10 Top Recipes from 2014 - Weekend Recipes

I was more diligent about posting my recipes in 2014.  I shared them on Facebook and here in the Blog and linked a few back to my Twitter account as well.

These are the top 10 recipes from my posts last year.  I thought I would gather them together so if you missed them, you can see what others are enjoying as well.

This year we will continue to dig into our stash of recipes and post one at least every weekend with more shared in the Herb of the Week posts too!

#10 most popular - Cinnamon Roasted Pumpkin - Our Cinnful Dessert blend was another big hit with surplus pumpkin seeds.

#9  Iced Green Tea Chai - Chai is even better in the summer with a bit of ice than you would expect after drinking it rich and hot all winter!

#8 Ratatouille on the Grill this a great vegetarian meal!

#7 Flavored Mustard - we will take another pilgrimage to the Mustard Museum in 2015 and I am sure we will have more of these for you.  I love a flavored mustard on my sandwiches and in my cooking.

#6 Saffron Risotto - This rare and expensive herb is just worth trying at least once a year and this creamy recipes is a perfect partner.

#5 Mid Winter Minestrone - When it is cold a hearty partner like this will keep you warm.

#4 Bee Balm Recipes - This was an extension of an Herb of the Week where I shared more than one recipes using this prolific and citrusy herb.  I know you will love the flavors as much as I do!

#3 Soothing Bath Sachet - my bath recipes were among the most popular and this simple sachet with soothing milk was one of my favorites.

#2 Chicken Pot Roast in a Crock Pot - This one has my chef husbands seal of approval.  The Chicken is tender, the vegetables tasty and the fragrance is wonderful as it fills the house.  Great way to try out lima beans if you have been leery...

#1 The most popular recipes in 2014 - Sporty Bath Blend - great smelling when you are not, this blend is good as a bath or a foot soak.

Iced Green Tea Chai - Weekend Recipe

There are many herbs that are cooling and cinnamon and ginger are two of them, so enjoy this Chai iced tea on a hot day to experience the cooling effects.

Iced Green Tea Chai

Serves 4

4 cups water

1 cinnamon stick

1 Tbls. green cardamom pods

1 tsp. whole cloves

2 Tbls. sliced ginger root

4 tsp. green tea leaves

milk or non-dairy milk to taste

Sweetener to taste

Bring water to boil.  Add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and ginger root.  Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and add green tea.  Cover and steep for 10 minutes.  Strain and chill tea mixture.  Serve in chilled glasses with cold milk and sweetener to taste.

Healing with Herbs - a new Twist

I get on a kick each fall about my health.  Most people do this either at the beginning of the year or when they realize summer is around the corner and exercising is more fun in the summer.  I do it when I finally slow down after the growing season begins to wain.  I look at my garden and start making plans for next year and I do the same with myself.  I bought a car two years ago in December and as a result I stopped riding my bicycle everywhere I wanted to go.  As a result I have put on weight.  I spend too much time, blogging, I think (wink wink!)

So part of my plans for rejuvenating me are to increase the use of healthy herbs for my immune system and general health in my average day.  That requires working with my chef (I mean hubby) to use certain herbs for certain things.  Last week I saw my opening when he asked for tea and PBS Mystery! and I was able to serve one of my own blends  “Tea Time Tea.” He loved it and drank a whole pot.  Now I have the opening to introduce several new ideas in the kitchen.

This is what I am going to start with:

1.      A few teas to have in the morning.  Not sure I can get him to give up coffee, but I never have drunk the stuff….

2.      Add a few herbs more regularly to the cooking repertoire.

3.      Include some fall fruits in our menu.

Teas

Now I have touted the benefits of green tea for years (even before it was popular)  I make three green tea and herb blends, but finally I pulled all my resources together to determine just how good it was for me.  This is the result.  Green tea helps burn fat, protects against heart disease, help lower blood pressure, help protect against diabetes, it can kill bacteria so help prevent food poisoning, It prevents the growth of dangerous intestinal bacterial strains such as clostridia and E. coli and promotes the growth of friendly bifidobacteria (you recognize that from the commercials right?) which protect against cancer, improves your immunity, protect against Alzheimer’s disease and can help fight allergies!  Since all those items play in the lives of my husband and myself I decided that perhaps when he makes his morning coffee I will have my first cup of tea at home.

Now in the winter a robust tea on a cold day is a must on an Illinois evening.  I love chai tea for that.  A Chai tea with its spices including Cinnamon and Nutmeg can aid digestion, improve circulation, boost the immune system and reduce inflammation.  My circulation is not good and once the evening temps drop below 65 my feet turn to ice, so anything that can improve circulation and work as an anti-inflammatory will be an aid to my winter.

Herbs

My father and I love the flavor of licorice which made fennel a popular herb for me, but not so much with other people I know, however, when I discovered that it helps regulate the healthy levels of cholesterol in the blood stream, I started to preserve the leaves and seeds in new ways.  It is a rich source of potassium and for those who cannot eat bananas due to diabetes and other drug interactions, fennel may be a nice alternative.  You also get the anti flatulent qualities too!

bronze fennel with swiss chard

Potassium, by the way, is an essential nutrient in our bodies and can help prevent heart disease, strokes and heart attacks.

Garlic has many properties for goodness and health.  This will be the easiest item to get incorporated into my diet.  The hubby loves garlic and onions. Garlic is another heart healthy herb.  It protects the heart against cardiovascular problems like heart attacks and atherosclerosis. Garlic has the ability to moderately lower our blood triglycerides and total cholesterol and reduce arterial plaque formation. Daily intake of garlic has been found to lower risk of most types of cancer. This anti-cancer property is due to allyl sulphides found in garlic.  Garlic is great at combating colds and flu as well due to full of antibacterial and antiviral properties.

One of my favorite herbs (second only to lemon verbena) is thyme.  Thyme contains anti-inflammatory properties and may help prevent chronic inflammation of the body. Thyme has antibacterial properties which are proven to help fight a variety of bacteria and fungi, including E.coli. That is why thyme vinegar is a must in our household cleaning.  Thyme can also help to improve bone health as it is an excellent source of vitamin K and a good source of iron, calcium and manganese which are all essential to promoting proper bone growth.

I read a study that said thyme was effective at fighting the bacteria that causes skin acne so I will be trying some in a salve this winter too. The antioxidant protection of thyme combined with its anti-inflammatory effects help to prevent cardiovascular disease as chronic inflammation is one of the leading causes of heart disease. With all this going for it, not only do I like to use thyme (lemon thyme) in teas, but I also love to cook with it.  This year we made an herb paste with it so we could freeze fresh thyme in cubes and add them to dishes while cooking in the winter.

Fruits

Fall is also the season for Cranberries.  I am missing the Cranberry Festival in Warren, Wisconsin http://www.cranfest.com/ that is taking place this weekend.  Cranberry juice is widely known as a treatment for bladder and urinary tract infections, however so much of the cranberry juice on the market is filled with sugar that then promotes the growth of bacteria they cancel each other out.  Instead I find other ways to eat cranberries.  Dried in scones, dried or fresh in tea, fresh in salads and jells.  In a tea cranberry is widely recognized as containing powerful anti-oxidant properties. You can use the drinking of this tea to help prevent and slow the progression of the gum disease, or gingivitis.   Cranberries are also said to protect the vital organs, such as the heart, from falling prey to free radical damage.  They, like green tea, are very high in anti-oxidants.  If you can keep away oxygenation of the cells you live longer, stay healthier and feel better.

The cranberry contains organic acids that actually eat away at fat deposits in the liver and kidney, flushing them out of the system. Regular intake in combination of a healthy diet can result in weight loss & can be used to cure urinary tract infections through its ability to filter the system.

This year, my goals of improving my eating through use of herbs and teas is going to be the best and easiest way to keep me healthy through the winter and give me the energy needed to ride that bicycle that goes nowhere.  I’ll keep you updated and share the recipes we create.

Hot Tea Enjoyment Step 5 - Experiment with other tea drinks

Okay this was out of order because I lost the recipes I wanted to include, so rather than hold up the series I listed step 6 on Monday. HEre are all the steps to increasing your enjoyment of Hot Tea if you ant to review:

Step 6: http://backyardpatch.blogspot.com/2012/01/hot-tea-enjoyment-step-6-tea-tastings.html

Step 4: http://backyardpatch.blogspot.com/2012/01/hot-tea-enjoyment-4-storing-your-tea.html

Step 3: http://backyardpatch.blogspot.com/2011/03/brewing-tea-hot-tea-enjoyment-3.html

Step 2:  http://backyardpatch.blogspot.com/2011/02/loose-herbal-tea-hot-tea-enjoyment.html

Step 1: http://backyardpatch.blogspot.com/2011/02/hot-tea-enjoyment.html

So now. on the the next step:

5. Experiment with tea in other drinks, such as lattes, cider, cocoa or as Chai.  I stretched this out a bit and included using tea as an ingredient in recipes not only for desserts and main dishes, but in the bath as well..

When I was younger I thought Tea is Tea, Coffee is Coffee.  They are specific drinks prepared a specific way.  I do not drink coffee.  I love the smell, dislike the taste.  So as a result I do not drink hot coffee, coffee liqueur, iced coffee, or coffee ice cream, wait if coffee comes in all these varieties, doesn’t tea?

That was when I realized that there was probably more variety to tea than hot or iced.  So I began experimenting with ways to use brewed teas.  In the process I created a tea version of a Latte, a Chai Tea Latte you can enjoy cold as well as hot.

Chai Iced Tea

You will want to use a coffee filter to strain this mixture as the powdered herbs will float on the surface of the tea otherwise.

1/3 cup loose green tea leaves
2 tablespoons loose black tea leaves
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
6 whole cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Milk (may substitute soy or rice milk)

Blend all ingredients in a medium bowl. Place 1/2 of the mixture into a tea pot and add boiling water. While the tea is steeping, heat an amount of milk equal to the amount of tea brewed.  Steep until tea is of the desired strength Strain and pour into a mug, filling halfway. Add the warm milk to the mug and blend with the tea. Then pour over ice for iced chai tea. Skip the ice for a hot version.

In my experimenting to create a Latte, I ended up with a traditional Chai and two Green Tea Chais that I now market (scroll to the bottom of the web page and you will find them!) 

I even found ways to cook with tea and ways to use it in the bath.

Spanish Rice with Crab or Shrimp  

(Makes approximately 4 servings)

Ingredients
3/4 cup long grain rice
1 small onion
2 small cloves garlic
2 tblsp canola oil
1 1/4 cups water
1 - 8 ounce can stewed tomatoes
2 tsps loose green tea
1/4 tsp salt
hot pepper sauce (optional)
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 lb. crab meat or cooked medium shrimp

Cut up onion and garlic.  In skillet cook rice, onion, garlic, Backyard Patch Spanish Rice Seasoning (optional) and tea in canola oil over medium to low heat, stirring occasionally until rice is golden brown.  Remove from heat.  Add water, undrained tomatoes, salt, and a couple dashes of hot pepper sauce (optional).

Cover and simmer about 15 - 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Stir in frozen peas and crab OR shrimp and cook for 5 minutes more, or until heated through.

Green Tea Chicken Stock

1 cup freshly brewed green tea
2 Tbls. canola oil.
2 Tbls. of ginger root chunks
1 tsp. white pepper
5 cloves minced garlic
5 green onions
6 cups canned chicken broth
3 cups kernel corn
1 cup chicken, chunked

Heat a deep saucepan over medium heat and add oil. Stir in ginger, garlic and green onions and fry for 1 minute. Add chicken to it and cook for 2-3 minutes until it turns brown.  To the chicken mixture add the tea, chicken broth and corn. Bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer and cover it for 40 minutes. Season it with white pepper. Strain the liquid through a sieve, pressing out as much liquid as you can. Cool it and pour the stock into a container. Keep in a refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze. You can use this great tasting green tea chicken stock in any other recipes calling to broth or stock.

Green Tea Bath Blend

1/4 cup parsley

1/4 cup chamomile flowers

2 tbsp. loose green tea

1 tbsp. orange peel, dried

1/2 cup Epsom salt

Mesh drawstring bag

Mix ingredients thoroughly in a small bowl. Fill mesh drawstring bag with mixture. Pull drawstrings tight, and tie. Run warm water in the bathtub. Place the ingredient filled mesh bag under running water. The water will seep through the mesh, and release the essential oils and other nutrients into the water.