Chanoyu: The way of the Tea

After writing an 8 page paper on Japanese Tea ceremonies I have decided to incorporate the way of the tea (Chanoyu) into my life. =] There are 3 types of teas; Whipped, Boiled, and Steeped. The whipped tea is made from tea powder and is often stirred with milk to make a latte consistency. Japanese Green Powder Tea is also known as Matcha. Boiled tea and Steeped tea both use either loose tea or tea bags. I picked these up from Whole Foods:

White tea with rose. A loose tea you can steep with a Tea ball. It has a very delicate and light flavor.

 *white teas pack the most antioxidants* 

Powdered Green Tea. This has a very rich, creamy, earthy flavor... (add a lot of honey if you have a sugary palet). Rishi brand sells them in individual packets. You can pour them into a water bottle for instant Green Tea on-the-go or you can whisk (whip) the powder into hot milk and cream with a little bit of honey. (A simple whipped green tea)

My long-time favorite: Chai tea. Chai Tea is usually a mixture of black tea with great spices like clove and cinnamon. The clove flavor is deliciously detectable. Publix sells pre-made Chai Tea that you can mix directly with milk. I prefer to mix it with almond milk. Just use equal parts milk and Chai. (serve hot or pour over ice to serve cold)

Drink tea to the sounds of Bonobo <3

Videos: a MUST see

I'm already a huge advocate for health, vegetarianism, and organic produce but after seeing these I'm definitely a lot more educated. check it out, let me know what you think. (these are just the trailers)

 

Fun with a Food processor

I FINALLY got a new food processor! Ever since my dad started his garden I realized so many fresh things I wanted to make all required high speed blending. Here's what I made today:

Fresh hummus dip with capers!

you'll need:

• 1 can organic garbanzo beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup capers
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

*You just have to blend them all together. For those of you who have never used a food processor (like me) I learned today that you need to put the liquid first with the hardest ingredients. In this case, blend the garlic, olive oil, and pine nuts first. Next, slowly add the beans, capers, and lemon juice. You might have to add a little more olive oil depending on what kind of consistency you like. If this recipe doesn't suit you, just google one you might like (traditional hummus calls for tahini but since i didn't have any, i just made this version instead) 

Basil Pesto sauce!

My dad planted basil and it grows like wild fire, it's wonderful! you'll need:

• 2 cups packed basil leaves
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 fresh grated pecorino romano (or parmesan)
• 2 cloves garlic

Personally, I like the pecorino more than parmesan because it has such a light fruity flavor that goes so well with the olive oil. Parmesan cheese has a nuttier savory flavor that also pairs well with the pine nuts so it's up to you which you prefer, but they're very very similar.

Then just poor the sauce over cooked pasta, add a little sun-dried tomatoes.

Although this sauce is a lot healthier than most tomatoes sauces and all creamy, cheesy sauces you definitely want to be aware of the olive oil. Also, if you want to make it more nutritious and just as delicious; use 1 cup of spinach leaves and 1 cup of basil. You won't even taste the difference =]

Here are the sun-dried tomatoes i love- very quick and easy!

Brand: California Sun Dry

Neutrogena Naturals

Finally got my hands on Neutrogena's new Naturals line. These are their go-green products that have 100% natural ingredients with no harsh chemicals. I got the purifying pore scrub and purifying gentle cleanser. I must say the cleanser is a no bullshit face wash. There's no fancy, floral fragrance so it smells pretty strong. It actually smells like strong cleaning fluid but don't let it fool you. It left my skin feeling tight and soft. The scrub is my absolut favorite too. It smells a little sweeter and the jojoba beads (a natural exfoliant) are so soft you could use this scrub several times a day without causing any irritation. Last but definitely not least, I picked up origins white tea skin guardian from their A Perfect World line. I LOVE origins products but they're pretty expensive, but i found the skin guardian at Nordstrom Rack for $24. (regularly $50) and WOW. This is by FAR my new favorite product. It has a soft white tea smell with a hint of ginger that gives your skin this tiny invigorating tingle. It's kind of like a moisturizer but it has the consistency of a makeup primer. It's really thick but goes on like velvet. Your skin immediately soaks it up without looking greasy at all.It doesn't feel like you've caked your face with primer but rather gave your skin this hydrating velvet shield to protect your skin from harsh elements all day. The white tea also packs a lot of antioxidants to keep your skin from the outdoor free radicals. 

Greek Spinach Feta Veggie Burgers

So I took a closer look at the ingredients of the morning star burgers and obviously I found some MSG (i'll tell you all about that below) and a trace of trans fats =/ I figured something that tasty would be processed so I found an old recipe I had for a different kind of veggie burger with lots of taste and freshness. 

 You'll need:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic (minced)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried dillweed
• 1 cup herb-seasoned stuffing mix
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 1 10 oz packaged of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and well drained)
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
• arnold's whole wheat rounds
• tzatziki sauce (check older posts)

Mix together the dry ingredients to the season mix, stir in the eggs and spinach. Mix well and shape into 1/2 in thick patties. Add the patties to a griddle or non-stick pan over medium heat and cook until browned and heated through.

Top with tzatziki and red onion! =]

Ok.. so all about MSG or Monosodium Glutamate. It's an additive just like high fructose corn syrup that a lot of people speculate to have a significant impact on your health. Essentially it is believed that the msg additive actually triggers your brain to consume more food and actually foods with a lot of MSG. kind of like nicotene, eventually you start to crave it. So two major concerns according to MSGTruth.org

1. MSG stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin. You see, MSG stimulates the pancreas to release insulin into the blood stream even when there are not any carbohydrates in the dish for the insulin to act on. Your blood sugar ends up dropping because of this flood of insulin, and then you end up hungry again an hour or so later. 
2. MSG tricks your body into thinking that the food you are eating is nutritious, even if it is not. The reason for this is that your taste buds detect the free glutamic acid that is in MSG. In “taste bud language”, this translates to “hey, there’s protein in this food I’m tasting!”. Therefore, your brain gets the signal that the food you are eating is actually nutritious, while more than likely, it is not.

Now I wouldn't go getting too paranoid if I were you. It just depends how much of a health nut you are but feel free to research it a bit more. And if you haven't already, watch the documentary FOOD.inc

also.. click HERE for the "hidden" names for MSG on the ingredient label 

Today's best meal: veggie burger

I made some whole wheat pasta with a pecorino romano cream sauce and added broccoli to the mix. It's just like making the parmesan cream sauce (check older posts) except with pecorino, which is like parmesan's fruitier, lighter cousin. Adding broccoli is a great way to get in your serving of vegetables =]

For dinner I grilled one of the morning star burgers (just in a pan with nothing added) and sandwiched it between whole wheat arnold flat rounds. I added some spring mix, spicy brown mustard, and a slice of red onion. It was so crispy and delicious! A great alternative to a regular burger with great flavor at a total of 270 calories and 10 g of fat (excluding spring mix and onion slice)

ps. sorry I still havent' blogged much. It's a little time consuming and i've had so much on my plate lately. school, work, finals, and last week was my birthday! I definitely indulged and the best part: my birthday cake or... my version of it ;)

French Macaroons <3

My picks for quick/healthy snacks