FESTIVE MENU WITH TEA PAIRING
It’s that time of the year again when long summer days stretch out delightfully and relaxation is the order of the day. Whether your December plans involve long lunches and festive dinners for more people than usual, or you’re determined to only spend time with a limited number of beloveds, food will no doubt be centre stage.
Work out an exciting entertainment schedule where you can whip up festive ingredients without too much fuss. Add a beautiful and healthy dimension to entertaining with teas that increase digestion and cleanse the palate. Like any small mid-course or palate cleanser, tea is in one sense a great flavour bridge from one course to the next.
Pairing food with tea is like paring food with wine; it brings out the subtle flavours of both the tea as well as the food but unlike wine, tea can be served throughout the day. For an even more entertaining experience pair both tea and wine with your meal. Even though there is much to learn about the numerous styles and flavours of tea, pairing it with your food relies greatly on your palate and personal preference.
REINVENT THE MENU AND CREATE A FESTIVE MENU WITH TEA PAIRINGS
Hot roast dinners with spicy soups to start may sound tempting in July, but what summer weather wants is easy going, light and cool food. So, turn your menu on its head by serving up these options:
Soup sips
Serve a trio of cold soups in tot glasses:
1. Roast butternut in a hot oven with a sprinkling of cinnamon. Once cooled, use an electric blender to whisk with red chilli powder and orange juice. Top with freshly chopped watercress.
Tea Pairing Suggestion: Chai & Cinnamon Rooibos
2. Blend chopped cucumber, plain yoghurt and dill leaves to a smooth consistency. Top with crushed walnuts.
Tea Pairing Suggestion: Camomile Rooibos or Green Rooibos with Mint
3. Roast sweet potatoes in the oven and peel once cooled. Puree with black turtle beans, cream cheese, black pepper and nutmeg.
Tea Pairing Suggestion: Camomile Rooibos or Chai
Cold roast chicken stuffed with crushed almonds, dried apricot and lemon.
Before roasting, rub a little red chilli powder over the chicken for a glowing colour and a touch of fire in the taste. Once the chicken is roasted and cooled, remove the stuffing and roll into small balls – serve on wholegrain crackers with a tiny dash of cottage cheese and a mint leaf. These can be served with the soup starters, or with the main meal.
Tea Pairing Suggestion: Chai Rooibos, Buchu Rooibos, Lemongrass & Ginger Rooibos or Green Rooibos with mint
Cold red roast vegetables
For a touch of colour on the table, slow roast red peppers, butternut, beetroot and red onion. Once roasted, cool down and serve with cooked red quinoa and a topping of crushed sunflower seeds and chopped peppadews.
Tea Pairing Suggestion: Chai Rooibos or Berry Flower Tea
Gourmet greens
Going green has never been easier. Steam baby asparagus stems, using lemon- and black pepper-infused water, then lightly fry in lemon garlic butter. Chop up flat green beans, avocado and green figs. Toss together and top off with baby pea tendrils, onion sprouts and thinly sliced brie or even goat milk cheese.
Tea Pairing Suggestion: Lemongrass & Ginger Rooibos or Green Rooibos with Mint
MAKE YOUR OWN
For a really quick meal that’ll keep you at the table for hours (and out of the kitchen), separate all your usual salad ingredients into small bowls and let everyone invent their own mix. Add in interesting surprises with pomegranate seeds, anchovies, beetroot carpaccio, roasted pine nuts, red grapes, chickpeas, mint, sprouts, dried olives and loads of leaves with all the different lettuce varieties and additional leaves like rocket, coriander, watercress, clover and parsley.
Make these dressings for a burst of flavour:
1. Warm honey on a low heat and add grated ginger and lemon zest. As it cools, mix in virgin olive oil and a touch of balsamic. Make the day before.
2. Finely chop onions and fry lightly before adding rosemary and crushed basil leaves. Add three tablespoons of red wine. As it cools, add in garlic-infused olive oil and a pinch of red chilli powder. Make the day before.
3. Whisk cream and mayonnaise (1/3 mayonnaise to 2/3 cream) and add a dash of white wine and salt for a truly creamy experience. If this is too decadent, replace the mayo with plain yoghurt. Make this just before serving.
For an easy dessert that won’t require any crockery, make fruit filled chocolate popsicles:
Mix crushed strawberries, a dash of whiskey, crushed vanilla pods and plain yogurt and place in popsicle moulds in the freezer. Just before serving, melt organic high cacao content chocolate in a double boiler – dip the popsicles in the slightly cooled melted chocolate. For a texture sensation, roll the dipped popsicles in toasted sesame seeds.
Tea Pairing Suggestion: Berry Rooibos or Organic Rooibos Espresso with Milk Froth and Honey
You could also try these other delicious desserts…
A healthier twist on trifle
For the base, mix crushed walnuts and digestive biscuits with honey and soft butter or tahini if you prefer.
Use fresh antioxidant-rich mixed red berries for the first layer and cover with gelatine-free jelly in the flavour of your choice. Whip up coconut cream with a spoon of organic custard powder.
Repeat the layers and top with whipped coconut cream and grated organic dark chocolate.
Tea Pairing Suggestion: Vanilla Rooibos, Rooibos with Dried fruit Tea or Chai & Cinnamon Rooibos
Fruity Mix
Layer dehydrated cranberries, figs, white mulberries and chopped hazelnuts in a tot glass. Add a dash of rum to dairy free cream and top with chocolate coated goji berries
Tea Pairing Suggestion: Berry Tea, Rooibos with Dried fruit or Chai & Cinnamon Rooibos
Tip: Consult a nutritionist in Johannesburg for more healthy menu ideas.
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