Benefit Your Health and Boost Your Meals by Adding Tea to Your Cooking This Fall

Tea is not just a healthy and beneficial beverage that’s sippable and savorable, but it can also make meals more nutritious and delicious. Stay warm and cozy this fall and winter and experience the joys of cooking with tea!

SOUPS & STEWS

Southwestern Fiesta Goulash

Ingredients:

2 pounds lean ground beef
2 large yellow onions, chopped
2 bell peppers or sweet peppers, chopped or minced
3 cups black beans
1-2 Tablespoons minced hot peppers (jalapenos/habaneros—optional)
3 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
2 cups tea (black teas, pu-erhs, or oolongs)
2 cups beef or vegetable broth
2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced or stewed tomatoes
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons dried Italian herb seasoning or fresh oregano/rosemary/basil
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons paprika
Cayenne pepper to taste (for those who like spicy)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 cups pasta of choice

Instructions:

Preheat a slow cooker set on high heat. Add all ingredients and cook on high for 1 hour. Top with a dollop of sour cream/guacamole/pico de gallo/salsa verde.

Recipe adapted from classic goulash recipe: allrecipes.com/recipe/213268/classic-goulash/

Potato, Squash, and Leek Soup

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil
4 large leeks, white and light-green parts only, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
3 cups butternut or other squash, cubed
2 pounds white, red, or sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into ½-inch pieces
3 cups white or green tea
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup heavy cream, coconut milk, or other nut milk
Chives or green onions/scallions, finely chopped, for serving

Instructions:

Melt butter or oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add leeks and garlic and cook, stirring regularly until soft and wilted, about 10 minutes.
Add potatoes and squash, tea, broth, bay leaves, thyme, spices, and salt and pepper to pot and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 15 minutes until potatoes are very soft.
Remove thyme sprig and bay leaves. Purée the soup with a standard or hand-held immersion blender until smooth.
Add heavy cream, coconut, or other plant-based milk, and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If soup is too thin, simmer until thickened. If too thick, add water or stock to thin it out. Garnish with fresh herbs.

Recipe adapted from: onceuponachef.com/recipes/potato-leek-soup.html

SALAD DRESSINGS & SAUCES

Ginger Honey Maple Apple Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4-6 Tablespoons Assam black tea, white tea, or chamomile herbal tea
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons maple syrup and/or honey
⅔ cup of extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
¾ teaspoon fresh grated or ginger powder
⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
⅓ teaspoon cloves
¾ teaspoon horseradish or cayenne for a spicy kick
¼ teaspoon sea salt
One or two twists of freshly-ground crushed pepper

Instructions:

Whisk ingredients together in a bowl or jar.
Refrigerate for prolonged storage.

Recipe adapted from: spoonfulofplants.com/favorite-fall-salad-dressing/

Ginger Orange Chai (Bourbon) BBQ

Ingredients:

½ cup ketchup
3 Tablespoons chai black tea or other black tea, pu-erh, or oolong
3 Tablespoons cider vinegar
1½ tablespoons juice from fresh orange
2 Tablespoons brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2-3 teaspoons fresh grated or ginger powder
1½ teaspoons fresh orange zest
Sea salt and ground pepper to taste

Instructions:
Combine glaze ingredients to brush on meat and vegetables throughout grilling.

Recipe adapted from: marthastewart.com/1004533/easy-bbq-glaze

Tea lovers rejoice, and enjoy utilizing your favorite teas in your favorite dishes this fall. Experiment with different teas and find your favorites. Let your senses be your guide. Always a time for tea! Happy fall, y’all!

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Susan B. B. Schabacker

Forsyth Magazines writer since 2018. Susan Schabacker was blessed to be adopted as a baby and made her journey from South Korea to Massachusetts where she arrived safely into her adoptive mother’s loving arms. She later moved to New Mexico and, after a few years, moved to Winston-Salem, NC, to study classical ballet at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts from the eighth grade through high school. Susan has lived in the Piedmont Triad area for nearly 20 years and had the opportunity to travel to Budapest, Hungary; London, UK; and Beijing, China, where she studied abroad through Elon University. In Stockholm, Sweden, she had a marketing internship at Hachette-Filipacchi, publisher of Elle and other magazines. She graduated with a B.A. in Corporate Communications and a minor in Dance from Elon University. Susan loves writing and is pleased to have written for Winston-Salem Journal’s "Teen Page," Triad Living, KernersvilleMagazine, and of course, Forsyth Mags. She is a co-author of a children’s book, Huckleberry Robin, based on a three-generation true family story. Susan is grateful for her faith, family, and friends and is happy and excited to be part of the Forsyth Mags team. She spreads the word about Forsyth magazines and enjoys reading and sharing them with her family and friends every month.

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