Recipes from "Cooking with Tea"

During the last Life Chef class, “What’s Cooking: Cooking with Tea” at Sevananda Natural Foods Co-Op, we experienced the sometimes subtle, sometimes bold flavor that tea and herbal infusions can lend to your dishes. The health benefits of tea are transferred as well, so daily meals can be infused with added antioxidants, polyphenols and other phytochemicals that many modern studies have shown benefit the cardiovascular system and may help battle diseases like cancer. Of course ancient healing practices have lauded tea and herbal infusion for centuries as a key component to a long and healthy life. Hopefully the following simple recipes will inspire you to incorporate both the leaves of tea as well as the beverage in your daily cooking. Have fun playing with your food!

Next month’s class is “What’s Cooking: Whole Grains for Heart Health.” In that class You will hear the testimony of one local resident’s battle against cholesterol and how she lowered her total cholesterol from 238 to 194 in just two months by increasing her whole grain consumption and exercising. She also happens to be my mom. Recipes in this class will broaden your whole grain repertoire by introducing whole grains from the Bulk Foods Department at Sevananda (there’s an entire world beyond brown rice). We will also define what whole grains really are in order to make you a savvy shopper in a world of deceitful marketing and misleading food packaging.

The “What’s Cooking?” classes with Life Chef Asata Reid is part of the Journey to Wellness Series presented by the School of Common Health at Sevananda Natural Foods Co-op. “What’s Cooking?” classes will take place the second Saturday of each month, from 10 a.m. to noon in the Education Room at Sevananda. For more information on this series, the Co-Op itself and other events at Sevananda visit www.sevananda.coop.


Cucumber-Mint Tea Spread
Simple ingredients allow the subtle mint and white tea flavors to emerge. photo: marthastewart.com

1 8 oz container non-dairy Tofutti cream cheese (or regular cream cheese)
1/2 to 2/3 cup steeped White Tea with Peppermint, chilled
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
Salt/pepper to taste

Combine cream cheese and ½ cup of the tea in a bowl and whisk to combine. Use additional tea if the mixture is still too thick. Season with salt and pepper, add cucumber and stir. Refrigerate mixture for 20 minutes to overnight to allow the flavor of the tea to permeate the spread. Stir prior to serving.

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Chai Tea Infused Mushrooms
This basic recipe can be greatly expanded upon. If you like the flavor of these mushrooms, you will easily translate this process into a stuffed mushroom dish, or stuffed zucchini, or a flavorful steam-bath for dumplings. The sky is the limit. The warm-spiced essence of Chai tea will permeate whatever you choose to steam. And of course you can change the tea and get different results. I’m looking forward to trying this tea-steam method with a lemongrass green tea and a lemon-ginger tea! photo:www.worldcommunitycookbook.org

2 cups water
4 Chai Tea bag
2-3 cabbage leaves
1 pint of mushrooms, halved or quartered if large

Fill a steamer with 2 cups of water and add the tea bags. Bring to a boil at around 200-212 degrees.
Meanwhile line the steamer basket with the cabbage leaves. Top with mushrooms. Place the basket in the steamer and cover with the lid. Steam for 10-15 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.
Remove mushrooms from the steamer and arrange in serving bowl.

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Oolong Tea Seared Tofu Steaks
This approach will work on just about any protein source: steak, fish, chicken and of course tofu. This method is so simple that the quality of your protein is important because there won’t be any place for sub-par flavor to hide. photo: www.elitetea.com

1 Oolong Tea bag, tea leaf contents only
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp salt
1 lb. firm tofu

Drain water from tofu, press to remove as much moisture as possible or allow it to air dry in the refrigerator over night. Cut into six slabs about ½ inch to 2/3 inch in thickness.
Heat a griddle, grill or skillet over medium high heat.
Combine tea, pepper and salt in a small bowl.
Arrange tofu slabs on a plate and drizzle tofu with a little oil on both sides. Then, sprinkle one side liberally with the tea mixture.
Transfer tofu, seasoned side down, to the griddle and season the up-side of the tofu. Sear for 3-4 minutes or until brown.
Flip the tofu over and sear on the second side for another 3-4 minutes.
Serve immediately or allow to cool for use in other dishes.

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photo: www.bbcgoodfood.com
Green Tea Noodles

1 8 oz. package dried soba noodles
2 tsp cooking oil
1 green tea bag, tea leaf contents only
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1” piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1 small red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 small yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
1 8 oz. package baked tofu, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp miso tamari or organic soy sauce
1 tsp organic brown rice wine vinegar
1 tsp dark sesame oil

In a pot, cook the soba noodles according to directions until just al dente. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and remove any residual starch. Set aside.
Heat cooking oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tea leaves, garlic and onions and allow to cook until onions start to become translucent. Add the ginger and bell peppers and continue cooking until bell peppers are crisp tender, about two minutes.
Add the tamari, vinegar and sesame oil
Stir in the tofu and noodles and continue cooking until everything is heated through.
Pour out onto a large platter and garnish with cilantro leaves.

