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Tea and Blood Pressure study

Australian scientists have released a study that suggests that 3 cups of black tea per day can reduce blood pressure. This is more good news for tea! The study suggests that "those who drank black tea three times a day enjoyed a slight drop in blood pressure when compared to others who had another beverage." (cited from Ozarks First dot com) This conclusion would also suggest then, that black tea is good for the heart! And of course, it is great news for those on the borderline of high blood pressure. A slight change in lifestyle by drinking tea could improve health radically.

Steeped Tea offers lots of delicious ways to enjoy black tea! What are your favourite black teas? Do you drink tea for enjoyment or for health?

The New Winter Insert

Have you browsed the new winter insert yet?

Right on the first page, you will see some new teas, which, for me, is always the highlight of any new Steeped catalogue or insert. I love my tea, and I'm always curious to see what new flavours Steeped has found for us to explore! I took advantage of December's hostess special so that I could try 2 new teas right away.

I have to tell you, they are both fabulous!

Nuts About You is a blend of black and oolong teas accented with almonds and walnuts. Isn't it beautiful? When you unzip the bag, the aroma that wafts out is sweet, yet nutty (not surprisingly). I steeped my tea for about 3 minutes and then started to drink.

I found it to be pleasantly sweet, without the addition of milk or sweeteners, and a very smooth, easy drinking cup. The insert suggests that this is a great after-dinner tea, which it certainly is - in fact, if you are trying to skip dessert (and a lot of us are at this time of year!), this could make a delicious replacement for dessert. The sweetness will satisfy your craving. That is why I also think this could make a great mid-afternoon beverage, when you might be thinking about a snack as a pick me up a few hours before dinner. I know I'm enjoying it just about any time of day, and encourage you to give it a try, perhaps at your next party!

I'll be back in a day or so to share my impressions of the other new tea I've had the pleasure of tasting!

 

Gingerbread-Brandy Trifle recipe

The Christmas season is often a season for lovely, rich desserts, like trifle.

These are a feast for the eyes and the lavishness of them are well-suited for seasonal gatherings. This recipe was found at the finecooking website and it marries layers of gingerbread cake, chopped crystallized ginger, and a creamy filling spiked with brandy, sparkling wine, and black tea.

For the cake
3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened; more for the pan
6-3/4 oz. (1-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour 
1-1/2 tsp. ground ginger  
1 tsp. baking soda 
1/2 tsp. kosher salt 
1/4 tsp. ground allspice 
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon 
Pinch finely ground white pepper 
3/4 cup granulated sugar 
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest 
2 large eggs, at room temperature 
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses 
1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature 

For the ginger-tea syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
1 4-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped (1/2 cup)  
1 tsp black tea, such as English or Irish breakfast 
2 Tbs. brandy, such as Cognac 

For the filling
2/3 cup sparkling wine, such as Asti Spumante
8 large egg yolks  
6 Tbs. granulated sugar 
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract  
8 oz. mascarpone, at room temperature 

For assembly
6 Tbs. coarsely chopped candied ginger 

Make the cake

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9x13-inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment. 

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, ginger, baking soda, salt, allspice, cinnamon, and white pepper. 

Beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer), on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the molasses. Add half of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Add half of the milk and mix to combine. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and milk. 

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake until the center of the cake bounces back when lightly pressed and a cake tester comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes; then carefully invert the cake onto the rack and let it cool completely.

Make the ginger-tea syrup

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and ginger with 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain the syrup through a fine sieve set over a small bowl, pressing on the ginger to extract all of the syrup. Add the tea leaves to the hot syrup and cool completely. Remove the infuser and add the brandy. 

Make the filling

Pour 2 to 3 inches of water into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. In a medium stainless-steel bowl, whisk the sparkling wine, egg yolks, sugar, and 2 Tbs. of the ginger syrup. 

Set the bowl over the simmering water, making sure the bottom doesn’t touch the water. Whisk constantly until you can see the bottom of the bowl when you scrape the whisk across it, and the mixture is the consistency of pudding, about 8 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat and whisk frequently until cool. 

Meanwhile, beat the heavy cream in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer on medium high speed until it just starts to thicken. With the mixer still running, add the vanilla and 1 Tbs. of the ginger syrup. Continue beating until medium peaks form, about 2 minutes. 

Whisk the mascarpone into the cooled egg mixture. With a spatula, gently fold the egg mixture into the whipped cream. 

Assemble the trifle

Cut the cake into 1-inch cubes. Spoon a rounded cup of the filling into the bottom of a 7-1/2-inch-diameter, 14-cup (or similar) trifle dish. Arrange a third of the cake on top of the filling in an even layer. Drizzle 1/4 cup of the ginger syrup over the cake. Scatter 1 Tbs. of the candied ginger over the cake. 

Repeat this layering 2 more times. Spoon the remaining filling over the final layer and smooth with the spoon. Sprinkle the remaining 3 Tbs. candied ginger over the top.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a day.

