Did you know that the use of tea in recipes is one of the food trends since 2019? The great chefs who have opted to buy green tea have already been introducing green tea in their recipes for a couple of years, mainly in desserts, but anecdotally.
That is in Western cuisine because in Eastern cuisine, tea has been part of it for centuries, and, in fact, in countries like China or Japan, there are more and more food products that contain it, especially green tea for being one of the most popular in both countries, but also for all the properties and benefits that it brings, both for our internal and external health.
The first thing we are going to advise you is to buy quality tea.
Green Tea Recipes
But today we are not going to talk about the benefits of green tea, but about the recipes that can be made with it in the kitchen.
As the list is really extensive, we have selected for you 4, which we liked a lot, that does not seem difficult to make and that you will also love.
Will you join us? Well, grab a pen and paper, because we start.
Recipe 1: Green Gazpacho
We indeed associate gazpacho more with the summer season, but… who said that you can’t have it the rest of the year? It is a very complete starter that the whole family likes, besides providing a lot of vitamins and minerals.
In my house, of course, we make it practically all year round.
But today we are not going to talk to you about a traditional gazpacho, but about the green gazpacho that started to become very fashionable last summer, because it is associated with slimming properties.
At a nutritional level, it is also very interesting because, like the traditional gazpacho, it also provides vitamins and minerals and, best of all, it has matcha green tea!
To make it you will need:
- 2 teaspoons of matcha tea
- 200 grams of spinach
- half a cucumber
- 1 green bell pepper
- 4 green tomatoes
- half an onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- 300 grams of melon
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 dash of black pepper (to taste, although it is not obligatory).
Once you have all the ingredients, you only have to blend the ingredients and put them in the refrigerator so that it is very fresh, at least, a couple of hours before drinking it.
When serving it, I invite you to decorate it with 1 basil or fresh mint leaf. Some people also add pieces of diced melon, as a bite, or cucumber, as is done with the traditional gazpacho.
TIP: Add a little water if you see that the mixture is too thick for your taste. The texture is not the same as traditional gazpacho, it is a little thicker, but it is very good. However, the water will help to make it more liquid.
Recipe 2: Fresh Pasta with Matcha Tea
As we’re sure you already expect: to make this recipe you will need a special machine to make fresh pasta.
You could make it by hand, but…the result would not be the same. If you are a fan of pasta and, especially, of fresh pasta, surely you have one of these devices at home which, by the way, are not at all expensive and allow you to consume a delicious type of pasta, with the bonus that you have made it yourself at home and, of that, you know as well as I do that not everyone can boast.
To prepare this recipe you will need
- 3 tablespoons of matcha tea (if you prefer the flavor to be milder, 2 will also be fine).
- 200 grams of special flour for fried and battered foods
- 3 medium eggs
- 60 or 70 grams of wheat flour (depending on whether you have added 2 or 3 tablespoons of matcha tea).
Once you have all the ingredients, you only have to mix the eggs, together with the flour and the matcha tea. Pass the dough you have made through the fresh pasta machine so that it is as smooth as possible (if you don’t have one, take out the arm and the rolling pin and roll it until it is a very, very thin dough). From here, cut it to taste.
The easiest, without a doubt, is in the shape of a tagliatelle. Once ready and dry, you only have to cook it for 4 or 5 minutes and season it to taste.
In the case of this recipe, a little cream and basil will be enough to enjoy some delicious tagliatelle. You can also add some diced white ham.
Recipe 3: Chicken with Green Tea
Let’s go with the third recipe with green tea, which corresponds to the second dish (as you can see, you can prepare a very complete menu based on green tea).
This recipe, besides being very easy, is the typical one that the whole family likes and that surprises in equal parts, because everyone will notice that the chicken has a different flavor to the traditional roast, but they will like it even more.
Try it and tell me about it!
To make it, you need:
- 2 tablespoons sencha green tea
- 150 ml of water (to infuse the tea)
- Chicken wings (the number will vary depending on the number of guests. I leave it to your choice, but at least 2 per person) or chicken thighs.
- 1 eggplant
- Half an onion
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 tablespoon of agar-agar (or another thickener of your choice, such as cornstarch, for example)
- 1 pinch of salt
Once you have all the ingredients, the first thing you have to do is to infuse the green tea (at 75 degrees, about 3 minutes), and if possible in a wok, heat the oil over low heat and when it starts to get hot, add the chicken wings (or the meat of the thighs cut into cubes), increase the heat (not too much), until it browns the chicken wings (or the meat of the thighs cut into cubes), increase the heat (not too much either), until it turns golden.
Then add the eggplant cut into thin slices or diced (to taste) and the onion cut very small and fry everything together (lower the heat for this step).
When the vegetables have a light golden color, add the green tea infusion (which you will have previously strained), as well as the spoonful of agar-agar, salt, and honey. When the sauce is practically reduced, the chicken is ready to serve.
Recipe 4: Matcha Tea and Banana Cake
Did you know that matcha tea gives a softer touch to traditional cake?
In this case, we suggest you make one with banana and matcha, with which everyone will lick their fingers and which, moreover, is very easy to make. The culmination of a complete menu with green tea. Let’s get to the ingredients!
- 200 grams of flour
- 1 tablespoon of matcha tea
- 1 pinch of salt
- 125 grams of butter (some people prefer olive oil or other substitutes; I leave it up to you)
- 100 grams of brown sugar
- 4 bananas
- 1 yogurt
- 200 tablespoons of milk
- Optional: to decorate, almond slices, broken nuts, or white chocolate shavings if you prefer something sweeter.
Once you have everything ready, start by preheating the oven for 10 minutes at 180 degrees. While this time passes, mix the dry ingredients first, i.e. flour, matcha tea, and salt.
On the other hand, melt the butter in a bowl and when it is already in the form of an ointment, add the brown sugar.
In this same mixture add the bananas and mash them. Then beat the eggs and add them, as well as the milk and yogurt. Mix everything well and gradually add the dry ingredients mixture until a uniform dough is formed.
Pour the mixture into a cake baking dish (previously greased with butter or spray oil so that the cake does not stick when you take it out) and put it in the oven for about 30-35 minutes.
After this time, check if the cake is ready by pricking it with the tip of a knife in the center of the cake, if it comes out clean the cake is ready. Otherwise, wait about 10 minutes more.
It’s Your Turn
Now it’s your turn. We hope you liked these recipes. And, you know, if you need any of the green teas we have mentioned, you can find them without problems in our online store.
When you have it ready, we would love for you to show us the result of your recipe.
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER
Itsnevernotteatime.com cannot and does not contain medical/health advice. The medical/health information is provided for general and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice.