From cooking to traditional medicine, honey has been used by countless cultures for over 2,500 years. According to English food writer Nigel Slater, “the notion of a foodstuff made by plump and beautiful insects whose furry coats are scented with the lavender and dog roses they have visited is as romantic as any food could get.” It’s something to think about the next time you add some honey to your afternoon tea.
Honey is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin C, calcium, and iron. It helps maintain blood sugar levels, muscle recuperation, and glycogen restoration and contains antioxidants that help clear free radicals from the body. And while honey is good for you, honeybees are good for the planet. Bees are responsible for pollinating roughly 400 different agricultural types of plants. Without bees, agricultural goods like broccoli, asparagus, cucumbers, pumpkins, blueberries and cantaloupes wouldn’t exist.
With everything from appetizers to desserts, these four buzzworthy dishes use the deliciously sweet flavors of honey.
Honey is a versatile ingredient in cooking. It’s not only a natural sweetener and flavor enhancer, but it also provides texture and feel, adds color and is great for glazing and caramelizing. The honey in this easy marinade helps the pork cutlets caramelize despite the short cooking time. It’s the perfect meal for a busy weeknight. (Image via Christopher Testani / Bon Appétit)
Honey is a versatile ingredient in cooking. It’s not only a natural sweetener and flavor enhancer, but it also provides texture and feel, adds color and is great for glazing and caramelizing. The honey in this easy marinade helps the pork cutlets caramelize despite the short cooking time. It’s the perfect meal for a busy weeknight. (Image via Christopher Testani / Bon Appétit)
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| 4servings |
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| 4servings |
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 lbs Boneless Pork Shoulder cut into 4 pieces
- 2 Garlic Cloves finely grated
- 1/2 cup Plain Whole-Milk Yogurt
- 1/4 cup Honey
- 1/2 tsp Ground Tumeric
- 2 tbsps Lemon Juice
- 3 Beets scrubbed and thinly sliced
- 3 Carrots cut on a diagonal
- 2 tbsps Chives finely chopped
- 2 tbsps Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
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Instructions
- Pound pork between two sheets of plastic wrap until ¼ inches thick, then season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, whisk garlic, yogurt, honey and one tablespoon of lemon juice in a medium bowl.
- Place pork cutlets in a large re-sealable bag, then add yogurt and honey mixture and toss to coat. Let cutlets sit for at least 10 minutes.
- Remove cutlets from marinade. Heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil over skillet and cook cutlets until brown and cooked through, about two to three minutes per side.
- To make salad, toss beets, carrots, chives, olive oil and one tablespoon lemon juice in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
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Protein and fiber-rich, lentils are a staple of vegetarian cooking. However, it’s the honey-mustard dressing that takes this simple vegetarian meal to the next level, giving it a Wow factor that will impress even a “meat and potatoes” guy. If you’re feeling adventurous (and hungry!) and want to bulk up the salad, consider adding chickpeas. (Image via Beatriz Da Costa / Vegetarian Times)
Protein and fiber-rich, lentils are a staple of vegetarian cooking. However, it’s the honey-mustard dressing that takes this simple vegetarian meal to the next level, giving it a Wow factor that will impress even a “meat and potatoes” guy. If you’re feeling adventurous (and hungry!) and want to bulk up the salad, consider adding chickpeas. (Image via Beatriz Da Costa / Vegetarian Times)
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| 4servings |
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| 4servings |
Ingredients
- For The Salad
- 1/2 cup Beluga Lentils rinsed and soaked 8 hours
- 4 cups Broccoli cut into florets
- 2/3 cup Red Onion sliced into rings
- 1/4 cup Almonds chopped and toasted
- For The Dressing
- 4 tbsps Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 tbsps Raw Honey
- 2 tsps Dijon Mustard
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Instructions
- Drain and rinse lentils, then place in a medium pot with one cup of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer lentils for 20 minutes. Add broccoli, cover pan and steam for two to three minutes.
