Category Archives: Food

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Cooking With Honey – Honey Grapefruit Margarita

grapefruit margarita

With the weather heating up, this is a delicious way to cool down!  The honey and the grapefruit combine wonderfully.

Yield:  2 servings

Ingredients

3 oz tequila

2 oz orange liqueur

2 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice (2 limes)

6 oz fresh-squeezed ruby red grapefruit juice (1 grapefruit)

Simple honey syrup, to taste

Salt, for rim

Grapefruit wedges, for serving (optional)

Directions

Mix tequila, orange liqueur, lime, and grapefruit juices well. Add a generous splash of simple honey syrup. (To make simple honey syrup combine equal parts honey and water and heat until honey is completely dissolved. Refrigerate after cooling to save.)

Rub one of the used lime or grapefruit rinds around the rim of two glasses and dip in cocktail salt.

Fill each glass with ice and pour in the margarita.

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Cooking With Honey – Butterfly Honey Spread

ambrosia

This is a simple yet delicious way to prepare a honey-based spread.  In a pretty jar, it makes a wonderful gift!

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups honey

3 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

Directions

In a sauce pan combine cream and honey. Heat on medium-high heat and stir until the honey is melted and completely combined with the cream, about 2-4 minutes.

Pour the hot mixture over the butter and mix until blended, either by hand or machine. Add vanilla and blend again. Pour mixture into a container, cover and let cool in the refrigerator. Keep refrigerated.

Serve on warm bread, toast, oatmeal, pancakes, or anything else!

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Cooking With Honey – Strawberries With Honey Rebecca Sauce

strawberries with rebecca sauce

This is a traditional Kentucky Derby favorite. Enjoy the seasonal abundance of fresh strawberries with this heavenly sauce.

Yield:  6 servings

Ingredients:

2 quarts fresh strawberries

· 1 pint sour cream

· ½ cup honey

· 1 tablespoon vanilla

· 1 tablespoon dark rum, brandy or bourbon (bourbon makes a more Kentucky-tasting sauce)

Directions:

Wash berries. Drain on paper towels. Divide among 6 pretty bowls or plates.

Combine sour cream, honey, vanilla and rum or bourbon. Stir to mix well. Spoon over strawberries and serve.

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Cooking With Honey – Spicy Honey Barbecue Pulled Pork And Coleslaw On Homemade Buns

pulled pork

Among my friends and family I’m renowned for this dish. It’s good all year around!!

It’s a scientific fact that honey makes food taste better.  Honey is largely composed of gluconic acid, a completely safe and natural flavor enhancer. According to the National Honey Board, a federal research and promotion board under USDA oversight, honey “balances and enhances the flavor profiles of other ingredients used in a recipe.”

The use of honey as a healthy and flavorful alternative to refined sugars has exploded in popularity in recent years. Raw honey is organic, easily digested, adapts to all cooking processes and lasts virtually forever.

Raw honey is also an integral part of the local food or “locavore” movement. Nationwide, small farms, farmers markets and specialty food makers are popping up and thriving as more people seek locally produced, seasonal foods. More than half of consumers now say it is more important to buy local than organic, according to market research firm Mintel.  Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan called the local food movement “the biggest retail food trend in my adult lifetime.”

Enjoy this recipe and feel good about it!!

Spicy Honey Barbecue Pulled Pork

Yield: 10-12 servings

Ingredients:

1 Boston Butt roast, about 5-6 pounds

Wet Rub:

1 cup honey

1/2 cup garlic, granulated

1/2 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup paprika

2 tablespoons onion, granulated

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon Creole seasoning

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon ground red pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

Sauce:

3/4 cup cider vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 cup chili sauce

2 tablespoons onion, chopped

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Dash ground red pepper

Directions:

Stir together all rub ingredients in a bowl. If needed, trim the fat back to about 1/8 inch thick on shoulder. Smear meat generously with rub, massaging it into the meat. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and chill overnight in the refrigerator.

Stir together all ingredients for the sauce in a medium saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, 40 minutes.

Divide sauce into separate containers for basting and serving at the table. Refrigerate table sauce and reheat for serving.

Heat oven to 200 degrees Farenheit. Place meat in a Dutch Oven and add 1 cup water. Baste with 1/2 of the barbecue sauce. Cover tightly and cook for 4-5 hours or until pork is very tender.

Remove pork to a large cutting board or platter, cover with sauce from pan and let rest for 10-15 minutes. Pull, slice or chop to serve. Serve in buns with barbecue sauce and coleslaw.

