Did you know you could cook with tea?

Burrata Salad with Mint Tea Dressing
Serves: 4
Cook time: 15 mins

Ingredients
200-300 gm burrata cheese
Handful of baby spinach, cleaned, dry
1 peach, peeled, sliced
1 fig, quartered
100 gm candied striped beetroot, peeled, cooked, sliced
Handful of fresh peas, boiled,
ready to eat  

For the dressing:
½ cup olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 green onion, diced
2 tsp crushed mint tea (can be blended finely in a spice grinder)
1 tsp grain mustard
Pinch of rock salt

Method
Place burrata carefully on a serving dish (handle with care so the cream doesn't ooze out), and spread the remaining ingredients evenly around the cheese.
Combine ingredients for the dressing and drizzle gently over the salad.
Garnish with edible flowers and serve.

Green Tea-Soaked Salmon Fillet with Lemon Sauce
Serves: 2
Cook time: 25 mins

Ingredients
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp olive oil
2 x 150 gm good quality salmon fillet
2 cups warm water steeped with 2 green tea bags for 10 minutes
Ground black pepper to taste
Sea salt to taste

For the lemon sauce:
½ lemon
Good quality olive oil, as needed
1 tbsp soy sauce
½ cup green onion, chopped

Method
Over high heat, in a non-stick pan, drizzle sesame and olive oil.  
Lay salmon fillet carefully to brown. Turn over slowly, and turn heat to low.
Next, pour green tea over the fish, allowing the salmon to soak up the liquid while sizzling.  
While the salmon cooks, chop the lemon and blend with olive oil, soy sauce and green onion.
Transfer salmon carefully to a plate and drizzle with lemon soy dressing.
Serve with salad or on its own.

Oolong Braised Chicken
Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 45 mins in
pressure cooker

Ingredients
1 tbsp butter
1.5 kg organic/good quality whole chicken, de-skinned, cleaned, quartered
2 tbsp oolong tea, loosely blended in a spice blender
Rock salt to taste
500 gm can good quality, crushed tomatoes
½ cup tomato paste
¼ cup low sodium ketchup
½ cup chicken stock
1 can Coca-Cola
¼ cup olive oil, plus extra
to drizzle
1 tbsp chilli powder
½ tbsp ground paprika
½ tbsp ancho chilli powder (or any chilli powder)
½ medium red onion, sliced
6 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup light red vinegar
½ tbsp Worchester sauce
Hot chilli peppers, optional

Method
Remove chicken from fridge, bring to room temperature.
Melt butter and a large drizzle of olive oil in a pressure cooker.
Add chicken and fry until browned/ seared on all sides. Add the oolong, softly coating all pieces. This will help seal in the juice while cooking. Turn off heat and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and mix well. Add the mixture to the pot and cover tightly with the lid. Cook for 45 minutes; open cautiously when done, as steam is burning hot (use a fork to check for doneness; the chicken should be very tender).
Carefully remove the chicken from the sauce and place on a large platter. Keep the sauce aside and allow to cool a bit, before blending well.
With two forks (or your hands), pull the chicken apart, creating a platter of shredded pieces, and pour a bit of the sauce over it (you can also serve it on the side).  
Serve on its own, or with corn tortillas, sour cream, or a salad.

Sweet Potato and Ginger Tea Coconut Soup
Serves: 4
Cook time: 55 mins

Ingredients
1 tbsp unsalted butter
Large drizzle of olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
400 gm sweet potato, peeled, diced
1 medium red capsicum, diced
½ medium green capsicum, diced
1 green onion, chopped
750 gm water or vegetable stock
2 teabags of ginger tea
1 can coconut milk
3 lime leaves
1 lemongrass, lightly smashed
1 red chilli (form small slits)  
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper, grated
Coriander, chopped, to garnish
Coconut shavings, toasted,
to garnish

Method
In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat and drizzle some olive oil. Add onion and cook for about four minutes, stirring frequently until translucent; then, add ginger and garlic, stirring for 2 more mins. Add sweet potato, followed by capsicum and green onion, and stir well.
Add water or stock, tea bags and coconut milk. Bring to a light boil, then reduce to a simmer.
In a cheesecloth or herb pocket, place lime leaves, lemongrass and chilli (this will be discarded towards the end) and allow to simmer in the soup for about 25 mins, before removing the herbs and tea bags.
With a potato masher, roughly mash parts of the soup, so that it is still chunky. Add salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, garnish each bowl with coriander and toasted coconut shavings. Grind some more black pepper over it for final touch.

White Chocolate Cherries Coated with Black Tea Dust
Serves:  4
Cook time: 20 mins

Ingredients
50 gm whipped cream
150 gm good quality white chocolate
1 tsp good quality vanilla extract
Good quality cherries with stem
Black tea with fruity/chocolate notes, lightly blended in a spice blender

Method
Fill a very small saucepan with water and bring to boil.  
Place a small metal bowl over the saucepan and bring whipped cream to high heat (this will prevent burning).
Blend in the white chocolate and mix well, before pouring in vanilla. Remove from heat, after a few minutes.
Dip the cherries halfway in the white chocolate mix one at a time and lay to cool on wax paper.
Sprinkle tea dust over the cherries and place in a fridge for at least 15-20 mins to harden. Serve.
For more on tea blends, visit Tchaba-arabia.com.
Farah Sawaf is the managing partner of Soul Communications and founder of soon to be re-launched cookingwithamanicure.com for tea brand Tchaba.