- Meanwhile, to make the honey-mustard dressing, whisk olive oil, apple cider vinegar, raw honey and Dijon mustard in a bowl.
- Drain any remaining liquid from lentils and broccoli, then transfer to a large bowl. Add dressing, toss to coat and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with onion and almonds.
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Whether you’re hosting a party or casually dining with friends, appetizers are essential to any get together. Consider kicking it up a notch with this classy snack spread. Honey’s satin-coated sugariness forms a perfect alliance with pancetta’s salt-cured flavor, making this salty-sweet appetizer both delicious and gorgeous. (Image via Eat. Drink. Smile.)
Whether you’re hosting a party or casually dining with friends, appetizers are essential to any get together. Consider kicking it up a notch with this classy snack spread. Honey’s satin-coated sugariness forms a perfect alliance with pancetta’s salt-cured flavor, making this salty-sweet appetizer both delicious and gorgeous. (Image via Eat. Drink. Smile.)
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| 6servings |
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| 6servings |
Ingredients
- 1/3 lb Pancetta thinly sliced
- 1 Bartlett Pears sliced into rings
- 1/4 cup Goat Cheese crumbled
- Freshly Cracked Pepper to taste
- Honey for drizzles
- Thyme Sprigs to garnish
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Instructions
- Line a medium-sized baking sheet with aluminum foil and arrange pancetta slices in a single layer.
- Bake pancetta at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for eight to 10 minutes or until golden. Use a spatula and transfer pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Core pear, and then cut crosswise into 12 thin rings. Top pear rings with pancetta, goat cheese and cracked pepper. Drizzle with honey before serving. Garnish with thyme sprigs (optional).
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How did the financier get its name? The light, buttery cake was created in a bakery near the Paris Bourse, the city’s financial district, in the late 1800s. Rumor has it Left Bank pastry chefs originally formed financiers to look like bricks of gold. Next to the madeleine, these traditional tea cakes are France’s most popular afternoon dessert snack. With their soft, springy texture and golden-brown crust, financiers are the perfect ending to a delicious meal. (Image via The Wandering Eater)
How did the financier get its name? The light, buttery cake was created in a bakery near the Paris Bourse, the city’s financial district, in the late 1800s. Rumor has it Left Bank pastry chefs originally formed financiers to look like bricks of gold. Next to the madeleine, these traditional tea cakes are France’s most popular afternoon dessert snack. With their soft, springy texture and golden-brown crust, financiers are the perfect ending to a delicious meal. (Image via The Wandering Eater)
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| 12servings |
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| 12servings |
Ingredients
- 10 tbsps Unsalted Butter
- 1 1/4 cups Hazelnuts skin on
- 1/2 cup Flour
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 Vanilla Bean split lengthwise
- 2 tbsps Raw Honey
- 3 Egg Whites
- 3/4 cup Brown Sugar packed
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, butter a standard 12-cup muffin pan.
- Toast one cup of hazelnuts on baking sheet, tossing occasionally until golden brown, eight to 10 minutes. Let cool. Pulse hazelnuts, flour and salt in a food processor until finely ground.
- Place 10 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. Cut vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape in the seeds and add the pod. Cook gently over medium heat until the butter foams, then browns, about five to eight minutes. Discard the pod. Scrape vanilla butter into medium bowl and whisk in honey.
- Increase oven heat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, whisk egg whites in a large bowl, add brown sugar and whisk until smooth. Fold in dry ingredients, and then fold in vanilla butter mixture until smooth.
- Coarsely chop remaining ¼ cup hazelnuts. Scrape batter into 12-cup muffin pan and top with hazelnuts. Bake financiers until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes (a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean). Let cool for five minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
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Meats, salads, dressings, desserts – honey brings a magical touch to all sorts of foods. These four, easy to make recipes will have your taste buds buzzing with joy.
