Three Latin-Inspired Mini Indulgences with Honey {Recipe}

During warmer months we crave fresh ingredients in our kitchens. Spring days call for lighter meals full of all the flavors that the season brings. That’s why we want to share three delicious recipes with you made with one special ingredient: honey! The three tasty recipes that you’ll find below put a fresh spin on some of our favorite comfort foods: nachos, tostadas, and caramalized nuts with honey and chile piquín!

I also must admit that I’m a bit biased because these recipes were developed by Coral Bosch, event planner and owner of Zikei Event Design, and also one of my dear friends and comadre! I’ve sat down at her table so many times and can attest to the special sabor of ther dishes because she puts real passion into every single thing she does.

Chicken Nachos with Honey, Zucchini and Jalapeño Salsa

-Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 chicken breast fillets
• 2 cups cubed zucchini
• 1 red onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 4 jalapeño peppers
• 1 handful of cilantro
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 ¼ cups lemon juice
• Salt and pepper
• 1 regular-sized bag of tortilla chips

Preparation:

In a small bowl, mix one tablespoon of honey, the lemon juice, one teaspoon of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Place the mixture into a re-sealable freezer bag and add the chicken breasts. Seal the bag tightly and gently shake it to cover the chicken breasts. Let marinade for 2 hours.

Boil the chicken breasts in a saucepan. Once cooked, wait for them to cool. Finely chop the garlic, red onion and jalapeño peppers. Cut the zucchini into small cubes. Place all the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and mix them with 5 teaspoons of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Preheat oven to 250°F. Spread vegetables onto a baking dish and cook them in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking, cut the chicken breasts into small cubes and place them in a large bowl. Finely chop the cilantro and mix it into the bowl with the chicken. Once the zucchini cubes have lightly browned, remove vegetables from oven and wait for them to cool. When cool, add them into the bowl with the chicken cubes and the cilantro, and mix them with 2 tablespoons of honey, the juice of 4 lemons, 6 teaspoons of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for 2 – 3 hours. Serve over tortilla chips.

Mini Tostadas with Honey-Soy Marinated Tuna

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 tbsps honey
8 small corn tortilla tostadas (preferably baked and pre-packaged)
2 tuna fillets (5 – 6 oz. each)
2/3 cup of low sodium soy sauce
½ cup lemon juice
½ cup chopped chives
2 leeks
2 avocados
3 tbsps mayonnaise
1 tbsp chipotle paste
½ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper

For the chipotle paste:

3 canned chipotle peppers
¼ cup chicken stock or water

Preparation:

Cut the tuna fillets into thin slices, approximately ½ cm thick. In a medium-sized bowl, combine honey with soy sauce and lemon juice. Place tuna slices inside the mix and leave them marinating for 3 – 4 hours in the refrigerator.

In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, chives, a tablespoon of chipotle paste and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Cut the white portion of the leeks into thin strips and heat in a frying pan with the olive oil. Fry leeks in small quantities until browned and crispy. Place on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.

Spread the mayonnaise mix on each mini tostada and top with the marinated tuna slices. Cut avocados in thin slices and distribute them evenly onto tostadas. Garnish with a bit of fried leeks and serve.

*For the chipotle paste:

Clean the chipotles peppers and remove all the seeds. Put them in a blender with the water or chicken stock. Blend until perfectly mixed. It can keep for weeks in the refrigerator and is a good base for preparing chipotle sauce or for flavoring other dishes.

**If you are unable to find packaged mini tostadas, use 8 tortillas and cut each one using a round cookie cutter, focusing on the center of the tortilla to obtain a mini tortilla. Preheat oven to 350°F and place all the mini tortillas on a baking sheet in one single layer. Lightly spray each mini tortilla with olive oil. Bake for 7 minutes. Turn the baking sheet and bake for another 7 minutes or until they look crunchy. Let cool before serving.

Caramelized Nuts with Honey and Chile Piquín

-Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

¼ cup honey
3 cups plain mixed nuts
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp powdered chile piquín or cayenne pepper

Preparation:

Heat honey and butter in a pot over low flame, stirring with a spatula until blended. Add the chile piquín and the salt. For best results, use a thick-based pot so that the heat distributes evenly.

Add nuts into pot, stirring every so often to make sure that the honey covers them completely. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, making sure to leave enough space between them so that they don’t stick together. Let stand until cool.

Heat the oven to 250°F and bake the nuts for 10 – 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Let stand until cool and serve.