Golden Delight

This drink is going to seem a little strange to many of you – “you want me to drink a whole teaspoon of turmeric??”  But it actually tastes wonderful.  It’s very warming, filling, and may very well be good for your health.  Turmeric is known to be an anti-inflammatory agent, have loads of anti-oxidants, improves liver function and lowers cholesterol.  Cinnamon is also anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, improves memory function and regulates blood sugar.  A single teaspoon of both turmeric and cinnamon each have 5% of the recommended daily value for iron!  Add in the contribution from the hemp milk and you’re getting 15% of your iron in one cup of this drink, for those of you keeping track.  I have a strong personal preference for Ceylon cinnamon (aka “true” cinnamon), rather than the Cassia that is always what you’re getting when you buy something labeled “cinnamon” without specifying “Ceylon.”  If you can’t tell by the label which one you’ve got, then you’ve got Cassia.  Ceylon cinnamon has a milder, sweeter, more delicate flavor than Cassia.  But if you can’t find Ceylon cinnamon, or are totally content with the Cassia you have (a valid life choice), I would reduce the amount called for in this recipe.

Ingredients:

1/2 C water

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon (or 1/2 tsp Cassia cinnamon)

3/4 C vanilla hemp milk

1 tsp almond oil

Instructions:

1.  Bring water to a simmer is a small sauce pan.  Whisk in the turmeric and cinnamon.  Simmer for 3 minutes.

2.  Whisk in the hemp milk and almond oil.  Reduce heat to low.  As soon as it begins to simmer, remove from heat and serve.

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Teatime: Rosey Detox Sun Tea

I’ve been a bit stressed lately, not eating as great as I normally do – and unfortunately my body (and Primate readers) suffers because of this. Since I don’t have time to do a full weekend detox, I thought I’d make a mild detoxing sun tea…MILD detoxing. The detox blend that I use contains goldenseal. In addition to it’s properties as a bile-secretion stimulant (thus helping detox and elimination), it’s properties as a diuretic is bad if it builds up in the body because you can become excessively dehydrated, so one needs to be careful when ingesting it over time. Ok, with that said..this tea was super delicious, as always right 😉 ! This recipe makes 2 qts.

Ingredients:

1-2 TBSP Detox Blend tea
1 TBSP Rose Melange blend
2-3 TBSP Rooibus tea
1 TBSP agave nectar

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a 2 qt pitcher (with lid), and fill with 2 qts cold water. Place in sun 3-4 hours, strain, and chill. Enjoy!

Happy Teatime!

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Teatime: Cranberry Lemon Sun Tea

I promise I’ll get back to more involved recipes soon…but to help tide you over, here’s another variation of the Ceylon Lemon Sun tea. This was fabulous, and the cranberries didn’t overwhelm the flavor. So they simply provided a lovely, subtle cranberry-esque aroma. Super delicious! This recipe makes it perfect strength to be served without ice. If you want to serve over ice, add in another TBSP or two of Ceylon tea to make it stronger so as the ice melts it won’t become unpleasantly weak.

Ingredients:

4 TBSP Ceylon tea leaves
1 TBSP jasmine flowers
1 lemon, washed and sliced
1/3 C dried cranberries
2 qts cold water
1 TBSP agave nectar

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a 2 qt pitcher and leave in sun for 3 hours. Strain, chill, and enjoy!

Happy Teatime!

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Teatime: Ceylon Lemon Sun Tea

Another super simple recipe – maybe I should dub this ‘Super Simple Recipe Week’. Here’s a variation on the Orange Pekoe Sun Tea – inspired by a comment Jo left on said post (so leave comments, your happenstance idea might inspire a new creation). She mentioned the addition of lemons, so that inspired me to write up this little diddy! I must say, it is delicious – I wouldn’t be posting it if it wasn’t. The lemon and jasmine complement the Ceylon/Orange Pekoe so well…it’s like a match made in the sun. I ended up drinking the whole pitcher within 3 days – and that was because I forced myself to ration it. 😉

Ingredients:

4-6 bags Ceylon tea (or 4-6 tsp loose tea) – like the OP Sun Tea, I used Twinnings
1/2-1 lemon, washed and sliced into rounds
2 tsp jasmine flowers
2 qts cold water

Directions:

In a lidded pitcher, place the tea bags, jasmine flowers, and lemon slices. Fill with 2 qts cold water and place in sun for 2.5-3 hours. Strain into a pitcher and sweeten with sugar/nectar if desired (Since it isn’t as strong as a hot tea, I didn’t need to sweeten mine). Serve chilled, over ice and enjoy with a black bean burger!

**I apologize for not having a fresh picture, but it looked exactly like the glass in the photo! 🙂

Happy Teatime!

