Honey-do (recipe) list
Posted on Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Honey — a bee’s gift to the world.
In dazzling hues from pale yellow to rich amber to deep bronze, honey is sweetness in its purest form — no artificial flavors, no bleaching or refining, just pure sweet nectar produced through the hard work of honeybees.
And we mean really hard work. Honeybees visit 2 million flowers and fly more than 55, 000 miles to produce 1 pound of honey. Over the span of a lifetime, the average worker bee will produce just 1 / 12 of a teaspoon of honey.
From sweetening and adding depth to baked goods to mellowing mustard, honey has a role in the kitchen.
A drizzle here, a spread there, it adds distinctive flavor to everything it touches — something refined sugar simply can’t do.
But in addition to its taste bud-pleasing property, there’s a deeper side to the sweet nectar sought after by man and animal alike. Composed primarily of carbohydrate (up to 84 percent ) and water (15 percent to 21 percent ), honey also contains traces of niacin, riboflavin, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, vitamin C and several B vitamins. It is rich in antioxidants, can help soothe a sore throat, moisturize skin and hair, treat burns and is antimicrobial (bacteria and other microorganisms have a hard time surviving in honey ) and some claim eating local honey can help reduce seasonal allergies. No wonder honey was considered the nectar of the gods.
Herb Honey 1 cup mild honey such as clover 1 sprig each of fresh herbs such as basil, rosemary or mint In a small saucepan, combine honey and herbs. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cool completely, remove herbs and pour honey into a glass jar. Store in the refrigerator. Makes 1 cup. The Herb Society of America’s Essential Guide to Growing and Cooking With Herbs edited by Katherine K. Schlosser. Fruit- and honey-infused vinegars make simple, flavorful salad dressings. When packaged in a pretty bottle, they also make unique gifts.
Fruit-Infused Honey Vinegar 2 cups white wine vinegar 2 / 3 cup mild or fruity honey such as clover or orange blossom 2 / 3 cup apricot jam OR 6 ounces fresh raspberries, mashed, OR 2 (15-ounce ) cans pears, drained and diced
Combine vinegar, honey and desired fruit in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Let cool, then pour through a fine mesh strainer to remove any solids. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
Makes about 2 cups. Recipe from the National Honey Board. Honey Caramel can be chilled, cut and wrapped as individual candies, or the mixture can be used as a spread.
Honey Caramel 1 cup (2 sticks ) butter (do not use margarine ) 1 (24-ounce ) bottle honey (about 2 cups ) 2 cups whipping cream 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar 1 1 / 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Finely chopped almonds OR shredded coconut, optional Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch square (or similar-size pan ) with aluminum foil or heat-safe plastic wrap, leaving a generous overhang on all sides. Generously coat surface with cooking spray; set aside. Melt butter in a deep heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add honey, cream and brown sugar; mix well. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture comes to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling, stirring frequently, until candy thermometer registers 255 degrees, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, and almonds or coconut, if using; pour into prepared pan. To make candies: Cover and refrigerate until wellchilled, at least 6 hours. Using overhang, gently lift caramel from pan and place on work surface. Using a sharp knife, cut caramel into bite-size pieces and wrap with wax paper. Candies will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 month.
To make a spread: Let mixture cool slightly in pan, then carefully pour mixture into jars with tightfitting lids. Spread will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 month. To serve, let spread warm slightly to room temperature. Recipe adapted from the National Honey Board. Honey-Citrus Lacquered
Fish Filets Glaze: 1 / 2 cup fruity honey, such as orange blossom 3 / 4 cup sweet white wine, such as Riesling 1 tablespoon citrus zest (pink grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange or combination ), grated 1 / 2 cup fresh citrus juice (pink grapefruit or a combination of lemon and orange ) 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger 2 tablespoons minced shallots 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves Salt and ground black pepper Filets: 6 fish filets (about 2 pounds ), pin bones removed, such as salmon, cod or halibut Chopped green onions or chives, optional garnish
To make the glaze: Combine honey, wine, zest, juice, ginger, shallots and mint in a small saucepan. Simmer over moderate heat until reduced in volume by about half, 4 to 6 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Glaze can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator.
