Let’s Eat: Honey recipes to make your life sweeter
By Heidi Sutton
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And when life gives you honey, make these delicious recipes, courtesy of the National Honey Board.
Honey Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta with Kale and Lemon Sauce
YIELD: Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons + 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons honey
4 teaspoons salt, divided
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 pound of spaghetti
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bunch of kale, washed and stems removed
zest and juice of 2 lemons
1/2 cup grated parmesan, + extra for serving
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Toss the tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the honey and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt and freshly ground pepper. Roast for approximately 10 minutes until the tomatoes soften and begin to caramelize. While the tomatoes are cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil with 3 tsp. of salt. Add the spaghetti and cook to al dente. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and quickly toss with the garlic.
Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Immediately toss the pasta with the rest of the olive oil, kale, lemon juice and zest. Next, add the tomato mixture and the parmesan. Add some of the pasta water as needed to coat the pasta and create a light sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with the walnuts and additional parmesan and serve with a Honey Cucumber Salad.
Note: You can use spinach instead of kale if you like and sub any pasta shape you like for the spaghetti.
Honey Cucumber Salad
YIELD: Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
3 medium English cucumbers, thinly sliced
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar, (can also use white wine vinegar)
1/4 cup water
1/2 red onion, slivered
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
salt, to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Place cucumbers in bowl and sprinkle with salt. Toss and set aside. In a small mixing bowl, stir together honey, white balsamic vinegar, water and slivered red onions. Pour the mixture over the cucumbers and toss. Allow the salad to marinate in the refrigerator about 1 hour prior to serving.