Serve

Remove the trifle from the refrigerator 1 to 2 hours prior to serving. Use a large spoon to scoop servings into individual dishes.

Make Ahead Tips

The syrup may be made up to 3 days before assembly; cover and refrigerate. You can also bake the cake up uo 2 days before; once cooled, wrap it well in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature. In fact, the entire trifle can be assembled up to 2 days ahead; keep it well wrapped and refrigerated.

photo: Scott Phillips

From Fine Cooking 114 , pp. 50-51

October 27, 2011

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If you love tea recipes, you need to be visiting the Steeped Tea facebook page, where Tonia has been posting delicious beverage and food recipes using Steeped Tea!

Tea Spiced Pecans

These will add a festive touch to your seasonal gatherings this Christmas, and offer a healthy alternative to the rich foods that often grace the table this time of year. The recipe comes from the Mele Cotte website, and you could use any Steeped Fine loose tea you're presently favouring.

 

Tea Spiced Pecans

1 lb pecans
¼ cup raw sugar (regular, granular sugar would work)
2 Tbsp. loose tea (or preferred flavor/blend) - how about Strawberry Shortcake or Raspberry Cream
½ tsp fine sea salt
1 egg white
1 Tbsp water

Preheat oven to 325°F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place the pecans in a large bowl; set aside.

In a spice grinder, finely grind the sugar, tea and salt. Transfer the powder to an airtight container and set aside. (You will have more than you need for this recipe.)

In a small bowl, whisk egg white and water until combined and foamy. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until incorporated. Let stand for 10 minutes.

After the wait time, the sugar should have (mostly) dissolved. Stir again, and then pour over nuts. Toss to coat, stirring several times to glaze pecans. Transfer to baking sheet, in an even layer, and bake for about 35-45 minutes, or until crisp.  (To test, remove a few nuts from oven and let cool 3-4 minutes before tasting.) Store in airtight container. Yield: about 8 servings

Cook’s  Notes:
This will work with any flavor tea or spice.
Pecans can be substituted with other nuts of choice.
Cooking time may vary according to climate and crunch preference.

 Why not give it a try, and let us know what tea and nut combination you create!

End of Month Round Up!

It's the last day of October, and besides it being Halloween, it's also the last day of the terrifically spooktacular offers put on by Steeped Tea just for this month. Brew in the mugs, Shanghai presses, Pumpkin Pie Chai, red teapot infusers - all these are available through special offers, but the offers end TODAY! Get in touch with your consultant now to take full advantage! And tune in tomorrow for November's offers.

Did you know that tea consumption is constantly on the increase? Steeped Tea offers an amazing opportunity for everyone. Whether you are looking for a little extra money each month or a full-time income, Steeped Tea has everything you need to become a successful entrepreneur. Join our opportunity webinar November 3rd from 8 pm to 9 pm EST, to find out why everyone is talking about Steeped Tea! Click here to join the webinar.

If you are escorting your little trick or treaters through the neighbourhood tonight, why not take a travel mug to stay warm. Steeped Tea founder Tonia Jahshan is putting a concoction of Mulled Spice tea steeped with hot apple cider in her travel mug. Why don't you try it too, to stay warm?

Tea and Summer's Waning

I've noticed on some tea blogs that writers are already comparing pumpkin teas and offering up recipes for sandwiches with scrumptious pairings like pumpkin butter and turkey. But here in southern Ontario, with a predicted high of 21 degrees C, summer isn't over yet, and the calendar doesn't usher autumn in yet, until Friday. So for a few more days, let's think summer!

Will you put another batch of iced tea in the fridge? Are there are a few teas that you are still wanting to try iced? While it's fun to blend tea flavours for iced teas, have you gotten away from just a true iced tea? Have you tried, for instance, Monk's Blend, iced? What about English Breakfast? Perhaps have a little container of simple syrup nearby for anyone who finds they need a touch of sweet in their iced black tea, but with Monk's Blend's sweetness, that may not be necessary.

Apparently it is National Miniature Golf Day - another fun summer pastime, so take a travel mug of delicious Steeped tea, hot or iced, and enjoy a summery day, while it lasts!

Lapsang Poached Salmon

When the temperatures and humidity levels soaring through the day, it make sense to get supper taken care of early in the day.

Lapsang Poached Salmon

Steeped Lapsang Souchong tea

water

1 filleted salmon

peeled ginger root, cut in coins - use about 1" of root for every pound of fish

salt

Boil the water and for every 6 oz, use 2 gm of tea and steep with an infuser for regular brewing time. You will need enough tea to cover the fish by an inch once it is in the pan. 

Place a roasting pan across the burner of the stove. Add the tea, salt to taste and ginger. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce it to a simmer and place the fish in the infusion. Poach at the barest simmer. Measuring the fish at the thickest part, poach for 10 minutes per inch. When the salmon is firm to the touch, it is done. Allow it to cool in the tea infusion and once cool, use spatulas to carefully remove it from the liquid to a serving platter. Peel off the skin and any grey flesh. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

What will you serve it with? Perhaps a wasabi cream sauce? A dill cream sauce? Something citrusy?  Or on a crisp salad?

