Honey Mustard and Pistachio Crusted Salmon with Asparagus and Salt-Crusted New Potatoes.
Recipe prepared by Dan Lorig, former Teaching Kitchen Manager of the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, Certified Chef de Cuisine and Honeydrop COO.
(2 Servings)
• 2 4-5 oz portions of salmon, skin on
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 cup shelled pistachio
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, torn
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Pat salmon dry with paper towels and place skin side down on an oiled, ovenproof-baking sheet. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Then combine the mustard and honey and generously coat the top of the salmon.
Coarsely grind the pistachios in a food processer. Pour the nuts into a plate or flat container. Carefully, pick up the salmon pieces, dipping the honey mustard side of the salmon into the nuts to evenly coat the top and replace skin side down on baking sheet.
Place salmon in the preheated oven and bake until the salmon reaches the correct doneness, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven to a serving platter. Season with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Finish with torn fresh basil and serve.
Asparagus with Thyme Butter
• 12-14 asparagus spears, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
Method:
In a wide, shallow pan bring 2-3 cups water to a boil with 2 tablespoons salt.
Cook asparagus for 2-3 minutes. Remove from boiling water and immerse in cold water. Reserve chilled up to 1 day.
When ready to eat, melt butter on low to medium heat. Add thyme. Allow the warm butter to extract the flavor from the thyme for 10 – 15 seconds. Add the asparagus and heat until they are warm and coated with butter. Remove from heat and serve with salmon.
Salt-Crusted New Potatoes
• 10 each baby potatoes (1” in diameter)
• 1 cup salt
• 3 cups cold water
Method:
In a small saucepot, combine water, salt and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, covered for 15-18 minutes or until they are fork tender. Serve while hot.
Weight Loss Tip #1 Replace refined white sugar with honey (Honeydrop never uses any white or refined sugars)
Honey has more nutrients and antioxidants than its refined counterparts, making a tablespoon of honey ultimately healthier than processed or artificial sugars. Though honey has more calories than sugar, the switch won’t add inches to your waist line. One study found that that overweight or obese patients who received a 2.5-ounce dose of honey every day for a month lowered both their total and LDL cholesterol, while they maintained or even lost weight.
Read more Women’s Health Magazine
Weight Loss Tip #2 Have a spoonful of honey before bed and lose weight while you sleep (seriously)
The “Hibernation Diet,” created by Edinburgh pharmacist Mike McInnes and his son, nutrition expert, Stuart McInnes, recommends having a spoonful of honey (found in every bottle of Honeydrop) to aid in sleep and weight loss. Honey helps stabilize blood sugar levels in the liver, allowing the body to speed up its fat-burning metabolism.
Read more Woman’s Day and Nine MSN
Weight Loss Tip #3 Replace your sugary sodas and juices with Honeydrop and cut calories
Honeydrop – 90 calories per 14oz bottle
Orange Juice – 122 calories per 8oz glass
Canned Soda – 140 calories per 12oz can
Black Cherry Soda – 170 calories per 12oz bottle
Half Tea & Half Lemonade – 190 calories per bottle
Nutrition information based on findings on Calorie Count
Weight Loss Tip #4 Drink More Green Tea
According to Men’s Health, a study by the Canadian government found that a combination of EGCG (the chemical that makes green tea good for you) and caffeine (found naturally in Green Tea), both found in Honeydrop Green Tea, speeds up your metabolism to help you burn an extra 80 calories a day, without lifting a finger.
Read more Men’s Health
Weight Loss Tip #5 Drink fresh brewed ginger (Honeydrop Lemon Ginger, baby)
Researchers at Maastricht University in the Netherlands found that ginger provided metabolism-boosting and fat-burning properties similar to those found in black pepper, green tea, black tea, caffeine and capsaicin and, according to the Sunday Telegraph, ginger can boost metabolism by as much as 20 percent. Adding ginger to your diet won’t make you look like Kate Middleton overnight, but a little boost to the metabolism can’t hurt!
