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Cooking Tips

Cooking Tips, Events, News, Tea Accessories

Hello Citrus White T-Dust!

Now that our products are being sold in Dean & Deluca, we’re welcoming back Citrus White into our wonderful selection of T-Dusts.

This tea-infused seasoning is made out of organic white tea, kaffir lime leaves, peppercorns, and sea salt which gives this fourth T-dust a wonderful and refreshing citrus tang.

Here are a couple of suggestions on how to use this delicious T-Dust:

Sprinkle tea seasoning on fries, salad, or soup to add a tangy kick. Or add it to your white fish before sauteing it in olive oil. Try combining sour cream or yogurt with Citrus White to make a delicious dip.

So what are you waiting for, don’t you think it’s time to try it now?

August 15th, 2011 | Posted by Sanctuary T | 3 Comments »

Cooking Tips, Recipes

Green Tea Cayenne Chicken, Fresh Mango Bean Salad & Red Quinoa

Sanctuary T Shop Loose Leaf Teas Green Tea Cayenne Chicken Recipe

Quick and easy, yet delicious and healthy recipes are hard to come by (especially if you want to make something special). So we’re whipping out our secret tea ingredient–our Tahitian Green Tea T-Dust Seasoning–to make a normal chicken dish a little more flavorful and to spike it with the antioxidant goodness of green tea leaves.

Tahitian Green Tea T-Dust  is our unique seasoning inspired by the coastal beauty of the South Pacific. Taste the freshness of green tea tempered by hints of ginger and coconut, leading up to a satisfyingly spicy finish.

If you love fresh, flavorful, and slightly sweet dishes then this one’s for you!

So without further ado, here’s our favorite quick tea-inspired Chicken dish paired with a Fresh Mango Bean Salad and a side of red quinoa!

Ingredients (serving for 4):

For Green Tea Cayenne Chicken:

  • 4 Skinned Chicken breast
  • Sea Salt
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Honey
  • 1 Lime
  • 1 Red Onion
  • Olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves

For Fresh Mango Bean Salad

  • 1/2 Lime
  • 1 Mango
  • 3 On-the-Vine Tomatoes
  • 1 can of black beans
  • 1 Ripe Avocado
  • Cilantro

For Quinoa:

  • Chicken stock
  • Red Quina

Directions:

For Green Tea Cayenne Chicken:

  1. Slice chicken breasts into large strips place in a large bowl
  2. Add 2 teaspoons of Cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 tablespoon of honey
  3. Squeeze in lime juice
  4. Dice red onions and stir them into the bowl
  5. Chop onions and stir them in as well
  6. Stir everything and allow chicken to sit for 10 minutes
  7. Pan fry on heated skillet with olive oil

For Fresh Mango Bean Salad:

  1. Dice all of the fresh ingredients and mix in large bowl together.
  2. Squeeze on 1/2 of lime juice and 1 tsp of salt
  3. Add drained black beans
  4. Chop cilantro

For Red Quinoa:

  1. Rinse and soak 2 cups of quinoa in cold water.
  2. Drain and pour into rice cooker.
  3. Add 4 cups of chicken broth instead of water


March 4th, 2011 | Posted by Sanctuary T | 2 Comments »

Cooking Tips, Recipes

Green Tea Pancakes with Strawberry Compote!

Sanctuary T Loose Leaf Green Tea Pancakes

It’s pouring snow here in New York (where our tea restaurant is located!) and we can’t help but feel a little worn down from the 30 degree weather.

So instead of sulking we’ve decided to put a spin on our breakfast/brunch pancake with our favorite secret ingredient of all time: tea! Yes sir, we’ve added a dash of our Matcha Green Tea Powder to our pancake batter, and have turned the golden cakes green with matcha goodness. Adding some tea to your pancake is simple, adds a different flavor to your pancake, and will make you smile.