On this day in History: Mint-Chip Vegan Ice Cream

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Iced Rooibus Chai

Jo graced us with her exquisitely delicious recipe for hot chai tea, using the coconut milk beverage from So Delicious – and boy, if there was never a more aptly named company! Anyway, as much as I love a hot chai in the morning or afternoon, sometimes you want a cool refreshing tea in the evenings. Instead of risking the caffeine keeping you awake, use a naturally caffeine-free tea (and a change from herbal)…our wonderful friend, Rooibus. I like drinking rooibus as my nighttime tea, to keep my taste buds on their toes from chamomile and valerian. But wait, it’s summertime and oh so hot….I don’t want hot tea to make me warmer… I say, go ahead and enjoy your Rooibus Chai…iced! I’ve scaled up Jo’s recipe so you can have a stock in the fridge sitting right next to your So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage, for chilled chai on demand. I would recommend keeping them separate until just before drinking, to keep things on the fresher side of life. This recipe makes about 1.5 qts of tea to be used with 1-1.5 qts CM beverage. Of course, I’m just quenching my own thirst, so if you’ve got more mouths to fill..you could double it.

Ingredients:

12-16 tsp rooibus
6 C (1.5 qts) boiling water
3-4 2-inch cin sticks
14-16 whole cloves (for anti-clovites, use 10-12)
2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 vanilla beans, split down center (or 3-4 tsp vanilla extract)
8 TBSP (1/2 C) agave

Directions:

1. Boil freshly drawn water as you would for any tea. Place tea and spices in a pitcher/container, preferably lidded or one that’s flat that you could place a plate on top of to cover while steeping. Pour boiling water over the awaiting tea and spices, steep covered 5 minutes. **Alternatively you can place tea, spices, and freshly drawn cold water in the sun for 3 hours. I’ve tested both, and they come out equally delicious.
2. Strain into another pitcher/container for storage in the fridge. When ready to enjoy, mix either 50:50 or 75:25 of Chai:CM beverage (depending on how creamy you like your chai).

Happy Teatime!

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Tea Time: Rooibus

It’s latin name, Aspalanthus linearis. It’s common name, Rooibus (pronounced “ROY-boss”). It’s flavor, absolutely delicious! If you like black teas, you will love rooibus for those times when you don’t want something as bold. Rooibus, the red tea, is made from the leaves of the rooibostee (a shrub), which is native to the mountains near Capetown, South Africa. Traditionally, the stems and leaves are bruised with hammers, then left to ferment in the sun; resulting in a sweet flavor.

Rooibus is great on many levels. It’s perfect for a nighttime tea, when you don’t want something herbal, because it does not contain caffeine and has a very low tannin content. On the health front, it contains at least 37 natural antioxidant, minerals (including zinc), vit C, and alpha-hydroxy acids. It is naturally an antiviral, antianxiety, and antiallergy agent. Rooibus has been traditionally used to treat generalized inflammation and pain associated with syphilis (although not to treat syphilis itself). It has also been shown to have considerable antispasmodic activity – those with restless leg or suffer from insomnia, drink rooibus at night! It has been a bedtime favorite among South African herbalists, consumers, and even physicians. It’s likely that rooibos helps to induce sleep both directly, by affecting the metabolism of acetylcholine in the brain and preventing excessive firing of the neurons that cause wakefulness, and indirectly, by blocking hormonal reactions that cause inflammation and pain.

For allergies and stress, it’s been proposed that rooibus interferes with histamine (the thing which causes both nasal congestion and stomach upset during allergic reactions and times of stress). So it would especially be good for those with both food and/or respiratory allergies. It’s also suitable for use by children – it’s gentle and nontoxic (and don’t forget, caffeine-free). In addition to allergies, it’s antihistamine properties help reduce the risk of catching colds and flu. Mothers of the world, for your colicky babies, rooibus is often used as a milk substitute for infants who are prone to colic.

There is evidence that it contributes to a reduction in heart disease and other ailments associated with aging, including a beneficial effect on age-related mental decline. Recent studies performed by the Institute for Medical Science of Aging in Japan show that rooibus contains nearly 50 percent more skin-salvaging antioxidants than green tea. Because it’s packed with zinc, you’re giving your body a crucial mineral which, among other things, helps the body metabolize fatty acids and keeps cells plump. Grow old gracefully, intelligently, and easily…with tea!

**Of cautionary note: like black teas, rooibos inhibits the absorption of iron from food, therefore those with iron-deficient conditions should avoid both teas.

As you know, we love our tea here at the Primate, and rooibus can be subbed in for any black tea in any of our recipes. I have an upcoming Iced Chai recipe that I use rooibus – which makes a perfect nightcap on these hot summer nights!

Happy Teatime!

On This Day In History: French Breakfast Puffs!

