Don’t save coconut macaroons for a once-a-year treat during Passover.  Coconut macaroons are a delicious gluten-free, dairy-free dessert that’s quick and portable.  These macaroons taste nothing like the bland, dry canned varieties available at the store.  A home-made version will make a convert of anyone who generally likes coconut, but doesn’t care for canned macaroons.

This recipe is a variation on a recipe from Cooks Illustrated.

Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons

14 oz sweetened coconut flakes

1 ½ C. granulated sugar

1/3 cup + 1 Tbs. egg whites (use pourable egg whites or about 3 large eggs)

½ tps. almond extract (you can substitute vanilla but almond really makes these special)

½ C. dark chocolate chips or chunks (or more as needed, for dipping bottoms)

1. Place oven racks in upper-middle and lower-middle of oven; preheat 325 degrees.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpats (reusable nonstick mats).

2. Chop coconut in food processor for 1 minute.  Add sugar and process for an additional 20 seconds. Add egg whites and extract; process for 1 additional minute, until the mixture resembles a paste, like slushy snow.  Scrape down sides of work bowl with a rubber spatula and process again, until stiff but malleable paste forms, about 5 seconds longer.  If mixture is crumbly or dry, turn machine back on and add water by drops through feeder tube until mixture forms a paste.

3. Using a 1” spring-loaded scoop or 2 tablespoons, drop mounts of paste onto prepared cookies sheets, forming 12 mounts on each sheet (24 total), spacing the mounds about 1 ½ inches papart.

4. Bake macaroons for about 20-25 minutes or until slightly golden brown, switching cookie sheet positions midway through baking.  Be careful not to overbake the macaroons or they will become dry when stored.  Cool macaroons completely on cookies sheets (removing them when warm will cause them to break).  Regular macaroons (without chocolate dipping) can be store in an airtight container for 5 days.

5.  When macaroons are completely cool, carefully remove them from the sheets.  Melt chocolate in a bowl in the microwave, at 30 second intervals, stirring rigorously between each interval to melt the chocolate.  It will likely require 1 minute in the microwave total.  Once melted chocolate is shiny and smooth, carefully hold each macaroon by its top and dip the bottom into the chocolate.  Twist to cover the entire bottom of the macaroon and to get a bit of the chocolate up the sides.  Place dipped macaroon on waxed paper and allow chocolate to harden.  Chocolate-dipped macaroons can be store in an air-tight container for up to 2 days (after that the chocolate will look dry).

Check out my April 2010 column on The Family Groove for a make-ahead spring brunch menu. 

http://www.thefamilygroove.com/apr10_EntertainingOnTheEasy.htm

A mild, minty vinaigrette is the perfect dressing for a light spring salad.  You won’t be overwhelmed by the mint – its a slightly tangy, creamy vinaigrette that won’t overpower the taste of other salad ingredients.  I like to use this dressing on a salad tossed with mango, red peppers, toasted macadamia nuts and goat cheese.  That exact salad is on my menu for Easter brunch this year.

Don’t save this dressing for salad – it’s great on fish or lamb too, and adds a pretty touch of spring to your plate.

Mint Vinaigrette

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup mint leaves, tightly packed
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. Agave nectar (or honey)
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
fresh ground pepper, to taste

In a large food processor, blend the oil and mint until well combined.  Add the remaining ingredients and blend until fully combined.  Maked about 1 cup of dressing and can be stored for up to 3 days.

I love granola – as a cereal, as a snack, as a bar….  Which gave me the idea to play around and come up with a recipe for bite-size granola balls that I could set out as an “appetizer” for brunch.  These granola bites are packed with flavor and natural goodness.  They are sturdy enough to be eaten without a spoon, but remain moist and chewy.  The granola bites are best made a few days in advance so the oats have time to soften and the flavors have a chance to merry.  Leftovers (if there are any) make a great breakfast on-the-go or a pre-workout snack.

Granola Bites

1 ½ cup rolled oats
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
¼ cup dried blueberries or currants
¼ cup raw sunflower seeds, chopped
¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
¼ cup sliced almonds, chopped
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ cup natural peanut butter (smooth)
¼ cup agave nectar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Combine ground oats, chopped apricots, blueberries, sunflower seeds, coconut, almonds and cinnamon in a large bowl until well mixed.

2. Add peanut butter, agave nectar and vanilla to oat mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until mixture is slightly moist and sticky.

