Blissful Writings About Tea, Green Living, Health, Recipes, Spas and Weight Loss

Even though the Chinese have been cooking with tea, almost as long as they have been drinking it, the idea of tea as a cooking staple in the kitchen has not been as popular in the West, but it is gaining ground.

The endless flavors of tea make this versatile plant a perfect compliment to anyone’s kitchen. Indeed, as loose-leaf tea is gaining popularity with the public, restaurants are starting to include tea on their menus, not just under drinks, but under entrees.  Meals like tea-baked salmon and jasmine tea rice are now popular culinary dishes.

Besides the multitude of flavor, the long list of health benefits makes tea a great ingredient. See the list of how tea can be used in the kitchen, try one of the recipes below, and experiment with tea recipes of your own.

Tea as a Marinade

Take any leftover tea and use it as a marinade.  Cook chicken breasts in the liquid for a unique flavor. Keep in mind that extra cooking time will steep the tea longer and might make it bitter. Making the tea fresh is the best way to preserve the flavor.

Tea as a Spice

You can grind tea for a rub on steak, pork, fish, or poultry. Mix tea leaves with your favorite spices to entertain a whole new flavor.

Tea as a Stock

When cooking rice or pasta, replace the water or stock with prepared tea for a light tea flavor. If using already prepared tea the continued cooking might over steep the tea and make it bitter.  Best way to use tea in this fashion is to make it fresh.

Also add prepared tea to soups, salad dressings, gravies, even stew beef, for an added flavor.  Instead of diluting a dish with water, consider stepping tea directly in hot milk, cream, or wine.

Tea as an Oil

Oil pressed from tea seeds is becoming more popular in Western cuisine. It has a relatively neutral taste but a high flash point.  It is used as a base in salad dressing and an oil for sautéing.

Tea as an Aromatic

Highly aromatic teas can add another dimension to a dish.  Because the sense of smell effects the tastes, adding a touch of tea to a food can add a whole new element to the meal.

Tea as a Dessert

This idea is gaining popularity as dishes such as green tea sorbet and Earl Grey shortbread cookies can now be found in cafes and restaurants around the world. The tea takes to sweets well and makes for a unique flavor. For a twist on your favorite chocolate cake, try adding a little brewed tea to the batter.

Tea as a Green

With the level of antioxidants in a cup tea equal to a serving of vegetables, getting your daily dose of vegetables might be easier than it seems. Cooking the dry leaves directly into the food will add a healthy addition to the meal.  Most often, the tea keeps its essential vitamins and antioxidants when cooked. Or use dry tea leaves as a delicious salad topping.

Keep Notes

Think about the teas you like and keep a list of those new ones you try so when you are ready to experiment with teas in your meals you have a list of favorite flavors and combinations.

Two Simple Recipes

Tea-Braised Chicken

Here’s a quick and easy braising recipe for chicken using a tea-infused liquid. It is highly adaptable to other foods. Just adjust cooking times accordingly if using meats, or, in particular, vegetables which takes less time to braise.

Ingredients:

4 T black tea leaves (your choice)

2 quarts spring water

fruity olive oil, enough to coat pan for searing

4 cloves garlic smashed then finely chopped

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced yellow onions, about one large onion

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup stewed tomatoes or fresh chopped tomatoes

2 1/2 lb. chicken salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Prepare tea by brewing it in very cool water (about 170 degrees F.) then sieve out the leaves and set aside the liquid.

Sauté the garlic and onions in the olive oil until softened.

Add sugar and tomatoes and stir until sugar dissolves.

To braise, place the chicken in a large pan (or Dutch oven) and season with salt and pepper. Cover with the sautéed mixture. Add the brewed tea then bake, covered, until the chicken is tender, about 1 to 1.5 hours and tests done by thermometer at 164 degrees F.

Braising recipe© by Robert Wemischner, from the book Cooking with Tea by Robert Wemischner and Diana Rosen, periplus editions

Green Tea Ice Cream

Ingredients:

8 large egg yolks

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

Pinch salt

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup loose green tea

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

Directions:

In a large bowl beat the egg yolks with the sugar and salt. Set aside.

In a heavy saucepan, scald the milk. Remove from the heat. Add the tea, cover and steep for 4 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean pot, pressing with a rubber spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. Add heavy cream and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Ladle 1/3 of the cream mixture into the eggs and whisk well to combine. Add all the egg mixture to the pot and cook over low heat, stirring, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.

Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean container and cool in the refrigerator, about 2 hours.

Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a plastic container and keep in the freezer until ready to serve.

Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, The Food Network

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