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Orange Pekoe Sun Tea

Another sun tea to get you through the hot summer days! I’m a huge fan of black tea (Irish Breakfast is my personal fav that I drink every morning), and so naturally I’d like to have it any time of the day. However, when it’s 100°F outside, the thought of hot tea isn’t that appealing – unless it’s chai. Having an iced tea is just the ticket! But sometimes you don’t want something herbal, you want something dark and delicious. Try this bad boy out! This recipe makes about 2 qts.

Ingredients:

6 bags Orange Pekoe or other Ceylon tea bags (I used Twinnings)
*optional – 1 TBSP dried rosebuds (to give a subtle complement to the OP or C)

Directions:

In a pitcher (with lid), place the 6 teabags (with strings out) and rosebuds (if using). Fill with 2 quarts cold water and place in sun for 2.5-3 hours. Strain into a pitcher, sweeten with sugar/nectar if desired, and serve over ice!

*Note: if you prefer a weaker strength tea, use only 4 tea bags with 2 qts water. Leave in sun same amount of time. The only thing you change is the number of tea bags to adjust the strength to your liking.

Happy Teatime!

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Chai Spice Shortbread Cookies

We’re big on tea here at the primate, as you may know. The second best part of afternoon tea is, of course, some cookies (that’s biscuits to my British friends) to go along with it.  Sometimes you won’t be able to brew up a batch of homemade chai, so some chai spice cookies to go along with your regular tea can give you your cardamom fix.

Ingredients:

2 C flour

1/3 C confectioner’s sugar

1/3 C turbinado sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cardamom

1/8 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp vanilla

2 sticks Earth Balance

few spoonfuls of cinnamon sugar

Instructions:

1.  Place all dry ingredients in a food processor, and give a few quick pulses to blend.

2.  Cut “butter” into pieces and add to food processor, along with vanilla.  Blend for 20-30 seconds, or until the mixture resembles course cornmeal.

3.  Turn onto lightly floured surface and kneed a few times to form a dough.  Roll into a ball.

4.  Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 1 – 24 hours.

5.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Roll dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cut with cookie cutters.

6.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

7.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

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Teatime: Thyme Tea

Ah, another wonderful tea brought to you by the Innocent Primates! Thyme is typically used in cooking right? Well, it also serves as a lovely tea for after dinner. Thyme is known to be a digestive aid, and it settles an upset tummy. Historically, thyme has been used as an antiseptic for coughs, colds and sore throats, along with being overall a good relaxer of the respiratory system in cases of spasms and such. Ladies, thyme tea is great for soothing cramps during menstruation. Another antiseptic aspect – it’s good as a compress on the eyes for styes, conjunctivitis, and helping aid pink eye. Use fresh garden thyme on fresh cuts and scrapes as an immediate antiseptic remedy. Gargling thyme water will soothe swollen tonsils. Thyme also has wonderful anti-fungal properties, so it’s great for athlete’s foot and yeast infections. Thyme essential oil (external use only) is used to lift spirits and mood in aromatherapy.

Thyme tea for teatime (hehe, couldn’t help it)

2-4 sprigs (2-inch long sprigs)

1 C boiling water

Place thyme sprigs in your tea mug of choice and bring water to a boil. Pour boiling water over thyme and steep, covered (a small plate will do – this keeps in the volatile oils which give you all the goods), for approximately 15-20 minutes. Since it’s a fresh herbal tea, you can leave the thyme in there while you drink it, or take it out. It won’t become bitter like black or green teas. Lightly sweeten with nectar if needed, but Sara and I usually don’t. Of course, we’re used to it…so taste it and see what you think.

Happy Teatime!

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Green Tea-Ginger Sorbet

It may seem like an odd combo, or even an odd thing to turn into a sorbet..but trust me, this sorbet was as interesting tasting as it is interesting sounding. And by interesting, I mean delicious. If you love green tea, you’ll definitely love this sorbet..and what better way to get those antioxidants when it’s too hot for a steaming cuppa. The ginger gives it a bit of a kick, but not overwhelmingly so. I think you’ll enjoy it. This recipe makes about a pint or so.

Ingredients:

1 C water
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 C turbinado sugar
1 C double-strength unsweetened green tea, chilled (3 tea bags per 8 oz)

Directions:

1. Heat freshly drawn water in a tea kettle, or small saucepan. Pour 1 C hot (just before boiling) water over 3 green tea bags and let steep 3 minutes. Remove tea bags and allow to cool.
2. In a small saucepan, bring 1 C water, ginger, and sugar to a boil over medium heat. Boil until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Once sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
3. Mix together ginger syrup and green tea, and chill for 30 minutes.
4. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for 20 minutes before serving (otherwise it’ll be super soft).

*Sorbet can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Happy Freezing!

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