Handcrafted Caffeine-free Summer Tea!

I am an espresso person, having a cup of double espresso in the morning marks the start of my day. Sometimes when I need a second zip of caffeine, it has to be taken before 2pm ( tested and proved ) otherwise it will be a sleepless night. The other night I start to think about non-caffeine tea that can keep me refreshing and delightful when I am pulling an all-nighter. Camomile, hibiscus and bufferfly peas are some of my favourite edible flowers for making tea, simply stir in honey and lemon could make it a great one. I like to enjoy it on a summer night (or day), when I need a little break from work.

Iced Butterfly Pea Lime Tea

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons of dried butterfly pea

Half cup of hot water, half cup of ice

10ml lime juice

2 teaspoons of honey

Steps:

1. Pour hot water into dried butterfly pea, let it sit for 5mins.

2. Remove hydrated butterfly pea, stir in lime juice and honey.

3. Add ice cube, garnish with half lime. *butterfly pea tea will turn into purple after mixing with acidity like lime juice! Iced Hibiscus Orange Tea

Ingredients:

3-5 pieces of dried hibiscus

Half cup of hot water, half cup of ice

10ml orange and pineapple juice

2 teaspoons of honey Steps: 1. Pour hot water into dried hibiscus, let it sit for 5mins

2.Remove hydrated hibiscus, stir in orange and pineapple juice and honey

3. Add ice cube, garnish with fresh fruits.

Iced Camomile Lemon Tea

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons of dried camomile

Half cup of hot water, half cup of ice

10ml lemon juice

2 teaspoons of honey

Steps: 1. Pour hot water into dried camomile, let it sit for 5mins.

2. Remove hydrated camomile, stir in lemon juice and honey.

3. Add ice cube, garnish with osmanthus powder.

Knead the dough! Peking Duck Tacos

Knead Knead! Chinese green onion pancake is a common breakfast or snack in Asian countries. While Covid 19 pandemic has changed the way we used to live and to eat, let’s learn how to make dough into daily staple for our health and enjoyment. In this recipe, we sandwich chinese green onion pancakes with homemade Peking duck breast and shredded cucumber. To smoke the duck breast we need just a hot wok and equal portion of loose tea leaf, sugar and rice. Okay, let’s get started!

Peking Duck Tacos

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Spring Onion Pancakes

Ingredients:

200g All purpose flour

125ml Hot water

70g Chopped spring onion

2 tbs Duck fat

Handful of Salt

Steps:

1. Add flour into a mixing bowl, slowly add in hot water and knead the dough until soft and smooth about 15mins. Cover with wet towel and rest for 40mins.

2. Sprinkle flour on a work surface, divide the dough into 3 equal parts. Roll the dough into thin layer.

3. Spread spring onion oil on the layer. Roll the dough into cylinder and coil it up like a snail.

4. Roll the dough until thin again. Pan fry each sides for 2mins and set aside.

Peking Duck Breast

Ingredients:

1 pc Duck breast

1 tbs Chinese five spice 2 tbs Butter 2 cloves of garlic

Smoke pack:

50g loosen tea leaf

50g rice

50g sugar

Steps:

1. Score duck skin to help rendering the fat. Rub duck breast with Chinese five spice, salt and pepper.

2. Put seasoned duck breast on a cold pan and cook with butter and garlic until golden.

3. Mix loosen tea leaf, rice and sugar, wrap in aluminium foil. Put it into a hot wok on high heat for 3mins until smokey. Add seasoned duck breast and cook for 3 mins. Slice it.

Pickled cucumber

Ingredients:

100g Shredded Cucumber

80ml Water

80ml Rice Wine Vinegar

20g Sugar

4g Salt

Steps:

1. Combine water, rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt in a pot. Bring to boil and let it cool down.

2. Add shredded cucumber it and marinate for 15mins.

Garnish and seasoning

Hoi sin sauce

Sour cream

Handful of Fresh cilantro

Handful of Deep fried scallion

I Love French Toast.

I love French Toast. When a white bread kisses the juice mixture of eggs and milk, this golden crust, simple to make breakfast is a lovely idea to start the weekends. Honestly, I had tried several times before cooking the best toast! Either using too thin bread or cooking on a medium high heat has made my previous toast unsuccessful. My tips are patient, patient and patient. When you dip the bread into the mixture, let go of excessive juice before putting into the pan. Serve with crispy bacons if you like, would be more like a cafe styled breakfast!

Ingredients: ( For one )

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 free range egg

150ml milk

2 slices of bread

2 teaspoons maple syrup

Handful of strawberries

Steps:

1. In a shallow bowl, combine egg with milk, ground cinnamon and sugar, mix well. 2. Melt butter over medium heat in a skillet, dip bread into the above mixture and put into the pan. 3. Fry bread until golden brown. Serve with syrup and strawberries!