Rosemary, Tea and Persimmons (Ultimate Tea Diet Week #3)

This is my third week on Dr. Tea's (The Ultimate Tea Diet) life style and food program, and I am feeling great... except for the tummy bug I had for a few days. Alas, drinking ginger tea really seemed to help quite a bit and I never really went down all the way.

Last night I made another recipe with tea that was incredibly delicious. Of course you can use whatever type of mushrooms you like, except perhaps Portabellas, as their dark juice will change the look of this dish.

Rosemary Chicken in Jasmine Green Tea

4 chicken half breasts

3 handfuls of fresh shitake and porcini mushrooms (if using dried, use 2/3 less and reconstitute them before cooking per package directions)

4 large shallots

2 cups of brewed Jasmine Green Tea (Numi brand is the one I used)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon of dried rosemary (If fresh, use a small sprig for each chicken piece)

Juice of half a large lemon (about 3 tablespoons)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Farenheit. Wash and pat the chicken breasts dry and set aside. You can remove the skin from the chicken breasts without impairing the flavor significantly. Wash the mushrooms and pat dry. Peel and slice the shallots thickly. Place the chicken pieces in a roasting pan and squeeze the mushrooms and shallots in between the chicken pieces.

Pour the tea over the chicken, shallots and mushrooms, then squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken pieces. Drizzle the olive oil on top of each breast attempting to cover it completely with a very thin coating. Finally sprinkle the chicken with the rosemary, leaving the sprigs or needles as whole as possible.

Roast uncovered for ten minutes at 450 degrees Farenheit, then turn the oven down to 375 degrees, baste and cook an additional 50 minutes, basting every ten minutes. Note: If you use boneless, skinless chicken that is in thinner pieces, cook the pieces 10 or 15 minutes less and baste more often.

Chicken is done when the thickest piece is sliced and the center is not pink. Remove from the oven, baste one last time, cover with aluminum foil and let sit for five minutes to allow the juices to settle back into the chicken.

Use the mushrooms and shallots to decorate the chicken pieces by putting a few on top and some around the chicken. You can also put the chicken on top of wild rice or rice pilaf for optimal presentation. Serves four generously.

I served this with fresh asparagus lightly sauteed in extra virgin olive oil and garlic powder, but also added rice pilaf to my husband's plate. He was quite happy with dinner and didn't seem to be snacking later in the evening. The chicken was fragrant, tender and really juicy.

The healthiest thing about this recipe is that it uses no salt. For people who must reduce their salt intake or want to change their body ph, lemon juice is a great substitute. I love using citrus, particularly lemons and limes, as their cooked flavor adds something quite lovely without needing to waste good booze.:)

This week I am going to try cooking with the tea tied up inside a piece of cheesecloth. I can then remove the tea leaves themselves like I would certain French or Mexican spices. My first experiment will be with a vegetable soup to which I'll add a mint tea along with lemon juice.

My reason for doing this is that the tea changes the appearance of the food. My husband is one of those people who won't enjoy eating anything that doesn't have an attractive presentation the first time he sees it.  Kind of like the little kid who says, "Why would I want to eat something green or orange?"

If I throw a sprig of rosemary, a slice of lemon and some parsley punctuated by a cherry tomato or perhaps carve the summer squash into a swan, he's perfectly happy. He probably doesn't really like food (as opposed to dessert) all that much, as he eats only to live unless something is an absolute favorite. Enchiladas Suizas, Carne Asada, Roast Chicken and Tuna Steak are a few of those, so I may get wild later in the week with the tea rubs from Dr. Tea's book.

For lunch today I sauteed green cabbage and a yellow onion in 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and added a cup of jasmine green tea to the pan while it was cooking. It could be my imagination, but the tea seemed to give it a sweet flavor that I don't normally associate with cabbage, as much as I love it. Next time I might throw in a couple of slivered almonds and some green grapes along with some cumin and lemon juice. As it was, I didn't use butter, vinegar or salt to flavor the cabbage. It was appealing just as it was.

The other thing I have committed to do is find new ways to eat fruits and vegetables that are high in nutrition. For instance, I recently discovered that I love the Fuyu persimmons. If you are not familiar with these fruits, there are three types, two of which are commercially sold, the Fuyu and the Hachiya. Eating an unripe Hachiya is like drinking the tannins in tea times 1000, so most novices play it safe by eating only the Fuyus without an experienced food guide like Gather's food correspondent, Sonia M to give you direction.

Persimmons have the best flavor, like tomatoes, when they have not been refrigerated. Buy Fuyus when they are firm to the touch and yellow-orange in color. At room temperature the Fuyus will keep for two or three weeks. So what did I put persimmons in this week? Here's the recipe:

Spinach Salad with Persimmons, Pecans, Chevre & Raspberry Tea Dressing

1 bag of washed fresh baby spinach

2 tablespoons of fresh goat cheese (chevre) plain

1 Fuyu persimmon

1 package Good Seasons Italian dressing (dry)

1/2 cup olive oil (extra mild/light)

1/4 cup raspberry (or cider) vinegar

2 Tablespoons raspberry tea

1/2 cup glazed (or plain) pecans

Mix the dry Italian dressing mix with the vinegar and raspberry tea and set aside. Leaving the spinach leaves whole, pat them dry after washing. Remove the brown leaves from the top of the persimmon and then thinly slice the fruit and add to the spinach along with the pecans. Break the goat cheese into tiny pieces and add to the salad and toss again.  Mix the oil in with the vinegar/tea mixture and shake well. This can be drizzled over the salad or individually added by each person dining.

Many people do not like a salad that has been drowned in dressing. Some of my (skinny) women friends prefer to dip their fork into the dressing and then into the salad. It's an old dieter's trick and very effective.

So how is the food going on the Ultimate Tea Diet? I have been hungry at regular times as expected, energetic enough to prune some of our fruit trees and exercise every day, and in a very good mood. Another benefit of drinking the tea all day has been to minimize my interest in any of my husband's late evening sweets and snacks. I am not sure if it is the comfort of the hot, warm, fragrant liquid or its sweetness, as I have added Splenda as an articificial sweetener.

All in all, I am getting used to drinking tea all day and it is a wonderful de-stresser too.  I have been re-steeping the tea leaves so that the caffeine consumption is minimal as well.