Welcome to our monthly feature, "Cooking with Tea." Each month we bring you new ideas and fresh takes on how to use tea as an ingredient. Let us know if you try something and what your favorites are. Have a good recipe featuring Tea? Please share!
Contributed by Lisa McDonald, TeaHaus, Ann Arbor, MI
Land raised meat might be a bit hard to get these days, but it seems like fish is plentiful. That's good! It is healthy and tastier with tea! Below is a recipe for the easiest "rub" that works well for any protein but best on fish.
I use Eat More Tea's Surf's Up Sencha Spice blend but you can make something similar at home too.
- 6tbs Sencha or Bancha
- 1tbs dried onion
- 1/2 tbs dried garlic
- 1tbs dried lemon peel
- 1/2 tbs dried lemongrass
- 1tsp dried ginger pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
Grind all the above in a spice grinder or with a pestle and mortar.
I coat my fish filet with the Surf's Up Sencha mixture before broiling or grilling the fish.
Photo Credit: Lisa McDonald
You can use the fish to make fish tacos topped with tea-infused slaw. My favorite tea to use is Pineapple-Mango Black Tea from TeaHaus, but here is the recipe you can make with any fruity black tea.
- 2oz STRONG black tea (tropical fruity flavors work best)
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1tsp sugar
- 1-2 cloves fresh garlic finely chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 bag precut "slaw mix"
- 1/2 bunch cut cilantro
- 1 fresh jalapeno finely chopped (add or not-depends on how spicy you like it)
Mix the "dressing" in a bowl then pour it over onto the slow, jalapeno, and cilantro and toss.
Warm small flour tortillas, place some ward tea coated fish and slaw into the tortilla and eat!
MOST IMPORTANT is the drink!
The perfect pairing is my favorite "Fruity and Boozy" Arnold Palmer with muddled strawberries and fresh mint.
Photo Credit: Lisa McDonald
I like this drink because there is no need to pre-infuse anything.
My preference is TeaHaus Strawberry Mint Lavender Tea and fresh homemade lemonade but any black tea and premade lemonade would do. The Strawberry Mint Lavender blend just brings it all together perfectly!
- 1/2 cup strongly brewed tea
- 1/2 lemonade
- 2oz gin (you can use Vodka too)
Serve over ice with muddled strawberries and garnish with fresh mint.