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Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

Superfoods: Honey – Relieves and Replenishes

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If you’ve read the post about Superfoods: Yogurt, then you’d be interested to find another superfood that is more than meets the eye.

image by hotblack

Honey is often used as a sweetener. Though on its own it’s very versatile, there are still many ways to use honey that doesn’t include  a honey dipper.

1. Relieve Dry Skin

Honey is a great moisturizer. Mix some of it with eggs and flour and you’ll have a gentle moisturizer that would be safe for those with sensitive skin. It can be used as a face mask, body or hand lotion. Honey can also help with dry elbows. After taking a bath and scrubbing, rub some honey to soften the skin covering the elbows. Wait for thirty minutes, then simply rinse it off. It’s even great for dry lips! Just add some beeswax and almond oil and you have your own natural lip balm.

2. Remove Pimples

A generous helping of honey can also clear away acne. If you are experiencing a zit attack, simply apply some on the affected area and cover with adhesive bandages. Constant exposure to honey can quickly fade pimples. It’s a gentle and effective way to clear acne.

3. Kill Parasites

If you’re suffering from worms or other parasites, then you should be reaching for a jar of honey and some vinegar. Mix water, honey and vinegar together to create a homemade parasite killer solution. When you suspect that you may have unwanted intruders in your body, regularly down ample amounts of this solution. The acidity of the vinegar as well as the therapeutic effects of the honey would clear your system right away.

4. Makes Hair Beautiful

Honey can easily get rid of fizz and give your hair a shiny and healthy look. For eliminating fizz, add some honey to the tips of your hair after you shower. Leave it on for a few minutes and rinse. For a shinier do, mix one teaspoon of honey with water and pour it over your head after washing. Let it dry.

Stir-fried Pork with Vegetables

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I enjoy experimenting when I cook. Oftentimes people see the ingredients and from there they have a preconceived notion that the dish will not work. What I learned recently is that it is always worth a try. Sometimes it is our food culture that stops us from exploring new things. I must admit that I rarely get out of my comfort zone when it comes to exotic food such as frogs, insects and the likes, but if you are talking about different tastes then I am game for that.

Stir fried pork with vegetables is an aromatic dish with a mix of flavors. It is sweet with a burst of chili, spices, nuts and fruit. The vegetables on the other hand contribute to the overall flavor and texture of this recipe.

 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon five spice powder

1 teaspoon hot chili powder

5 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon sesame oil

750g pork neck cut into 3cm cubes

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped coarsely

1 medium carrot, julienned

150g snow peas, trimmed and julienned

2 tablespoons orange juice

3 kaffir lime leaves, shredded finely

4 green onions, sliced thinly

 

Place the honey, soy sauce, sugar, five spice, chili powder, garlic and sesame oil in a large bowl. Mix well. Add the pork and coat it in the honey and spice marinade. Cover it and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium heat and then stir-fry the peanuts until they are brown. Place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil.

Put the remaining oil in the skillet and stir-fry the pork on batches for around 5-8 minutes or until they are browned and cooked through. Place all the stir-fried pork in the skillet and then add the carrots, snow peas, orange juice and lime leaves. Stir-fry all the ingredients for another 5 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked.

Remove the pork and vegetables from the heat and add the peanuts in the onions. Gently toss before transferring it to a serving plate. Serve immediately.

 

Photo Courtesy Of:  nekonoir

Lamb Chops with Honey and Orange Root Vegetables

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Lamb is such a popular and succulent Meat, especially during Spring. Juicy chops are great with a flavoursome gravy – especially a Mint Gravy, with these sweet roasted vegetables.

Lamb Chops

To Serve 4
1 Small Butternut Squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into small cubes
4 Medium Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cubed
2tbsp Sunflower Oil
2tbsp Clear Honey
Juice of 1 Small Orange
8 Small Lamb Chops
3tbsp Gravy Granules
2tsp Mint Sauce
Green Beans, to serve

1. Heat an oven to 220C. toss the Butternut Squash and Sweet Potatoes into the Oil until evenly coated. Spread out evenly in a roasting tin, and cook for fifteen minutes.
2. Gently stir the Orange Juice and Honey together, spread over the Vegetables and return to the oven for ten more minutes.
3. Grill the Lamb Chops for six to eight minutes on each side.
4. Add three hundred millilitres of boiling water to the Gravy Granules, before stirring in the Mint Sauce and some of the Juices from the Meat and from the Pan of Vegetables.
5. Serve the Chops fresh from the Grill, with the Vegetables, Green Beans and Mint Gravy.

Photo Courtesy of: gurdonark

Tea-Smoked Salmon

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Smoking Fish is a great way of increasing a flavour into Meat and Fish. You don’t need a fancy smoker either – all you need is a Wok and a Trivet, then it’ll be a very easy and quick process to get a great tasting Salmon Fillet.

Honey Salmon

The Fish is given a Soy and Honey glaze, which when infused with the Tea gives a beautiful flavour and aromas.

