DARK CHOCOLATE DIPPED MACAROONS

This will be one of many attempts to perfect the macaroon. Hugh was in San Francisco last weekend, and brought home a bag of macaroons from Bi-Rite Market. He said they were a "gift for me", and proceeded to eat all but one and a half of them. The cookie (if it can be called a cookie?) is typically composed of coconut, egg whites, sugar and vanilla, and you will find recipes made of differing proportions of the former, plus or minus an ingredient or two. I've had ones made with sweetened condensed milk, and do like the moisture it contributes, but it makes the lighter treat, a tad too heavy. Though it does sound like a lot of sugar, we didn't find this version to be overly sweet at all. If you scale it back too much, it taste like a coconut omelette. Coconut is wonderful, but the contrast of the dark chocolate makes these babies exceptional.

We leave for Scotland this afternoon, yay! Hugh was commissioned to shoot a wedding over there, and myself commissioned to come along for the adventure. My suitcase is bulging and my backpack is stocked with snacks. We will be gone for awhile, so please excuse a bit of a hiatus here (we'll try to post pictures if the opportunity presents itself). I am SO excited to get on a plane and go on an adventure; especially with my favorite person. A collaboration of few bustling cities, taking the train through rolling green hills and making friends with people in kilts. They'll want to be my friend because I have a backpack full of goodies.

DARK CHOCOLATE DIPPED MACAROONS// Makes two dozen

I encourage you to experiment with natural sweeteners here, as I think it would only slightly change the flavor. You can find natural sweeteners at natural foods stores or on Amazon. Evaporated palm sugar is a great alternative, or you could use regular granulated sugar if you prefer

3 Egg Whites

1 Cup Organic Sucanat (Whole Cane Sugar)

3 Tbsp. Honey

2 tsp. Real Vanilla Extract

1/2 tsp. Salt

2 3/4 Cups Unsweetened Coconut

1/4 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour/Brown Rice Flour*

12 oz. SemiSweet/Dark Good Quality Chocolate Chips

Heat oven to 375'

1. Beat the egg whites with a whisk until they are loose and frothy. Add the salt, vanilla, sugar, honey and combine. Add the coconut and stir. See starred note for consistency advice.

2. Using a small spoon, dollop about 2 Tbsp. of the mix, two inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with either parchment paper or a silpat.

3. Bake in the oven for 14-16 minutes on the middle rack. Remove and cool completely. While the macaroons are cooling, heat the chocolate chips over a double broiler, or glass bowl over simmering water. Be sure to not let the glass touch the water to avoid scorching. Continue to stir until chocolate is melted.

4. Lay out a new piece of parchment paper. Take a cooled macaroon, and generously dip half into the melted chocolate. Lay on the parchment for chocolate to harden. This time could be expedited in the fridge or freezer.

* The consistency of the mix will vary depending on the size of your egg whites and also how your coconut is shredded. When the mix sits in the bowl, you don't want it to be weeping any liquid, it should hold itself together while still being moist. If anything is puddling at the bottom, add a bit of flour or GF flour to help dry things up. Add little by little, you may not need all of it. I needed to use the flour, as my eggs were large. Use your discretion and look for consistency before sticking to the measurements.

VEGETABLE EGGS BENEDICT

She really is a character all of her own. My mom doesn't really fit a stereotype, so I'm at a loss of trying to put her in a box for you. She was the mom who took us running through golf course sprinklers, and drove the getaway car for my boy crazy girlfriends when we'd go toliet papering in high school. She dressed my sister and I up in her old clothes, and sent us out to make mud pies when the backyard was a mess after the rain. I mean pies actually made from mud- she's never been much for cooking, but she makes up for that in how fun she is. I may not have recipes for 'mom's biscuits', but I have vivid memories of my mom starting the dance party with paper plates as props at my first boy/girl party. I mean, anyone can find a biscuit recipe, but only my mom can party with plates. I was her cautious child, and she always tried to loosen me up... she still does, actually. There is that cliche that says 'you don't understand the depth of a mother's love, until you have children of your own'. I'm sure this is true, but my mom has made her love crystal clear to us. It is deep, really deep, and I know this from her actions. You can say 'i love you' a trillion times, but it's my late night teary phone calls, the articles she sends me in the mail, or helping me plant my herb garden that speak louder than words.

And just because someone doesn't like to cook, doesn't mean they don't like to eat, and my mom loves things with sauce. Food is just her vehicle for more sauce. This is a great mothers day brunch idea. I was inspired by a sauce recipe I found in the Golden Door Cooks at Home Cookbook. It blends up so quickly and tastes lighter than the typical hollandaise you find on an eggs benedict. As soon as you crack the yolk, it marries the bell pepper sauce and serves as the perfect dipping agent for the rest of the stack. If you are not one for poached eggs, you could substitute a fried egg or even a heap of scrambled eggs as an alternative. Experiment with whatever vegetables you have, as I imagine any sauteed green could be used instead of spinach or some caramelized onions or leeks would be wonderful too. For the record: A. This is my new favorite breakfast and B. I love you, Mom.

