Category Archives: Sides

Spiced Citrus Couscous with Almonds and Currants

December 20, 2013

spiced moroccan couscous

Here’s the promised couscous to accompany that beef and butternut squash tagine. It could also be paired with this recipe. Or serve as a bed for just about any grilled/roasted meat, fish, or vegetables. Or eat it on its own, just as is. If you make the full recipe (which, DISCLAIMER, makes much much more than pictured above), you’ll likely have enough to be eating it all of these ways over the next week. (I do prefer it with the tagine though, as it soaks up all the juices and the spices compliment each other nicely.)

We’re heading to Oregon for Christmas in a few days. (Flying on Christmas Eve actually- this makes me nervous.) If I don’t get a chance to check back in before then, please have a Merry Christmas and wonderful rest of the holidays!

Spiced Citrus Couscous with Almonds and Currants

INGREDIENTS

2 cups couscous, cooked according to package directions (I used whole wheat)
1/2 cup currants
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
3 green onions, thinly sliced (or a shallot, minced)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup freshly squeeze orange juice
1 tsp. orange zest
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I used ~1/2 tsp. kosher salt)

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook couscous according to package directions. Spread cooked couscous out on a baking sheet and set aside to cool.

2. In a large bowl, combine the currants, almonds, parsley, and green onions. Stir in the cooled couscous.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk to combine the olive oil, lemon juice, orange juice, orange zest, coriander, and allspice. Pour over the couscous and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

NOTE: This dish can be made ahead of time. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Serves 8+.

(Adapted from Fine Cooking)

Farro with Roasted Sweet Potato, Kale, and Pomegranate Seeds

November 25, 2013

farro kale

It’s finished! (Well, almost.) Welcome to the new A Hint of Honey. I hope you’ll take a look around and enjoy the new space. I love it and think you will too! You’ll find all the original features, plus a few. I’ve updated the about page with new photos. The recipe index is still under construction, but hopefully by the end of the week it will be updated with photos of every recipe and be much easier to navigate. If you have any questions or comments or notice any issues, don’t hesitate to let me know. You can reach me via the contact form or on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram.

A huge thank you to Maggie Waller from Type and Title for her talent and hard work over the last few months. She designed and implemented everything you see and is so wonderful to work with! Check out her site and work here.

Now for today’s recipe- Farro with Roasted Sweet Potato, Kale, and Pomegranate Seeds. Farro is one of my favorite foods right now. It’s chewy and nutty and filling and pairs well with so many other ingredients. Here roasted onion and sweet potato are spiced with cumin and coriander. The kale is lightly sauteed with garlic and olive oil. And the salad is topped with toasted walnuts and pomegranate seeds and finished with a squeeze of lemon and drizzle of olive oil. It makes a large bowlful (more than is pictured here), so gather a few forks and a few friends and try your best to share.

Happy Thanksgiving! Have a wonderful week!

Farro with Roasted Sweet Potato, Kale, and Pomegranate Seeds

INGREDIENTS

1 cup semi-pearled or regular farro
1 medium onion, halved and cut into 1/4-inch wedges
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided + enough to coat the onion for roasting
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 1/4 cups)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
3 packed cups roughly chopped kale
1 large clove garlic, minced
freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste (up to 1 Tbsp.)

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook farro according to package directions. Drain excess water, then place grains into a large bowl and allow to cool.

2. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Toss onion with enough oil to lightly coat, but not soak. Spread across the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss sweet potato with enough oil to coat and spread on a separate sheet pan. Sprinkle with cumin, coriander and a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place both baking sheets in the oven and roast until the vegetables are tender and onions have begun to brown. The onions will be done before the sweet potatoes. Stir and turn vegetables at least once during cooking.

3. To toast the walnuts, place them in a dry skillet over medium heat. Cook until golden and fragrant, tossing frequently. Set aside to cool.

4. While vegetables and nuts cook, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet. Add kale and garlic and lightly saute until the kale has wilted but is still bright green in color.

5. Combine cooked greens and farro in a large bowl. Add sweet potato and onion. Fold the ingredients together, then drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and lemon juice to taste (about one tablespoon or less). Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Gently stir in walnuts and pomegranate seeds.

