By DEBORAH HUNTER
Cooking with Honey
To help us ring in 2020 in the kitchen, we called on our friend Deborah Hunter, aka Honey, who started her culinary career in 2011 and has already hosted multiple cooking shows and released her own cookbook. Here are three of her mouthwatering recipes: one to help you keep your nutrition resolutions, one to keep you cozy as temperatures drop, and one that’s just plain yummy. Enjoy!
WARM KALE SALAD
This incredible salad is loaded with exciting flavors that are sure to please your palate.
- 2–3 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
- 2 cups fresh organic kale (rinse well and remove center stems)
- 1–2 carrots, julienned
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Sea salt and coarse black pepper, to taste
- Dash of cayenne pepper
- 4–6 large shrimp
- BBQ sauce to brush on shrimp
In a large skillet on medium-high heat, add a small amount of olive oil or coconut oil. Add carrots and allow them to toast. Once they start to brown, add kale and allow it to wilt. Now add lemon juice, salt and coarse black pepper. Once the kale and carrots are nice and tender, turn off the heat and set to the side for a few minutes.
Place shrimp on a wooden skewer. Add a small amount of oil to the skillet; when oil is hot, place shrimp skewer in skillet for 1ó to 2 minutes on each side, depending on the size of your shrimp. Sprinkle on a little bit of salt and cayenne pepper, quickly brush on barbecue sauce, remove from heat and allow shrimp to rest for about 1 minute. Place shrimp skewer on bed of warm kale and serve!
SUPER BOWL OF BEANS AND RICE
- 1 pot cooked white rice
- 1/2 pound ground sausage
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 pound link sausage, thinly sliced
- 2 cans pork and beans, with or without pork (canned red beans or black beans also work really well)
- 1 can (10-ounce) of Rotel tomatoes and green chilies
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup ketchup or your favorite barbecue sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 bag (8-ounce) of your favorite cheese (try mild white cheddar — it makes the perfect topping for this dish)
In an extra-large cast-iron skillet (or if you don’t have one, a big pot will do), brown the meats. Once meats are browned, drain excess oils and place meats back into skillet. Add beans, Rotel, ketchup and brown sugar. Using a large spoon, give it a nice stir. Add water and heavy cream, reduce heat and allow to simmer 18 to 20 minutes.
Place nice helpings of rice in a bowl, top with the meat and bean mixture, and finish with your favorite cheese. You are now in the end zone. Enjoy!
DEEP-SOUTH BUTTERMILK PIE
This pie pairs well with strawberries, raspberries or a rum and caramel glaze. I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as my family does!
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 4 ounces sour cream
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 pie crusts, (9-inch)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Add butter, cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and flour, and mix well until nice and creamy. Stir in buttermilk, lemon juice and nutmeg, pour into pie shells and bake 55 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes. For best results, refrigerate overnight!
Deborah Hunter, aka Honey, is a Mississippi chef who hosts “Cooking with Honey and Friends” on YouTube and Comcast Local98. A former host of “Deep South Dining” on Mississippi Public Broadcasting radio, in 2018 she released her first cookbook, “My Delicious Mississippi Life: Stories and Recipes from My Heart to Yours.”