If you don’t have Matcha Green Tea Powder, then you can either try grinding up five tablespoons of loose leaf Gyokuro or Genmaicha Matcha in a mill grinder or a very clean coffee grinder–just be careful you want coffee and green tea pancakes. Even though the grinding sounds like a hassle, it’s actually simple and a great way to add a little loose leaf kick to your food! (We’ve also tried Rooibos Pancakes by grinding our favorite Tiramisu Rooibos!)

But if you really don’t feel like grinding your loose leaf tea, we have one more option which is one of the most versatile way to cook with tea (besides our T-Dust of course): make tea butter! To find out more about this by checking out our past blog post.

Now back to those Green Tea Pancakes that even Dr. Seuss would be proud of!

Ingredients (Serving 3 Medium Pancakes):

  • 3  Tablespoons of Matcha Powder
  • Pancake Mix
  • 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries
  • Maple Syrup

Directions:

  1. Add Matcha Powder to 1/2 cup of pancake mix
  2. Follow directions for water ratio on the pancake mix
  3. Stir in a bowl
  4. In a separate small pan add frozen strawberries and desired maple syrup. Allow to thaw and simmer till a red syrup is created.
  5. Meanwhile, on a separate pan pour batter, cook, and flip.
  6. Once the compote is fully simmered (with soft berries and red syrup), serve compote on or on the side of your Green Tea Pancakes!

January 26th, 2011 | Posted by Sanctuary T | 4 Comments »

Cooking Tips, Recipes

Jasmine Tea Rice

Sanctuary T- Jasmine Loose Leaf Tea Rice Recipe

There is no carb staple like rice! So it’s no surprise that half of the population of the world consumes it almost everyday.

Sure a classic steaming bowl of rice is comforting, but it’s nice to jazz up your rice dish with a different flavor that is not stir fry. So what we like to do is add a little of our Jasmine Silver Needle loose leaf!

You might be wondering how this is any different from purchasing “jasmine rice.”  The answer: Despite it’s name jasmine rice as we know it gets its aroma from a southeastern tropical plant called pandan and not jasmine!

When you add loose leaf jasmine to your rice you will see how delectable the flavors of pandan and jasmine are! So put Jasmine tea into your Jasmine rice, and you will realize how delicious it is.

Ingredients (Serves 4):

  • One spoonful of loose leaf Jasmine tea (about one tablespoon)
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 1 1/2 cups of Jasmine rice

Directions:

  1. Bring about 2-2 1/4 cups of water to a boil
  2. Add in loose leaf Jasmine tea and allow to steep for 5 minutes with lid covered
  3. Strain out tea leaves
  4. Add a pinch of salt to the strained Jasmine tea
  5. Bring the tea again to a boil and add rice.
  6. Reduce heat to low.
  7. Cook for about 15 minutes so that the rice is fluffy and the jasmine has soaked in.
  8. Stir gently and serve immediately!

January 10th, 2011 | Posted by Sanctuary T | 2 Comments »

Cooking Tips, Recipes

Cozy up with Tea Oatmeal!

rainyday_blog

Say Goodbye to rainy day blues with our tea oatmeal!

Tea oatmeal? Yup! Although it may sound weird, we love to make oatmeal using tea. Our favorite tea to use when making oatmeal is our Carnival blend–black tea, pistachios, cumin, almond pieces, coriander and peppercorn.

We simply steep a strong 1/2 cup of Carnival and add it in with the oatmeal instead of using water or milk. The Carnival blend’s carmel-butter overtones add a rich flavor to the oatmeal giving it an extra cozy feel. Add a bit of honey or brown sugar to taste, and you will be smiling from cheek to cheek.

If you aren’t an oatmeal fan, then just try our Carnival tea alone and we promise you’ll feel chipper despite the rain. Also try sipping on a toasty brew of Genmaicha or a spicy steep of Masala Chai!

oatmeal_blog2

September 28th, 2010 | Posted by Sanctuary T | 2 Comments »

Cooking Tips, Recipes

Frozen Treat: Tea Served Popsicle Style!

popsicle

With August heat around the corner, homemade tea popsicles might become your new best friend! They’re easy to make and they’re also healthy since you still get the benefits of a cup of tea but on a stick.

