CHOCOLATE & PUFFED GRAIN MORSELS

I appreciate that there is a day to honor your love, but I am cynical as to what Valentines is as an adult. It seemed so fun to exchange candies in grade school and overdose on conversation hearts. In my younger years, my Dad would come home from work with those GIANT greeting cards (do you know what I'm talking about? They are seriously gigantic and sometimes I still see them at gas stations) and mylar balloons for my sister and I, or maybe a new set of cotton pajamas with hearts on them. My mom, the art teacher, made, and still makes, beautiful hand crafted cards with thoughtful messages of how we, as daughters, have changed her life. It feels pretty great to be loved. What I gathered from those gestures, was that this holiday isn't about the bloated flower prices, waxy chocolates and pre-set dining menus that make me cringe, it is best celebrated not for one person, but valuing love for the sum of it's parts.

This chocolate morsel experiment was kind of a shot in the dark, but I think they are just precious in their crafty glass jars. I cleaned old jars I have held on to from sauces, jams, fancy yogurts and what not. These morsels travel better and last longer than a baked good, which would also make them an excellent wedding favor or thank you gift. I am giving my measurements, but this recipe is extremely adaptable. You could use any kind of puffed cereal (they are inexpensive at a health food store) and the nuts and fruit are yours to choose. Next time I'll try toasted pistachios and dried cherries, or maybe chewy candied ginger and sliced almonds. Whatever your way, show love.

CHOCOLATE AND PUFFED GRAIN MORSELS // Makes 24

When melting the chocolate, I suggest using a larger glass bowl than you think you'll need. This way you can put all the goodies in that one bowl to make less of a mess.

12 oz. Dark Chocolate Chips (milk if you prefer)

1 1/3 Cup Puffed Millet, Rice, Kamut (found in the cereal isle)

1 Cup Dried Cranberries, Chopped

1/2 Cup Toasted Pecan Pieces

Sea Salt

1. Place chocolate it in a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water. Do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Allow it to melt slowly, giving it a stir to distribute the heat. In the meantime, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.

2. Remove the chocolate from the heat and gently add in the puffed grain of choice, dried fruit and nut and fold everything to combine. Allow everything to sit for about five minutes to cool.

3. Using a spoon and your fingers, dollop hefty tablespoons of the chocolate mix onto the baking sheet. Repeat, washing your fingers every now and then because it will be easier to work with the chocolate. This step gets messy, but as they cool you can form their shape better. Sprinkle them liberally with sea salt.

4. Put the tray in the fridge for about 15 minutes for the morsels to set completely. Put them in cute packaging for a charming presentation!

DECONSTRUCTED BEET STACK

It was really only a handful of years ago when I learned beets don't come from a can in that lovely shade of neon purple. You've seen them at salad bars, shredded and soggy next to the baby corns and greasy croutons. I discovered that this rooted vegetable was easy to roast, and it felt so 'pioneer' of me to figure my way to the tender sweetness through the mass of tangled greens and nubby, hairy exterior. If you can bake a potato, you can roast a beet.

I know that people either love or hate beets. Same goes for horseradish, so I am not expecting this recipe to appeal to the masses. I find that with whole milk yogurt, the horseradish is not too strong amongst all the other vegetables. The layers are attractively bitter, spicy and there is the expected earthiness that beets bring. When I actually host the dinner parties that I dream of, this will be on the menu. I think colorful, fresh food plated vertically, looks beautiful. If my guests don't like it, please push your plate my way thank you very much.

DECONSTRUCTED BEET STACK // Serves 4 as a side

I think this would make a wonderful complete meal with some thin slices of lox or smoked tofu between the layers, or maybe a poached egg on top. Note that our pictures show a regular navel orange, though I highly recommend the color contrast of a blood orange here. I didn't want to go back to the store.

3 Golden Beets (larger ones, as close to the same size possible)

1 Blood Orange

1 Cup Watercress

1/2 Cup Thin Slices of Red Onion

Dressing //

1 Cup Whole/Lowfat Plain Yogurt

1 1/2 Tbsp. Prepared Horseradish*

2 Tbsp. Champagne/Cider Vinegar

1 tsp. Agave Nectar

2 Tbsp. Fresh Chives

Pinch of Salt

*Prepared horseradish is different that 'horseradish cream' at the grocery store. If you don't like the taste of horseradish, an alternative suggestion would be to mince a shallot and add some extra white pepper for a bit of spice.

Oven to 425'

1. Cut off the beet greens close to the actual beet part. Give the beets a few pokes with a fork and wrap completely in foil. Bake for an hour, depending on the size of the beet. It feels similar to a baked potato when done.

2. In the meantime, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, horseradish, vinegar, agave and pinch of salt. Add the chives and set aside.

3. Cut the skin and pith from the orange, and slice into max 1/4'' thick coins.

4. When the beets are done, set aside until they are cool enough to handle. With a paring knife, peel off the skin gently as they can get slippery. Slice the beets into max 1/4'' thick coins, just like the orange.

5. To assemble, put a dollop of sauce on the bottom of the plate, then a beet with another dollop of sauce, then a few leaves of watercress and a slice of orange and a dollop on top of that. Repeat: beet, dollop, watercress, orange, watercress, dollop to however high you'd like your stack to go. Scatter the slices of red onion and if you'd like, maybe some toasted walnuts around the plate. Top the stack with a dollop of sauce and a grind of fresh pepper. Note that the pretty presentation is quickly demolished once you start cutting into it :)

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.