Spring marks the beginning of the lambing season so you might notice lamb becoming more widely available and fresher during this time of the year. Spring lamb is prized for its tender texture and mild flavor so you're likely to please even those who aren't typically a fan. Lamb also holds symbolic importance during springtime festivals and holidays and with the weather still cool after sunset, this hearty and spicy stew is a great choice.
Honey and lamb are a tried-and-true combination. They are both versatile ingredients that pair well with a wide range of herbs, spices, and other flavorings and honey brings a natural sweetness to the lamb that contrasts beautifully with its savory richness. Honey also contains enzymes that help tenderize meat making it an ideal ingredient in any meat dish that has a sweet flavor component.
This succulent stew includes a second step to add toasted nuts once the stew is cooked. The nuttiness compliments the earthy flavors and the crunchiness add a wonderful dimension to the texture. However, if for allergies or other reasons you want to omit that step, the stew is still delicious on its own!
Makes 4 servings.
Step 1
Step 2
Happy Valentine's Day. Indulge in this rich, smooth, chocolatey delight without guilt! So many people these days have problems eating dairy or gluten, including several members of our team at Big Island Bees. We try to come up with recipes that everyone can enjoy. This gluten and dairy free pudding is a winner, hands down!
It is also fairly simple to make, yet tastes very gourmet! I would suggest using a very high quality dark chocolate. Try this with our Hawaiian Chili Pepper honey and our Organic Wilelaiki Blossom Honey , which adds a nuance of sweet spice to the recipe.
Makes 4 to six servings.
This is an easy process if done in these simple steps.
Autumn is in the air and the evenings in Kona are getting nippy. If you are looking for a flavorful , elegant yet simple dessert that evokes the feeling of Fall, this is the recipe for you. This dish is as tasty as apple pie, but it takes a fraction of the time and effort. Of course, a scoop of vanilla ice cream makes everything taste better, but I enjoyed these hot, syrupy apples spooned over Greek yogurt. Any which way, they are delicious. I used Macadamia Nuts in the recipe because, besides tasting so good, I like to support our local industry. However, feel free to substitute them with almonds or hazelnuts.
Serves 6
To celebrate National Honeybee Day, we invite you to take on the challenge of substituting honey for any recipe calling for sugar. We have created a Cooking with Honey Kitchen Cheat Sheet that gives simple directions on how to make the substitution easily.
I gave it a try using one of my favorite banana bread recipes taken from the wonderful cookbook “A Taste of Aloha” which is a collection of recipes from the Junior League of Honolulu first published in 1983.
The changes I made to the recipe are as follows:
I was very pleased with the results! The banana bread came out moist and flavorful. Celebrate our hard-working honeybees by replacing sugar with honey in one of your favorite recipes.
Here is the final modified recipe I used.
Honey and cheese pair very well together and this particular pairing takes it up a notch. Our Chili Pepper Honey is our Wilelaiki honey (which already has a natural spiciness to it) infused with the Hawaiian chili pepper to create a truly piquant treat!
This recipe is easy to put together at the last minute to please guests or to treat yourself and your family to a fancy snack on a whim.
Click here for a video demonstration on how to prepare this recipe.
This easy-to-prepare flank steak recipe is a foolproof crowd-pleaser. It's perfect for the 4th of July or anytime you want to fire up the grill! You can marinate the steak for 2-24 hours, though I prefer to marinate it overnight in the refrigerator so the steak has time to soak up the flavor, but not so long as to get overly salty.
Flank steak is a lean but slightly tough cut of meat; the marinade helps tenderize the meat enormously. When the marinated steak is grilled at high heat and thinly sliced, it melts in the mouth!
MARINADE
Summer is here and the mangos are ripe! What could be a better way to celebrate these two joys of life than by making a batch of this spicy mango sorbet using Big Island Bees Chili Pepper honey?
This refreshing treat was created by our good friend James from Seattle. He comes to Kona every year with his extended family. While on vacation, he demonstrates his culinary prowess by whipping up a batch of different ice creams every day using Big Island Bees honey. His motto is “Peace, Love and Ice Cream”.
MANGO SORBET
* Follow this honey simple syrup recipe and use chili pepper honey for the honey with a 2.25:1 ratio of honey to water (one 9 oz jar of honey per 1/2 cup of water).
CHILI HONEY SAUCE
Day and night are equally balanced on the equinox, marking the beginning of spring. The days will start to lengthen and get warmer. Here in Hawaii, changes in seasons are subtle but remarkable. The purple jacaranda trees shed their blossoms along the roadsides, and the bright red Lehua blooms sparkle against the forest canopy. Spring is a time for a fresh start. It is a time when we can make changes and seek balance within our lives. A great way to celebrate the beginning of spring is by enjoying a bounty of fresh-picked greens. I made this salad with fresh local vegetables and a sprinkling of edible flowers.
Included in the recipe are three different options for salad dressing, each made with honey yet each with a very distinct flavor. A touch of honey is the secret ingredient that perfectly balances out the acidity of the vinaigrette.
For the Salad:
Zesty Lemon Honey Vinaigrette (Yield: 1/2 cup)
Honey Balsamic Dressing (Yield: 1 1/4 cup)
Miso Honey Dressing (Yield: 1 1/2 cups)
Zesty Lemon Honey Vinaigrette
Honey Balsamic Dressing
Miso Honey Dressing
You'll enjoy munching on this crunchy, spicy Honey Miso Snack mix adapted from a recipe by Lauren Radel whether it's Super Bowl weekend or an afternoon snack. This is easy to prepare and you can mix up the ingredients as long as the proportions remain the same. You can make this in advance and store it in an airtight container and it will keep crisp for a week. Once opened, it will disappear quickly!
DRY MIX
WET MIX
Celebrate a romantic Valentine’s Day or any special evening with this festive red martini made with in-season pomegranate and fresh lime juice. Sweetened with a simple honey syrup. Cheers!
Make the honey simple syrup (see our recipe here). For this cocktail we used Big Island Bees' Ohi'a Lehua honey
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour all the ingredients except for the ones for decoration.
Shake well until combined.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
If you choose, drop a few pomegranate arils in the glass and place a thinly sliced lime on the glass rim for extra pizazz!
Whether for sweetening cocktails or glazing baked goods, there are many recipes on the web for a simple syrup substitute made with honey, but most of them require cooking the honey - which destroys the beneficial enzymes and antiseptic properties that honey contains in its natural raw form and that you likely purchased it for.
So how do you make simple honey syrup with raw honey and keep it raw? It's simple, really!
Simple syrup is merely a mix of water to sweetener with a ratio of 1:1. Since most honey is already liquid, but is also thicker than water, there is no need to simmer and reduce it down as is needed with granulated sugar. While heating the water can help the honey dissolve more quickly, it does not need to be hot - warm, or even room temperature water will do just fine.
This recipe is particularly good for beverages. You can adjust the ratio of honey to water if you prefer a richer (sweeter) syrup, for example for ice cream and sorbet. You can also create flavored syrup with herbs and spices, if desired.
Warm the water in a saucepan or microwave but do not boil (should be no hotter than 95°F).
Remove from heat.
Pour in the honey.
Stir until dissolved (about 30 seconds).
You can store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
This chocolaty and rich cupcake recipe resembles a gourmet Hostess cupcake – cake on the outside filled with a creamy center. The filling contains chocolate chips which melt and ooze when bitten. Even better, no eggs nor sugar are added to these devilish delights! These are also great cupcakes without the filling if you want a nondairy cupcake. The recipe was given to me by our dear friend Roseann Buritz. Roseann was the proprietor of Renaissance Bakery in Hilo for several years in the 1970’s. Renaissance was an extraordinary bakery selling high quality baked goods. The only sweetener used in the pastries was honey. Roseann acquired pure Lehua honey in 5 gallon buckets from my father-in-law, Jim Powers, owner of Powers Apiaries which eventually morphed into Big Island Bees almost half a century later! One of Renaissance Bakery’s staple products were these scrumptious cupcakes. Roseann generously shared her tried and true recipe with us just in time to enjoy them for Halloween. The cupcakes are delicious on their own, but you can cover them with a chocolate ganache or a frosting of your choice.