Leftover Makeover: Black Bean Soup

Michael's Black Bean Soup


Eggs with Black Beans and Tortillas

Michael makes a GREAT black bean soup. I'm attempting to post the recipe, but he never makes it the same way twice and honestly, he throws it together super fast when I'm not looking. Here's the basics of Michael's Black Bean Soup which always provides more than we can eat in one sitting, and is the inspiration for today's Leftover Makeover:
Michael's Black Bean Soup

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
Lots of garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup water
possibly curry
most likely cumin
some other random spattering of "warm" spices like cinnamon, clove, allspice, ginger
sometimes 1 can of coconut milk (usually, but is optional)
1/2 cup of salsa, plus more for garnish
sour cream for garnish
cilantro for garnish
lime wedges for garnish

Sautee onions and garlic until aromatic. Add curry just to toast/carmelize. Deglaze by adding water. Add 1 can of beans, salsa, cumin and any other spices that turn you on and simmer until everything smells irresistible. Add the other can of beans and coconut milk to a blender or food processor and puree. Add the puree to the soup pot and cook on low, stirring occasionally to ensure the soup isn't sticking to the bottom. To serve, scoop into individual bowls, and garnish each serving with sour cream, salsa, cilantro and lime wedge.

This is his basic recipe and if you cook regularly you'll be able to figure out how it all comes together. It's delicious and has multi-layered textures and flavors. However, there's always something leftover. Here's the Leftover Makeover for Michael's Black Bean Soup which has thickened while refrigerated overnight, and makes a great breakfast, lunch, anytime meal that's packed with protein and very satisfying:

Eggs with Black Beans and Tortillas
(Serves 1)

1 egg
2 tortillas
1/2 - 1 cup leftover black bean soup
2 Tbsp salsa
cilantro leaves
queso fresco, paneer, or farmer's cheese (any crumbly cheese you like: goat, boursin, whatever works for you)

In a small pot bring 2-3 cups of water (enough to cover an egg) to a boil with 1 Tbsp salt. Add the egg, boil for 1 minute, remove from heat, and let egg continue to cook in the hot water for 4-5 minutes. run egg under wold water, peel, and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a skillet over medium high heat and lightly brown tortillas on both sides.

Rinse out the egg-cooking pot and gently warm up the leftover black bean soup. You may need to add a few spoonfuls of water if it seems too thick (although you do want it somewhat thick so that it's not soupy or runny).

To Serve: Place tortillas side-by-side on a plate. Top each tortilla with about 2 Tbsp of the black beans. Split the egg in half lengthwise and place each half on top of the beans. Top eggs with about a 1 Tbsp of salsa, crumbled cheese and fresh cilantro leaves.

Meatless BBQ Dinner

Ok, we're working hard to stick with our Meatless January commitment, but when Michael mentioned BBQ from a specific joint, my mouth started watering and I got stuck: had smokey, spicy-sweet BBQ on the brain.

This meal is the end result. Hey, when you have an itch, ya gotta scratch it. Here you see a mound of BBQ tofu with a jasmine rice-aduki bean chili, oven roasted corn and a cauliflower-cabbage slaw. Let me just say it hit the spot!

And before you start grumbling about how long this will take, I gotta tell you I threw this together on a weeknight before my 3 year old sounded the "I'm hungry!" dinner alarm.

The time saver here: a counter top Fry Daddy, $20 at Wallyworld. Seriously.

A Short Lesson on Frying: Some folks think of a table-top fryer as a space-consuming gadget, and others bemoan how unhealthy fried foods are. Alton Brown, from the Food Network, had a great show once about the proper way to fry. I wish I could find a link to that show. Frying foods at the proper temperature for the proper length of time ensures a crisp product without all of the absorbed fat. Proper temperature of your cooking oil and your ingredient will prevent the ingredient from absorbing too much fat during the frying process. I can't recall exactly what Alton said, but it reiterated the lesson I learned years ago in culinary school, which is that frying is considered a dry cooking method. The hot oil should sear the ingredient and cook it from the inside, so to speak. If you think fried foods can't be fatty, I invite you to try Japanese tempura the next time you're at a sushi restaurant.


BBQ Tofu
This tofu is fried at 375 degrees until it floats and is golden brown in order to give it a meaty, toothesome texture -- something most carnivores miss when eating vegetarian food.

