Thursday, July 4, 2013
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Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Cucumber boats Recipe
Southwest Salad in Cucumber boats
1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas,
drained and rinsed
2/3 cup fresh or frozen sweet corn kernels
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt, divided
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
½ cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1⁄3 cup thinly sliced green onion
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 (10-inch-long) cucumbers
2/3 cup fresh or frozen sweet corn kernels
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt, divided
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
½ cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1⁄3 cup thinly sliced green onion
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 (10-inch-long) cucumbers
• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine chickpeas, corn, bell pepper, olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and coriander, tossing until well combined. Place in a single layer on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake until corn just begins to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl, combine chickpea mixture, black beans, green onion, cilantro, lime juice, avocado oil, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
• Trim ends from cucumber, and cut cucumber in half horizontally. Using a spoon, scoop out seeds from center, discarding seeds. Cut each cucumber half into 6 pieces.
• Divide salad evenly among cucumber cups.
• Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine chickpeas, corn, bell pepper, olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and coriander, tossing until well combined. Place in a single layer on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake until corn just begins to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl, combine chickpea mixture, black beans, green onion, cilantro, lime juice, avocado oil, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
• Trim ends from cucumber, and cut cucumber in half horizontally. Using a spoon, scoop out seeds from center, discarding seeds. Cut each cucumber half into 6 pieces.
• Divide salad evenly among cucumber cups.
• Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.
Celebrities Drinking Tea
He did more for Earl Grey than any other!
I am a huge fan of Alan Rickman (even when he's playing villains!)
Even Ozzie and Slash know that tea is a good thing!
Marilyn Monroe having a cup of tea. She's so pretty!
Monday, June 24, 2013
Today's Tea Trivia
Use Tea to keep mosquitos away! This time of year we are all outside, and mosquitos are so annoying! Here's a natural way to keep them away:
High Tea?
High tea was the Victorian working man’s last meal of the day. And early supper which allowed him to get to bed before dark. It also provided him with the sustenance needed to perform hard labor. A combination of hot dishes, chicken, game or ham served with salads, breads, cheeses and an endless assortment of cakes and condiments. This meal consisted of anything available in the pantry. For most, it was the bridge between a light lunch and a simple breakfast.
Mosquitoes. Tea leaves are a natural
means of keeping mosquitoes away. All you have to do is use slightly damp
leaves to add the scent of tea to the areas you want to keep insect-free.
Did a little more research and green tea seems to work the best for people. And lemongrass is also a natural repellent.
High Tea?
High tea was the Victorian working man’s last meal of the day. And early supper which allowed him to get to bed before dark. It also provided him with the sustenance needed to perform hard labor. A combination of hot dishes, chicken, game or ham served with salads, breads, cheeses and an endless assortment of cakes and condiments. This meal consisted of anything available in the pantry. For most, it was the bridge between a light lunch and a simple breakfast.
Afternoon tea, on the
other hand was generally a custom for higher society whether that of the
aristocracy or the prosperous middle and upper middle classes. A delicate
affair, this meal was served in the late afternoon, long after lunch and
several hours before dinner. It was appreciate as much for the company as for
the meal.
From: Tea Time:
Tradition, Presentation, and Recipes., Running Press 1992
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Tea Trivia and other Interesting info
I'm starting at the beginning of the history of tea and will sift through the enormous amount of information that is available and bring you the highlights.
Tea bags were invented in America in the early 1800s, and were initially used to hold samples of teas brought from India. Today, 96% of all cups of tea served around the world were made using teabags.
Each day I will provide a little bit more about the fascinating world of tea!
Tea Trivia Day 1:
Historical notes and facts about tea indicate this ever-popular beverage originated in China some 5,000 years ago. It was discovered in 2737 BC by Chinese Emperor Shen-Nun, who was considered a divine healer, when some tea leaves accidentally blew into a pot of boiling water.
Yet it took nearly 100 years for tea to reach other parts of the globe. Dutch traders were the first to bring tea to the West in the early 1600s where it later became a commonly accepted staple of trade.
There are more than three thousand varieties of tea that are grown in mountainous areas around the world. Whether you sip black, green, oolong or white tea depends on what happens after the flush, when the top two leaves and bud are harvested, processed and shipped.
Yet it took nearly 100 years for tea to reach other parts of the globe. Dutch traders were the first to bring tea to the West in the early 1600s where it later became a commonly accepted staple of trade.
There are more than three thousand varieties of tea that are grown in mountainous areas around the world. Whether you sip black, green, oolong or white tea depends on what happens after the flush, when the top two leaves and bud are harvested, processed and shipped.
Tea Trivia Day 2:
Tea bags were invented in America in the early 1800s, and were initially used to hold samples of teas brought from India. Today, 96% of all cups of tea served around the world were made using teabags.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Tea Party Recipes
I recently made these and I liked them.
Next time I would personally like less lemon juice and I will leave out the mayonnaise. They didn't seem to need the extra taste. I used crescent rolls because that's what I had on hand. It's a yummy quick way to make crab puffs.
Easy Crab Puffs
Makes 16-20 puffs
1 sheet of puff pastry dough, thawed (see package directions)
4 oz. cream cheese, softened (1/2 of an 8 oz. block or 1/2 of an 8 oz. container)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 - 6 oz. cans of crabmeat, drained (pick through it for any shells)
2 green onions or scallions, chopped
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg for egg wash
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut puff pastry into 16 squares. I use a pizza cutter, it's easy that way. Depending on brand of puff pastry you buy, you might have a rectangular sheet that you could get away with cutting 20 squares. You'll have enough filling for 20 if you can get 20 squares. I used the Trader Joe's brand which comes in a square so I get 16, like this:
Combine all the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Place a couple teaspoons of filling in the center of each puff pastry square and spread from one corner to the opposite corner diagonally. Keep the other two corners clear of filling. If you have leftover filling, you can go back and add a little more to each puff, or just use it as a dip with crackers for a little cook's treat.
Take one of the corners that doesn't have filling on it and fold it across the filling, then fold the other corner over that, tucking it tightly to the other side. As they bake, they'll spread apart more so make sure and press to seal, using a bit of water on your finger to help seal if needed. Sorry I don't have a picture of how I folded them, but you can probably see what I mean by looking at the pictures of the puffs.
Place puffs on a cookie sheet with a little space in between like you'd do with cookies. I use a silicone mat or parchment paper on the pan for easy removal and cleanup. In a small bowl, beat egg to use as an egg wash and brush egg wash over the tops of each puff.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until tops and bottoms of puffs are golden brown. Garnish with green onions if you'd like and serve.
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