MIX DRY:
MIX WET:
FILLING:
Ingredients :
Halloween is a special time in Hawai'i. Ghost stories and supernatural tales which give us chicken skin are abundant. Hallowed ground is everywhere and we are reverent of where we tread. Still, it is also a time of merry making, costumes, and parties.
Twenty-five years ago, when my children were growing up in Kona, there were few places to trick or treat. Many of us with little ones would go to the then-new subdivision below Lako street. There the little goblins and fairies could walk door to door, quickly gathering their bounty of candy. However, there was one house that went all out for Halloween! The owners of this property would empty out their home and transform it into a haunted house complete with different theme-filled rooms. There was a smokey cemetery and a ghastly laboratory featuring bowls filled with eyeballs for you to touch ( actually peeled grapes). They must have spent the entire year planning and preparing for this one fantastic night when they opened their home to the whole community. My children looked forward to it every year. Although Kona hasn't changed drastically over the last 30 years, memories such as these bring to mind how it isn't quite the sleepy small town it once was.
A great alternative to going trick or treating is to throw a little Halloween party at home complete with traditional goodies such as the following recipe for these scrumptious popcorn balls made with honey. Try some of our past recipes as well such as Savory Pumpkin Soup or Honey Caramel Apples.
Halloween Honey Popcorn Balls
Preheat oven to 325F. Put the popcorn into a baking or roasting pan large enough to hold all of it
In a medium sauce pan, warm the butter, the Wilelaiki honey and salt over medium heat, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon until the butter has melted. In crease the heat and simmer the mixture for 1 minute, continuing to stir so that the mixture does not bubble over. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Pour the honey butter mixture over the popcorn and add the nuts . Stir gently to coat the popcorn and nuts evenly. Bake the popcorn for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Stir the mixture every few minutes while it is baking.
This recipe is a simple, healthy yet delicious cookie where black beans replace flour. These cookies are rich in chocolate and packed with protein for guilt free pleasure. Any of our varietal honey would work well when making these for children. If making these for yourself, the chili pepper honey gives these cookies an extra kick!
I have been wanting to experiment using beans in baked goods for quite a while; I think you will be surprised at how great they taste!
Preheat oven to 350F
Put the black beans, cocoa powder, vanilla, peanut butter, honey and baking powder in the container of a food processor. Mix until very smooth.
Transfer the contents into a large bowl and stir in the macadamia nuts and chocolate chips.
To celebrate National Honeybee Day on August 21, I am making this special cake to honor the occasion. To quote Julia Child," a party without cake is just a meeting." This Genoise cake is made using nuts as flour and only honey as a sweetener. It is kept delicate by the addition of whipped egg whites.
On August 21, I will tribute the honeybee with this cake that utilizes the many gifts from the marvelous Apis Mellifera. The honey, the nuts, the adornment of berries and flowers are all rewards of the beehive.
One-third of all the food grown in the world is dependent on honeybees for pollination! So the amazing honey bee and the keepers who tend to them are responsible for keeping us fed. Would you please read more about World Honey Bee Day and our special offer below?
]]>
We are celebrating the 4th of July this year with a family potluck along the shores of Honaunau. This recipe makes a perfect salad to bring to a Hawaiian picnic on the beach. Crunchy, sweet, and tangy , this is not your ordinary coleslaw. There is no mayonnaise in this salad either, making it an ideal dish for a picnic, barbecue or potluck on a hot summer day. I love to take advantage of all the mangoes and limes in season right now; they add a special dimension to this dish and the little bit of honey in the dressing makes it oh so good!
This is a very easy salad to make; if you are in a rush, you can even use prepackaged coleslaw bought in a bag at your local grocery store. However, I find shredding cabbage a simple task, so I prefer to use fresh, crisp, local cabbage and carrots.
This also makes a delicious topping for pulled pork (or jackfruit) sandwiches!
