VARIATIONS:
Add 1 Tbsp. or more of Fennel seeds with the other spices. This will make the tea somewhat diuretic, and gives a nice sweet flavor.
Summer Cooler: Mix plain Yogi Tea with apple juice and serve with ice and a twist of lemon.
Yogi Tea Frappe: Blend plain Yogi Tea with milk of choice, a few ice cubes, sweetener. Top with a dollop of whipped cream if you like. Sprinkle with cinnamon powder. Absolutely divine.
Yogi Tea Latte: (requires espresso/cappuccino maker) Pour ½ cup Yogi Tea into cup and add sweetener and perhaps a few drops of vanilla flavoring. Now add steamed milk. Sprinkle with cinnamon powder.
Yogi Tea Smoothie: Place 1 cup Yogi Tea, ½ cup soymilk, ½ banana, 2-3 ice cubes, and 1 tsp. honey in blender. Process until smooth.
Yogi Tea "Icee": Make sweetened Yogi Tea ice cubes (with or without milk). Put through ice crusher (or use blender to chop). Fill a tall glass with crushed Yogi Tea ice and add sparkling water or Reed’s Ginger Brew. Serve with a straw.
TRIPLE CHILI VEGGIE PILAU Yield: 4-6 servings (about 7 cups)
This curried rice dish is bursting with vegetables and three varieties of fresh chilies. Basmati rice is widely available these days, at health food stores, Indian markets, and many super markets. It is a natural white rice that is very easy to digest. This dish is known by the yogis to be helpful for the kidneys and digestion. I love it best served with Blissful Beets and a scoop of cottage cheese or yogurt.
If your palate isn’t quite up for all the chilies, you can reduce the heat by deveining and deseeding the chilies (wear gloves or oil your hands first to protect your skin from the potent oils; wash your hands afterwards), or by using only Anaheim chilies (which are really quite mild).
| ¼ cup | olive oil or ghee |
| 2 | medium onions, thinly sliced |
| ¼ cup | finely chopped fresh gingerroot (peeled) |
| 1½ tsp. | turmeric |
| 1 tsp. | caraway seeds |
| ¼ tsp. | celery seeds |
| 2 tsp. | poppy seeds |
| 2 | Anaheim chilies, chopped |
| 1 | yellow chili, chopped |
| 2 | serrano chilies, chopped |
| 1 cup | basmati rice, rinsed clean and well drained |
| 2 cups | water |
| 4 cups | chopped assorted vegetables (broccoli, carrots, zucchini, green beans, asparagus, red radishes, cauliflower, fresh peas… are all good) |
| 1/2 tsp. | salt |
Heat oil or ghee in bottom of 2-quart or larger-sized saucepot over medium-high flame. Sauté onions and ginger until quite soft and lightly browned. Add spices and continue to cook stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes. Add chopped chilies and sauté a little longer, adding a touch more oil if needed to prevent sticking. Now add rice and cook just a couple minutes more, until the rice is slightly toasted. Add vegetables, water and salt and bring to a boil. Immediately cover and turn the flame to low. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit another 8 minutes. Remove lid, fluff lightly, and serve.
BLISSFUL BEETS Serves 4-6 (about 4 cups)