Only two more days left in 2010!

Are you planning a New Year’s party and are still looking for that festive cocktail that will WOW your guests?

Look no further – I just have the right drink that will have your guests talking! The Salty Dog with matcha combines great flavor, presentation and a bit of health-boosting antioxidants.

Ingredients:

• juice of half a grapefruit
• 2 tbsp vodka (or to taste)
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 3-4 ice cubes
• 1/2 tsp matcha

1. Squeeze the grapefruit to extract the juice. Moisten the rim of a glass with the rind and dip rim in salt. Fill the glass with ice cubes.

2. Place the grapefruit juice, vodka, and matcha in a cocktail shaker and shake until well mixed

3. Pour over the ice cubes and garnish with 1/4 slice of grapefruit – serve immediately!

Cheers and Have a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too!  Just add a little matcha to the mix and you can can calm your guilt ridden concious that it is okay to have another piece of this delicious shortbread – afterall – while your are indulging your sweet tooth, you are also getting a boost of green tea antioxidants.

I give these Matcha shortbread cookies a thumbs up!

Ingredients:

 2 cups of cake flour

3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp matcha

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1/3 cup sugar

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and alt until blended.

Beat the butter at medium speed  until creamy and then slowly add in the granulated sugar. Set mixer to low speed and add flour mixture  and matcha in several steps until it forms a soft dough. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and chill.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or leave ungreased.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 3/4 inch-thick slab, about 5 by 8 inches. Transfer to baking sheet and bake until lightly golden and firm tot he touch – about 40 minutes.

Slip the parchment with the shortbread onto a hard surface immediately sprinkle the shortbread with sugar. While still warm, cut the  shortbread into  1 1/2 -inch  pieces.

Makes about 2 dozen  1 1/2 inch squares.

Not only does the shortbread taste delicious, the matcha also gives it a very festive green color!

Happy baking….and save some for Santa!

There is a lot of baking and cooking going on in my kitchen this time of year and I love to try new and exotic recipes.  Aside from culinary herbs such as basil, thyme and oregano, I always and find new ways to incorporate tea and herbals into my cooking.

For my holiday dinner, I found a perfect palate cleanser using spearmint. Also known as Moroccan mint, spearmint is light and wonderful refreshing when iced.

For the Moroccan Mint Granita use

2 cups water

1 1/2 tsp gunpowder green tea

1/4 cup plus 2tsp chopped fresh spearmint leaves

1/4 cup plus 2tsp sugar

spearmint leaves for garnish

In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the tea and mint leaves. Cover and steep for 5 minutes. Strain into another container, and blend in the sugar to taste. Let cool to room temperature.

Pour the tea mixture into a 9-5-inch loaf pan and place it in the freezer. After 30 minutes, remove the pan from the freezer and stir to break up the ice crystals. Return to the freezer and repeat every 30 minutes over a period of 1 1/2  to 2 hours, until the ice acquires a firm, smooth consistency.

To serve, scoop into glasses or demitasse cups and garnish with mint leaves. For best flavor, serve the granita the same day.

Makes 4 cup, serving 4-6

I  love to drink rooibos and know that it has many health benefits. It is rich in minerals, antioxidants and it is a great moisturizer.  

Living in the desert, my naturally dry skin, suffers a lot – especially during the even drier winter months. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize is the motto and I always carry an extra container of moisturizer in my purse so I can reapply it when necessary.

I am very selective when it comes to skin care products and like to make my own when I can. Not only does it save money, but I always know exactly what went into the product. My favorite skin cream is based on a recipe by herbalist Rosemary Gladstar and yesterday, I tried a variation by adding rooibos into the mix.  The recipe is easy to follow and most of the ingredients can be purchased in your local health food store.

