Honey Glazed Carrots

Honey Glazed Carrots
carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
honey
butter
fresh chopped thyme
salt
white pepper

Cook the carrots in boiling water until just tender. Drain, leaving a little excess water which will help form the glaze. Stir in honey and butter until melted and the carrots are shiny and coated. Season to taste.

Roast Pork Loin Dinner

• Spiced roasted pork loin
• Sour cream and grainy mustard mashed potatoes
• Honey glazed carrots
• Caramelized apples and red onion
• Roasted patty pan squash
• Brown sugar apple cider gastrique

Honey Coconut Cider Marinade

Honey Coconut Cider Marinade
1 cup liquid (or melted) coconut oil
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup honey
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Whisk all ingredients together well. Keep in mind the coconut oil will harden if this marinade is refrigerated, so I like to keep it in a warm place in the kitchen when in use. If it does solidify, the marinade can be gently heated to thin it out. I like to pour it into a squeeze bottle and drizzle it on items shortly before cooking. This marinade works well with fish and vegetables. It is a sweeter marinade which will not overwhelm delicate fish. 

'Honey' Rum Caramel Sauce

Many people are surprised to discover strict vegans do not eat honey. It makes perfect sense; honey is from animals just like milk or eggs. Some people find this ridiculous as they believe taking honey does no harm to bees. Some people also don't realie the harms taking milk and eggs have either. To cut this story short, bees are ery important members of our ecosystem, and they are already in trouble, so let's save the bees. 

Honey is a difficult product to imitate, however. Here, I have discovered a recipe to 'make honey' that certainly is not the real thing, but tastes extremely close, and is actually propably healthier than traditional honey. The main ingredient: apple juice. Boil that down with just a little sugar (the ratio is one tablespoon sugar to three cups of apple juice) and you have honey! It is very versatile and keeps for a long time. I have only tried granulated sugar, but I am sure coconut sugar, brown sugar, and date sugar would produce other tasty 'varieities' of honey. In order to get some honey, you need to begin with quite a bit of apple juice as it reduces down a lot!

'Honey' Rum Caramel Sauce
apple juice
granulated (white) sugar
rum

Bring the apple juice and sugar to a boil. Boil for 20-30 minutes, then reduce the heat slightly and simmer for about an hour until mixture is reduced and thickened significantly. It will not be quite as thick as honey, but close. Cool and chill. Will keep in the refrigerator for a long time.

To finish the rum caramel sauce: Boil some rum (use the leftover from the apple) and add honey, using whatever ratio you deem appropriate to make the sauce sweet enough. Heat until the sauce thickens and darkens slightly.

Sweet Citrus Spice Syrup

Sweet Citrus Spice Syrup
1/2 cup honey
1 Tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1 Tablespoon jallab syrup
2 teaspoons rosewater
2 teaspoons orange blossom water
juice and zest of one large orange
juice and zest of one large lemon
juice and zest of two small limes
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
4 Cardamom pods
2 whole star anise
1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out
3 fresh figs, halved

Combine all in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and simmer for thirty minutes or so until syrup is reduced and slightly thickened, it should not thickly coat a spoon but should begin to stick to a spoon, as it will thicken much more upon cooling. Remove from heat and strain syrup through a fine chinoise. Set aside to cool.

The original purpose for this syrup was to brush over baklava immediately after they are removed from the oven to give baklava its characteristic crisp texture and sticky sweet flavor. For this purpose, the syrup should basically be honey/maple syrup consistency. Molasses consistency is slightly too thick, anything thinner is too runny. It should be easily brushed on the delicate fillo/phyllo pastry without running off. It can be reheated gently or cooled longer in order to reach the right consistency.

This syrup could be used for a variety of other purposes as well. It has so much flavor - citrus, spice, and sweet, and is one of those rare occasions I created a great sweet item without chocolate or even caramel. Try this syrup (in a slightly thinner state) for soaking spongecakes, as a glaze for cookies to decorate them, to poach or bake figs, as a glaze for coffee cake, as a base glaze for meat or fish, etc. It will keep for ages in the refrigerator.
Don't be daunted by the long list of ingredients either - most of them are common spices or fruits, and the specialty ingredients are not too difficult to find and will keep for a long time, but if you can't find one of them, leave it out and sub some more of another flavor if desired.

