Looking to boost the anti-oxidant levels in your food? Try cooking with green tea. It's a great way to take advantage of all of the health benefits green tea has to offer. Try these free recipes to get started!

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                   Salmon Poached in Green Tea  

Poaching the salmon in green tea will produce tender, perfectly cooked filets with the added health benefits of green tea.  

Ingredients:

2 wild caught salmon filets, 4 oz each

2 cups water

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

1 small bunch of fresh thyme

2 tablespoons loose green tea

1 teaspoon sea salt  

Directions:

Combine the water, ginger, thyme and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and cover. Let steep for 10 minutes, then reheat to 180 ° F (look for small bubbles forming in the bottom of the pan.) Remove from heat, add the green tea and let steep for 2 to 3 minutes then strain the mixture into a small skillet over a medium flame. Put the salmon filets skin side down in the skillet and let cook for about 7 minutes (depending on desired doneness) occasionally spooning the hot liquid over the top of the filets. Serve with lemon. Makes 2 servings, this recipe can easily be doubled. Shown pictured above with Toasted Orzo cooked with green tea and steamed green beans.  

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                              Green Tea Granita  

This is an incredibly light and refreshing dessert, perfect for summertime. The mild flavor of the green tea pairs well with the spicy kick from the fresh ginger.  

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

2 tablespoons loose green tea

1/4 cup honey

Juice and zest of one lemon  

Directions:

Combine water and ginger in a saucepan. Bring to boil, turn off heat and cover. Let steep for 10 minutes. Reheat to 180° F (look for small bubbles in the bottom of the pan.) Remove from heat, add the green tea and steep for 2 to 3 minutes. Strain into a shallow baking dish, add the honey and stir well. Let cool to room temperature then add the lemon juice and zest. Move to freezer. Scrape a fork across the mixture every 30 minutes till frozen (how long it takes will depend on how cold your freezer is.) Makes 4 servings.  

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                   Toasted Orzo Cooked in Green Tea  

Plain orzo gets a major flavor boost when toasted and cooked slowly in the style of a risotto. Using green tea instead of water adds flavor and nutrition.  

Ingredients:

1 cup orzo

4 cups water

4 large cloves garlic, smashed (best way to smash? Use your chef's knife)

20 whole black peppercorns

20 whole allspice berries

2 teaspoons sea salt

1/4 cup loose green tea

1/4 cup chopped chives  

Directions:  

Lightly crush the peppercorns and allspice berries. The easiest way to do this is in a mortar and pestle, but the bottom of a small skillet will work. Combine them with the water, salt and garlic in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and cover. Let steep for 10 minutes, then reheat to 180°. Remove from heat, add the green tea and let steep for 2 to 3 minutes. Strain to remove all solids and set aside.  Toast the orzo in a dry skillet over medium heat, tossing or stirring constantly till lightly browned (about 5 minutes.) Add 1 cup of the tea mixture, stir and let cook till most of the liquid is absorbed. Repeat, 1 cup at a time till all of the liquid is cooked into the orzo. Top each portion with 1 tablespoon of the chives. Makes 4 servings. Shown pictured above with Salmon poached in green tea and steamed green beans.  

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     Whole Grain Couscous cooked in Green Tea  

Whole grains, vegetables and green tea come deliciously together in this healthy dish. Loaded with flavor, you'll eat it for the way it tastes but your body will appreciate the nutrition it has to offer.  

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 small sweet potato, shredded

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 rib celery, sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon yellow curry powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 cup whole wheat couscous

1/4 cup raisons

1/2 cup chicken stock, hot (make it vegetarian- use vegetable stock instead)

1/2 cup prepared green tea, hot (follow your tea supplier's instructions for brewing)

1/4 cup chopped pistachios

1/4 cup chopped Chinese chives  

Directions:

Heat the coconut oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the sweet potato and onion and cook till softened. Add the garlic, curry powder and cayenne and continue to cook for 1 minute. Transfer to a heat-proof bowl and add the couscous, raisons, hot green tea and chicken stock. Stir, then cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork and move to serving plates. Top with the pistachios and chives. Makes 4 side dishes or 2 main course servings. 

