Yemi’s Food Stories: the versatility of honey

Last updated Jan 12, 2024

Yemi's honey brushed flatbread.

Yemi Adelekan is a food writer and blogger who was a semi-finalist in last year’s BBC TV’s Masterchef competition.

Every Saturday Yemi writes on the Stray Ferret about her love of the district’s food and shares cooking tips – please get in touch with her if you want her to review a restaurant, visit your farm, taste the produce you sell or even share a recipe.

One of my most used ingredients in the kitchen is honey.

It’s timeless and versatile, with a rich, golden allure bringing both sweetness and complexity to so many dishes.

But not only is it delicious, it’s also a beacon of health benefits for our bodies. Honey is a natural source of antioxidants, with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

It has been revered for centuries for its potential to soothe sore throats, promote wound healing, and even alleviate allergies.

So, to ensure I take advantage of all its benefits, I try to add honey into my dishes wherever I can.

Today, I’m going to share the versatility of honey and how you can easily implement it into your kitchen.

Flatbread

A simple way to elevate a flatbread is to mix some honey with melted butter and brush over warm bread, finish with a sprinkle of fresh coriander or parsley and some chilli flakes for a lovely side dish.

Honey and mint mocktail

This is a great alternative for those of you doing Dry January.

It’s a simple honey and mint lemonade, which slightly resembles a mojito, but you can replace the sugar syrup with honey.

To make it you will need:

Ingredients:

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice or 2 whole lemons (seeds removed)
1 handful of fresh mint
4 cups cold water
1/2 cup honey (adjust to taste)
Ice cubes
Lemon slices for garnish

Instructions:

In a blender, blend the lemons, mint leaves, honey and cold water.
Taste and adjust the sweetness to your liking.
Add ice cubes and garnish with lemon slices to serve.

Yemi’s honey and mint mocktail.

Honey glazed salmon

Honey glazed salmon is a simple but effective recipe that always goes down a treat in my house and is quick to whip up.

You will need:

4 salmon fillets
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 fresh chilli or 1 tsp of Korean chilli flakes
Salt and pink pepper corns to taste
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
In a bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt and peppercorns.
Place salmon fillets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Brush the honey glaze generously over each fillet.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through. Remove and sprinkle with the chilli flakes.
Garnish with chopped parsley and serve over a bed of quinoa or steamed coconut rice with lemon or lime wedge.

Citrus honey vinaigrette

This, too, is a quick and easy sauce that elevates dishes immediately.

It works particularly well with fish meat, salads and pastas.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Zest of one lemon
Salt and pink peppercorns to taste
Pinch of Korean chilli flake

Instructions:

In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, honey, white wine vinegar, lemon zest, salt, chilli flakes and pepper.
Drizzle this citrusy honey vinaigrette over your favourite salad greens for a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity in every bite.

Yemi’s spiced honey cake.

Spiced honey cake

If the above still isn’t sweet enough for you, I suggest you try my spiced honey cake for pudding. I personally like to use Nidderdale honey for this, but any will work.

It’s simple: just follow a regular cake recipe and replace (most) of the sugar with honey, then add in some cinnamon and ginger.

Whilst it is baking, infuse some honey with orange rind. Once baked, brush the cake with the infused honey.

Serve this with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream – and that’s it!

See you next week for another edition of Yemi’s Food Stories.