Good Cooking

Ellen Honea, left, is joined in her kitchen by daughter, Julie McGowan and granddaughters Milla and Darcie. At least half of them prepared the spread pictured here. Julie is married to Connor McGowan. Ellen is married to Albertville Mayor Tracy Honea. They are also the parents of Riley and the late Nick Honea.

Story by Jacqulyn Hall Photos by David Moore

The Honea/McGowan mother/ daughter duo have all but mastered the coveted balance of beautiful seasonal foods that are healthy and as delicious to eat as they are to the eye.

Ellen Honea, First Lady of Albertville, has always enjoyed cooking for her family.

“Mom always caters to our needs and requests,” Julie McGowan affectionately says of her mother. “Her love language is food, I think.”

A retired nurse, Ellen has meshed her love of health and cooking into one comprehensive way of taking care of her family.

“Health is a constant job – not chore – to maintain,” she says. “There’s no magic pill to fix it. It takes work to maintain it.”

Ellen finds the most joy and satisfaction in making kombucha and sauerkraut. She thoroughly enjoys both the creative and scientific aspects of the fermentation process. When making kombucha, she gets to mix and match flavors, and as with any fermentation process, it takes precision, time and nurturing in order to produce a delicious result.

In the last eight years or so, Julie says, Ellen has “basically changed everything I knew about food and cooking; what is healthy and what isn’t, and the impact it has on our health.”

She started on this healthy cooking journey through Julie’s influence. A vegetarian since third grade, Julie introduced her mom to many of the healthier versions of family favorites, particularly sweets like gingersnap cookies and energy balls.

Julie enjoys making healthy food that is not only beautiful, but tastes good; showcasing to friends that food can be all those things even when not processed. The recipe that she has found to garner the most surprise is for her beet hummus.

“It’s so pretty,” Julie says, “and so good!”

Julie has teaching her girls, Milla and Darcie, at the forefront of her mind. One way she is helping her girls understand the differences between whole or processed foods, is by calling some of her healthy recipes and whole foods “strong foods.”

Sitting down to a meal with the family leaves no one longing for processed substitutes. Ellen and Julie have every course that one can imagine covered with a healthy alternative; from scrummy appetizers like stuffed pickled jalapeños and goat cheese cranberry pecan truffles, all the way through to dessert.

The truffles are wonderfully creamy, have a hint of sweetness and just the right amount of tang from the goat cheese and cranberries.

A healthier alternative to their bacon-wrapped cousins, stuffed pickled jalapeños satisfy the craving for something not-too-spicy with a perfectly seasoned cream cheese filling.

When the weather turns chilly, the family enjoys a varied selection of healthy and robust soups and chowders. One of Julie’s go-to recipes is her quick and easyto-prepare red lentil curry soup. Vegan and yet hearty, it’s ideal for a cold day; the warmth from the spices and the soup itself makes for the ideal comfort food.

Ellen makes a creamy potato corn chowder that has all the creaminess of a traditional chowder without the heavy cream; yet it fulfills all the classic characteristics that one would expect.

Balancing the soups with their apple beet salad drizzled with maple Dijon dressing lightens the fare, not only in substance, but in color and flavors.

Mom/daughter cook on same page with healthy, eye-grabbing dishes

APPLE BEET SALAD WITH MAPLE DIJON DRESSING

Spring mix or lettuce of choice Diced red or green apple or combination of both Thinly sliced red onion 1 small roasted fresh beet, sliced or cubed Crumbled feta or goat cheese Chopped walnuts

Toss salad ingredients in large bowl. Serve with Maple Dijon Dressing

Maple Dijon Dressing

½ cup good quality extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup apple cider vinegar 2-3 Tbsp. pure maple syrup (depending on how sweet you prefer) 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard 1 clove chopped garlic or ¼ tsp. garlic powder Pinch of salt and pepper

Place all ingredients in a glass jar with lid. Shake well until thickened and well combined.

