National Honey Month Recipes

Celebrate National Honey Month with these sweet and savory recipes, courtesy of Chef Justin Timineri from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Citrus and Honey Butter Pancakes

Start your day off right with a delicious batch of these citrusy-sweet pancakes topped with honey butter for breakfast.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup honey, separated
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup natural whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal, finely ground
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• Pinch of sea salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• Vegetable oil for cooking

Preheat a large sauté pan or griddle over medium-low heat. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine orange juice, 1/4 cup honey, lemon zest, and egg. Use a whisk to make sure ingredients are mixed well. In a separate mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt). Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, using the whisk to make sure mixture is combined. In a small bowl, combine softened butter and honey, and set aside. Add a small amount of vegetable oil to the preheated pan or griddle. Using a 1/4 cup measure for each pancake, carefully pour batter into pan or griddle. Cook the pancakes until they start to bubble on the uncooked side, about 2-3 minutes. When the bubbles start to appear, flip each pancake in the pan, and let cook for another 1-2 minutes. Repeat cooking procedure until all the pancake batter is cooked. Serve pancakes warm with the honey butter.

Grilled Mullet with Hot Mango-Honey Sauce

Not only is it National Honey Month, it’s also the beginning of mullet season. Pick up some of the sticky golden syrup, break out your fishing pole, and use the last of your summer mangoes to create this sweet and spicy dish rich in fall flavors.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• ¼ tsp. hot pepper sauce
• 1 tbsp. diced jalapeno
• ½ cup pureed mango
• 4 mullet fillets (6 oz. each)
• Parsley sprigs for garnish

Preheat grill to medium-hot. Combine all ingredients except fish fillets in a small bowl. Reserve ½ cup of sauce to serve with cooked fillets. Brush both sides of fillets with sauce and place in a single layer in a well-greased, hinged wire grill basket. Cook for 5-8 minutes. Baste fillets with sauce and turn. Cook 5-8 minutes more or until fish flakes easily. Serve with reserved sauce and parsley garnish.

Honey Orange Glazed Grouper

If you prefer grouper to mullet, this recipe is perfect for creating a thin but crispy and savory skin on your fish.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon orange marmalade
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 3/4 pound grouper fillets

Preheat broiler. Combine all ingredients except grouper, mixing well. Place fillets on an oiled broiler pan and brush fillets with honey glaze to cover. Broil 5-6 inches from heat for 4-5 minutes until browned. Turn fillets, brush with honey glaze and broil additional 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

Sunshine Sweet Potatoes

Now that fall is finally here, pick up some sweet potatoes and cook up this delicious dish.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Streusel Topping

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
• 1/4 cup margarine, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine the topping ingredients in a small bowl, stirring to form a streusel. Set aside. Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain sweet potatoes and cool. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer sweet potatoes to a large bowl. Using a potato masher or a fork, mash sweet potatoes until smooth. In a small saucepan, combine honey, orange juice, orange zest, lemon zest, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring to melt the honey. Remove from heat. Stir honey mixture into sweet potatoes. Spoon mixture into a 1-quart casserole and smooth down the top. Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over the casserole. Bake until heated through, about 20-25 minutes.

Wildflower Honey Glazed Carrots

For a scrumptious side dish, serve up these sweetened carrots.

Ingredients

• 1 pound carrots, sliced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 leek (white part only), halved, sliced small and washed thoroughly
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup wildflower honey
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
• Juice from 2 small freshly squeezed lemons
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leek and cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Reduce heat to medium. Add carrots and cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes or until carrots are soft. Discard cinnamon stick before serving.