honey Archives - Ari's Menu

Honey Goat Cheese Spread

May 21, 2015 · by Ari · 7 Comments

Smooth, creamy, sweet and tangy honey goat cheese spread is perfect for entertaining, or even just a delicious snack to keep on hand.

It’s been a while since we discussed my love of goat cheese. It’s like in my top 5 favorite foods along with sweet potatoes, fro yo, dark chocolate and cilantro. I love the soft, creamy texture and bold taste. People who don’t like goat cheese? I will never understand you.

I was super stoked when Breton sent me their gluten-free crackers to sample. I love crackers, but I haven’t found too many gluten-free options that do the trick. These, though? OMG so much herb and garlic flavor! No weird textures!are certified gluten free by the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness Gluten Free Certification Program, and I promise they will please all of your gluten-loving friends and family as well! I tried the herb & garlic flavor first, and it was so good on its own that I had a hard time figuring out a pairing that would stand up, but not overwhelm. I wanted to taste this cracker, not hide it.

I wandered around TJ’s looking for inspiration when I saw this perfect little package of honey goat cheese. So simple, but the perfect flavor combination. So I bought some regular goat cheese and added some local Arizona spring honey (if you still buy “honey” in a bear, you are doing it SO wrong!). You don’t need much–just a little touch of sweetness. Finish it off with a pinch of salt and pepper, and that’s it. It is seriously the easiest spread ever, but it tastes incredible!

I love entertaining, but I don’t love stressing out and cooking for 17 days ahead of time to get everything together. This spread is so simple you could make it 5 minutes before your guests arrive and they’ll never know. 😉

5.0 from 1 reviews

Honey Goat Cheese Spread

Author: Ari Ziskin

Recipe type: Appetizer

Prep time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Serves: 4

Smooth, creamy, sweet and tangy honey goat cheese spread is perfect for entertaining, or even just a delicious snack to keep on hand.

Ingredients

4 ounces goat cheese (in a log, not crumbled)
1 tablespoon honey
pinch salt and pepper

Instructions

Place honey and goat cheese in your food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste (I used a small pinch of each). Serve immediately or cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

If you don't have a food processor, feel free to use a mixer to beat ingredients together.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Honey Sriracha Skillet Pork Chops

January 22, 2015 · by Ari · 12 Comments

Sweet and spicy honey sriracha skillet pork chops are so easy and flavorful with only a handful of ingredients, and one pan. Get rid of the idea that healthy food has to be bland or complicated–this dinner is so easy and delicious, you will make it over and over again!

So when I discover something I like, I get on this kick where I have to do that same thing in, like, every single way imaginable. I like mac and cheese, so clearly it is my goal in life to develop every type of mac and cheese that could ever be even remotely delicious. Ever.

That’s how it is with me and the cast iron lately. Specifically with really, super, ridiculously easy meat dishes that start on the stove top to get that perfect sear, then transfer to the oven to keep cooking without drying out. It’s just so perfect, and it’s only one dish! It’s basically my favorite. Well, the crockpot is up there too. 😉

Ever since I made this chicken, I’ve been a woman obsessed, and that cast iron has gotten more use than ever before. It is so easy to create delicious, flavorful food because the cast iron has magical powers where it locks in all the flavor, and makes everything better.

These pork chops are cooked super simply–just coconut oil, honey, Sriracha and pepper. Yes, that’s 5 ingredients including pepper. And the perfect combination of sweet and spicy.

I just love the way spicy foods add so much flavor to a dish, and keep healthy eating exciting! That’s why I was so stoked when this month’s theme of The Recipe ReDux was all about spice. These pork chops deliver the perfect punch, with minimal effort. Win, win.

5.0 from 3 reviews

Honey Sriracha Skillet Pork Chops

Author: Ari Ziskin

Recipe type: Entree

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 4

Sweet and spicy honey sriracha skillet pork chops are so easy and flavorful with only a handful of ingredients, and one pan. Get rid of the idea that healthy food has to be bland or complicated--this dinner is so easy and delicious, you will make it over and over again!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon coconut oil (enough to coat the pan--more or less is fine)
4 large pork loin chops
generous pinch black pepper
1 tablespoon good quality honey
1 tablespoon Sriracha

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Heat coconut oil over medium heat in an oven-proof skillet, preferably cast iron. Season chops with pepper only (I found that salting them made the entire dish taste like salt) and brown in your skillet, about 3-5 minutes per side. You will know pork is ready to be turned when it easily releases from the pan. If you're having trouble, let it continue to cook. It will release when it's browned and ready. Add honey and Sriracha.
Transfer skillet to the oven and bake until pork is cooked through and juices run clear, about 15 minutes. Stir around the juices on the bottom of the pan to mix the pork renderings, coconut oil, honey and Sriracha all together. Serve immediately. I suggest spooning a little bit of the extra liquid on top. Leftovers may be refrigerated in an airtight container for 5-7 days.

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Ricotta Chocolate Chip Ice Cream {with Honey & Vanilla Bean}

August 3, 2014 · by Ari · 17 Comments

Rich, creamy ricotta ice cream loaded with mini dark chocolate chips with underlying flavors of honey and vanilla bean. All the flavors of a classic cannoli in ice cream form!

Do you ever love something so much that you feel like no matter how much you try to describe it, you can never quite put it into words? It’s how I feel about Mia Michaels’ choreography, or when I saw One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest on Broadway, or when I first discovered CILANTRO! I can’t tell you how good it is, you just need to experience it with me.

That’s how I feel about this ice cream. I felt like no matter how many pictures I took, or adjectives I thesaurus-ed, nothing could quite capture my new favorite ice cream. I loved it more than any ice cream I’ve ever purchased at a homemade ice cream shop, and definitely more than anything I’ve ever bought at the store.

First of all, I am OBSESSED with ricotta cheese. Once upon a time, I spent like an entire year on phase 1 of the South Beach diet. It was not a good year. I can tell you, however, that my favorite part was “snacking” on low-fat ricotta cheese. And by “snacking”, I mean opening the tub, grabbing a spoon, and looking down to see half the container had disappeared. Whoops.

But it’s not just the ricotta that makes this so special. It’s the hint of honey, the little specs of vanilla bean that carry a bold flavor (one of my very favorite flavors), and the multiple dark chocolate chips you get in every bite. I don’t know what it is about the mini chocolate chips that make them so much better, but they really do make a difference here, and although you are free to use whatever chip you like, I highly suggest the tiny guys for this recipe. Mini chips = more chips in every bite = automatically better.

Ricotta Chocolate Chip Ice Cream {with Honey & Vanilla Bean}

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 8 hours

Yield: 5-6 cups

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

Ricotta Chocolate Chip Ice Cream {with Honey & Vanilla Bean}

Rich, creamy ricotta ice cream loaded with mini dark chocolate chips with underlying flavors of honey and vanilla bean. All the flavors of a classic cannoli in ice cream form!

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup honey
15 ounces ricotta cheese
4 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature
seeds from 1 vanilla bean
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon bourbon, optional
3/4 cup mini dark chocolate chips

Instructions

In a medium pot, combine whole milk and sugar over medium to medium-low heat. Stir constantly until sugar is fully dissolved and incorporated. Remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature.
Add heavy cream, honey, ricotta, cream cheese, vanilla bean seeds and vanilla extract and blend in a large blender or food processor. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight.
Freeze according to ice cream maker instructions. If desired, add bourbon during the last few minutes of freezing. Fold in chocolate chips then transfer to freezer safe container to finish freezing completely.

http://www.arismenu.com/ricotta-chocolate-chip-ice-cream-with-honey-vanilla-bean/