14th March, 2008: Tea Makes Food Taste Better: This Latest Trend is Nothing New
Tea has been around for more than 5000 years. The Chinese have been cooking with tea for as long as they have been drinking it. Ancient Chinese uses of tea still found today include steamed fish stuffed with dried Oolong leaves and tea infused boiling water for cooking eggs.
Now, tea as an ingredient in cooking is experiencing a renaissance of sorts. According to Diana Rosen, Los Angeles-based author of several tea cookbooks, “We are discovering what they knew centuries ago: Tea makes food taste better.” In addition to all the health benefits provided by tea, tea also enhances flavor.
Flavor and form are key when using tea in cooking. The flavor of tea should match the dish. Sweet grassy green teas, for instance, pair better with shrimp and other shellfish, according to Rosen. Contemporary examples using different forms of tea as an ingredient include dried tea as a flavorful rub for fish, poultry, pork and beef as compared to brewed tea, which is better suited for soups, baked goods, and cream sauces.
Cooking with tea…it’s the latest trend…be on the look out for tea as an ingredient on the menu at your favorite restaurant!
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comments (2)
29th February, 2008: Field Greens with White Tea Tangerine Dressing
Field Greens with White Tea Tangerine Dressing
Ingredients:
6 Bigelow® White Tea with Tangerine tea bags
½ cup (125mL) boiling water
2 tablespoons (30mL) extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon (15mL) white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons (45mL) honey
2 teaspoons (10mL) minced shallot
Dash of salt
¼ cup (60mL) pine nuts, optional
6 cups (1500mL) field greens
½ red onion, thinly sliced
1 can tangerine sections, drained
Instructions:
Place Bigelow® White Tea with Tangerine tea bags into a measuring cup, pour boiling water over tea bags and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and chill tea.
Whisk together chilled tea, olive oil, vinegar, honey, shallots and salt. Set aside.
Toss field greens, red onion slices, and drained tangerine sections together.
Toss with Tangerine dressing and garnish with pine nuts if desired.
Yield: Serves 6 - Prep Time: 15 minutes - Cook Time: N/A
Posted by Liesl at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
13th February, 2008: February is Hot Breakfast Month
What better way to celebrate Hot Breakfast Month than with a nice warm plate of french toast? Vanilla & Cinnamon Baked Challah French Toast combines the classic flavors of French toast – cinnamon and vanilla – using Bigelow Cinnamon Stick tea and Bigelow French Vanilla Tea. And, you can even make it ahead of time. February is a short month so don’t let Hot Breakfast Month come to a close without trying this great breakfast. It is sure to become one of your favorites.
Breakfast and Brunch
Vanilla & Cinnamon Baked Challah French Toast
Ingredients:
12 slices of Challah bread, cut in half on the diagonal
½ cup of hot water
5 tea bags - 3 Bigelow® Cinnamon Stick™ and 2 Bigelow® French Vanilla
6 eggs
1 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 - 8 oz package cream cheese, cut into small cubes
Non-stick cooking spray (preferably plain or butter flavor)
Instructions:
This do-ahead dish makes a perfect breakfast for overnight guests. It can be completely assembled the night before, and will bake while you’re brewing the morning tea. Serve with a fresh fruit salad for a delicious start to your day.
Lightly coat the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Steep 5 tea bags in ½ cup of water for 5 minutes, and allow to cool slightly.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and salt. Add cooled tea and whisk to combine.
Arrange a layer of Challah bread in the prepared baking dish, and evenly distribute half of the cream cheese cubes on top.
Add a second layer of Challah bread, and slowly pour egg mixture over the top, allowing it to completely soak all the bread.
Top with remaining cream cheese cubes, cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight (or at least 2 hours).
The next morning, remove from refrigerator and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the dish is completely set and lightly browned.
Cut into squares and serve with maple syrup if desired.
Yield: Serves 6-8
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
1st February, 2008: Tea Recipe for Lunch
Chicken Noodle Soup with Ginger
Ingredients:
2 cups hot water
3 Bigelow® Ginger Snappish™ tea bags
1 cooked, skinless, boneless chicken breast ( approx. ½ pound)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced (½ cup)
½ cup dried fine egg noodles
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions:
When you’re feeling under the weather, what’s better than a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup? When stomach-soothing Bigelow® Ginger Snappish™ Tea is added to the mix, this soup becomes the perfect antidote for cold and flu season.
