Tea Tips - Episode 11 "Cooking with Tea"

Tea-Smoking - Fine Cooking Recipes, Techniques and Tips

Tea-Smoking - Fine Cooking Recipes, Techniques and Tips

Flat Bread Pizza

Ingredients:

• 2 pieces Climber's High Naan, grilled
• 1 cup Edamame, shelled
• 1/2 cup white kidney beans
• 1 avocado, peeled and pitted
• 1 jalapeno, seeded optional
• 1 TBS miso paste
• 1 lemon, juice & zest
• 2 cup spinach, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup goat cheese
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• salt & pepper to taste

Preparation: Watch video below.

For Climber's High Naan recipe, visit : The Tea Spot Blog

Roasted Green Tea Frico toped with Smoked Salmon Tartar

An easy-to-make appetizer to celebrate Earth Day...

Ingredients: Salmon Tartar

• 12 oz smoked salmon, diced
• 1 1/2 cup creme fraiche
• 1 TBS Dijon mustard
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 2 TBS capers, washed & diced
• 2 shallot, small diced
• 1-2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 TBS BOULDER BLUES Tea-soning
• Garnish: 1/4 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped

Preparation: Salomon Tartar

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. Place in refrigerator until ready to use.

2. Visit steepitloose.blogspot.com for Roasted Green Tea Frico recipe.

RED ROCKS Glazed & Grilled Portabella (Steak) Wrap

If I were you, I would make extra Red Rocks Glaze, a healthy and easy to make marinade for chicken, steak, fish and veggies that can be stored it in your refrigerator for up to 7 days.

RED ROCKS Glazed & Grilled Portabella (Steak) Wrap

Yields: 4-6 servings                                          

Cooking Technique: Marinade & Glaze

Ingredients - Red Rocks Glaze                    

- 1/3 cup Olive Oil

- 1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar

- 1/4 cup agave 

- 3 tablespoons Red Rocks tea, finely grounded

- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

- 2 teaspoon salt  

- 2 teaspoon white  pepper

Preparation - Red Rocks Glaze

1. Mix vinegar, agave & mustard together. Slowly add the oil whisking vigorously to emulsify the dressing (may be done in a food processor). 

2. Add Red Rocks, salt & pepper to mixture & whisk. Reserve to marinate portabella (or steak).

Ingredients - Wrap

- 4 large Portabella Mushrooms (or 1.5 lb Flank Steak) 

- 2 Avocados, sliced

- 2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced

- 2 cups spinach

- 4 oz. Drunken Goat cheese, sliced

- 4 whole wheat tortilla wraps, slightly grilled 

Preparation - Wrap

1. Coat steak or portabellas with 1/2 cup Red Rocks glaze (allow to marinate for 30 minutes). Divide remaining glaze. Use 1/2 to glaze when grilling & the other 1/2 to spread over tortillas.

2. Heat grill to medium. Grill portabellas (or steak) on each side for 4 - 7 minutes, glaze periodically. Grill tortillas on each side for 20-30 seconds. Thinly slice.

3. Spread glaze on tortilla, add avocado, spinach, cheese & tomatoes. Wrap & Enjoy!

Part II: 'TEAS' Your Food: Tea + Seasonings = Tea-sonings

As I mentioned last week, one of the most creative and fun way to use all the tea in your pantry is to cook with it. In my opinion, the easiest way to get started cooking with tea is to make a Tea-soning. Last week I posted my famous Boulder Blues Tea-soning and this week I am posting another one of my favorite Tea-soning...

I created this Tea-soning specifically to season and sear salmon. The MATE LIMON CHA Tea-soning has very few ingredients, making it easy to make. You don't have to add many other ingredients when using a tea with great depth and various flavors, like our MATE LIMON CHAI.

Ingredients: MATE LIMON CHAI Tea-soning

Yields ~ 8 TBS

·  3 TBS MATE LIMON CHAI, finely grounded

·  2 TBS Salt

·  1 TBS Sugar

·  1 tsp pepper

·  1- 2 tsp cayenne pepper

Hand blend the above ingredients and store your Tea-sonings in a metal or glass container, away from light & moisture, until you are ready to use it.

Next week, my favorite recipe with this Tea-soning...

'TEAS' Your Food: Tea + Seasonings = Tea-sonings

Photo by Benson's Gourmet Seasonings

One of the easiest ways to use all the tea in your pantry is to use it as a culinary ingredient. Cooking with tea is as old as its history. The ancient Chinese stuffed and steamed fish with oolong leaves; they smoked duck with tea leaves; they infused boiling water with tea leaves to poach shrimp and make marbled hard boiled eggs. There are so many creative, fun and tea-licious ways to TEAS your food. You can TEAS dressings, marinades, brines, spreads, broths, sauces, salsas, soups, etc. In my opinion, the easiest way to get started cooking with tea is to make a Tea-soning. 

What's a Tea-soning? Tea + seasonings = Tea-soning, a word I coined when you mix ground tea with other seasonings, spices or herbs.

To make a Tea-soning, use a grinder to finely grind loose-leaf tea. Combine the ground tea leaves with herbs, spices and/or seasonings. Don’t ever grind tea in the same grinder you grind your coffee because it will impart coffee flavors that will overpower the tea flavors. Use what is already in your pantry but be creative. Think about how flavors complement or contrast each other. For example, let's say you have a fruity green tea you want to make into a Tea-soning. Think about what would complement and contrast the fruity flavors of the tea. Although I believe that loose leaf tea is fresher and more flavorful than the tea in bags, you can use teabags. Just rip the teabag open and pour the tea out of the bag.

Below is a Tea-soning I created with our BOULDER BLUES, green tea blended with strawberry & rhubarb. Blending ingredients that complement the fruity flavors (i.e. orange and lemon peel)  with ingredients that contrast the fruitiness(i.e. Chipotle Chile pepper, cumin) create layers of complexity. I recently used this Tea-soning to tenderize and bring flavor to hamburgers. 

Visit Margaret Studer's, write for Tea-Examiner.com to find my recipe for my famous Casanova Burgers.

Ingredients: BOULDER BLUES Tea-Sonings

Yields ~ 9 TBS 

· 2 TBS BOULDER BLUES, finely ground


· 2 TBS Chipotle Chile Pepper


· 1TBS orange peel, dried

· 1 TBS lemon peel, dried

· 1 TBS salt

· 1 tsp thyme


· 1 tsp cilantro flakes


· 1 tsp cumin


Vintage Oolong Rice Pilaf

Photo By: Learning how to cook

Oolong Rice

Serves: 4 – 6

Vintage Oolong goes together just like white on rice and will give ordinary rice a sweet and subtle aroma and flavor. 

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1 TBS oil
• 4 cups water 
  
• 2 teaspoons VINTAGE OOLONG 
  
• 2 cups rice 
  
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil 
  
• salt 1/2 teaspoon, or to taste.
  

PREPARATION: 

1. In a large pot bring water to a boil. In another pot heat oil. Add rice and coat with heated oil. Add hot water to rice. After 5 minutes add VINTAGE OOLONG leaves. Cover and simmer for an additional 20 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is ready. Remove VINTAGE OOLONG leaves – they will all be at the surface of the rice.
   

Serve with Stir-fried Shrimp & Veggies Sprinkled with Tea-sonings.

For recipe visit Steep It Loose!