VEGETABLE EGGS BENEDICT // Makes 4

The sauce recipe is written using jarred roasted peppers. The yellow ones make a sauce that most resembles hollandaise. When bell peppers are sweet and in season near you, I am sure the flavor would be exceptional if you roasted them yourself. Though jarred will save you time regardless of the season. If you don't care for goat cheese, you could use cream cheese instead.

2 Whole Grain English Muffins

4 Large Eggs

5 Cups Fresh Spinach Leaves

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Zest of One Lemon

12 Spears of Asparagus

1 tsp. Garlic Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

Fresh Parsley for Garnish

// BELL PEPPER SAUCE //

1 1/4 Cup Roasted Bell Pepper Pieces, drained

3-4 oz. Chevre/Goat Cheese (richness to taste)

1/4 Cup Milk

1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard

Splash of Hot Sauce

Salt/Pepper

Oven to 500'

1. Start with the sauce. Warm the milk in the microwave for about 30 seconds. In a blender or food processor, combine the warm milk, goat cheese, mustard, lemon juice and the drained roasted bell peppers. Blend until smooth. Cover and set aside.

2. Warm the olive oil in the pan, add the fresh spinach and lemon zest and saute until just wilted. Turn off the heat and let it sit, it will stay warm enough while you finish everything else.

3. Toss the asparagus with a bit of olive oil, garlic salt and some fresh ground pepper. Put in the upper third of the oven for 8 minutes (this all depends on the thickness of your asparagus, alter your timing to get tender but not soggy spears).

4. Bring one quart water + 1 Tbsp. vinegar to a boil, then down to a simmer. This is your egg poaching liquid, there are good directions on how to poach eggs here. If you are doing them one at a time, you can keep them in a bowl with some of the warm poaching liquid until ready to use.

5. Toast the english muffins and get ready to go. Toasted muff+spoonful of sauce+sauteed spinach+asparagus spears, halved+poached egg+another spoonful or sauce+maybe a lovely fruit salad on the side=perfection.

MEDITERRANEAN QUINOA BOWL

We needed something straight forward. Last week's attempt for a post of braised leeks and romesco sauce ended up looking overcooked and sloppy. We tried to plate it nicely, and Hugh dug around trying to find the perfect dish to distract from the mooshness, but it wasn't happening. We stared at it, eating the finished product while deliberating a nice presentation. Call it coincidence, but we'd eaten 'our post' just as we decided the mooshness did not have a place in the blogsphere. I was left no other option but to make something that would undoubtedly be nice and clean.

Simple as this is, I know there is a need for recipes that come together quickly, are nutritionally well rounded and require no fuss. This salad of sorts is gluten free, high in plant protiens and is just as good, if not better, the next day for lunch over some salad greens with another little squeeze of lemon. All these ingredients are pretty well received, so I think it would be a great make ahead dish for a luncheon, bridal shower or what not with all the pretty colors. There are circumstances where you don't want to take a risk, and this bowl is as reliable as they come.

MEDITERRANEAN QUINOA BOWL // Serves 2 big eaters, maybe 3 medium eaters

1 Cup Quinoa, dry

4 Broccolinis

4 to 6 oz. Block of Feta Cheese, cut in cubes

1 Cup Roasted Red Peppers, cut in slivers (I use jarred in the off season)

1/4 Cup Capers, rinsed and drained

1 Cup Chickpeas, cooked

3 Tbsp. Flat Leaf Parsley, finely chopped

2 tsp. Dried Oregano

Generous pinch of Sea Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

1 Meyer Lemon

1 Tbsp. Good Quality Olive Oil

1. For the quinoa, typically, bring two cups water and one cup dry quinoa to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Place the broccolini right on top after ten minutes (who wants to dirty another pot?) and cover to finish the quinoa and the broccolini will steam on top. Remove the broccolini to a cutting board, and transfer the quinoa to a large bowl and fluff with a fork.

2. Toss the red pepper slivers, chickpeas, capers, dried oregano and salt and pepper to the quinoa and stir. Give the broccolini a rough chop and toss it in the bowl. Squeeze the juice of the entire meyer lemon (avoiding seeds) and the olive oil, stir again.

3. Lastly, cut the feta into small cubes (easiest if done straight from the fridge or even let it sit in the freezer for a few minutes). Add the cubes and the parsley to the quinoa and give it a gentle fold. At this point, it is probably a tad warmer than room temperature, which is great. If you'd rather it cold, let it sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes to cool down.