Combine 2 cups of hot water and 3 Bigelow® Ginger Snappish™ tea bags and allow to steep for approximately 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, using 2 forks, shred the cooked chicken breast. Use one fork to anchor the chicken breast to the cutting board, while using the other fork to “scrape” the chicken into shreds. This is easily achieved if you shred along the grain of the chicken breast. Alternately, you may simply cut the breast into bite-sized pieces.
In a medium saucepan or soup pot, combine the chicken broth and the tea over high heat. Add the garlic, carrots, shredded chicken and noodles. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Simmer for approximately 7 to 10 minutes, or until carrots are tender and noodles are cooked.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Add chopped parsley and adjust seasonings as necessary.
Ladle into bowls and serve hot.
Note: To make this soup ahead of time, proceed as directed but omit the noodles and the fresh parsley. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to serve, pour into a medium saucepan, add noodles, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until noodles are cooked and soup is heated through. Adjust seasonings, add fresh parsley and serve.
Yield: Serves 4-6
Posted by Liesl at 6:00 am | Comments (2)
18th January, 2008: For All You ”Sweet Tooths” Out There - Bigelow Tea’s Top Three Desserts
Bigelow Tea has chosen three winners for its Bigelow Tea Dessert Recipe Contest. Yum…How does Caramel Apple Coffee Cake sound? So good it took First Prize. The delightful flavor of Bigelow Cinnamon Apple Herbal Tea made this cake a winner. The Caramel Apple Coffee Cake was submitted by Laurel of Lake Mills, Iowa. First prize was The Classic Tea Chest. Autumn Tea Cake, which incorporated the heavenly flavor of Bigelow Cinnamon Stick Tea, won second place. Another Iowan, Nita, received the Rose Garden Plate with Server Set for her cake recipe. Third prize, the Four Flavored Tea Chest, went to Annie of Binghamton, NY for her Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. Annie used Bigelow’s infamous Constant Comment Tea to give her cake its unique flavor. Congratulations Laurel, Nita and Anna! Thanks to ALL who entered those wonderful tea dessert recipes.
It’s time to get baking! And while you’re at it, brew up a cup of your favorite Bigelow Tea.
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
11th January, 2008: Game Day Sauce Recipes
Perfect Peach® Mustard Dipping Sauce
Our delectably fragrant dipping sauce can be used with grilled sausage bites, cubes of cheese or for crudites. No matter what you choose as its partner, our Perfect Peach® Herb Tea- scented sauce will add pizazz.
Ingredients:
½ cup water
6 Bigelow Perfect Peach® Herb Tea tea bags
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 ½ tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon soy sauce
½ cup vegatable oil
3-4 drops Tabasco Sauce, or to taste
Instructions:
Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the tea bags and steep for 5 minutes, making sure they are completely submerged. Remove to a small strainer and, using the back of a spoon, press as much liquid as possible back into the pan.
In a small bowl, combine the mustard, honey and soy sauce. Add the infused tea and stir until smooth. Whisk in the oil. Season to taste with Tabasco Sauce, cover and refrigerate until needed.’
Yield: Makes 2/3 cup
Ingredients:
½ cup (125mL) hot water
10 Bigelow® Orange & Spice Herbal tea bags
¼ cup (60mL) brown sugar
1 small onion, diced
¼ cup (60mL) ketchup
2 tablespoons (30mL) mustard
Instructions:
Pour boiling water over tea bags. Let steep for 5 minutes. Remove bags, squeezing them for excess tea. Add brown sugar until dissolved. Set aside.
In a skillet, add tea, ketchup, mustard and onions. Mix well and simmer until onions are soft, about 10 minutes.
This sauce can be used with steak, chicken and pork. It also can be used for baking beans.
Yield: Makes ¾ cup
Posted by Liesl at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
30th November, 2007: A Perfect Cake for the Holidays…only by Bigelow Tea!
Ingredients:
½ cup milk
5 Bigelow “Constant Comment”® Tea Bags
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1-2/3 cups flour
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Confectioners sugar
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a 9″ round cake pan.
- Combine milk and tea bags in a small saucepan. Heat over medium/low heat until bubbles form around the edge, stirring occasionally. (DO NOT BOIL.)
- Remove from heat and let cool (15-20 minutes); remove tea bags squeezing out liquid. Set aside.
- In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth.
- Add the eggs and whisk to blend. Add the cooled milk; continue to whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Add flour and baking powder; mix until a smooth batter forms.