2 lbs firm tofu, quartered into slabs, then cut each slab in half for 1" thick strips
1 cup BBQ sauce plus a little water for thinning

Fry tofu in 2 batches in 375 degree oil until tofu floats or is firm and golden brown. In a separate pot/pan, heat BBQ sauce plus water if needed to thin it out. Remove tofu from oil, drain briefly on a paper towel and transfer to the sauce pot. Gently stir tofu in the BBQ sauce so as not to break the strips, and let sit over low-warm heat until ready to serve.
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Cauliflower-Cabbage Slaw
Instead of a mayonnaise-laden slaw, this crisp, light and tangy-sweet slaw is a perfect BBQ side dish. The gentle pickling that takes place is reminiscent of Asian-styled vegetable salads. It's an interesting way to eat more raw vegetables!

1 cup cauliflower, sliced thin
1 carrot, small dice or julienne cut
1/2 cup cabbage, julienne cut
1 scallion (green onion) sliced (use white and green part)
salt & pepper to taste
1 Tbsp sweet rice wine
1 Tbsp seasoned rice wine (mirin)
2 Tbs white wine vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a shallow dish and marinate salad for at least 15 minutes. Salad should be crisp, and tangy sweet. Adjust sweet rice wine and white wine vinegar to taste.
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Oven Roasted Corn
Roasting corn as opposed to boiling it gives it a deeper flavor and heartier texture. The nutrients in corn also stay in the vegetable as opposed to seeping out into the cooking liquid. Corn is high in fiber and is considered a whole grain.

2 ears corn, shucked (cut in half for kid-sized portions)
salt
2 Tbsp butter

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place corn pieces onto a large sheet of foil with 2 tablespoons of butter and salt (if desired). Wrap the foil around the corn to form a packet. Place on a baking sheet and roast on the center rack in the oven about 15 minutes or until tender. Be careful of hot steam when opening the packets.
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Aduki Bean Chili
Aduki beans (also known as adzuki beans or Red Dragon beans) are small red beans with a mild, creamy texture. For this mild, kid-friendly chili you can use any bean such as pintos, black or navy beans. Even black eyed peas will work. Using canned beans saves time, and rinsing the beans eliminates a lot of the sodium and some of that "muddy" flavor that canned beans can bring to a dish. Cumin is a smoky spice that is common in curries and southwestern/Mexican cooking. The group of plants that cumin is derived from is currently being used in cancer treatments due to its anti-tumor properties.

1 can aduki beans, rinsed
1/4 cup prepared salsa
pinch cumin
1/4 cup stock or water

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized pot. Simmer over medium to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until some of the liquid has evaporated and the beans are more tender.

Serve with hot rice.

New Life Chef Classes

January 7, 2009
10 a.m.
Co-Op Central Radio
Tune in to Co-Op Central radio at www.sevananda.coop to learn about the 2009 launch of the Journey to Wellness to nourish your mind, body and spirit. The series is from Sevananda’s School of Common Wellness. Listen to this online radio discussion as I talk about some of the upcoming Life Chef classes and product demonstrations at Sevananda in the year to come.

Saturday January 10, 2009
“Cooking with Teas and Herbs”
10 a.m. – noon
Sevananda Natural Foods Market
$10 for members, $12 for non-members
The School of Common Health at Sevananda Natural Foods Market kicks off this year’s series in January with the theme with “Detox!” I will show you how teas and herbal teas can be used in every-day cooking so that you can reap their healthful benefits year round. For more information contact Sevananda at 404-681-2831.

Saturday January 17, 2009
“Whole Foods for a Healthy Diet”
10:30 a.m. – noon
Hillcrest Church of Christ
Free (pre-registration required)
Learn how to incorporate life-affirming whole foods such as leafy greens, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables into your every day diet with these simple, yet delicious recipes using the best of nature’s harvest.
This free class is part of the 2009 Saturday Academy at the Hillcrest Church of Christ located at 1939 Snapfinger Road in Decatur. Pre-registration is required. For more information call the church at 404-289-4573 or email chunter@hillcresstcoc.net.

Monday January 19, 2009
In Store Cooking Demo
Noon – 2 p.m.
Sevananda Natural Foods Market
Free
Stop by Sevananda during this two hour demonstration to learn more about exciting products available at Sevananda that will help you support your personal wellness plan. In store demonstrations will reflect the wellness theme of Sevananda’s School of Common Health to nourish your body, mind and spirit. For more information call Sevananda at 404-681-2831.

Wednesday February 4, 2009
“Natural Foods 101: Natural Food Products and Policies”
10 a.m. – noon
Sevananda Natural Foods Market
The Natural Food series returns to Sevananda! From 10 a.m. to noon we'll explore some of the all-natural goodness carried at Sevananda and explain the product policies that have made this co-op more than a store, but the center of a consciously living community for over 30 years!