deliver tempered natural sweetness to this heavenly spiced oatmeal. If desired, pumpkin or sunflower seeds can replace the nuts for some crunch.

For a make-ahead breakfast with plenty of nutritional heft, look no further than this delicious, thick pudding. It takes advantage of chia’s power to soak up liquid. For variety, replace the blueberries with other berries.

Packaged gnocchi gives you delicious, filling dumplings without extra effort. Reserve the liquid from the canned chickpeas to use as an egg replacer in baked goods. (3 tablespoons whisked chickpea brine, called aquafaba, replaces 1 egg in many recipes.) Store aquafaba in a sealed container in your refrigerator up to 3 days or freeze it up to 3 months.