Serves 6.

(Adapted from Food 52)

Roasted Green Beans

November 1, 2013

roasted green beans

This is hardly a recipe. More of a formula, really. Fresh green beans + olive oil + salt + pepper. So simple. So delicious.

I like green beans steamed and plain, without a touch of anything. But this way- roasted to perfection- I love them. Soft in the center, crisp on the edges. You’ll be popping them like french fries and wondering how something so good for you could be so crazy good.

Roasted Green Beans

INGREDIENTS

fresh green beans, ends trimmed
extra virgin olive oil, enough to coat
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly coat with cooking spray (or line with parchment paper).

2. Drizzle olive oil over green beans and toss to coat. Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, stirring halfway through, until lightly caramelized and crisp-tender.

(Adapted from Food Network)

Mashed Potatoes with Gouda and Bacon

June 13, 2012

This will probably be the last recipe to come from my Richmond kitchen. We’re finally packing and we load up and pull out for good Saturday morning. I have mixed emotions about this move. Usually I’m all about new places and new people. But I’ve loved it here. It has only been four years but this is home. We’ve spent the majority of our married lives here, started a family here. I hope Chicago will be so good to us.

I plan on cooking and blogging again. As soon as things get settled and our life regains some sort of routine. Motherhood has been a big change, but it definitely won’t keep me out of the kitchen and away from you! So until then- I leave you with this creamy cheesy not-so-waistline friendly mashed potato casserole. Bacon, gouda, sour cream… I probably don’t need to tell you that it’s heavenly.

Mashed Potatoes with Gouda and Bacon

INGREDIENTS

8 slices bacon
5 large green onions, finely chopped
3 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter
1/3-1/2 cup milk (to desired consistency)
2 cups (about 8 oz.) smoked gouda, grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Butter a 9×13 baking dish. Cook bacon until browned and crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Chop bacon. Place in a medium bowl and add green onions; toss to combine.

2. Place potatoes in a large pot and add enough water to cover. Sprinkle with salt. Cover and boil with lid slightly ajar until tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain.

3. Add the sour cream, butter, and milk to the pot. Using a potato masher, mash until almost smooth. Add more milk to thin if necessary. Stir in 1 1/2 cups smoked gouda and 1 cup of the bacon-onion mixture. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread in the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining cheese.

4. Preheat oven to 375 F and bake for about 30 minutes until the edges are bubbling and the top is golden. Top with the remaining bacon-onion mixture and serve.

Serves 6-8.

(Adapted from Bon Appetit)

Spiced Apple-Raisin Coleslaw

March 2, 2011

We’re usually not big on coleslaw around here. But two recents events persuaded me to give it another try. When we were vacationing in Orlando just before Christmas we dined twice at Yellow Dog Eats, an funky eclectic cafe with an incredible menu. And I fell in love with their coleslaw. And then recently I tried my friend Chelsey’s southwest slaw, which also surprised me. Eventually I’ll get my hands on Chelsey’s recipe, but for now I set about to create my own tangy-sweet slaw inspired by what I ate at Yellow Dog.

Their coleslaw was unique in that it contained raisins and a mystery spice. Nutmeg, cinnamon? I wasn’t quite sure. So I went with allspice and thought it was perfect. The addition of apple was my own invention- a natural way to add sweetness and crunch. And the mayonnaise-based dressing has been lightened by using half yogurt (nonfat plain). Dustin who typically doesn’t like coleslaw, or raisins, thought this was delicious. Although he did suggest that I could use dried cranberries instead. He’s right- that would work too. But the fact that the boy ate a raisin (actually quite a few) and didn’t gag is a little victory for me!

Spiced Apple-Raisin Coleslaw

INGREDIENTS

3 cups green cabbage, shredded
1 cup red cabbage, shredded
1 large Fuji apple, cored and grated
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. organic cane sugar
generous 1/2 tsp. allspice
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, toss to combine red and green cabbage, apple, carrot, and raisins. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, vinegar, sugar, and allspice. Pour over the cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 4-6.