1 egg 1¼ cup cornmeal (not cornmeal mix) ½ cup almond flour 1 Tbsp. baking powder ½ tsp. sea salt 1 cup whole milk, buttermilk or almond milk ¼ cup pumpkin puree 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup 3 Tbsp. melted refined coconut oil or vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 425. Mix dry ingredients together. Add milk, egg, pumpkin, maple syrup and oil. Stir together until well combined. Pour into preheated greased iron skillet or 8x8 baking pan lined with parchment. Bake 23-25 minutes until golden brown. Great with soups! (Photo on page 30.)

PUMPKIN CORNBREAD (gluten free; Ellen)

It perfectly blends tangy acidity and sweetness with the fruit and dressing.

Dessert is not off the table in the Honea and McGowan households. Julie’s soft baked gingersnap cookies are favorites with her family, including her girls, who love their “strong food” cookies. Soft like a brownie but with the warmth of a traditional gingersnap, the cookies do not last long once word is out that Julie made them.

Opting to cook seasonal and locally grown produce as much as possible, Ellen and Julie frequent both the Albertville and Guntersville farmers markets. What they do not find within Marshall County, they enjoy from CSA organic farm subscription from Mountain Sun Farm in Mentone. The farmer brings the subscription boxes to a pick up location at Jamoka’s in Guntersville.

The Honeas and McGowans do not let vacations or other trips from home alter their whole food take on conventional recipes. They do their homework by virtually scouting the farmers markets and juice bars at their destination. To ensure that things run smoothly in the kitchen while away from home, they always bring their essential appliances, namely their favorite blender and water filter.

Love is what started the Honeas and McGowans on this whole-food journey. Love of beautiful and healthy foods, love for each other – a desire for everyone’s best health – and love of cooking. This venture into the “less processed foods” lifestyle has strengthened the familial bonds of the Honeas and McGowans, as they enjoy the best side-dish to any delicious meal; good, heartfelt conversation.

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BEET HUMMUS (Julie)

2- 3 medium beets 1½ cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed) 2-3 cloves of garlic 1 tsp. olive oil 2 Tbsp. lemon juice ¼ cup tahini ¼ tsp. salt Pepper to taste Water to thin

Preheat oven to 375. Scrub beets and cut off leaves. Rub with oil and wrap in foil.

Cook 45 minutes or until tender. Let cool, then rub skins off with your hands.

Add all ingredients to the food processor. Process 3-5 minutes or until smooth. Adjust consistency by adding 1 tablespoon of water at a time. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference.

Serve with your favorite veggies and crackers. Makes a great sandwich spread too!

STUFFED PICKLED JALAPENOS (Ellen)

26 oz. can whole pickled jalapenos 8 oz. container garlic and herbs soft cream cheese - recommend Alouette brand Chopped pecans, to taste

Cut pickled jalapenos in half. Scoop out seeds and membranes. Fill jalapeno halves with herbed cream cheese, top with chopped pecans. Refrigerate until time to serve.

Tip: Place cream cheese in zip-lock bag and snip corner to fill jalapenos easier.

GOAT CHEESE CRANBERRY PECAN TRUFFLES (Ellen)

2 4 oz. logs goat cheese, plain or with honey (softened) 4 oz. cream cheese (softened) 1 tsp. cinnamon 3 Tbsp. honey 1½-2 cups chopped pecans 1 green onion minced ½ cup chopped dried cranberries

Cream goat cheese, cream cheese, green onion, cinnamon and honey together until smooth. Add in ½ cup chopped pecans and ¼ cup chopped cranberries.

Refrigerate mixture until chilled for easier rolling.

In a small dish, combine remaining 1 cup chopped pecans (may need additional ½ cup) and remaining ¼ cup chopped cranberries.

Roll cheese mixture into small balls. Roll balls into pecan mixture to coat. Store in refrigerator until time to serve. Can be made several days ahead.

