LOVE BITES

How fortunate and fitting for us that this year's Valentine's Day should fall on a Saturday, the day we usually meet for fellowship and encouragement. One of the best ways to show that deep love and appreciation? Throw a fabulous brunch where every bite oozes hugs and kisses. Today those love bites include Toasted Seeds Citrus Salad Lettuce Cups, Fire-roasted Red Pepper Avocado and Smoked Salmon Tartinettes (in the shape of hearts - of course!), Mushrooms and Asparagus Egg Muffins, Flaky Herbed Gruyere Biscuits - all book-ended by Very Berry Champagne Cocktail and Coconut Flower Chiffon Cake.  

Happy Valentine's Day, dearies. Let's keep on loving each other every day while we can.

Very Berry Champagne Cocktail

Toasted Seeds Citrus Salad Lettuce Cups

Fire-roasted Red Pepper Avocado and Smoked Salmon Tartinettes

Mushrooms and Asparagus Egg Muffins

Flaky Herbed Gruyere Biscuits

Coconut Flower Chiffon Cake

Recipes

Very Berry Champagne Cocktail

1 bowl of fresh mixed berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and strawberries)

Creme de Cassis

Rose Champagne or Sparkling Wine

1. Drop 1 tsp of Creme de Cassis on the bottom of champagne flute

2. Add 1 tsbp of fresh mixed berries

3. Fill up with champagne or sparkling wine

4. Garnish flute rim with a heart-shaped slice of strawberry

Toasted Seeds Citrus Salad Lettuce Cups

1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

1 tbsp mustard seeds, toasted

1 tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted

1 pkg butter lettuce, washed & rinsed

6 clementines or 3 oranges, peeled, seeded and separated by wedges

1 large pink grapefruit, peeled, seeded and separated by half wedges

4 sprigs of fresh tarragon, finely chopped

1 shallot, finely chopped

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp dijon or spicy brown mustard

salt and pepper to taste

1. Whisk together tarragon, shallot, olive oil, honey, mustard, salt & pepper until well incorporated.

2. In a bowl, toss citrus wedges with dressing.

3. Spoon salad into lettuce cups and sprinkle with toasted seeds.

Fire-roasted Red Pepper Avocado and Smoked Salmon Tartinettes

4 slices of Ezekiel bread, quartered and trimmed into small heart-shaped pieces

1 tbsp butter

1 pkg wild Atlantic smoked salmon

bunch of chives, thinly chopped

1 large avocado

1 fire-roasted red pepper (comes ready made in a jar)

1 tbsp capers

juice of 2 limes

salt and pepper to taste

Salmon Roe Caviar

1. In a blender, mix 2 tbsp chopped chives, avocado, roasted red pepper, capers and lime juice to a paste consistency.

2. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Butter bread slices and toast/broil in oven until crispy and golden brown.

4. Spread red pepper and avocado paste on each piece of toast.

5. Top with 1 tbsp of smoked salmon.

6. Garnish with caviar and remaining chives.

Mushrooms and Asparagus Egg Muffins

1 dozen eggs
1/2 tub (small size) whipped cream cheese
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 bunch asparagus, diced
1 large shallot, diced
1/2 lb cremini mushrooms, diced
1 tbsp sherry cooking wine
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. In a large skillet, saute chopped shallot and diced asparagus over medium high heat for 3 minutes.
3. Add diced mushrooms, sherry cooking wine, salt and pepper to taste.
4. Cook until wine evaporated, remove from heat.
5. In a large bowl, whisk eggs with cream cheese and greek yogurt until well mixed, add 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper
6. Fill each cup of non-stick muffin pan with mushroom & asparagus filling.
7. Ladle egg mixture into each muffin cup.
8. Bake at 375F for 30 minutes.

Flaky Herbed Gruyere Biscuits
1 pkg (2 sheets) puff pastry
2 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
bunch of fresh thyme (stems removed), finely chopped
1 egg, whisked

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Divide each pastry sheet into 6 sections.
3. Fill the center of each section with shredded 1 tbsp of shredded cheese and sprinkle with thyme.
4. Fold and seal edges by pressing a fork around edges.
5. Brush with egg wash.
6. Bake at 400F for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Coconut Flower Chiffon Cake
1 box white cake mix
3 eggs, separated into egg whites and yolks
1 1/4 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 can coconut cream
1 cup coconut sugar
2 pkg edible flowers (found in fresh herb section of your grocery store)

1. Pre-heat oven according to direction on cake mix package.
2. Whip egg whites into a meringue
3. Mix together egg yolks, water, oil and cake mix until well blended.
4. Fold meringue into cake batter.
5. Coat 2 - 9" cake pans with baking spray.
6. Pour cake batter evenly to pans.
7. Bake according to package direction or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cake comes out clean.  Let cool.
8. Whip coconut cream and sugar until stiff, refrigerate at least 1 hr.
9. Ice cake with whipped coconut cream and sprinkle top with edible flowers.