Ingredients:

Waters – 2/3 cup distilled water

                 1/3 cup aloe vera gel

                  1/4 cup rooibos

                  1 or 2 drops essential oil of your choice (I use lavender or rose)

                  vitamin E  (as a preservative)

Oils -       3/4 cup almond oil

                 1/3  cup coconut oil or cocoa butter

                 1/4 teaspoon lanolin

                 1/2 to 1 ounce grated beeswax

1.     Combine rooibos and distilled water in a glass jar and let it steep overnight. The next day, strain the tea and set aside.

2.     In a double boiler, over low heat, combine the oils. Heat them  just enough to melt

3.     Pour the oils into a blender and let them cool to room temperature. The mixture should become thick, creamy, semisolid and cream-colored.  

4.     When the mixture has cooled, turn on a blender at its highest  speed. In a slow, thin drizzle, pour in the water mixture into the center vortex of the whirling oil mixture.

When most of the water mixture has been added to the oils, listen to the blender and watch the cream. Whe the blender starts to choke and the cream looks thick and white, like butter cream frosting, turn off the blender. ou can slowly add more water, beating it in by hand with a spoon, but don’t over beat! The cream will thicken as it sets.

6. Pour into cream or lotion jars and store in a cool place.

In additon to using rooibos as a moisturizing ingredient, it also gives the cream an nice amber color.  I made some of this wonderful cream for myself, but have enough left over to gift it to some of my girlfriends this season!

Try it yourself!

Lapsang  Souchong  has its origin in southeastern China but is also produced in Taiwan.

With a distinctive pungent aroma, recognizable form the moment the tin is opened or the first cup is poured, Lapsang Souchong is an adventurous departure from the ordinary. Its smoky fragrance and flavor come from drying the tea leaves over a pinewood fire. Lapsang was a favorite with Western pioneers and is a great companion on modern-day camping trips.

This tea brews up a rich amber color with a strong smoky aroma. It has a thick body and a robust but surprisingly sweet and smooth taste. Many compare Lapsang Souchong’s taste to that of a fine Scotch whisky. In fact, Sir Winston Churchill, who was quite fond of this tea, was known to add a little bit of Scotch to his afternoon cup!

Lapsang Souchong is pleasing served black or with milk and sugar. It’s taste complements smoked fish, meats, and cheeses. It also adds an exotic note when used as a cooking liquid with rice and other foods.

Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis), often called Redbush Tea, is technically not a tea since it is not derived from the tea plant , Camelia sinensis. This small shrub with soft needle-shaped leaves is found only in the Cedarberg mountains in the western part of South Africa near the Cape of Good Hope.

The leaves are  harvested in the summer, which corresponds to January through March in South Africa.  The processing takes mostly place outdoors where the leaves are spread out , watered down, raked into heaps and then left to “sweat”. During this process, the leaves change to the typical reddish brown color and obtain the sweet flavor, Rooibos is known for.  After the sweating process is completed, the leaves are spread out again and left to dry in the sun. Before packaging, then now finished leaves are cleaned and graded into different quality standards.

Much like green tea, Rooibos offers many health promoting qualities. It has similar beneficial antioxidant properties as tea, but without the tannins or the caffeine. It is also contains minerals, such as iron, potassium and zinc. In Africa, Rooibos has been used and recommended to treat insomnia, upset stomachs and colic in infants. Rooibos also helps lactating mothers to increase milk production. Topically, it can be used as a moisturizer and has shown to be effective in soothing eczema and similar skin disorders. 

How does Rooibos taste? Slightly sweet with woody and earthy undertones. While it is not necessary to sweeten it, adding  a little honey or raw sugar can complement the natural flavor. Rooibos is one of the few herbals that pairs well with milk.

To make an infusion, use 1 heaping teaspoon of Rooibos in 6 oz of boiling water. Steep for 5-8 minutes. (but even if you forget the time, like I often do, Rooibos is very forgiving and will never turn bitter if over-steeped!

By the way, kids love the mellow taste of Rooibos, especially in combination with a berry or tropical fruit flavor. Iced it is a much better choice than soda or juice for kids of all ages!

Give it a try….