Lauren Lulu Taylor
Recipe Creator
This simple dip is everything I love in a dish. Creamy and topped with a layer of sticky sweetness, and with a kick of heat. The lemon rind makes all the difference as well as the extra hit of salt, so don’t leave it out. If you like, you can omit the garlic. The dip is best served warm and with homemade focaccia or pita bread.
Ingredients
- 8 oz (225g) feta or ricotta cheese (or a combination of both)
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced (optional)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried herbs (such as oregano, thyme, or rosemary, lavender)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Drizzle of hot honey (see recipe below)
- Fresh herbs for garnish (optional)
Sliced bread, pita crackers, or raw vegetables for serving
Instructions
1. Sauté garlic
In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, or until it becomes fragrant. Be careful not to brown the garlic.
2. Add herbs
Add the dried herbs to the saucepan and continue to cook for an additional 30 seconds to release their flavors.
3. Mix the cheese
Crumble the feta and/or ricotta cheese into the saucepan with the infused olive oil. Gently heat the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring continuously until the cheese starts to melt and becomes creamy. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
4. Zest and season
Once the cheese is smooth and heated through, remove it from heat. With a whisk, stir in the lemon zest and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
5. Cool down
Transfer the whipped cheese mixture to a serving bowl. It will thicken as it cools.
6. Serving time
Drizzle with hot honey and garnish with fresh herbs, and serve alongside sliced bread, crackers, or raw vegetables.
Hot Honey
There’s just something about the magical combo of honey’s sweet goodness and the zesty zing from chili-infused vinegar. It is a wonderful last-minute glaze for meats and veggies, or you can also pair it with cheese. To infuse the honey, use either dried or fresh chilli peppers.
Ingredients
- Honey (use your favorite honey variety. We recommend supporting local beekeepers when possible.)
- Hot Peppers (you can choose from a range of hot peppers. Dried red pepper flakes work well as a convenient option. For fresh peppers, consider jalapeños, serranos, habaneros, Thai red bird chiles, or any other type you prefer. You can also experiment with other dried chile peppers like anchos, guajillos, pasillas, or chiles de árbol. Adjust the heat by adding more or fewer peppers and varying the simmering time.)
- Vinegar (a splash of apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar can cut the sweetness slightly. Feel free to adjust the amount or omit it based on your taste preferences.)
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
1. Boil honey with peppers
In a saucepan or sauté pan on the stovetop, bring the honey and hot peppers to a simmer. If using dry peppers, heat them first in a dry pan to bring out the oils and flavour.
2. Rest and infuse
Once the honey reaches a simmer, remove it from the heat and let it rest for 10-15 minutes, allowing the hot peppers to infuse the honey.
3. Add spice
Taste the honey using a clean spoon to check the heat level. If you want it spicier, add more hot peppers and let it infuse for an additional 10 minutes. For less spice, mix in extra plain honey to dilute the mixture.
4. Straining
To control the heat level, strain the honey through a fine mesh strainer into a clean jar to remove the hot peppers. However, some prefer to leave the hot peppers, which intensifies the heat. The choice is yours. If you strain the peppers, save them / use them when you need a hot texture in a dish.
5. Ready to serve!
Your homemade hot honey is ready to enjoy!
Recipe Variations:
- Experiment with different types of hot peppers and adjust the level of heat by including more or fewer seeds.
- Switch up your vinegar choice or substitute for your favorite hot sauce.
- Get creative by adding dry seasonings like black pepper, chipotle powder, ground cinnamon, or ground rosemary to customize your hot honey.
Ways to Use Hot Honey:
- Drizzled over hot whipped feta/ricotta.
- Serve with biscuits, cornbread, or French toast.
- Add it to grilled or roasted vegetables, corn on the cob, or stir-fries.
- Enhance the flavor of meats, seafood, tofu, and proteins like steak, pork, shrimp, sausage, bacon, fish, scallops, and more.
- Enjoy it with fried foods, such as chicken wings, fried chicken, french fries, and other deep-fried treats.
- Sweeten your salad dressing and give it a hint of heat.
- Drizzle it over desserts like ice cream, brownies, and cheesecakes.
- Incorporate it into cocktails, like old fashions, mojitos, or gimlets, or stir it into hot tea or a hot toddy for an extra kick.
We hope that you will enjoy this dish. For more great ideas on how to spice up your meals, please see our Recipes.
Lauren Lulu Taylor is the co-founder of the award-winning Artisan Food Company, Secret Kiwi Kitchen. With a passion for all things natural and delicious, the company specialises in selling premium baking mixes and dried edible flowers.
Lulu has also co-authored the cookbook “Real Thai Cooking” and authored her own book on the culinary versatility of edible flowers, titled “Feasting on Flowers”.
With a diverse background as an American Kiwi of European and Asian ancestry, Lulu appreciates cultural diversity and believes in the power of food to connect people from all backgrounds.
Lulu’s love for cooking and creating delicious food products stems from a personal journey. Growing up with a mother who battled cancer, Lulu experienced first hand the importance of using the best, chemical-free ingredients in food prepared at home. This experience ignited her passion for natural foods and a commitment to promoting well-being and connection through her culinary endeavours.
You can also follow Lauren by visiting LaurenLuluTaylor.
