Secret Agent: Honey is a Hit for Mealtime Success

Sept. 21, 2011 - PRLog -- This secret agent – honey – might already be lurking in your kitchen. Just a teaspoon added to a main dish will bring out flavors galore. Whether you brush raw, unfiltered North Dallas Honey on a chicken breast right before it comes off the grill or use a cup of honey in a dipping sauce, this secret ingredient will boost dinner to maximum success.

Honey can be substituted for sugar in many recipes with a few adjustments. Keep in mind the old saying: good things come in small packages, and honey packs a powerful flavor punch. North Dallas Honey Company offers a few tips for cooking with honey.

•   When using honey in recipes in place of sugar, use less honey because it is almost twice as sweet as sugar.

•   Replace one cup of sugar with half a cup of honey. Because honey is hygroscopic (meaning it attracts water), reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey added.

•   Allow longer time for beating and more vigorous beating, compared to sugar recipes, when using honey.

•   When baking with North Dallas Honey, add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda for each cup of honey used. This will neutralize honey's acidity and help the food rise.

•   When baking with honey, reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Honey batter becomes crisp and browns faster than sugar batter.

•   When using honey in jams, jellies or candy, increase the cooking temperature just a bit to allow the extra liquid to evaporate.

•   The floral variety of the honey should be considered when cooking with honey since honey has the power to balance, enhance or impart some of its flavor to other foods.

Even with busy schedules, mealtime can be ready when you are with a little planning. North Dallas Honey suggests this simply sweet slow cooker recipe. Try it and enjoy the compliments.

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup North Dallas Honey
3/4 cup lite soy sauce
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, minced
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple tidbits, drained with juice reserved
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water

1.   Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook chicken breasts just until evenly browned on all sides. Place chicken breasts in a slow cooker.
2.   In a bowl, mix North Dallas Honey, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, ginger and reserved pineapple juice. Pour into the slow cooker.
3.   Cover, and cook 4 hours on High. Stir in pineapple tidbits just before serving.
4.   Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Remove chicken breasts from slow cooker. Blend the cornstarch mixture into remaining sauce in the slow cooker to thicken. Serve sauce over the chicken.

North Dallas Honey has been providing local, raw and unfiltered honey since 1972. Look for the bear-shaped bottles with the orange label at your local grocer. To help alleviate allergies with an assist from nature – think organic, adults should take 1 Tablespoon of honey a day and children over age 1 should take 2 teaspoons a day. For your convenience, our honey can be found on a number of shelves at local retailers, including Albertson's, Central Market, Kroger, Market Street, Sprouts, Tom Thumb, Wal-Mart and Whole Foods. Visit www.northdallashoney.com.

Media Advisory: For more information on North Dallas Honey Company, contact Jane Jarrell at 214-718-4408 or jane@trizcom.com.

About:
North Dallas Honey Company (www.northdallashoney.com) produces thick and quality honey that is packaged in 12-, 16- and 32-ounce containers. Additionally, we provide 1- and 5-gallon containers of our honey and have quarterly gift baskets filled with our honey available to order. For your convenience, our honey can be found on a number of shelves at local retailers, including Albertson's, Central Market, Kroger, Market Street, Sprouts, Tom Thumb, Wal-Mart and Whole Foods and online at www.northdallashoneycompany.com.

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About:
North Dallas Honey Company (www.northdallashoney.com) produces thick and quality honey that is packaged in 12-, 16- and 32-ounce containers. Additionally, we provide 1- and 5-gallon containers of our honey and have quarterly gift baskets filled with our honey available to order. For your convenience, our honey can be found on a number of shelves at local retailers, including Albertson's, Central Market, Kroger, Market Street, Sprouts, Tom Thumb, Wal-Mart and Whole Foods and online at www.northdallashoneycompany.com.