ORANGE HONEY MUSTARD
This condiment is spicy sweet, hot yet mellow. The citrus tang and aroma shine through. Serve it with ham and other cold cooked meats, or use it as an accompaniment for pork or chicken.
1 large orange
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons honey
salt to taste
Grate the zest from the orange – about 2 tablespoons – and reserve. Squeeze the juice to measure ½ a cup. Put the chopped onion in a small pan with the orange juice and cook slowly over a low heat to avoid burning. Reduce the volume to 3 tablespoons or less, when it should be thick and jammy. Stir in the zest while still hot. Let the mixture cool, then mix in the mustard, honey and salt. Taste carefully for balance.
The seasoned mustard keeps well in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator.
HONEY AND LIME BANANAS
3 limes
2 tablespoons honey
3 crushed cardamom pods
4 large bananas
Remove the zest from the limes with a citrus zester. Measure 250 ml (1/2 pint) of water into a stainless steel saucepan. Add the lime zest, squeeze in the juice and stir in the honey. Bring the syrup to the boil. Add the crushed cardamom pods and simmer for 5 minutes. Cut the bananas into even pieces, or leave them whole. Arrange in a basin and pour the boiling syrup over the fruit. Leave the bananas to cook slowly in their own heat until cool.
Honey and Lime Bananas will keep for up to one week in a refrigerator. They do not freeze well. Serve with vanilla ice cream or natural yogurt.
ROMAN CABBAGE SALAD (KRAMBE)
1 white cabbage
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons clear honey
a bunch of fresh coriander leaves
a sprig of fresh rue
1 teaspoon asafoetida powder
sale (optional)
Thinly slice the cabbage as for a coleslaw and arrange in a salad bowl. Combine the vinegar with the honey in a cup. Finely chop the coriander and rue and add to the honeyed vinegar. Season with salt if you wish, although the dressing is strong enough not to need it. Stir the asafoetida into the dressing and pour over the cabbage. Toss before serving.
BANANA PANCAKES WITH BACON AND HONEY
for the pancakes
500 g (1 lb) plain flour
3 eggs
600 ml (1 pint) milk
vanilla extract
2 large bananas, mashed
pinch of salt
___________
crispy bacon
runny honey
Simply whisk all the pancake ingredients together. Butter a frying pan or flat grill on a medium to high heat. Place a big dollop of pancake batter in the pan. Cook until golden on one side and bubbly on the top side. The flip. Cook for a minute or so longer. Once all the pancakes are cooked assemble the crispy bacon on the top of them and pour on the runny honey.
HOT MANGO AND BANANA SALAD
2 large oranges
2 firm but ripe mangoes, about 700 g (1 ½ lb) total weight
4 small bananas
25 g (1 oz) very low fat spread
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons rum
2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
Thinly pare the rind from one orange and squeeze the juice. Cut the pared rind into very thin strips and blanch in boiling water for one minute to soften.
Set the rind and juice aside. Peel the other orange with a serrated knife and slice the flesh crosswise into rounds. Peel the mangoes with a vegetable peeler. Slice the flesh either side of the central stone, then remove any flesh from around the stone. Cut all the flesh into bite-sized pieces. Peel and thickly slice the bananas. Melt the low fat spread in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the sugar, mango and banana and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes or until just beginning to soften. Pour in the rum, lemon or lime juice. Add the orange slices. Bring to the boil, then serve immediately, decorated with the reserved orange rind.
HONEY GLAZED SALMON
400 g (1 lb) fresh salmon fillets
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons honey
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon chilli powder
Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the salmon and sauté until nearly done. Meanwhile, mix the honey, garlic and chilli powder. Just before the fish is done, pour the honey mixture over it. It will bubble up in the olive oil and form a glaze you can spoon back over the fish. Serve at once with a slice of lime.
BALTI PERSIAN MURGH
675 g (1 ½ lb) skinned and boned chicken meat, cut into 3 cm (1 ¼ inch) cubes
2 – 3 tablespoons ghee or corn oil
3 – 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
225 g (8 oz) onion, very finely chopped
3 – 4 tablespoons Balti masala paste
110 g (4 oz) dried figs
110 g (4 oz) dates, stoned
2 tablespoons pine kernels
2 tablespoons shelled hazelnuts
1 tablespoon clear honey
about 200 ml (7 fl oz) water
1 tablespoon Balti garam masala
1 tablespoon very finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
salt to taste
spices
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, roasted
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, roasted
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon mango powder
Heat the ghee or oil in your karahi on high heat, and stir fry the spices for 20 seconds; then add the garlic and continue to stir fry for a further 30 seconds.
Add the onion on a reduced heat and stir fry for about 10 minutes, allowing the onion to become translucent and begin to brown.
Add the masala paste and chicken. Raise the heat again and bring to a brisk sizzle, stir frying as needed for about 5 minutes.
Add the dried fruit, pine kernels, nuts and honey, along with the water, and simmer, stirring, on a lower heat for about 10 minutes.
Test that the chicken is cooked through by cutting into one of the pieces. If more cooking is needed, add water as required. When cooked as you like it, add the garam masala, fresh coriander leaves and salt to taste.
INDIAN BANANA AND SATSUMA YOGURT
(KELA, SANTARA KHEER)
2 teaspoons runny honey
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
2 x 142ml (5 floz) plain unsweetened yogurt
2 large bananas, peeled and thinly sliced
2 large satsumas, peeled, segmented, pith and seeds removed
1/2 teaspoon saffron strands
In a bowl, mix together the honey, pepper, chilli powder and yogurt.
Add the bananas and satsumas and mix together.
Steep the saffron in a teaspoon of warm water and sprinkle it over the dish before serving.