Enjoy Victoria Day Weekend with this Tea Cocktail!

In honour of the person in whose honour we enjoy our first long weekend of the summer, enjoy these homages to Queen Victoria:

a.) Young Queen Victoria limited edition teapot (read more here)

 

 

 

b.) another teapot - this one, comemorating her diamond jubilee (possibly for sale here - but I'll say buyer beware)

 

 

 

 

c.) classic 60's tune by Brit band, The Kinks:

 The words, written by Ray Davies can be found here:

The Kinks - Victoria Lyrics @ LyricsTime.com

Finally, why not toast Victoria Day with your own version of this tas-tea sounding beverage? The recipe originates from the Radio Royal York website and was posted last year, when the Royal York offered this cocktail for $14 a pop. You could almost buy the gin for that at the LCBO.

The Imperial Splendour

1 1/2 oz. Victoria Gin
3 1/2 oz. strongly brewed Earl Grey tea, chilled (we suggest Steeped Tea loose leaf Earl Grey black, either traditional, or creme)
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz. Cointreau
2 dashes “Twisted & Bitter” orange cocktail bitters

Combine ingredients and shake on ice. Strain into your finest china.

Garnish with an orange slice and a small cube of frozen marmalade.

Note - Victoria Gin is hand made in small batches from a wood-fired still on Vancouver Island. If you can't find it, use what you do find and enjoy the weekend! 

Just take those old records off the shelf...

.... or be like me this morning, and take an old tea off the shelf. I don't mean old as in stale and should not be consumed. But it seems I have my favourite teas - the go-tos. And some teas have been neglected of late.

Are you curious as to what that tea was? It was Bluest Blueberry and it looked pretty in the infuser, smelled wonderful as the aroma wafted while it steeped and it tasted delicious to the last drop. Why did it end up at the back of the shelf? I might have to drink it again tomorrow.

How about you? Have you been neglecting some teas in favour of others? Look past the first few bags for one you haven't steeped in awhile. Enjoy it!

Top Regal Drinks to Toast The Royal Couple

Did you get up early to watch the coverage of the royal wedding as it unfolded? Were you sipping tea, perhaps English Breakfast or Earl Grey de la Creme, as you stared at the screen? Now that they are married, what would be a good drink to toast them? We do that at the reception, right?

This recent article in the Globe & Mail pondered that question:

Top regal drinks to toast Will and Kate

written by Beppi Crosariol

Top of the morning to you, early birds! Are you in front of the “telly” as you read this? Thanks for taking a precious moment away from your busy royal viewing schedule to read. Like some of you, I was around for the Big One, the holy union in 1981 between Prince Charles and Diana Spencer. Slack-jawed and bleary-eyed from little sleep, I sat watching with my giddy mom, translating finer details of the play-by-play into Italian when she couldn’t make out the British accents. It had everything: pageantry, passion, a silk gown that seemed to go on for the entire length of St. Paul’s Cathedral and that famously fumbled line, where Diana messes up Charles’s name.

On second thought, it lacked one thing, at least in my home – a cocktail. It’s no wedding without a toast. Forget the early hour; you must clink glasses to William and Kate, or at least tea mugs. Here’s my top suggestion. Brew a cup of English Breakfast tea and spike it with an ounce of smoky Laphroaig single malt whisky, Prince Charles’s favourite. Lemon makes a fine garnish. No Laphroaig in ye olde liquor cabinet? Improvise with any spirit on hand – whisky, rum, vodka or gin.

Gin of course is the spirit of choice where British royals are concerned. If you’ve been up for a while, a bracing gin and tonic might not be out of place. I’ll bet the Queen Mum enjoyed her fair share before noon during her blessed 101 years on this Earth, and she deserved the privilege. I know it’s morning, but don’t go short on the gin unless you’re driving to work. The proper ratio of gin to tonic should be somewhere between one-to-one and one-to-three, depending on preference. As for the garnish, I prefer lime to lemon. But if you’re keen to start the day with more vitamin C, go for lemon; it contains more per ounce.

Just as easy and perhaps more acceptable in the a.m. because it involves sparkling wine is the kir royale. Pour half an ounce of crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) into a champagne flute and top up with bubbly. It should be the colour of a blushing bridal cheek.

Feeling more ambitious? Try the royal gin fizz, which conveniently features an egg. In a cocktail shaker or blender with cracked ice, place 1½ ounces gin, ½ ounce of Grand Marnier liqueur, 1 ounce lemon juice, ½ teaspoon sugar and one egg. Shake or blend till it becomes frothy. Pour into a highball glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry. Or use a mug. It’s morning, after all.

If you didn't get up, here's a little video of the royal entrance. Actually, Tonia posted this on FB and it is a fun video done by T-Mobil (seems they like to do these dances and songs in places like Trafalgar Square etc.) as a tribute to the royal occasion: