The Culinary Connoisseur
Sweet as Honey
12
Sep
Sep
Sure, we’ll all be using lots of honey this month but did
you know honey contains a wide array of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and
antioxidants? Remember when your
grandmother told you to put honey in your tea to treat your cold and sore
throat? Honey contains antimicrobial
agents making it an excellent treatment for aching throats as well as an
infection preventative for minor burns and scrapes. Honey was the most used medicine in ancient
Egypt. Of the more than 900 medical remedies known about for that era, more
than 500 were honey based.
Another interesting fact—honey never spoils! It can be
stored at room temperature, in the heat or in the cold—it will never go bad. It
may get cloudy in cold weather or refrigeration but it’s perfectly fine to use.
Honey also contains niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid,
calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc, so
don’t leave it just for dipping your apples. Use it in one of these great
recipes.
Simple yet so flavorful!
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
¼ cup cider vinegar or lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
Freshly ground black pepper
6 cloves garlic, crushed
8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
Mix together the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, thyme, pepper
and garlic in a bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade to use for basting later.
Marinate the chicken with the remaining liquid in a resealable bag for 2 to 3
hours in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat a large cast-iron pan on medium-high heat and add
some olive oil. Place the thighs skin-side down and sear for 5 to 6 minutes.
Flip the chicken and transfer to the oven for 30 minutes or until the chicken is
golden brown.
Serve this side dish warm or cold
For the dressing:
juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Pinch of kosher salt
cracked black pepper to taste
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
For Salad:
1/2 cup parsley chopped or 4 frozen cubes
1/4 cup basil chopped or 2 frozen cubes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cup quinoa, cooked according to the package
For the Vegetables:
1 large carrot, cubed
1 small eggplant, cubed
1 red onion, cubed
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup honey
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Whisk together lemon juice, honey, mustard, salt, and
pepper until combined. Slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking until combined.
Toss the parsley, basil, oregano, lemon zest, and quinoa
with dressing. Gently fold together until evenly coated.
Heat the oil in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat.
Add the vegetables and sauté a few minutes or until lightly caramelized. Season
to taste with salt and pepper. Add the
wine and honey and cook until reduced by half, scraping up the caramelized
pieces from the bottom of the pan. Allow it to cook until all the vegetables
are tender. Remove from the stove, add to salad mixture and fold gently to
combine all ingredients thoroughly.
This will become your “go-to” recipe when looking for
a lighter side dish
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 medium-sized carrots, julienned
3 medium-sized zucchini, julienned
1 small onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil in a large skillet; add carrots, zucchini and
onion and stir-fry until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in remaining
ingredients and cook 1 minute longer.