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


And The Next Food Network Star Is......

Too busy to make dinner? Not enough time in the day to spend with your spouse?

If you plan, prep and pre-make a few things in advance you will find the time to do both...

Watch, as I coach you how....

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Comments, feedback & questions welcomed...