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           Green Tea Shrimp Soup  

Green tea is the base for this fragrant, spiced shrimp soup. Using the shrimp shells to flavor the stock is a great way to cut down on waste (something I'm always trying to do in the kitchen.)  

Ingredients:

16 large shell-on shrimp

1 tablespoon mace

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1 cinnamon stick

2 cardamom pods

2 star anise pods

10 whole allspice berries

3 cups filtered water

2 bay leaves

4 cloves garlic, smashed (use the side of your chef's knife)

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

3 cup prepared green tea (follow your tea suppliers instructions for brewing)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 carrot, shredded

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 rib celery, sliced thinly

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup hoison sauce

1/4 cup sliced Chinese chives  

Directions:

Peel and de-vein the shrimp. In a medium pot, combine the shrimp shells, mace, peppercorns, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, allspice, water, garlic, bay leaves and ginger. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in another pot cook the carrot, onion and celery in coconut oil over medium heat till slightly browned (about 10-15 minutes.) Strain the liquid mixture and add it to the vegetables. Add the green tea, soy sauce, peas, hoison sauce and shrimp. Cook till the shrimp is opaque, about 4-5 minutes. Top with chives. For a heartier dish, serve with soba noodles. Makes 2 servings, this recipe can easily be doubled.

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               Green Tea Soda  

WARNING: This is a home fermented product which means 2 things: (1)- it will be slightly alcoholic. (2)- it can be dangerous to make (it involves naturally produced pressure which can lead to exploding bottles.) PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!!   If you do decide it's worth the risk, you will be rewarded with a beautifully smooth, naturally fizzy soda that actually has nutritional value.  

Ingredients:

1/3 cup loose green tea

4 cardamom pods, smashed (optional)

3/4 cup raw honey

1 lemon

1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast

water  

Directions:

Put 3 cups of water and the cardamom (if desired) into a pot and heat until it reaches 180° F. Add the green tea and allow to steep for 3 minutes. Strain, cool slightly, then add the honey and the zest and juice of the lemon. Transfer to a 2 liter bottle with a tight fitting cap. Add the yeast and water to fill (leave about 1 inch of airspace.) Shake very well. Move the bottle to a cool, dark place. Leave for 2 days. Open carefully and check the soda. It should have fizzy bubbles (this is a result of the natural fermentation that occurs when the yeast consume the sugars in the honey.) If it doesn't, re-cap it and return a cool, dark place. Check every 3 hours to see if it's done. After the desired amount of fizz is achieved, immediately refrigerate the bottle (this will slow the fermentation process.) Serve well chilled, over ice with a lemon slice. Use within 7 days.

Note: the 2 liter and all equipment must be very clean to avoid contamination!

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       Chai Latte Pudding- think outside the box  

Decades of mediocre mass-produced boxed pudding have led us to beleive that this dessert is difficult and time consuming to prepare from scratch. Not true! This version takes the flavor of a chai latte and combines it with the smooth richness of homemade pudding. Most chai lattes use black tea, but green tea's mellow flavor allows you to taste the spices and tea in harmony. Enjoy!  

Ingredients:

1/4 cup loose green tea

2 star anise pods, smashed

1 tablespoon whole mace or 1/4 teaspoon ground mace

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, smashed

4 whole cloves, smashed

4 cardamom pods, smashed

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1 tablespoon orange zest

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup sugar

4 teaspoons cornstarch

3 large egg yolks

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract  

Directions:

Put 1 1/2 cups of the milk, the sugar, tea, spices and orange zest into a nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat, cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of milk, cornstarch, salt, egg yolks and vanilla in a bowl. Strain the milk mixture, then gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture. Return to the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat whisking constantly until the pudding comes to a full boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and continue whisking until thick, about 2 to 3 minutes. Pour into cups, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Shown in the picture topped with fresh whipped cream and dusted with cinnamon. Makes 4 servings.

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Looking for more great unique recipes? Check out  Food Processor Reviews. It's a site dedicated to providing reviews and advice to help you find the best food processor for you but it also offers lots of free recipes. They don't use green tea but there are a lot of delicious and healthy recipes on the site!  http://food-processor-reviews.net/  

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