To Serve 4
100g Rice
100g Brown Sugar
50g Black Tea Lives
1 Star Anise
2 Cardamon Pods
1tbsp Soy Sauce
1tbsp Honey
1tbsp Olive Oil
4 150g Fillets Salmon, skinless
2tsp Sesame Seeds, toasted

1. Layer the Wok with a double layer of Tin Foil to turn it into a smoker. Pour in the Rice, Sugar, Tea Leaves, Star Anise and Cardamon Pods. Mix thoroughly, then place the Trivet on top, so that the Salmon won’t be in contact with the Rice and Tea mixture.
2. To marinade the Salmon, mix the Soy Sauce, Honey and Olive Oil together, then brush over the Salmon. Season with salt.
3. Put the Wok on a low heat, and cover with a lid or foil to prevent the Smoke from escaping. When you can smell the smoke, place the Salmon Fillets on the Trivet or Steamer. Cover with the Lid (or foil), and cook for five or six minutes. You may need to finish the Salmon in the Oven (preheated to 170C) for four or five minutes if the fish is thicker.
4. When the Fish is cooked, remove from the pan. Sprinkle with the Sesame Seeds, and serve.

This is great served with Steamed Rice and a Cucumber Salad

Photo Courtesy of: misscrabette

Roasted Butternut Squash and Honey Dip

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The great thing about Butternut Squash is that it’s so sweet, people often forget it’s a healthy vegetable. When it’s made into a dip like this, it’s brilliant to serve with raw Vegetables (slices of Pepper, Cucumber, Celery etc.), or even served warm with a Dinner.

Roasted Butternut Squash

To Serve 4
1 Large Butternut Squash, peeled
2 Sprigs Thyme
Pinch Maldon Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1.2tsp Ground Cumin
3tbsp Honey
3tbsp Olive Oil

1. Heat an Oven to 180C.
2. Remove the peel from the Squash using a speed peeler – much easier and simpler than using a knife. Cut in half, then scoop out the seeds in the middle with a spoon. Cut into chunks about an inch across, and place on a baking tray.
3. Strip the Thyme Leaves from the stalk, then sprinkle over the Squash, along with the Black Pepper, Sea Salt and Cumin. Drizzle the Honey over the top, then the Olive Oil. Mix well.
4. Roast in the Oven for twenty to thirty minutes, , checking frequently to make sure the Honey doesn’t caramelise – if you see it changing, lower the heat slightly.
5. To check it’s ready, try to insert a knife into one of the pieces. If it goes through easily, it’s ready. Remove from the oven, and process in small amounts, before mixing together. If it’s too thick for your tastes, add a small amount of Olive Oil.

Serve fresh from the Processor, or leave to cool and serve as a dip.

Photo Courtesy of: Martin Cathrae

Honey Roasted Pears and Plums with Vanilla

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Simple, smooth and soft, these Pears and Plums are simply divine. Couple them with the tastes of the Vanilla, and then serve with a simple Vanilla Ice Cream or a spoonful of Crème Fraiche.
Pears

To Serve 4
40g Almond Flakes
1 Fat Vanilla Pod, split
2tsp Sunflower Oil
4 Conference Pears, peeled, halved and cored
8 Red Plums, halved and stoned
4tbsp Honey, preferably liquid

1. Heat the oven to 220C, and place the Almond Flakes in a shallow roasting tray and bake for fifteen minutes. Remove from the Oven, and set to one side.
2. Remove the seeds from the Vanilla Pods. Place the Pears and Plums into the Roasting Tins, spoon the Honey over the top, then sprinkle the Vanilla Seeds over evenly. After cleaning your hands, mix them well together, making sure that they are coated evenly, then place cut-side up.
3. Roast for fifteen minutes, then baste with the bubbling Honey, and roast for another five or ten minutes.
4. Turn the Grill on, and then toast the Plums and Pears for five minutes to caramelise and crisp up slightly if wanted – being careful not to burn them!
5. Scatter with the Roasted Almond Flakes.

Allow to cool for a minute before serving, then serve with fresh Ice Cream or the Crème Fraiche.

Photo Courtesy of: Sunday’s Child

Oh Honey Honey!

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There’s something to be said about the satisfying crunch of sugar. I must, for example, have sugar on my cornflakes in the morning- otherwise, I’d rather pass on the cornflakes. But there’s also something to be said about honey. Not only is it thick and golden and sweet, it’s a natural product, made from nectar by bees. And it’s good for you, generating heat, energy, and even promote wound healing through tissue formation.

Yes, honey is a winner. My favorite way to have honey is drizzled over some pancakes or french toast (instead of maple syrup), as an ingredient in the best caramel popcorn you’ll ever taste, and as a necessity in homemade Baklava. But here’s another way to have your honey: with your salad.

Divine Honey Mustard Salad Dressing

1 1/4 cups mayonnaise (the good stuff. Hellmanns or Best Foods)
1/3 cup raw honey
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2/3 cups vegetable oil (Sunflower, Olive OIl)
1 tablespoon red onion or shallots, minced fine
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced fine
2 tablespoons mustard
salt & pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Toss into your favorite green salad, or serve on the side.