3. Using a 1” spring-loaded scoop or a melon baller, scoop out a small amount of mixture and form into round balls. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to give oats time to absorb moisture and soften.

* These can be made gluten-free by making them with certified GF oats.

Check out my recipe for Latkes (Potato Pancakes) with Pomegranate Crema on the POM Wonderful site:

http://pomwonderful.com/community/latkes-potato-pancakes-with-pomegranate-crema/

Vote for it as a favorite to help me win the community favorite POM receipe contest!  You don’t need to register to vote.  Click on the words 2009 Fresh Recipe Contest at the top of the link to my recipe.  That will take you to the contest recipes.  Go to the bottom of that page and click to page 3.  This recipe is the 3rd recipe down.  Click on the words  Vote for this Recipe.  [If you don't see the Vote for this Recipe link click on the recipe and click the add it to your favorites - you should then see the vote for this recipe link.]

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I can think of few things more comforting than crispy potatoes layered with caramelized onions.  These delicious bite-size appetizers are a must on an tapas menu and a crowd-pleasing, inexpensive addition to any cocktail party menu.  Make the tortilla up to a day in advance.  Once cooled, cut into small wedges or squares and refrigerate.  Serve at room temperature or warm by heating tortilla bites on a cookie sheet at 300 degrees for 15 minutes or until warm.

Add any of the following complimentary ingredients if you’d like to add more flavor and color to the tortilla:  Chopped pimientos or roasted red peppers, diced chorizo, sauted kale, spinach or zucchini.  Parsley is an excellent garnish for the tortilla.

Here are the links to my favorite tortilla recipes.  The first recipe (from Food Network) is an authentic recipe; the second recipe (from epicurious) is a less labor-intensive variation that’s baked in the oven.

Traditional Spanish Tortilla:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/spanish-tortilla-recipe/index.html

Baked Spanish Tortilla Bites
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chorizo-and-Potato-Spanish-Tortilla-Bites-236695

*I added chopped pimientos to the tortilla pictured above.

I always enjoy the first asparagus of the season simply steamed or sauteed.  In the following weeks I find more interesting uses for my favorite spring vegetable, like this Asparagus and Feta Quinoa Salad.  If you can find them, use pencil thin stalks in this recipe.  

This salad goes well with grilled meat, poultry and fish.  It’s a great side dish for a cookout or BBQ since it can be prepared in advance and served at room temperature.  Make this salad up to two days in advance and add additional olive oil, vinegar and/or lemon juice if the the quinoa seems dry (it will absorb some of the liquid if prepared in advance).

Spring Quinoa Salad With Asparagus and Feta 

1 ½ C. chicken or vegetable stock (low sodium)

1 C. quinoa

Juice from ½ large lemon (about 1 ½ Tbs.)

1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbs. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 bunch pencil thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1” pieces

15 grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise

4oz feta or goat cheese, crumbled

Salt and pepper to taste

1.    Bring stock to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  While waiting for the stock to boil, place quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under warm water for 2 minutes to wash away the natural (but bitter) outer layer of the grain.  Once stock is boiling, add quinoa and return to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover saucepan and simmer until quinoa has absorbed most of the liquid, about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat, uncover, fluff with a fork.  Cool at room temperature.

2.   While quinoa is cooking, steam asparagus.   Fill a small pot with 1” water.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Place asparagus in the boiling water or in a steamer basket fitted inside the pot.  Cover with a lid and steam for 2-3 minutes, or until asparagus is fork tender but still slightly crisp.  Fill a small bowl with ice and cold water and plunge asparagus into the cold water to stop the cooking process and keep the asparagus from over-cooking.  

3.    In a medium bowl combine lemon, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper.  Whisk until well combined.  Add cooled quinoa, steamed asparagus and tomatoes and stir gently with a fork to keep quinoa fluffy.  Add feta and continue until well combined.  Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled. 

Serves 6 as a side

These low fat muffins are so moist they almost melt in your mouth.  The usual oil and eggs are replaced with pumpkin puree, making them delicious and healthy.  I usually make these into mini muffins so they’re bite-size.  I like to serve them at a fall brunch or book club meeting.  If you are serving them as a dessert, top them with cream cheese frosting for an even sweeter treat.

This recipe is adapted from a Weight Watcher’s recipe.