All you need is some strongly steeped tea, a popsicle mold, and a freezer. Our favorite teas for popsicles are Genmaicha, Masala Chai, Phoenix Jasmine Pearls, and Watermelon, but there are no limitations!

Be creative and try blending in some frozen fruit or fruit juice (mango nectar, coconut milk or pineapple juice) with your steeped tea before freezing. And if you enjoy a creamier popsicle, try adding plain yogurt, whole milk, or vanilla pudding to the steeped tea. Just remember if you choose to go creamy, you’ll need a stronger brew of tea so that the tea flavor does not get lost!

Basic Instructions:

  1. Steep tea with double the amount of loose leaf tea and double the steeping time per cup (like brewing iced tea).
  2. Add sweetener (juice, honey, syrup, or sugar).
  3. Add other ingredients (milk, pudding, cream).
  4. Stir well and pour into molds.
  5. Freeze & enjoy.

*Depending on the size of the mold, the amount of tea you’ll need will vary.

Green Tea Latte Popsicles
Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of hot water
  • 6 tablespoons of loose leaf Genmaicha
  • Honey or simple syrup
  • 1 cup of whole milk

Creamy Masala Chai & Vanilla Popsicles
Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of hot water
  • 7 tablespoons of Masala Chai
  • Instant vanilla pudding mix made with whole milk
  • 1/2 cup of whole milk

Refreshing Cranberry Hibiscus Popsicles
Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of hot water
  • 4 tablespoons of Hibiscus tea
  • 2 cups of cranberry juice

July 28th, 2010 | Posted by Sanctuary T | 2 Comments »

Cooking Tips

Baking with Tea

muffins_blog

If you are tea fanatic, then you’ve probably tried baking with tea.  And you probably know that baking with tea is a bit trickier than it seems.

When you grind the tea and put it in the batter, the tea won’t release its flavor and you’ll have bits of leaves in your food. If you steep the tea into the milk, you’ll get the tea flavor in the milk but after the baking process the tea flavor seems to vanish. So how do you get the tea flavor into your baking? The best method: make tea butter!

By infusing the tea into the butter you get the tea flavor in the baked good while also eliminating the possibility of tea leaves in the food. There are only two things you need: unsalted butter and strong loose leaf tea.

Ingredients:

  • Unsalted butter

    • butterpackage_blog

  • Premium loose leaf tea (You need approximately 1 1/2 teaspoons of tea per tablespoon of butter)

    • tealeaves_butter_blog

Instructions:

  1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter until just liquid.
  2. Add the tea leaves. butter&leaves_blog
  3. Continue heating the mixture for about 5 minutes on low heat.
  4. Remove from the heat and allow to stand for another 5 minutes or until the butter is discernibly tinted by the tea leaves.buttertinted_blog
  5. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve or a cloth. Press hard on the tea leaves to squeeze out as much butter and then discard leaves.
  6. Let the butter come to room temperature.
  7. Add to whichever recipe that has unsalted butter (but add a little more than called for).

What’s nice about having infused-tea butter is that you can make any “normal” or “standard” recipe into something truly unique and tea-inspired. From out-of-box cupcakes to pasta sauce, you can use the tea-infused butter to bring the overtones of tea to your dish! We recommend Lavender or Earl Grey for baking, and Ceylon or Lapsang for savory meats.

Using this recipe we turned a normal lemon muffin, into an Earl Grey lemon muffin!

