The company's founder decided to make Nektar Honey Crystals because he was sick of the sticky mess and bottle cap that won't close (I know the feeling). I don't mind the honey bottle until it gets down to the end and I have to turn it upside down on a dish in my cabinet and it starts to ooze everywhere. I am also a big tea drinker in the winter, and I find that most coffee shops don't carry honey; I hate using white sugar in place of honey, so being the little neurotic that I am, I can see myself carrying packets of this stuff around with me in my purse when it gets cold out.
Other pros: the crystals are GMO free, which is really important to me.
But I digress. We're here for a recipe! I loved the honey crystals as soon as I tried them, but I thought there had to be more ways to use them other than just in tea. I've sprinkled them over yogurt, coated shrimp with them for "honey lime shrimp", and most recently, made honey grilled peaches.
Peaches are gorgeous right now, and these ones were giant and super sweet. I coated them in olive oil and then sprinkled on a few packets of the Nektar Honey Crystals. Then, to the grill they went!
I originally planned to eat these as dessert, but I felt like I needed a little frozen yogurt or something to bring them together, so instead I decided to use them in a salad for dinner.
Um, delish! I love, love the colors of this.
I started with a bed of romaine, then added red onions, cucumbers, avocado and macadamia nuts, then tossed it all with a honey vinaigrette. The peaches were really the show stoppers, though.
I added them to the salad when they were still warm, and they were so perfect. The honey crystals formed a crust on the outside of the peaches, so after they were grilled they were crispy on the outside (imagine the top of a creme brulee) but warm and juicy on the inside.
I served the salad as a side dish to burgers on the grill (veggie burger for me of course), but if you wanted to make this a main meal you could just add some grilled chicken or shrimp for extra protein. It would totally stand up as a full lunch or dinner on a hot day, and it begs to be eaten outside on the patio. It reminds me of a salad I loved to get in San Diego when Heather used to live there years ago.
If you want to grab some honey crystals of your own, the company is running a Groupon special right where you can order two boxes for 20% off. Check out the deal here.** Give 'em a try!
Honey Grilled Peach Salad with Avocados & Macadamias
Serves 2-4
Ingredients
2 large peaches, quartered
2 tsp. olive oil
4 packets Nektar Honey Crystals
2 heads romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
1 cucumber, seeded and sliced or chopped
1/4 red onion, sliced then
1 avocado, sliced
1/4 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
Honey Vinaigrette
1/8 cup walnut oil (or other mild oil)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. salt
Pepper, to taste
Coat peaches with olive oil and sprinkle with Nektar Honey Crystals. Cook an a grill over medium heat for 3 minutes on each side; turn once so each side is charred.
On a platter, lay a bed of romaine lettuce and top with remaining ingredients. Pour vinaigrette over the top. When peaches are grilled, place gently on top of the salad and serve.
Vinaigrette
To make vinaigrette, mix together all ingredients except oil. Then add oil slowly, whisking as you add it.
**The company provided the samples of this product. As always, views expressed are my own.
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