4 Ways to Dream your Matcha

If you followed my blog for a little while you might know already how I can have matcha tea with everything - or almost everything: from cookies and cakes and various drinks to the simple cup of tea (green tea, of course). I tried green tea noodles too and proud of it. 

However, finding the right, high-end green tea for the many recipes I have in mind is not always easy, especially in Europe, therefore more than once my choices were less than satisfactory. Aiming high, I recently made a partnership with Dream Matcha for testing their 50 g package. Compared to most of the products I used before, especially for cooking, the fine matcha vivid light powder has a strong genuine green tea smell and taste. The precious powder is delivered in a paper pocket, which can be elegantly sealed after opening. It must be stored in a cool dry place.

Included in the category of 'Nootropics', this dream matcha can be used as a cognitive enhancer, without a particular medical recommendation. Consumed moderately, and in addition to a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle, it can help enhancing memory, creativity and motivation. It is recommended to both vegetarians and vegans.

Here are my four particular ways I decided to use the matcha. In all cases, the preparation time is less than 15 minutes. The recommended serving size is of 1.5g, with a maximum consumption of three cups a day, the first half of the day. The product contains coffeine therefore not recommended to small children.

The old good cup of green tea

Coffee in the morning is always welcomed, but once in a while a glass of fresh green tea can be even more refreshing and empowering. I first recipe was a glass of matcha tea, without sugar, that can be drink cold or hot. If you like it cold, you can add 2-3 ice cubes and you have the perfect refreshment for a hot summer morning. 

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Matcha Latte, home style

I love my Matcha Latte decorated with nice shapes, but after all, it is all meant to be destroyed sooner or later while drinking. As I am far from achieving the perfect skills of a matcha latte barista, I saved some time and money by preparing my own matcha latte at home.

Ingredients

1 big cup of warm milk - it can easily go with soy milk, or other substitutes

1 teaspoon of green tea

1 teaspoon of honey - or brown sugar

Directions

Pour the milk slowly while mixing all the ingredients. Served hot, it is always a good start into a cold winter day (especially in my part of the world).

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Serves: 1

Green Tea Banana Smoothie

Especially when I am very tired, I am having at least one banana green tea smoothie, because it help be to reboost and get more strength to go through the never-ending chores. I was very curious to taste my smoothie by using Dream Matcha.
Instead of milk, I used a rice chia substitute, which added even more energy features to the drink.

Ingredients
2 medium-sized banana
300 ml. Rice Chia Drink, cold
1 tablespoon honey - it works well also with brown sugar
1 teaspoon of tea

Directions
Blend all the ingredients for 5 minutes at medium speed. If you want it a bit colder, you can put it in the freezer for around 20 minutes

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Serves: 2

Matcha Cheesecake

I was dreaming of preparing a matcha cheesecake for a long time, but until now I wasn't brave enough to try it. This time, I had the motivation, all the right ingredients, and a bit more, and the best matcha tea I could have dream of.

Ingredients
250 gr. mascarpone cheese
2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon honey - it helps to counter the sour taste of the green tea better than the usual sugar
1 quiche/tart ready-made dough
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 tablespoon rose water
1 tablespoon green tea
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup desiccated coconut

Directions

Warm the oven at 250C. Spread the dough on a 25-cm diameter pan. Add one by one all the ingredients - mixing wellm with the desiccated coconut spread all over the top as decoration. Take the pan in the oven and let it bake for around 45 minutes.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Serves: 7

Most probably, as I still have more than half of the package, I would love to try some other recipes as well, and will be only a matter of time until my new 'matcha' post. The overall impression of the product was positive, and I strongly recommend it to any other green tea lovers around here.

To be continued...

Disclaimer: Product offer to test by the company, but the opinions are, as usual, my own

Foodie adventures: Matcha marble cake

If you are following my blog for enough time, or my Twitter - I am @boiledwords there too - you may be familiar with my big love for matcha. If you know me in real life, this fact is part of my unauthorized biography. I got this healthy habit after spending one full year in Japan, when I fell in love with the many cakes and cookies and icecream and latte. And this is not only because I really love the vivid green colour, but for the special taste, a little addictive for me.

Last December, I decided to go a bit further with my love, meaning to start preparing my own matcha-based recipes. As in many other cases, I didn't realize until I tasted the final product how easy it is in fact to turn your matcha dreams into reality, without waiting for hours until the closest Japanese deli opens for a bit of green tea cake.

Naming this new baking installment was a bit difficult, but after inappropriately calling it brownie, I realized that I actually used the recipe for marble cake, only using intensively matcha instead of the classical cocoa.  

The ingredients used are, as follows:
3 cups white flouer
15 gr. backpowder
1/4 cup white sugar
2 big eggs
1 pinch of salt
1 full teaspoon matcha dissolved in 250 warm water
Heat the oven at 250C
Mix all the ingredients well, until you have a compact paste. Add more water - or 1/2 cup milk of you feel like the flour is too persistent.
Preparation time: 15 minutes

Bake the cake at 200 C for around 45 minutes. Let it rest for another 30 minutes.

Your cake is ready to be tested. You can have it with a cup of - green tea - or with some warm milk. I particularly loved that it is not very sweet, almost the same taste like my beloved Japanese green tea cookies. 

It is easy to prepare and, except the matcha which might be expensive, doesn't require a top-end investment - calculating for Germany, maximum 5 EUR. 

This matcha marble cake will soon become a food staple in my house!

Stay tuned for more delicious matcha recipes soon!