Honey Ginger Sesame Sauce

Honey Ginger Sesame Sauce
1/2 cup liquid honey
3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
zest of one large lemon
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
salt and pepper, to taste

NOTE: This recipe has approximate measurements, because this is another one of those sauce recipes I just came up with on the spot. I didn't measure ingredients, just eyeballed them. So you will definitely need to taste the sauce several times while making it and decide if it needs a little more of anything to suit your tastes. 

Whisk all ingredients together well until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. If it is not sweet enough, add more honey. If not salty enough, add more soy sauce. If too thick, add some more vinegar, and add more spice for more flavor. Makes about 3/4 cup.

This sauce is good for stir-fry, as pictured below. It may look like it contains a lot of sesame seeds, but they disperse throughout the sauce once the sauce is served, and add a nice little crunch.

Honey Mustard Ham

Here is a really quick and easy recipe for a juicy and flavorful ham. This is my go-to recipe whenever I need a quick main-course meat dish that doesn't require much preparation work, and goes with a variety of different side dishes. This recipe is easily scaled up or down, depending on the size of the ham used. In fact, I never measure the ingredients, I just eyeball based on what kind of ham I have. I have always used the fully cooked hams without the bone. Since the ham is fully cooked, the method used and the amount of time for cooking the ham can vary, but you do want to ensure the ham is heated thoroughly. This is what I do:

• Steam the ham for thirty minutes.
• Prepare a simple honey mustard sauce. I heat up two parts of pure, natural, creamy honey until liquidy, then blend it with one part of prepared yellow mustard. I add any spices and seasonings as desired - paprika and garlic are particularly good.
• Place the ham in a pan, pour the sauce over top, and spread on all sides to coat the ham.
• Bake the ham for 45 minutes at 300◦F.
• Remove ham to a cutting board and slice thinly, or remove rind and cut into pieces.
• Baste with sauce again.
• Either serve immediately with a spoonful of sauce, or cover with foil to keep warm before serving.

Honey Oatmeal Machine Bread

Honey Oatmeal Machine Bread
1 1/2 cups water
1 Tablespoon oil
2 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
scant 1/4 cup skim milk powder
1/4 cup oats
2 Tablespoons wheat germ
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons yeast
pinch ground ginger (optional) 

Place all ingredients in bread machine pan in order given, or according to manufacturer's instructions for whole wheat cycle. This makes one small (one pound) loaf, although size setting will depend on machine. 

When I made this the flavor was good, but the dough was a little too liquidy, more like a batter bread. I tried to save it with more flour, and the flavor was good, the rise just wasn't as great. Here is the revised recipe, which should work fine, but keep an eye on it during the mixing cycle. If it's still too liquidy, add a little extra flour. This is a hearty, tasty bread.

Multigrain Wheat Machine Bread

Multigrain Wheat Machine Bread
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons honey
1/4 cup each ground flaxseed, natural wheat bran, oat bran, and wheat germ, mixed together
4 cups whole wheat flour
5 1/2 teaspoons wheat gluten (optional)
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

Place all ingredients in bread machine pan in order given, or according to manufacturer's instructions for whole wheat cycle. This makes one large loaf, although size setting will depend on machine. 

Machine Honey and Oat Bread

Machine Honey and Oat Bread 
1 cup warm water (30-40◦C)
1 large egg, beaten
2 Tablespoons butter or hard margarine, softened
2 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup oats
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 teaspoons yeast

Place all ingredients in bread machine pan in order given, or according to manufacturer's instructions for whole wheat cycle. This makes one large loaf, although size setting will depend on machine. 

This bread rose really high considering it is a whole wheat loaf with the addition of old-fashioned oats and no added gluten. I think its success can be attributed to the small amount of ground ginger I added along with the cinnamon. I read in my bread maker's manual that a pinch of ginger, not even enough to change the flavor of the loaf, will promote rising. Garlic on the other hand, inhibits rising. I think I'll add a little ginger to all my loaves from now on. It certainly can't hurt!

This may be the best loaf I made yet - large, light, fluffy, with a nice hit of honey flavor!