In a large bowl, combine all the shredded cabbages, carrots, mango slivers and herbs.
Mix the Wilelaiki honey, lime juice, celery salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pour over the slaw and toss well.
Refrigerate for over an hour. Serve cold. Sprinkle with the chopped nuts just before serving to keep them crunchy.
The citrus and honey mixture is frozen into ice cubes. The sweet, honeyed cubes slowly melt into the mango tea, adding flavor as they dissolve. So, relax, sip and savor the refreshing tea. This recipe is adapted from the late, great Molly O'Neill.
Yield: 4 servings
Delightfully Refreshing Honey Citrus Iced Mango Tea
Ingredients :
I love to indulge in coffeecakes on Holiday mornings. A sweet and buttery cake in the morning marks a special event. This easy to prepare coffeecake is also a bit healthier using honey for a lot of the sweetness. The Macadamia nuts may be replaced with other nuts if you prefer. I adapted this recipe from the cookbook "Covered in Honey" by Mani Niall.
Honey Coffee Cake with Nut Streusel
Ingredients for Streusel:
Ingredients for Coffee Cake:
Directions:
Here is a nice cookie for our gluten free friends and those celebrating Passover later this month. It is not too sweet, with lots of nutty flavor and a soft, chewy texture. You can make it with only almonds but I added some roasted, salted Macadamia nuts because I love them! I also added lemon rind instead of the traditional orange rind which gave them a sharp citrus bite in contrast to the nuts. Either way, these are delicious and will be sure to make your gluten free friends happy!
Honey Macadamia and Almond Macaroons
Ingredients:
Directions:
January in Kona brings in a bounty of citrus of all variety. It is a beautiful sight to see trees overflowing with the warm , vibrantly colored globes of oranges, grapefruits, limes , lemons, kumquats, pomelos and calamansi. During the darkness and chill of winter, the tart and energizing taste of citrus brings sunshine to my day. After a month( or two) of holiday indulgences, this refreshing and light dessert is pure joy. Aspic is too often considered an outdated , fuddy-duddy dish, but I beg to differ! Once you try this this tantalizing treat, you too will change your mind. The subtle sweetness of honey combined with the fresh mint turn this simple fruit blend into an uncommonly good Citrus Delight.
This aspic is based on a recipe by Mark Bittman, who specializes in making minimalist dishes that taste wonderful! Remember, you can use other kinds of oranges or grapefruits, whatever you have on hand. These fruits were what I had growing nearby.
]]>
Its pumpkin season and the weather is turning cold. The mauka winds blow down the chilly air into our homes in the evening after the sun sets. This is a perfect time for a bowl of comforting, healthy and delicious pumpkin soup.
Pumpkin is such a tasty and versatile fruit. It can be made into sweet dishes such as pies but it is equally good when made into savory dishes such as this soup. It all depends on what spices you choose to add. This creamy bisque has the addition of ginger, turmeric and our own Hawaiian chili pepper honey. All these spices are both warming and help stoke the immune system. Pumpkins are also an excellent source of Vitamin A.
Now that winter is nipping at our heels, we can all use some warm, comforting foods that also build up our defenses. This one does it all and most importantly, is delicious!
Pumpkin Bisque with Ginger, Turmeric and Chili Pepper honey
Ingredients:
Directions:
The brilliant red berries of the Wilelaiki tree are starting to pop up all around the island ; one of the rare signs in Hawaii that winter is on it's way. This weedy invasive tree needs more understanding and attention. Not only does it make for an incredible honey collected by foodies and honey connoisseurs but it also contains the highest amount of antioxidants, which protect your cells.
The tree originates from South America and is also known as the Brazilian Peppertree. It was brought into Hawaii as a decorative plant but quickly spread all over the island. Honeybees love it, but it is considered a pest by ranchers. It is often called Christmasberry due to its beautiful red peppercorns that mature in the winter time. In Hawaii , it was named after the well known Big Island paniolo (cowboy) William Rice. He apparently , always wore a hat festooned with the lei of the berries. Hence, the locals started calling the tree Wilelaiki. Its scientific name is Schinus terebinthifolia.