Pumpkin Muffins

18.25oz unprepared organic yellow cake mix

12oz can organic pumpkin

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cloves

1.       Coat two, 12 hole muffin tins (or mini muffin tins) with cooking spray.

2.       Combine dry cake mix, pumpkin and spices in a large bowl and beat until fully combined.

3.       Divide batter among muffin tins and bake according to directions for cake mix.

It’s that time of year!  I saw the first of the oversized zucchinis at the green market last week so I grabbed one and mixed up a double batch of my whole wheat zucchini bread.  I use half oil and half applesauce and it comes out tasting rich and moist.  Everyone is always pleasantly surprised when I tell them it’s my healthier version of zucchini bread. 

This zucchini bread freezes incredibly well.  Wrap it in plastic wrap after cooling it for a few minutes in the pan.  The plastic wrap will basically act as shrink wrap, sealing in the moisture.  Keep it in your freezer for up to 4 months.

Serve it for brunch, dessert or with afternoon tea and coffee.  I also make mini loaves and give them as favors or hostess gifts.  It’s the best way to turn those huge zucchinis into a huge hit.

Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread

2 ½ C. whole wheat flour
¼ tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
4 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 eggs
½ C. vegetable oil
½ C. unsweetened applesauce
2 C. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 C. grated zucchini

1.       Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a medium bowl, sift together first 5 ingredients (flour through cinnamon).  Set aside.

2.       In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, applesauce, sugar and vanilla. Beat well with an electric mixer.  Stir in zucchini.  Add flour mixture in batches and stir until just combined (do not over mix).

3.       Spray 2 regular size loaf pans or 4 mini loaf pans with nonstick spray (bottom and sides).  Bake in the center of the oven for approximately 50 minutes for 4 mini loafs or 65-75 minutes for 2 regular loaves.  Cool slightly, run a knife around the edge of the pan to release the bread from the sides, and remove from pan.  Cool on wire rack or seal in plastic wrap to lock in moisture.

For more farmer’s market inspired recipes and stories visit:  http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/07/22/farmers-market-fare-13/

In my house we actually call this a fritatta (even though it’s baked in the oven instead of on the stove top).  Somehow calling it a fritatta rather than a quiche made my husband more excited about it.  Is a fritatta more masculine than a quiche?  I don’t know.  But I do know that this has become a brunch favorite among my family (including my husband!) and friends.  Serve the quiche/ fritatta as the main dish for a brunch or luncheon.  It’s also perfect for a light dinner when served with salad and whole-grain bread. 

The quiche/ fritatta can be baked in a square dish and cut into small pieces for a tapas party (serve it like a Spanish tortilla, at room temperature).

Crustless Spinach Quiche

8 eggs or 2 small cartons of egg beaters

1/2 container of low fat whipped cottage cheese or fat free ricotta

4oz low fat cheddar cheese, shredded

4oz Cabot chipotle cheddar cheese or pepper jack, shredded

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium yellow Spanish onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 bunch of spinach, stems removed and chopped (or 1 bag of pre-washed baby spinach, chopped)

1 Tbs. olive oil (or cooking spray)

Kosher salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Splash of Tabasco sauce, optional (use if you cannot find the chipotle cheese)

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a large ceramic fluted quiche dish or glass pie dish with a light layer of cooking spray.  

2.       Heat the olive oil (or cooking spray) in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Sautee the onion until translucent.  Reduce heat to medium and add the garlic and red peppers.  Once the red peppers have softened, add the chopped spinach.  Sautee until spinach is completely wilted and most of the moisture has cooked off.  If you have time to cool the vegetables you can do so and add them directly into the egg mixture (below).  If they are still warm put the vegetables in the bottom of your prepared dish.  Make sure that the vegetables are evenly spread around the bottom of the dish.

3.       In a large bowl, whisk together the egg beaters, cottage cheese, shredded cheeses, a pinch of kosher salt and some fresh ground black pepper.  If you are using the Tabasco (not necessary if you are using chipotle cheese), add a splash to the mixture and continue whisking.  Either mix the cooled vegetables (see step 2) into the egg mixture or pour the egg mixture over the warm vegetables in the bottom of the quiche dish.  Make sure the egg mixture is evenly distributed over the vegetables so the top of the quiche is level.

4.       Place the quiche in the center of the oven and bake for 45 minutes.  You will know it’s done when the cheese is bubbling, the center is firm and the top is golden brown.  Cool slightly before cutting into eight wedges and serve warm.