Honey Yogurt Quick Bread

This must be one of the quickest bread recipes, with no kneading or rising times. It also has a very nice soft texture, yet is sturdy enough for sandwiches. It is a bit sweeter with more flavor.

Honey Yogurt Quick Bread
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup each oat bran, natural wheat bran, wheat germ, ground flaxseed
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup honey

Preheat oven to 375◦F. Grease or line a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, flour, grains, soda, and salt. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Spread in prepared pan. Bake for about 40 minutes.

Pecan Honey Butternut Squash

To go with our codfish supper, it is the perfect time of year to cook some squash as well. This is some fresh butternut squash, homegrown by my aunt, who was kind enough to give us some. I wanted to do a little something different with the squash, instead of simply cooking it. I also often cook squash in the microwave, as I find it takes too long to bake in the oven, and will become more tender in the microwave. Here is what I did:
Cut the squash in half and scoop out seeds.
Place cut side down in a microwaveable dish and pierce all over with a fork.
Cover and microwave on HIGH (100%) power for 20 minutes, or until tender.
Scoop the flesh out from the skin and place in a small casserole dish. This can be cubed for firmer squash, or mashed for more tender squashed, or simply scooped out as is. 
Cover dish and place in a warm oven to keep warm.
Melt a little (1-2 Tablespoons) butter or margarine in the microwave.
Add a handful or two (1/4-1/3 cup) of chopped pecans. Microwave for a minute or so until pecans are toasted and butter is absorbed. 
Stir in 1-2 Tablespoons honey.
Add a dash of nutmeg, ginger, or allspice.
Sprinkle over squash. Bake a little longer if you want, to heat it through and make the squash more tender, or serve immediately!

Pecans may be toasted in the oven or in a frying pan for a deeper flavor if you prefer, but the microwave is much quicker. 
Any leftovers are great reheated!

Homemade Granola Bars

Homemade Granola Bars
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup sliced nuts
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 1/2 cup dried fruit
1/3 cup liquid honey
1/3 cup molasses
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 300◦F. Place the oats, nuts, coconut, and wheat germ (if not already toasted) on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until toasted. 
Increase oven temperature to 350◦F.
Transfer to a large bowl and add remaining ingredients, stir well. 
Press mixture into a 9x13 inch pan lined with parchment paper. Pack it in very tightly. 
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until light golden brown.
Cool for 2-3 hours, then cut into bars with a serrated knife. 
May be stored at room temperature for a week or so, or longer in the fridge or freezer. 

These granola bars are very nutritious - full of whole-grains, nuts, and fruit. They are great for the road! Use any type of nuts and dried fruit you wish. Making your own granola bars is very easy, and tastier and healthier too! I used almonds, raisins, and chopped dates in my version. The spices are optional, and the molasses can be replaced by more honey - I just really like molasses. You can leave the oil out as well, it just helps keep the bars from clumping a bit. 

Apple Rhubarb Cobbler

It is that time of year, where the rhubarb is ripe and ready to be picked and baked with! Strawberries are also beginning to pop up, so you could easily replace the apple in this recipe with strawberries, or even more rhubarb, though you may need to adjust the sweetener in these cases. I love rhubarb  but it has a very short season, and you can't just enjoy it raw, it needs to be baked into something delicious. We have a small patch of rhubarb in the backyard, and usually I go grab some and bake with it right away. This year however, our rhubarb patch is not doing so well. Luckily we know someone who has an overabundance of rhubarb in their yard, and were nice enough to give us some! Thanks again!

Apple Rhubarb Cobbler
4 cups chopped rhubarb, fresh or frozen
2 cups peeled, diced apple
1/4 cup liquid honey
grated zest of one orange or lemon
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter or hard margarine, melted
1/3 cup liquid honey
1/4 cup orange or lemon juice
1 1/2 cups flour (white or whole wheat)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts), toasted if desired
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375◦F. Butter a 9x13 inch glass baking dish.
Combine fruit, honey, and zest in the dish, spread evenly.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg, milk, butter, honey, and juice. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour topping over fruit, spreading to evenly cover. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the topping comes out clean. Serve hot, warm, cool, or cold. Garnish as desired.

