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)

Print

Fresh Pumpkin Pie

November 19, 2013

pumpkin pie

Before we talk about pumpkin pie, some news:

Over the next few days A Hint of Honey will experience some down time as we work behind the scenes to get the newly designed site up and running! If during that time you’re in desperate need of a recipe, don’t hesitate to contact me. You can reach me via email (ahintofhoney at gmail) or Facebook or Twitter and I’ll do my best to get that recipe to you! I hope you’re as excited as I am! It will be worth the wait…

Now pie. I’ve always wanted to make a pumpkin pie with pumpkin that didn’t come from a can. Because then it would truly be a from-scratch homemade pumpkin pie. And yes it’s more work, but it had to be done. At least once.

And now that I’ve done it, I’m already considering doing it again. Because it wasn’t so hard and it was really wonderful. Although if you’re not as determined as me, this recipe would still be delicious with canned pumpkin. And even if you skip the cardamom and lemon zest (which brighten and boost the flavor), it’ll taste great.

Fresh Pumpkin Pie

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe all-butter pie crust (I added 1 1/2 tsp. sugar for a sweeter crust)
2 cups pumpkin puree (from a medium sized fresh roasted sugar pumpkin or canned)
12 oz. can evaporated milk (not nonfat) or 1 /2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 whole eggs + 1 egg yolk
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/2 tsp. lemon zest

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare pie crust according to recipe directions, omitting the step where you pre-bake the crust. (NOTE: The dough needs to be made ahead of time and allowed to chill for several hours in the refrigerator before rolling out.)

2. To make pumpkin puree, preheat oven to 350 F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut the sugar pumpkin in half and scrape out the seeds. Place cut-side-down on the prepared baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven for 40-60 minutes (this will depend on the size of your pumpkin) until fork tender. Set aside to cool before scraping out the pulp. Place the pumpkin pulp in a large clean dish towel and wring the towel to squeeze the extra liquid out of the pumpkin. If you want the puree to be extra smooth, puree the pumpkin with a food processor or blender.

3. Preheat oven to 425 F.

4. In a large bowl, mix together sugar, salt, spices, and lemon zest. Beat the eggs and add to the bowl. Stir in the pumpkin puree and milk (or cream). Whisk until well incorporated.

5. Pour into pie shell and bake in preheated 425 F oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes reduce the oven temperature to 350 F and bake for another 40-50 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. (If the crust is browning too fast you can cover the edges with strips of aluminum foil partway through baking.)

6. Remove from the oven to cool on a wire rack for several hours before serving. The pumpkin will be puffed up when you take it out of the oven and deflate slightly as it cools. Serve with whipped cream.

Makes 1 9-inch round pie.

(Adapted from Simply Recipes)

Print

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

November 12, 2013

pumpkin pancakes

I bring you another Sunday morning breakfast pancake- this time with pumpkin! It is November, so if you’re not stuffing yourself with pumpkin cookies and muffins and pie then something is wrong. Perhaps, like Dustin (my husband), you don’t like pumpkin. Which is sad. But you should probably make these anyway. At least make someone else seriously happy and you never know- you might find yourself taking a bite of these perfectly sweet and fluffy pancakes and change your mind. Dustin devoured a plateful so I’m questioning his pancake hatred. Either he’s been lying to me or they’re just that good.

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 cup milk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. canola oil or melted butter (or unsweetened applesauce)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flours, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices. In a separate large bowl, whisk to combine the milk, pumpkin puree, egg, oil/butter/applesauce and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just incorporated (a few lumps will remain).

2. Preheat a large nonstick skillet or griddle to medium heat (I heat my griddle to 350 F). Grease the preheated pan with butter or cooking spray. Pour batter by 1/3-cup-fulls on to the pan and bake until the bottoms are golden brown and bubbles form on the top. Flip and cook several minutes on the second side until golden and cooked through. (NOTE: Cooked pancakes can be kept warm on a sheet pan in a 200 F oven until ready to serve.) Serve with butter, maple syrup, whipped cream, etc.

Makes 8 pancakes.

(Adapted from Martha Stewart via Annie’s Eats)

Print

Buttery Sweet Whole Wheat Rolls

November 5, 2013

dinner rolls

These are the go-to dinner rolls in our family. It’s the same dough (with the addition of some whole wheat) used in my cinnamon rolls, orange rolls, and lemon sticky buns. They’re soft and buttery and sweet. And you’ll eat way too many.

I don’t typically use instant yeast when I make bread. But in this case it’s great because it means you only have to let it rise once. After you make the dough you immediately shape it into rolls and let them rise in the pan for an hour or so. (NOTE: I’ve done it both ways- two rises and one- with success. Go with whatever is most convenient. If you’re not ready to bake the rolls in an hour, let the dough complete an initial rise in the bowl. You can even make it the night before and stow it in the refrigerator.)

I made them a few days ago for a baby shower and whipped up the simplest honey butter to serve alongside. Here’s the recipe : 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter (softened to room temperature) + 3 Tbsp. honey + pinch salt (if your butter is unsalted like mine). Use a spatula to combine until smooth. Spread over warm rolls and be happy.

Buttery Sweet Whole Wheat Rolls

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 -2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. instant yeast
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 egg, whisked
1 cup + 2 Tbsp. warm milk

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, whisk to combine the whole wheat flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Pour in butter, egg, and milk. Stir until ingredients form a thick paste. Continue adding flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding enough flour to prevent sticking, until smooth, about 8-10 minutes.

2. Divide dough into 12 even portions and form into rolls. Place in a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish. Cover, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 350 F.

4. Bake rolls in preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until they are light golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and remove from the pan to let cool on a wire rack.

Makes 12 rolls.

(Adapted from a recipe my mom received at a church function many years ago.)

Print

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)

Print