This coming Tuesday 1st March is Mardi Gras, also known as shrove or Fat Tuesday.
Special foods are traditionally eaten on Mardi Gras as it’s the day before Lent begins.
Many recipes you’d cook up on this day are an easy way to use up rich foods such as eggs, milk, and sugar, before the 40-day fasting period of Lent begins.
So how can you add a drizzle of Manuka honey goodness to your Mardi Gras meals?
Here are our favourite ways to combine the sweetness and texture of Manuka honey with some classics:
1. Manuka and Mango Shrimp
This is an epic refreshing meal with some deep flavour that will give your tastebuds a kick in the right places.
Ingredients:
- 200g peeled shrimp
- 1 tbsp chilli powder
- 1 tbsp garlic granules
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp cup Olive Oil
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 inch grated ginger
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3/4 cup coconut milk
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp Manuka Doctor honey
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped
Mango salsa:
- 1 mango, in chunks
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 cup coriander, roughly chopped
Directions:
Pat the shrimp dry and add, chilli powder, garlic granules, salt and pepper to a bowl. Marinate for 25 mins.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, which is around 2 mins per side.
Add the garlic, ginger, cayenne, jalapeño peppers, and butter. Continue to cook the shrimp in the butter for 1 to 2 mins
Add the coconut milk, soy sauce, and the Manuka honey, stir to combine, bring the mixture to a simmer, cook 2-3 mins, until warmed.
Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice and zest, add coriander
To make the salsa, mix all it’s ingredients in a bowl
Serve the shrimp over rice with avocado. Top with salsa.
2. Mardis Gras Pancakes
This recipe is easy to make and ready in under 30 minutes and includes our Manuka Doctor 80 MGO honey as a luxurious addition.
According to Marie Claire magazine, you should take between about 1 to 2 tablespoons of Manuka a day. The easiest way to do this is to eat a spoonful straight. However, drizzling it onto pancakes or porridge, or spreading it on toast is equally good.Ingredients:
- 315ml semi skimmed milk (or non-dairy milk of choice)
- 250g plain flour
- 1 large egg
- 40g sugar
- 4 tsp baking powder
- Manuka honey
- 45g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1/2 tsp salt
- A few drops vanilla extract (optional)
- Sunflower oil to fry
Directions:
Place the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to stir together
Put the milk, egg and vanilla extract in a measuring cup and lightly whisk together
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Pour in the wet ingredients. Mix until fairly smooth
Add the melted butter and mix in. Leave to stand for 15 minutes
Wipe a little oil around the frying pan. Heat and ladle in the batter. Leave space between the pancakes so you can flip them
Cook over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes until bubbles appear on the surface of the pancakes. Flip and cook for a minute longer on the other side until golden. Repeat using all the batter adding a little more oil if needed
Serve with sliced strawberries and chopped nuts and liberally drizzle with two table spoons of Manuka Doctor 80 MGO honey to your preference.
3. Mardi Gras Manuka King Cake
In the South Eastern region of the US, particularly Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, king cake is associated with Mardi Gras and is served during Carnival and year round.
The most simple, said to be the most traditional way of making this Mardi Gras cake is a ring of twisted cinnamon roll-style dough.
It may be topped with icing or sugar, which is often colour coded to show the traditional Mardi Gras colours of: green, gold, and purple (representing faith, power, and justice).
And what better way to add some golden sparkle to your Mardi Gras King Cake than a drizzle of Manuka honey! Honey is a useful baking partner, and can be used in the mix itself, or included in the icing to add a touch of sweetness, and of course, that famous golden colour.