2 small bags frozen corn kernels, thawed 3 lbs. medium size red potatoes, peeled and cubed 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1 onion chopped 3 carrots peeled and chopped 1 stalk celery chopped 5 cloves chopped garlic 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 tsp. salt, or to taste 1 Tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning 2 tsp. smoked paprika 1 tsp. cumin 32 oz. veggie broth, water or chicken broth (if not vegetarian; I use my homemade freezer veggie stock) 1 can full-fat coconut milk (preferably without added gums)

CREAMY POTATO CORN CHOWDER (Ellen)

Reserve 3-4 potatoes and boil until tender in separate pot.

In large stock pot, sauté onion in oil until tender. Add celery, salt, red pepper, carrots, garlic, and seasonings. Cook for a few minutes until veggies start to soften. Add ½ the broth or water and cubed potatoes (except the reserved potatoes boiled separately). Bring just to a boil then reduce to a simmer.

Cook until potatoes are just getting tender then add in 1 bag of the thawed corn. Meanwhile, in a blender combine the coconut milk, remainder of the broth, 1 bag corn and the cooked potatoes (drained) that were boiled separately. Blend until smooth.

Pour the blended corn/potato mixture into the pot. Cook additional 10-20 minutes until potatoes are soft. Taste and add more seasonings as needed.

1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 onion diced 1 red bell pepper diced 1 jalapeno finely diced 1 Tbsp. peeled and minced ginger 2 cloves of garlic finely diced ⅓ cup tomato paste 1 heaping Tbsp. Thai red curry paste ½ tsp. cinnamon 2 tsp. salt 7 cups water

RED LENTIL CURRY SOUP (Julie)

1 can unsweetened coconut milk 2 cups red split lentils, uncooked 1½ cups of chickpeas (or 1 can drained) Juice of 1 lime

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot and add onion, red bell pepper and jalapeno and cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Add ginger, garlic, tomato paste, curry paste, cinnamon and salt. Cook for 2-3 more minutes until the mixture is toasty and fragrant. Add water, coconut milk, lentils and chickpeas.

Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20-25 minutes. Add lime juice at the end of cooking.

Serving suggestion: top the soup with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, a few cashew pieces and a lime wedge.

¼ cup almond butter (the kind with no added sugar. Any nut butter will work!) ¼ cup coconut oil, melted ¼ cup coconut sugar ¼ cup molasses 1 egg at room temperature 1 tsp. vanilla 1 cup almond flour ⅓ cup coconut flour ½ tsp. baking soda ¼ tsp. salt 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. ginger ¼ tsp. allspice

SOFT-BAKED GINGERSNAP COOKIES (Julie)

For rolling

¼ cup coconut sugar 2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the almond butter, coconut oil, coconut sugar and molasses. Add the egg and vanilla. In a medium bowl, mix together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until completely combined. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. While chilling, pour coconut sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Once chilled, roll dough into 16 balls and then roll each in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on baking sheet and flatten with your hand. Bake 9-11 minutes. Allow cookies to cool completely before eating.

1½ cups almond flour ½ cup arrowroot powder/flour 2 Tbsp. coconut flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. cinnamon ¼ tsp. salt ½ cup pumpkin seeds ½ cup chopped walnuts ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut 2 Tbsp. chia seeds 2 Tbsp. hemp seeds 1 cup shredded carrot

LOADED TRAIL MUFFINS (gluten free; Ellen)

1 cup finely chopped apple ½ cup golden or regular raisins, soaked in warm water several minutes. 3 eggs ½ cup unsweetened applesauce ½ cup pure maple syrup ½ cup melted coconut oil 1 tsp. pure vanilla ½ tsp. apple cider vinegar flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir in pumpkin seeds, walnuts, coconut, chia seeds and hemp seeds. Add carrots, apples and raisins.

In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla and apple cider vinegar. Mix wet ingredients into dry until well combined. Spoon into paper lined muffin pans. They should be almost full. Bake for 25-27 minutes until done in the center. Makes 12 muffins. (Photo on page 30.)