To celebrate International Tea Day, we have more than just your regular cup of tea! From wonderful flavours, a flavoured green tea and even a three course meal with tea in each course!

 

 

A three course meal with tea

Tea has always been able to solve a multitude of problems, from a bad day at work to a fall out with friends, and its herbal relatives have reached similar heights in the last few years. Not only is the ‘tea’ supermarket aisle filled with a wide variety of blends, green tea is now being added to beauty products and we’re even cooking with it.

The reasons for this come down to the many health benefits that these little bags of leaves offer. The natural, and sometimes organic, ingredients, ranging from lavender and peppermint to ginseng and lemongrass, provide benefits to both the mind and body that can’t be denied. Some blends help with fat burning, while others lower your risk of infection and some more relaxing blends help us to unwind after a stressful day.

Although the most common way to receive the benefits of tea is through drinking it, cooking and baking with it is something that’s becoming increasingly popular.

In celebration of our love of tea, Eli Cohen, Founder of online health and wellbeing retailer Nutrient Wise, shares a three course meal with recipes that include tea – one including TeaGuru, Eli’s natural and organic teatox

 

 

 

 

Starter: Pea and mint tea soup

1 medium potato, peeled and diced

1 garlic clove

850ml vegetable stock

900g young peas in the pod (to give about 250g/9oz shelled peas)

4 mint green tea bags

Large pinch caster sugar

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

150ml soured cream

 

Method:

Put the spring onions into a large pan with the mint green tea bags, potato, garlic and stock. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the potato is very soft

For the garnish, blanch 3 tbsp of the shelled peas in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, drain, put in a bowl of cold water and set aside

Add the remaining peas to the soup base and simmer for 5 minutes – no longer, or you will lose the lovely fresh flavour of the peas

Stir in the sugar and lemon or lime juice, cool slightly then remove the mint tea bags

Pour into a food processor or liquidiser and whizz until as smooth as you like. Stir in half the buttermilk or soured cream, taste and season with salt and pepper

When ready to serve, return the soup to the rinsed-out pan and reheat without boiling

Serve the soup in bowls, garnished with the remaining soured cream and the drained peas

 

 

 

Main course: Lemon green tea poached salmon

5 bags TeaGuru daytime infusion

2 salmon fillets

2 cups boiling water

5 cloves garlic

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. salt/pepper

1 lemon

 

Method:

Steep TeaGuru daytime infusion tea bags in water for 2-4 minutes

Remove the tea bags from the water and add the garlic, ginger and sesame oil to the tea

In a frying pan, heat the olive oil and once hot add the salmon

If the salmon still has its skin on, place it skin side up and sear the other side

Sear for 2-3 minutes and then turn the salmon over and add the tea mixture

Bring the tea and salmon to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and poach for 6-9 minutes

When ready, the salmon should flake easily

Once plated, squeeze lemon and sprinkle with salt and pepper

 

 

 

 

Desert: Ginger spice cupcakes

(Makes 12 cupcakes)

225g unsalted butter

160ml milk

6 ginger teabags

160g caster sugar

3 large eggs

1½ tsp cinnamon

210g plain flour

1½ tsp baking powder

120-160g icing sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4

Line a 12-hold cupcake tin with paper cupcake cases

Place the butter, milk and teabags in a small saucepan and set over a low heat

Let the butter completely melt and then simmer for two minutes

Set the mixture aside for ten minutes to cool and then strain out the tea, collecting the melted, ginger infused mixture in a bowl

Once the mixture is completely strained you should have roughly 220-250g of the butter and milk mixture remaining

Beat 160g of the butter and milk mixture with the sugar. Add the eggs and cinnamon. Stir in the flour and baking powder together in a separate bowl and fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined

Divide the batter between the 12 cupcake cases and bake for 17-22 minutes (or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean)

While the cupcakes are in the oven, make the buttercream

Beat 60-80g of the remaining ginger infused butter and milk mixture until smooth

Gradually add icing sugar to the mixture until the buttercream is thick and smooth

Once the cupcakes have baked and cooled, spread buttercream on each

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

£18.00

Whatever your favourite, there is always a tea to suit the moment. A must for all tea lovers, this colourful line up, of one of each of the excellent teas, makes a practical and appealing gift. Each box contains 25 individually wrapped string & tag tea bags, and the whole collection is attractively presented with a raffia tie

The Collection includes Peppermint, Green, Camomile, Darjeeling, Earl Grey, Breakfast, Rooibos, Decaff teas