I love matcha ice cream

 Versiunea in limba romana: inghetata de matcha/ceai verde

What is Matcha?

A premium Japanese green tea, from the region of Uji Tawara. This region assures the perfect environment for the matcha plants: fog, hills, temperature etc. It is used in the tea ceremony, but also for cakes and  shakes. It is said to be the heart of the Japanese tea ritual for centuries.  Uji Tawara area is well known for it's famous teas:  shincha, gyokuro and sencha. 

 

Advantages

♥ a cup of matcha equals 10 cups of green tea (nutritional value)

♥ rich in antioxidants, fibers and chlorophyll 

♥ no sugar 

♥ contains L-teanine, a relaxing amino acid

♥ contains caffeine, as any green tea 

♥ while drinking matcha, we also consume the plant's leaves, not just an infusion. 

Matcha releases 4-6 hours of "calm" energy in our body.

How is it produced?

Just a few days before the spring harvest, farmers cover the plants with bamboo sheets, reducing the sun reaching the plant. This process is increasing the level of chlorophyll in the leaves. These become dark green, the distinct matcha color. After the harvest, leaves are boiled in vapors and air dried. Later these are sorted and rough parts removed: tencha. Tencha becomes matcha after grinding. Matcha produced from very young leaves has the most intense color and finest texture. 

Type of Matcha

Kama Matcha: Koicha (thick): the richest in amino - acid, complex taste, strong flavor; made of more than 30 years old plants. 

Morning Matcha: Usucha (thin): recommended for beginers; produced from plants younger than 30 years.
Gotcha Matcha: perfect for cakes, smoothies, latte, sauces, etc.
During the tea ritual, Koicha is boiled in less water than Usucha, as Koicha has a softer and sweeter taste.

Why matcha is more expensive than other green teas?

- Japan is a small country; they export only 1 % of the tea production, the rest is for intern consumption;
- the fabrication process is special; a good quality matcha is almost entirely produced manually;
- time between 2 harvesting is long
- a normal grinding stone makes only 40 grams of matcha per hour. 

Info souces: matchasource.com si japanesegreenteaonline.com

Green tea ice cream

I tried matcha ice cream in Japanese restaurants and I just loved it. I knew that David Lebovitz's recipe would be fail proof. No disappointment :). I was so anxious to try it with my freshly bought matcha. Delightful!

250 ml whole fat milk + 150 g sugar + a little salt
500 ml cream + 4 tbsp matcha
6 egg yolks

Slowly heat the milk, sugar and salt, until sugar disolves and milk is warm. Do not boil.  In another bowl mix cream and matcha powder. In another bowl mix egg yolks, pour the warm milk over it, mixing continuously, then pour it right back in the pan, mixing with a silicone spatula, until it thickens. Sieve the eggyolk mixture, and pour it over the matcha & cream. Mix well, until you get a homogenous cream. Cool it over ice and refrigerate it. Prepare it in the ice cream machine, according to producers instructions.  
So refreshing...

Courgette & eggplant tian with beetroot hummus

Versiunea in limba romana: Tian de dovlecei si vinete, cu hummus de sfecla

Delicious and vegan? Absolutely. Besides, it looks so beautiful. Very easy to prepare, healthy, wonderful  ♥ The courgette & eggplant tian can be served simple, but I find it delightful with a beetroot hummus, so colorful and yummi. Enjoy!

PS: The beetroot hummus is also delicious as a dipping sauce for fresh vegetables as carrots, celery etc.

1 courgette + 1 eggplant + 5-6 onions (cut in rounds, 5 mm thickness)
6-7 fresh thyme
5-6 garlic cloves, thinly cut
3 - 4 tbsp olive oil + 2 tbsp water
Beetroot hummus:  1 big beetroot (baked) + 2 garlic cloves + 3-4 tbsp tahina (sesame paste) + 1 or 2 lime (juice) + olive oil  

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Place the eggplant, courgette and onion rounds in an oven tray, creating a beautiful pattern. From place to place, put the garlic between the vegetable rounds.

Sprinkle with thyme leaves, fleur de sel, freshly ground pepper. Pour olive oil, trying to cover as much of the vegetables, as possible. Better yet, you can brush the olive oil over the vegetables. Pour two tablespoons of water in the tray. Bake for aprox 1 hour. 

To preapare the beetroot, wash it, pat dry on absorbant paper and boil it for 1 hour in water, or bake it for about 1 hour, wrapped in aluminum foil, in the oven - 200 degrees Celsius. Let it cool a bit, peel it, cut it in little cubes. Mix the beetroot, tahina, garlic, lime juice and olive oil in a blender (until you get the desired consistency). Season with salt and fresh pepper.

Put the hummus in the plates, then parts of the tian over it. Delicious...

Power seeds pie: sesame, quinoa & hemp

Versiunea in limba romana: Placinta cu susan, quinoa si seminte de canepa

Better said: seeds pie :). I have this idea from my friend Andreea GK (thanks, honey) and I transformed it according to my taste. I adore sesame, these cute healthy little seeds  ♥ I have a passion for power foods and lately I've discovered that sesame is full of calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphohorus, vitamin B1, zinc, fibers, sesamin & sesamolin. Quinoa is also a power food I love ( see my post Healthy breakfast - raspberry quinoa breakfast and Quinoa with chickpeas and dry fruits). Recently I've discovered another power seed: hemp.  2 tablespoons of hemp seeds  equals the daily necessary amount of Omega 3 & Omega 6. As I really dislike taking pills as suplements, this was great news to me. Calm, beautiful skin, lower cholesterol + delicious dessert = love. Enjoy!

 

 

1 pie dough (defrosted)
4 - 5 tbsp melted butter
450 g sesame seeds +  4 lg quinoa + 6 tbsp hemp seeds + 250 g grounded almonds + 1 tbsp  grounded cinnamon + 1/2 tsp grounded cloves + 250-300 ml honey (I don't like it too sweet) + zest of one orange

Cut the defrosted pie dough in 2 pieces, brush it with butter, put one piece in an oven tray. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C.

Wash the quinoa seeds thoroughly, then let drain really well. Heat a pan and put the seeds in it, stirring often, until golden. Mix quinoa, sesame, hemp seeds, almonds, orange zest, spices and honey. Put this mixture in the tray and cover with the second dough piece. Brush with butter. Bake for aprox 50 minutes. When sesame pie is done, let cool, then sieve some confectioner's sugar on top. Enjoy!