Tea Spot Chef Meets Guy Fieri

Not a big fan of Minute to Win it, but fantical about the Next Food Network Star, Triple D and Big Bite...What do they all have in common??? One of my idols, Guy Fieri. A really cool guy that just launched his own BBQ Sauce and Salsa line at the Fancy Foods Show last month. Below is a little tea twist on Guy's Salsa Verde.

Tea Twisted Guy's Salsa Verde:
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon capers
• 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
• 2 tablespoons chopped jarred roasted red bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• *¼ cup Green Tea Concentrate
o To Makte Tea Concentrate: Steep 1 tablespoon of Green Tea in 175 degree water for 3 min. Strain tea leaves & let cool for 3 min.
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt

In a food processor, puree all ingredients but oil and salt until smooth. With machine running, slowly add oil until well combined. Season with salt, to taste.

Serve it with chips, ladle it over grilled chicken or salmon, or try is as a dipping sauce. You might want to double the recipe so you have extra on hand.

*Tea Spot's Chef Tea Twist

Yield: 1 cup

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ease of preparation: easy

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.

'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