Eat a Bowl of Tea

“I always knew tea was a very versatile food,” says Danielle Beaudette, owner of New Hampshire’s The Cozy Tea Cart. “There are so many ways to use it.” In addition to experimenting in her own kitchen, Danielle teaches classes about pairing and cooking with tea and collaborates with confectioners and bakers to perfect tea-infused caramels, scones, and even chocolates. Her inspiration came largely from a demonstration at the World Tea Expo in 2002, but since then she’s compiled dozens of recipes featuring her favorite blends.

When it comes to testing the waters of cooking with tea, Danielle recommends starting with a blend or flavor you’re familiar with and know that you already like.  “That way you’ll like the final product too. The earthy denseness of an aged pu-erh,” she says of her favorite after-dinner tea, “may not be for everyone.” Danielle also recommends starting with fresh, whole leaves and touching base with a local specialty merchant who can guide you to flavors that will enhance your meals.

Though tea is highly ritualized and literally steeped in tradition worldwide, Danielle’s recommendations for tea inspired meals suggest, when it comes to cooking with tea, “you really can’t go wrong.”

Web Extra – try out these tea recipies

This is not your grandmother’s tea party: Get cooking with Danielle Baudette and her tea-toting collaborator Liz Barbour, chef and instructor at The Creative Feast. Try their recipes and other gourmand-worthy ones from the Cooking with Tea demonstrations at the 2008 World Tea Expo.

TEA RUBBED CHICKEN

The flavor of the tea can be easily transferred into this basic tea rub, acting as a flavorful and crunchy crust for the chicken. This rub is also fantastic on fish or pork. To further develop the flavor, serve with The Cozy Tea Cart’s Ceylon Breakfast tea.

INGREDIENTS:

4 tbsp Cozy Tea Cart Ceylon Breakfast Tea
½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp whole coriander seeds
¼ tsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp brown sugar
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp Cozy Tea Cart Organic Camellia Tea Seed Oil
1 ½ lbs chicken (fish or pork)

Use an electric spice grinder to grind all of the ingredients until they are a fine powder and set aside. Lightly oil chicken in the Organic Camellia Tea Seed Oil, and dip each piece into the rub. Let the chicken sit for approx. 15 minutes for the crust to form. Saute in a frying pan or cook in the oven until done (approx. 20 – 30 minutes).

PASTA IN LEMON ZEST OIL
Spiced with ORGANIC LEMON GINGER GREEN TEA

This recipe is the perfect example of how to use the dried tea leaves as a delicious garnish or spice, just as you would use an herb to sprinkle over a dish. The ginger adds a slight kick to the pasta, without overpowering the light lemony flavor of the Camellia oil. Diced, cooked chicken can be easily added to this recipe for a complete meal. This dish is delicious when paired with a hot cup of The Cozy Tea Cart’s Organic Lemon Ginger Green Tea.

INGREDIENTS:

12 ounces Organic whole wheat thin pasta
¼ cup Cozy Tea Cart Organic Camellia Tea Seed Oil
6 Tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed or slivered
3 tbsp Cozy Tea Cart Organic Lemon Ginger Green Tea
½ grated lemon peel
Salt and ground black pepper (optional)
Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta and drain it well. (This can be done one day ahead and kept cool in tightly sealed container overnight.) In a cold pan, heat the Organic Tea Seed Oil on low heat with the lemon juice and garlic for 1-2 minutes. Pour the heated oil infusion over the cooked pasta. Sprinkle the Organic Lemon Ginger Green Tea and lemon zest over the pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with grated parmesan cheese.

GREEN BEANS WITH GARLIC AND KEEMUN TEA

This is a simple recipe, but don’t let that fool you! The deep richness of this Keemun infusion produces a burgundy essence that is sure to please. The Camellia tea oil offers additional nutritional benefits than other oils and has a sweet, herbal aroma. It is cold-pressed, low in saturated fat and high in healthy monounsaturated fat which contributes to good, healthy eating. The tea oil has no trans fat, no cholesterol and beneficial healthy omega 6 and 9 fatty acids. It can be used at both high and low temperatures and in frying, salads, or baking.

1 lb. Farm fresh green beans, trimmed 2 Cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp Cozy Tea Cart Organic Camellia Tea Seed Oil 3 tbsp Cozy Tea Cart English Breakfast (100% Keemun) tea infused into ½ cup water (this makes a strong concentrate)
Toasted Almond slices for garnish.

Steam green beans in a bamboo steamer for 3-4 minutes. (The green beans should remain somewhat stiff. Do not over-cook.) While beans are steaming, saute minced garlic in the Organic Camellia Tea Seed Oil until dense. Add brewed tea concentrate and simmer with garlic for 2-3 minutes. Remove beans from steamer and put in a large bowl. Pour tea marinade over drained beans. Garnish with toasted almond slices, as desired. Serve immediately.

HUNTER’S MUSHROOM SOUP
with Dragonwell Green Tea

Using the green tea as a base makes this an even healthier soup! This tea has an excellent pan-fired aroma that provides a subtle hint to the overall flavor. Enjoy it with a cup of The Cozy Tea Cart’s Dragonwell tea for a pure tea tasting experience! Serves 8

1 cup dried porcini mushrooms or assorted
4 TBS unsalted butter or 2 TBS Organic Camellia Tea Seed Oil
1 Large spanish onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 stalk celery, diced (about 1 cup)
1 large carrot, diced into cubes (about 1 cup)
2 TBS The Cozy Tea Cart Dragonwell Green tea leaves steeped in 6 cups boiling water for 5 minutes
2 TBS Soy Sauce
4 ounces fresh crimini mushrooms, sliced
4 ounces fresh shitake mushrooms, sliced
1 15-oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 TBS fresh rosemary, chopped (2 tsp dried)
1 TBS fresh sage, chopped (2 tsp dried)
Garnish: 3 TBS fresh parsley, chopped

Steep the dried mushrooms in 3 cups of boiling water (or to cover) for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, strain out the mushrooms. Be sure to save the liquid to add to the soup. Slice the mushrooms. In a large soup pot, heat the butter or oil, onion, garlic, celery, and carrot over medium heat until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the steeped green tea and tea leaves to the vegetables. Add the steeped, dried mushrooms, the reserved mushroom liquid, and the remaining ingredients (except the chopped parsley) to the soup pot. Simmer for 2 hours. Serve hot with a generous sprinkle of parsley on top.