July 22nd, 2010 | Posted by Sanctuary T | No Comments »

Cooking Tips, Recipes, Tea

Grilling the Perfect BBQ Flavor with Tea

There are many reasons to love summer! And one of the reasons without a doubt is the summer time food—potato salads, watermelon and BBQ.  A large problem with grilling both meat and veggies in the summer, however, is that not everyone has a nice outdoor charcoal grill or even an indoor electric grill.
So what’s a good way to bring that smoky flavor into your foods in a natural way that doesn’t involve chemicals? The answer: Tea!
Teas absorb aromas very easily (which is why everyone says not to store them near coffee).  In teas like Lapsang Souchong, part of the processing involves holding the tea near an open flame, where it naturally aborbs the aroma and flavor of the smoke.  This is great news for those of us that love that BBQ flavor!
Teas are also packed with antioxidants so when you cook with them you are fortifying your food with even more nutrients.  At Sanctuary T, our customers loved the flavor so much that we made it into a seasoning called Smoky Black T-Dust, which is already balanced with salt and pepper for culinary perfection!
Next time you’re cooking up a summer treat indoors, try out our Smoky Black T-Dust with the recipe below, or add a shot of strong Lapsang Souchong to your next marinade.
Ingredients:
2- 8oz Sirlion Steaks
Minced Garlic
Red Cooking Wine or Any Red Wine
Sanctuary T’s Smoky Black T-Dust (or Lapsang Souchong tea, salt and pepper to taste)
Instructions:
1)  Put 2- 8 oz Sirlion Steaks into a tupperware container
2) Add 1 tsp of minced garlic
3) Add a ¼ cup of of red cooking wine
4)  4 shakes of Smoky Black T-Dust (or  1/2  Cup of deeply brewed and cooled Lapsang Souchong with salt and pepper to taste)
5)  Let marinate for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator.
6) Heat skillet on a high temperature stove
7) Place steaks onto skillet and pour in all the juices from marinade
8) Cover the skillet and flip when first side  brown to your liking.
9) Cut horizontal slits into the meat when flipping to help cooking the thicker cuts.
10) Cook meat to your liking (About 7-9 minutes for medium rare)bbqwithtea_blogentry

bbqwithtea_blogentry

There are many reasons to love summer! And one of the reasons without a doubt is the summer time food—potato salads, watermelon and BBQ.  A large problem with grilling both meat and veggies in the summer, however, is that not everyone has a nice outdoor charcoal grill or even an indoor electric grill.

So what’s a good way to bring that smoky flavor into your foods in a natural way that doesn’t involve chemicals? The answer: Tea!

Teas absorb aromas very easily (which is why everyone says not to store them near coffee).  In teas like Lapsang Souchong, part of the processing involves holding the tea near an open flame, where it naturally aborbs the aroma and flavor of the smoke.  This is great news for those of us that love that BBQ flavor!

Teas are also packed with antioxidants so when you cook with them you are fortifying your food with even more nutrients.  At Sanctuary T, our customers loved the flavor so much that we made it into a seasoning called Smoky Black T-Dust, which is already balanced with salt and pepper for culinary perfection!

Next time you’re cooking up a summer treat indoors, try out our Smoky Black T-Dust with the recipe below, or add a shot of strong Lapsang Souchong to your next marinade.

Ingredients:

  • 2- 8oz Sirlion Steaks
  • Minced Garlic
  • Red Cooking Wine or Any Red Wine
  • Sanctuary T’s Smoky Black T-Dust (or Lapsang Souchong tea, salt and pepper to taste)

Directions:

  1. Put 2- 8 oz Sirlion Steaks into a tupperware container
  2. Add 1 tsp of minced garlic
  3. Add a ¼ cup of of red cooking wine
  4. 4 shakes of Smoky Black T-Dust (or  1/2  Cup of deeply brewed and cooled Lapsang Souchong with salt and pepper to taste)
  5. Let marinate for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator.
  6. Heat skillet on a high temperature stove
  7. Place steaks onto skillet and pour in all the juices from marinade
  8. Cover the skillet and flip when first side  brown to your liking.
  9. Cut horizontal slits into the meat when flipping to help cook the thicker cuts.
  10. Cook meat to your liking (About 7-9 minutes for medium rare) and enjoy with sea salt to taste!

June 22nd, 2010 | Posted by Sanctuary T | 1 Comment »