Coleslaw

Yield:  12 servings

Ingredients

6 cups shredded cabbage

1 cup shredded carrot

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 cup honey

Salt and pepper

Directions

In a large bowl, combine cabbage and carrots. In a smaller bowl, make dressing by combining mayonnaise, vinegar, celery seed, honey, salt and pepper. Toss dressing into cabbage mixture and let chill.

Homemade Buns

Yield: Makes 28 buns

Ingredients

1/4 cup warm water (100° to 110°)

1 (1/4-oz.) envelope active dry yeast

1 teaspoon honey

1 3/4 cups milk

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

1/3 cup honey

3 teaspoons salt

6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, bread flour or whole wheat flour, divided (I use King Arthur’s)

Directions

Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl, and let stand 5 minutes or until mixture bubbles.

Meanwhile, heat milk in a saucepan over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes or until 100° to 110°.

Stir together warm milk, eggs, and next 3 ingredients in bowl of a heavy-duty electric stand mixer, blending well. Add yeast mixture, stirring to combine. Gradually add 5 cups flour, beating at medium speed, using paddle attachment. Beat 3 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand 1 hour.

Uncover dough, and add remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, beating at medium speed 5 minutes. (Dough will be sticky.) Transfer to a lightly greased large mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

Punch down dough. Turn dough out on a well-floured surface, and roll into 28 (2 1/2-inch) balls (about 1/4 cup dough per ball). Place balls in 4 lightly greased 9-inch pans (7 balls per pan). Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

Bake rolls at 400° for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Brush tops with butter.

Note: To freeze, place baked buns in zip-top plastic freezer bags, and freeze up to two months. Let thaw at room temperature. Reheat, if desired.

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Italian Chocolate And Honey Cupcakes With Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Let’s celebrate the arrival of Spring with some lovely decadent cupcakes!

Yield:   2 dozen

Ingredients:

For the cake:

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup honey

3 eggs, separated

1 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut

1/3 cup finely chopped pecans

For the frosting:

1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

1 cup (about 6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chocolate chips

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 F and line two 12-cup cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a medium bowl cream together the butter, sugar, and honey until smooth but not fluffy. Add the egg yolks and mix well, then add the melted chocolate and mix until well incorporated.

In a separate bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Once sifted whisk in the salt.

Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk into the butter, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Stir in the vanilla, coconut, and pecans.

In a clean bowl whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the batter in two additions making sure no streaks of white remain in the batter.

Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back when gently pressed in the center. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Leave the oven on.

While the cupcakes cool prepare the frosting.

Spread the coconut and pecans on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes, until the coconut and nuts are toasted. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.

In a microwave safe bowl combine the chocolate and butter. Microwave for 30 seconds then stir the mixture. If the mixture is not completely melted return to the microwave for 15 seconds bursts, stirring after each, until smooth. Allow to cool for five minutes.

Add the sour cream and vanilla and whisk to combine, then add 2 cups of the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time until the mixture is thick but not too stiff. The frosting will stiffen further as it sits. Reserve 1/3 cup of the toasted coconut and pecans for garnish. Stir the remaining coconut and pecans into the frosting.

Pipe or spread the frosting on the cupcakes as desired. Sprinkle the tops with the reserved coconut and pecans.

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Honey Broccoli And Pasta Salad

broccoli-grape-pasta-salad-sl-l

The weather is finally warm, and this pasta salad is tangy and delicious.  Just the thing for summer!

This salad is also good with blanched and sliced asparagus.

Yield:  6 generous servings

Ingredients

1 cup pine nuts

1/2 (16-oz.) package bow-tie pasta

1 pound fresh broccoli

1 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup diced red onion

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups seedless red grapes, halved

8 cooked bacon slices, crumbled

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pine nuts in a single layer in a shallow pan 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

Prepare pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets from stems, and separate florets into small pieces using tip of a paring knife. Peel away tough outer layer of stems, and finely chop stems.

Whisk together mayonnaise and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl; add broccoli, hot cooked pasta, and grapes, and stir to coat. Cover and chill 3 hours. Stir bacon and toasted pine nuts into salad just before serving.

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Spicy Honey-Roasted Leg Of Lamb

200308-r-indian-spiced-lamb

Celebrate Spring with this spicy-sweet leg of lamb!

Ingredients

Marinade

6 large cloves garlic, peeled, and coarsely chopped

1/2 ounce fresh ginger, peeled, and coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon garam masala

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon red chile powder

5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons water

Kosher salt

Lamb

1 leg of lamb (about 5 pounds)

Honey rub

3 1/2 ounces blanched almonds

3 1/2 ounces Greek yogurt, plain

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

Directions

For the marinade: Blend together the garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, coriander, black pepper, chile powder, lemon juice, vegetable oil, water, and salt, to taste.