FRUIT COMPOTE WITH THE COZY TEA CART SPICED TEA AND WALNUTS

This recipe is the perfect ending to your dinner during the winter months. It is light and slightly spicy. Enjoy it along with a hot cup of The Cozy Tea Cart Spice Tea to further enhance the flavors!

2 tbsp Cozy Tea Cart Spice Tea infused into 1/3 cup water
2-3 Apples
2-3 Pears
2 tbsp 100% Pure Maple Syrup
½ cup Raisins
1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Wash, core and chop the apples and pears into slices or chunks. Place in a large saucepan with 1/3 cup tea infusion. Add the maple syrup and raisins. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add lemon juice and cinnamon. Cook for another 10 minutes, until soft. Top the warm fruit with walnuts and enjoy!

BLACK CURRANT TEA-INFUSED CREAM SAUCE

**For an extra special treat, before adding the walnuts, top with the following tea-infused cream sauce! Makes 4 servings

1 tbsp Cozy Tea Cart Black Currant tea, ground in electric mixer*
4 tbsp boiling water
4.5 tbsp Agave Nectar (a natural liquid sweetener- if you prefer sugar, replace with 6 tbsp sugar)
¾ cup Organic Vanilla Bean Yogurt or heavy creamInfuse the tea into the hot water for 5 minutes. Strain the tea leaves and let cool. Place the yogurt (or heavy cream) in a bowl and whisk in the agave nectar (or sugar). Once they are blended well, add the cooled tea infusion and blend evenly. Pour over the Fruit compote and add the walnuts.

*Grinding the tea leaves allows the tea to infuse quicker into the water. Whole leaf tea should be used and ground just before steeping for enhanced flavor and freshness.

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These recipes from world-class chefs were part of the 2008 World Tea Expo’s Cooking with Tea demonstrations.

Hawaiian Opah Ceviche with Organic Lemon Myrtle Tea Reduction

Mike Minor, Executive Chef at Mandalay Bay’s Border Grill Las Vegas uses Shangri La Organic Lemon Myrtle Tea in this Mexican inspired dish he presented at the 2008 World Tea Expo.

INGREDIENTS:

Ceviche:

• 1 pound White fish marinated in ½ cup lime juice
• ¼ cup Diced red onion
• ½ bunch Cilantro
• 1 Lemon, cut into segments
• ¼ cup Mango

Lemon Myrtle Tea Reduction:

• 4 cups Brewed Shangri La Organic Lemon Myrtle Tea

Dice all ingredients to equal size, about ¼-inch. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Place 4 cups of standard brew, Shangri La Organic Lemon Myrtle tea in saucepan over medium heat. Allow to reduce to approximately 1 cup or to desired thickness and allow to cool. Spoon the tea reduction over the ceviche, garnish with cilantro and avocado and serve with tarot or corn chips.

Morel’s Organic Green Tea Meat Rub

Executive Chef Eric Bauer, is known for utilizing simple ingredients in simple ways and allowing a dish’s natural flavors to be the highlight of the meal. This meat rub replicates a stand-by at Morels French Steakhouse & Bistro in Las Vegas and pairs well with Chicken, Lamb, Pork or Beef. It also tends to eat well with an Argentinean Chimi Churi or Salsa Verde.

INGREDIENTS:

• 23 grams Celery Seed
• 30 grams Onion Powder
• 10 grams Whole Dried Leaf Rosemary
• 30 grams Ground Cumin
• 5 grams Cayenne Pepper
• 35 grams Garlic Powder
• 100 grams Rishi Ancient Snow Sprout, Organic Fair Trade Green Tea
• 25 grams Black Pepper
• 200 grams Kosher Salt
• 100 grams Chili Powder

Crush and chop the tea and mix into all other ingredients until uniform in color. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Jumbo Shrimp with Organic BioChai Tea Sauce

Chef Instructor at the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts School in Las Vegas uses the same tea to flavor this dish two ways and add plenty of antioxidants to a gourmet main dish.

INGREDIENTS:

• 8  Jumbo Shrimp
• 1oz Hampstead Tea London Organic Fair Trade BioChai
• 1 clove Crushed garlic
• 5 oz Milk or cream
• 3 Tbsp Canola Oil
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Peel Shrimp and set aside. Mince the Hampstead Tea London Organic Fair Trade BioChai and sprinkle it to evenly coat the shrimp. Add Salt and Pepper to taste (More pepper than Salt) add the oil & toss with the shrimp. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Delicately sauté the shrimp in a non-stick pan until almost opaque, add the crushed garlic, cook for 30 seconds than cover the pan and let cook for 1 minute or until shrimp are completely cooked. Remove the Shrimp from the pan and set aside, cover with foil to keep it warm.

Deglaze the sauce pan with the milk or cream, bring to a heavy simmer quickly, add some salt and pepper, then pass the sauce through a fine strainer (Chinois) into a small sauce pan. Reduce by half. Place the shrimp on a plate/platter and pour the BioChai reduction over the shrimp.