- Pour batter into pan. Bake approximately 35 minutes, or until center of cake springs back when touched. Cool on wire rack before removing from pan.
- Let cool completely before serving. Dust top with confectioners sugar.
Yield: Yields one 9” round cake.
Posted by Liesl at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
26th October, 2007: Pepper Steaks and Tea Rolls, Recipes for the Season
Ingredients:
½ pound (250g) mushrooms, diced
4 medium carrots, julienned
1 ¼ cups (310mL) snow peas, stemmed, strings removed and very finely julienned
1 ¼ cup (310mL) bean sprouts
4 green onions, cut into thin slivers
16 large basil leaves
16 rice paper wrappers
3 cups (750mL) boiling water
10 Bigelow® Green Tea with Mint tea bags
Dipping Sauce:
½ cup (125mL) boiling water
6 Bigelow® Green Tea with Mint tea bags
½ cup (125mL) fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons (45mL) low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon (15mL) honey
1 tablespoon (15mL) Asian Chili Sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon (5mL) fresh ginger
2 green onions, minced
Instructions:
Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil, add mushrooms, carrots, snow peas and bean sprouts, blanch for 1 minute, and transfer to a paper towel. Have green onions and basil leaves prepared.
Boil 3 cups (750mL) water, add 10 tea bags and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags. Pour tea into a low sided casserole. Cool.
To assemble rolls, soak sheets of rice paper in tea for 1 minute, carefully transfer to a paper towel, let sit 1-2 minutes or until pliable.
To assemble each roll, take a soaked wrapper, arrange 1/16th of the vegetables in a row on top of the wrapper, roll up rice papper folding in flaps after first turn. Add one basil leaf, keep rolling. Continue until all the rolls are finished. The rolls will keep in the refrigerator for 6 hours, tightly covered. To serve cut in half on the diagonal and serve with dipping sauce.
To make sauce, pour boiling water over 6 tea bags, let steep five minutes, remove tea bags. Combine tea, lime juice, soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger and green onions. Mix well and serve with wrappers.
Yield: Serves 8 (2 each) Prep Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 2 mins
Ingredients:
1 cup (250mL) boiling water
12 Bigelow® Pomegranate Pizzazz tea bags
3 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced in strips
2 tablespoons (30mL) olive oil
4 - 6oz. (168g) round steak, tenderized
Salt to taste
Dash of pepper
Pomegranate seeds for garnish (opitional)
Instructions:
Add tea bags to boiling water. Let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags, squeezing well. Reserve.
Add olive oil to a heavy skillet, saute peppers until soft. Set aside.
Add steak to peppers and continue sauteing for about 5 minutes on each side or until done to your taste.
Place steaks on a warm plate, top with peppers, Keep warm.
Pour tea into hot skillet, add salt and pepper, stirring and scrapping brown pits from pan. Boil to reduce liquid to ½ cup (125mL). Pour sauce over steak and peppers. Serve with hot rice. Garnish with pomegranate seeds is desired.
Yield: Serves 4
Posted by Liesl at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
22nd August, 2007: How to Host a Tea Party
Many hostesses have been feeling a little uneasy these days. Now that tea parties are making a comeback, a number of us are hesitant about tackling this trend. After all, afternoon teas are literally steeped in tradition. Luckily, several experts are willing to share their secrets to ensure our success.
According to Erika Lenkert at Glam, we can shelve the concept of teas as they used to be. “Forget any preconceived notions of Grandma’s gloves, ho-hum white-bread sandwiches, or stiff upper lips,” she says. “The only thing this affair has in common with the traditional English pastime is an infusion of tasty tea and delicious conversation.”
Erika then spells out five easy steps for a fantastic event:
- Send guests a written invitation
- Have the party outdoors
- Serve snazzy tea-infused cocktails
- Offer unexpected finger foods
- Play mood music
Contributing to the wealth of modern tea time ideas is Elaine Kordares at Seeds of Knowledge.
This out-of-the-box thinker suggests hosting a tea break at work. “Surprise your co-workers with a tea break,” Elaine writes. “Bring sandwiches, cookies, scones and a special teapot for a special break from the ordinary.”
Now that’s a suggestion that even the least experienced hostess can pull off!
Posted by Brenda at 6:00 am | Comments (2)
8th August, 2007: Tea Recipes keep you Cool
Check out the links below for some delicious recipes from our website archives:
Posted by Sabine at 7:01 am | Comment (1)