For the lamb: Trim the excess fat and membranes from the leg of lamb. Make deep regular cuts all over the flesh with a paring knife. Rub the marinade into the lamb, making sure you get it into the deep cuts. Place the lamb in a plastic food bag with the remaining marinade and leave in the refrigerator, for a minimum of 6 to 8 hours, or ideally for 24 hours.

For the honey rub: Blend together 2 ounces of the almonds, the yogurt, and 1/2 the honey in a blender or food processor. Take the lamb out of the refrigerator and remove from the plastic bag. Rub the honey blend into the lamb, and leave the lamb for at least 30 minutes, or ideally for another 2 hours, covered, in the refrigerator. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the lamb on a rack with a roasting pan placed underneath the lamb on the rack below. Cook for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 degrees F, and cook for another 1 hour 40 minutes, or until the meat juices run fairly pink when pierced, basting every 20 to 30 minutes.

Scatter the remaining almonds and drizzle the remaining honey over the lamb and roast for another 10 minutes. Check if the meat is cooked using a meat thermometer. The temperature should be 130 degrees F for rare to 150 degrees F for well done, depending on the desired degree of doneness.

Remove the lamb from the oven. Loosely cover the lamb with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Pour out the juices, spoon off any excess fat, and serve it on the side.

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Easter Dinner – Honey Baked Ham

Make your own version of this Easter favorite!

Ingredients:

1 fully-cooked shank half ham , bone in (pre-sliced is best)

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1⁄8; teaspoon paprika

1 dash ground ginger

1 dash ground allspice

Directions:

First you must slice your ham, if it is not already sliced. Use a very sharp knife to cut the ham into very thin slices around the bone.

Do not cut all the way to the bone or the meat may not hold together properly as it is being glazed. You want the slices to be quite thin, but not so thin that they begin to fall apart of off the bone.

You may wish to turn the ham onto its flat end and cut around it starting at the bottom. You can then spin the ham as you slice around and work your way up.

Mix the ingredients together in a small bowl. (I like to make double this recipe for a nice large ham).

Lay down a couple sheets of wax paper onto a flat surface, such as your kitchen counter. Pour the honey/sugar mixture onto the wax paper and spread it around evenly.

Pick up the ham and roll it over the sugar mixture so that it is well coated. Do not coat the flat end of the ham, just the outer surface which you have sliced through.

Turn the ham onto its flat end on a plate. Use a kitchen torch with a medium-size flame to caramelize the sugar.

Wave the torch over the sugar with rapid movements, so that the sugar bubbles and browns, but does not burn. Spin the plate so that you can torch the entire surface of the ham.

Repeat the coating and caramelizing process until the ham has been well-glazed (don’t expect to use all of the sugar mixture).

Serve the ham cold or re-heat.

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L.J.’s Honey Hot Fudge Sauce

hot_fudge_sauce_646

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ve heard me talk about my mother, L.J.

“L.J”. is short for Lois Jean. I didn’t know what her real name was until I entered grade school.

I adored her.  She was blonde, beautiful, smart, funny, irreverent, and a fantastic cook.

I grew up in Louisville, where cooking is an art form. My mother was legendary. Our friends and relatives still rave about her dinner parties and holiday buffets.

I’ve posted many of her recipes, the most popular ones on my blog. I’ll be posting her Easter Menu in a day or so.

But her Hot Fudge Sauce… She used to tell me it didn’t have any calories. I desperately wanted to believe her. It is so darn good!

I think of her every day and wish she were still around to help me tend my bees, garden and cook.

She lives on through her recipes though. Especially the one for Hot Fudge Sauce.  :)

Honey Hot Fudge Sauce

Ingredients

1 12 ounce bag of  semisweet chocolate chips . (L.J. used Nestle’s but I like Ghirardelli.)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup honey

Directions

Place the cream into a microwave glass bowl.  Add the chips and microwave for 2 minutes. (L.J. used a double boiler. Feel free to use one too!)

Remove from microwave and stir.

Add honey and stir.

Refrigerate until cold or reheat for hot fudge sauce.

Serve over ice cream.  Whipped cream may be added, but is superfluous. :)

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The Vernal Equinox Cocktail

strawberry smash

Celebrating the arrival of Spring!!

Yield:  1 cocktail

Ingredients

3 ripe strawberries, hulled and sliced

6 leaves of mint

1 ounce white rum

1/2 ounce honey and 1/2 ounce water, mixed until honey dissolves

2 ounces prosecco

Directions

Add the strawberries and mint to a rocks glass. Smash the strawberries and mint gently with a muddler until the berries are a pulp and the mint smells strong. Add the rum and honey mixture to the glass and give it a stir. Fill 3/4 full with ice. Top off with the prosecco. Garnish with a sprig of mint!

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