The recipe came from a recipe calendar we have in the kitchen, but is also available here: http://www.dairygoodness.ca/recipes/baked-apple-rhubarb-cobbler.

My notes: I would recommend using a lot more honey (or sugar instead) with the fruit, as it is quite sour (definitely do not use lemon!) The fruit is fairly liquidy as it as. Add a little cinnamon as well. I liked the topping. the nuts add a little texture, but even when using only 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, it is still a bit bland. Overall not my favorite cobbler, but not terrible.

Chicken With Pineapple Sauce

This was the second, perfected trial for Mom's pineapple chicken recipe, which may become a new family favorite. The first attempt at this recipe was featured on March 20th. A few tweaks were made, and we now have a yummy new chicken recipe. My mother doubled the amount of chicken (because she wanted to make more), but kept the sauce ingredients the same, as we found it was too sweet last time. She did however increase the amount of soya sauce in order to further counter the overwhelming sweetness, which was evident by the change in sauce color. She also used fresh chicken breasts, and cooked them and diced them the day before, but was sure not to overcook them and to cool them properly. One problem we still seem to have is the viscosity of the sauce. She tried to make it thicker this time by stirring in some cornstarch and boiling it, but it didn't seem to work. Maybe there was not enough cornstarch or maybe the mixture was not boiled long enough. Then she transferred the sauce to a slow cooker and added the chicken, then heated the chicken in the sauce, and kept it warm until it was time to eat. This did not help thicken the sauce either. So this dish was best served with a slotted spoon, but the chicken still absorbs enough of the sauce to be moist, flavorful, and sweet. The only problem now is a lot of leftover liquid. It is tasty over rice, I suppose!

Mom's Pineapple Chicken

Tonight my mother decided to try a different recipe for supper. As usual, she looked at several recipes online for pineapple chicken, decided she didn't like any of them entirely, and took the parts she liked from each of them and made her own recipe. This was really just an experiment and the first trial run, so she wanted all of our feedback; good and bad. She plans to try again and perfect the recipe. She is certainly off to a good start, as it turned out quite tasty.
Here is basically what she did:

In a large pot or saucepan melt a little butter or margarine.
Add 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1/4 cup liquid honey, and one Tablespoon soya sauce.
Cook over medium heat for a few minutes to make a nice sauce.
Add in two cooked, chopped chicken breasts and one can (398mL) pineapple chunks with the juice. Cook until warmed through and chicken absorbs the sauce.

Feedback
Most of the original recipes call for cooking the chunks of chicken breast in a little oil beforehand but my mother used precooked chicken because she had it on hand. Because the chicken came form the freezer, when it was cut, it turned out more like a shredded consistency. Personally, I liken this consistency, and it would be especially good over a bed of rice or even on a bun. But chunks of chicken would probably look nicer and work better with the sauce.

The sauce was not much of a sauce. This is because my mother omitted the cornstarch from the recipe to boil in and thicken the sauce. So, once the chicken was added, it absorbed all of the sweetener and pineapple juice. It also absorbed more because it was shredded rather than chopped. This certainly made the chicken moist and juicy, but there was no separate sauce. Maybe crushed pineapple instead of pineapple chunks would work better too, and fit better with chunks of chicken.

The dish was very sweet. A little too sweet for a chicken supper. There is 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup honey, and the sweetness of the pineapple juice. Next time, my mother may cut back on the sugar a little, and add some more soya sauce or a little lemon juice or vinegar to cut the sugar a little.

The dish was fine as is, and none of the feedback was really negative. But there is room for a few improvements. We will keep experiementing, and see what we can come up with!

Good And Grainy Bread

Good And Grainy Bread
1 cup fat-free or lowfat milk
2 Tablespoons hard margarine
2 Tablespoons liquid honey
2 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1/4 cup natural wheat bran
1 Tablespoon ground flax seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons quick-rising (instant) yeast (1 package)

In a small saucepan, heat together the milk, margarine, and honey until at 120◦F and margarine is melted. In large bowl, stir together all but 1/2 cup of the flour, and the remaining ingredients. Stir in milk mixture. Gradually stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough, mixing with hands if necessary.
Knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease all over. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in warm draft-free place until doubled in bulk, 30 to 60 minutes.
Punch dough down, shape into cylindrical loaf.
Bake at 375◦F for 40 to 50 minutes, or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. 