This plant has been valued by traditional healers of the Amazon for hundreds of years. All parts of the plant are used medicinally. The red berries contain an extract with the ability to debilitate dangerous antibiotic resistant staph bacteria. The traditional healers would use the extract to treat infections of the skin and soft tissue. Modern researchers of medical ethnobotany at the Emory School of Medicine found the extract to disarm MRSA bacteria. The body's own immune system can then stand a better chance of healing a wound. This is a potential life saving discovery as antibiotic resistant infections are a growing international problem.
There are also a myriad of other traditional uses and benefits of the much maligned Wilelaiki tree. Throughout the tropics , it has been used as a remedy for many maladies including gout, eye infection, tuberculosis, rheumatism, ulcers and wounds. In Brazil today, the dried bark and leaves are employed for heart problems and general inflammation.
Although I do not recommend making your own concoctions of medicine from the Wielaliki tree, the honey made from the plant is quite safe as well as delicious! We know that raw honey is a very useful, easy remedy for coughs and sore throats and I suspect Wilelaiki honey is even more effectual. So stock up your cupboards and medicine cabinets with the 2020 Wilelaiki honey harvest! Get ready for a home Halloween party with these easy to make , healthy and yummy honey gummy bears for the Trick or Treaters in your home. Hint: these would also make great throat lozenges!
Halloween Honey Gummies
Ingredients:
Directions:
]]>
Hawaiian honey, warm spices , fresh ginger, and citrus – this is a great cake to celebrate Autumn. The start of the Jewish New Year is called Rosh Hashanah. It celebrates the end of the harvest and a new beginning. This year it starts at sundown on September 18. It is a time of repentance, forgiveness, and renewal. Like all holidays, special foods are prepared as part of the celebration. For Rosh Hashanah, the main characteristics of the special foods are sweetness ( for a sweet year) and abundance ( for fruitfulness and prosperity). Traditionally, a honey cake is made and gifted to friends and family.
This spicy honey cake is a favorite of mine. It is especially good for gift giving as it keeps very well. Unlike some honey cakes which are dense and dry, this one stays light and airy. It is excellent served with a cup of hot tea or coffee at any time of the day. It has the added delight of using fresh citrus rind and ginger which adds a nice zing. I used calamansi rind and juice. Calamansi is a type of citrus with a flavor similar to a sweet lime or a sour orange. It is found in abundance now in Hawaii, but feel free to use orange or tangerine in it's place. We are also fortunate to have many of the spices grown right here on the island. If possible, grind whole spices for this recipe as that will add extra flavor. The smell of this cake is divine!
Try this recipe today using our 20% off code Lehua2020 today!
Ingredients:
Directions:
The nutty sweetness of Macadamia Nut Blossom honey helps bring out the rich flavors of red pepper and eggplant, while adding sweet a twist to a savory dip. This healthy dairy-free dip can be used with cut vegetables, chips, as a sandwich or toast spread, or try it paired with crackers and a tangy goats cheese for an appetizer or afternoon snack.
This is a quick and easy way to add some greens to a meal. It makes a great side dish at home or for a picnic, or can be tossed over some rice and tofu for an easy healthy weeknight dinner. The Wilelaiki honey adds a hint of spicy floral complexity to the salty umami flavor of tahini and miso, with just the right balance of sweet and savory to spice up any roasted veggies.
]]>
This photo inspired me to go out and cook these ribs right away! My daughter’s close friend Ron Capistrano, an accomplished food stylist, posted the photo. My daughter shares her care packages of Big Island Bees honey with Ron and both of them are doing some very creative cooking during their time holed up in their apartments in NYC.
Ron made them look as good as they taste by sprinkling them with sesame seeds and Thai basil blossoms. You can use your creativity to decorate them on the plate.
This recipe has definitely made the rounds, as it is that good. It was originally published by America’s Test Kitchen, then made and posted by Los Molcajetes. It eventually got to Ron who posted this gorgeous photo and now from
me to all of you! Let me know if you enjoy it.
]]>