Recipe prepared by Dan Lorig, former Teaching Kitchen Manager of the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, Certified Chef de Cuisine and Honeydrop COO.
Just in time for the holidays, Chef Dan Lorig takes honey to the next level. This delicious pear dish poached in white wine and honey and topped off with a gorgonzola crumble will certainly be a treat for the whole family.
Ingredients:
4 Each Pears
3 Cups White Wine
¾ Cup Honey
¼ Cup Lemon Juice
1 Each Star Anise
1 Each Cinnamon Stick
¼ Cup Honey
4 Ounces Gorgonzola Cheese – Crumbled
2 Ounces Hazelnuts
Method:
- Carefully, core pears from the bottom, then peal and reserve in cold water with a few drops of lemon juice to prevent browning.
- Combine the wine, honey (reserve ¼ cup), lemon juice and spices.
- Place pears and honey mixture in a 2 -3 quart saucepot ensuring that the poaching liquid fully covers the pears.
- Place a small oven safe dish on top of the pears to keep them submerged throughout the cooking process.
- Poach the pears on medium heat and bring to a slow simmer. Continue poaching the pears for approximately 40 minutes or until they are fork tender.
- Remove the pears from the honey liquid and refrigerate to cool (Discard the star anise and cinnamon stick).
- Reduce the remaining liquid down to 1 cup.
- Remove the reduction from the heat and add the remaining honey. Refrigerate to cool.
To Serve:
- Place a chilled pear on a small chilled plate (trimming the bottom as necessary, for a flat surface).
- Drizzle the chilled reduced poaching liquid on top of the pear and place the Gorgonzola and Hazelnuts around the plate to garnish.
On April 20, 2006 I was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Though I count that day as one of the worst of my life, I was extremely fortunate to have the support of my family and friends to help me navigate the future challenges I would eventually face.
It is this same type of support that the U.S. beekeeping industry needs today. Bees are a vital part of our agricultural industry, pollinating one third of all produce, including crops such as almonds, avocados, oranges, apples, and blueberries, but are dying at an alarming rate from an unexplained phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).
Though the government has increased funding to the USDA Agricultural Research Service from $7.7 million in 2007 to $10 million in 2010 for research on CCD, this level of support pales in comparison to the billions in subsidies U.S. corn farmers receive each year. When a crop such as corn is heavily subsidized, food and beverage producers are attracted to using it because, frankly, it’s cheap. Corn-based ingredients, like High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), are present in a majority of products found on grocery store shelves including yogurts, breads, cereals, lunch meats and, of course, beverages.
Consumption of HFCS in the U.S. has increased from 0.6 pounds per person per year in the 1970s to 74 pounds per person per year in 2007. Emerging research suggests this staggering increase is one reason why obesity rates continue to rise in this country, as refined sugars metabolize quicker in the body and turn to fat.
I started Honeydrop Beverages to offer consumers a healthier option; I had a simple idea to use a tablespoon of pure honey (never any refined sugars) in every one of our fresh- brewed teas and juices. Honey has always fascinated me because it is unrefined and naturally contains vitamins, minerals, clinically soothes sore throats better than OTC cough medicine and metabolizes slowly in the body.
Honeydrop not only offers a healthy alternative to sugary beverages, but we are also doing our part to save the honey bees. Recently, we developed a program, “Buy A Bottle – Save A Bee,” where we contribute 1% of our proceeds to local beekeepers to build more beehives. Though we are a small company, every new hive we build with our partners helps to increase the bee population by 30,000-60,000 bees, a simple tool to help fight Colony Collapse Disorder.
More support, however, is needed; sources estimate that CCD research funding will taper in the coming years due to general budget cuts to the USDA, with no solution in sight. Reallocating simply 1% of subsidies corn farmers receive to research on CCD could have a massive impact on the future of our food chain. As Einstein said: “no more bees, no more pollination…no more men!”
Without the support that I received, I wouldn’t be here today – without sufficient support for honey bee research and programs, the bees won’t be here tomorrow.