I found the basis for this recipe in a best breads cookbook. The recipe was quite wordy, so I cut it down here. This recipe can also be used to make rolls, and can be adapted for a bread machine. The original recipe called for shortening and skim milk powder. These ingredients are better to use when making bread in a bread machine, because they will not spoil, but I did not have either of these on hand, so I substituted margarine and milk (1/4 cup powdered milk can be replaced by using one cup milk instead of water). I also used all whole wheat flour instead of part all-purpose. This was a very good bread recipe - the dough came together very well, and was soft and easy to knead.

Baird, Elizabeth. "Good and Grainy Rolls or Bread." Recipe. Canadian Living's Best Breads & Pizzas, Mississauga, Ontario: Telemedia Communications Inc. 1998. 48.

Hearty Biscuits

This is a biscuit recipe my uncle gave me. I love to make hearty breads with nutritious ingredients such as flax, bran, and whole wheat flour, so I was eager to try this recipe. I thought I was one of the few people who really enjoys all of these healthy breads, but I guess not. These biscuits also contain heart-healthy olive oil and honey and molasses, which are slightly more nutritious alternatives to just sugar. They also add a very nice flavor. These biscuits are quick and easy to make, and next time I will probably double the recipe. They are good for breakfast with peanut butter, or jam, butter, molasses, or honey. They go well with fruit and cereal. Because they are a batter and do not require kneading, they are also very moist.

Hearty Biscuits
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup wheat bran
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon honey
drop of molasses
3/4 cup milk

Mix the dry ingredients together. Add in the butter, and toss in the oil, honey, and molasses. Stir in the milk. Drop dough by tablespoons onto a greased or lined baking sheet. Bake at 375◦F for 12-15 minutes until golden. 

Whole Wheat Yogurt Loaf

Since I was running low on my stock of homemade whole wheat bread, and I had some leftover plain yogurt in the fridge after using it in another recipe, I searched for a bread recipe that would incorporate it. I suppose I could have just eaten the yogurt, however there was quite a bit leftover and I already had plenty of yogurt to snack on. Also, plain yogurt may be good for baking, but for eating alone, it is just so plain. Although it is supposedly the best for you, and can be spruced up with fruit, cereal, nuts, and honey, I prefer flavored yogurts. I have also become accustomed to the thicker, creamed texture of Greek yogurt. So I decided to use this leftover plain yogurt for my baking. I found three good whole wheat bread recipes with yogurt, one using a bread machine, one with two rises and yeast, and one quick loaf with baking soda. Since I don't have a bread machine, and didn't have a lot of time to wait for bread to rise, I chose the quick loaf recipe.

Whole Wheat Yogurt Loaf
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or hard margarine, melted
1/3 cup liquid honey
1 cup plain, fat-free yogurt
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons white vinegar mixed with 2 Tablespoons water or milk (1/4 cup lemon juice may also be used)
2 cups whole wheat flour (or 1 cup white flour & 1 cup whole wheat flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
*Add seeds, bran, flax, other whole grains, nuts, spices, or whatever else you wish.

Preheat oven to 375◦F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together the butter and honey. Whisk in the yogurt, egg, vinegar, and water. Add the remaining ingredients, mix well. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes until done.

Honey Oatmeal Cookies

Today I whipped up a quick batch of Honey Oatmeal Cookies. The recipe came from Company's Coming "Cookies". These are simple drop cookies that are super easy and quick to make. The result is a very nice, sweet, chewy cookie with a subtle honey flavor. These oatmeal cookies are on the softer side, but for more crunch they could always be baked for a few minutes longer. They are soft and chewy and very good. The recipe called for raisins, but I did not use any. Instead, I divided the dough in half and added semi-sweet chocolate chips to one half. I left the other half plain, and they were delicious as is! The plain are pictured here in the front and the chocolate chip are in the back.

Honey Oatmeal Cookies
3/4 cup butter or hard margarine, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup soft honey
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line baking sheets.
In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and honey together well. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients, mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen (48) cookies.

Paré, Jean. "Honey Oatmeal Cookies." Recipe. Cookies, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 1989. 21.