To make the filets: Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Place salmon skin side down in a baking dish in a single layer.
Brush top of salmon with sauce and bake, basting every 3 minutes, until fish feels firm to the touch, 6 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven (it should be slightly underdone ), and change oven setting to broil. Baste salmon with any additional glaze, and place it under the broiler until glaze starts to caramelize and the “lacquer” appears to set up, less than 1 minute. Scatter green onions or chives over top. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings. Recipe from National Honey Board.
Spinach Salad With Cranberries, Walnuts and Honey-Bacon Dressing 6 ounces baby spinach 4 slices bacon 3 tablespoons honey 1 / 4 cup red wine vinegar Salt and ground black pepper 1 / 4 cup dried cranberries 1 / 4 cup chopped toasted walnuts Wash and dry spinach thoroughly. Place in a large bowl. Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels and crumble; set aside. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings. In a small bowl, mix together honey and vinegar. Return bacon drippings to heat and carefully add honey-vinegar mixture to bacon drippings. Cook 1 minute over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and cool 2 minutes. Pour dressing over spinach and toss well. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon, cranberries and walnuts. Toss gently to mix. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.
Honey and Nutmeg-Scented Apple Crisp 2 pounds apples, such as Golden Delicious, Fuji or Jonagold, peeled, if desired, quartered, cored and sliced 3 / 4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 / 4 teaspoon ground OR freshly grated nutmeg 3 tablespoons butter, melted, PLUS 1 / 4 cup butter, softened, divided use 3 / 4 cup honey, divided use 1 / 2 cup all-purpose flour 1 / 2 cup finely chopped pecans Honey-Nutmeg Whipped Cream (recipe follows ) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray or butter. In a large bowl, combine apples, cinnamon and nutmeg, the 3 tablespoons melted butter and 1 / 2 cup of the honey. Toss to coat and transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Set aside. In a medium bowl, beat together flour, pecans, the 1 / 4 cup softened butter and the remaining 1 / 4 cup honey until crumbly; do not overmix. Sprinkle mixture over apples. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden. Serve with Honey-Nutmeg Whipped Cream. Makes 6 servings.
Honey-Nutmeg Whipped Cream 1 cup whipping cream 3 tablespoons honey 1 / 2 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg, OR to taste Using an electric mixer, whip cream until soft peaks form. Add honey and nutmeg and continue whipping until mixture forms medium stiff peaks. Barbecue sauce is easy to make at home, and if you like honey-barbecue sauce, it's even better when you make it yourself. By using different types of honey in the recipe you can subtly change the flavor of the sauce.
Roasted Pork With Roasted Garlic Honey Barbecue Sauce For the sauce: 1 cup ketchup 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 bulb garlic, roasted and
mashed into a paste 1 / 2 cup water 2 tablespoons honey, any kind 1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as
sriracha, or to taste (see note ) 1 / 2 tablespoon molasses 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 / 2 teaspoon dry mustard 1 / 2 teaspoon Worcestershire
sauce 1 / 2 teaspoon soy sauce 1 / 2 teaspoon bold and spicy
steak sauce Ground black pepper, to taste For the pork: 1 pork loin (about 1 3 / 4 pounds ) Salt and ground black pepper
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
To make the sauce: In a saucepan, combine ketchup, tomato paste, garlic, water, honey, hot sauce, molasses, brown sugar, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, steak sauce and ground black pepper.
Cook mixture over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer sauce to 2 bowls. One bowl is for basting pork, the other for serving.
To make the pork: Sprinkle pork with salt and ground black pepper on all sides. Place pork in a roasting dish and brush with sauce.
Roast at 400 degrees, basting frequently, until pork registers 160 degrees on a meat thermometer, about 1 hour. Let pork rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Serve with reserved barbecue sauce.
Makes about 6 servings.
Note: Look for sriracha in the Asian foods aisle.
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