Tea for Dinner

In the process of being on the Autoimmune Protocol, I decided to give up my beloved coffee. I've tried to quit my caffeine addiction a few times now with no real success. I think the longest I've gone without a good coffee buzz before now, is a couple weeks... I am bound and determined to make this the last time I quit the stuff! I'm allowing myself to a have a "treat" cup every once in a while, but I have to make it over a month first. 

Anyhoo, I've been doing well and have found an adequate substitute in tea. I've discovered that I love tea! Who knew? My favorite flavors right now are decaf green, rooibos (pronounced roy-bus), and camomile. I find the whole process of boiling the water and letting the tea steep to be quite relaxing and pleasant.

Along with drinking my new fave beverage, I have given much thought to how to use tea for other purposes... like cooking. I particularly felt that the rooibos would lend itself well to flavor some sort of meat dish. Yet, I was hesitant to create a new recipe using it.

This past weekend, Justin and I were watching an episode of Iron Chef in which the secret ingredient was  tea! I saw several protein/tea applications that made me realize that my original instincts were correct. If an Iron chef could create some delicious main dishes with tea, then I was going to as well. 

Rooibos Tea Chuck Roast

Ingredients:

• fat of choice (coconut oil/lard)
• 1 chuck roast
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2" piece of ginger, grated
• 3 tbsp loose leaf rooibos tea
• 1 cup beef broth (I used bone broth)
• a 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• salt/pepper (leave out the pepper if strict autoimmune)

Method: 

• Combine tea, garlic, salt, pepper and tea, in a small bowl to create a paste. Rub the mixture over the roast.
• Heat fat of choice in a large pan over medium-high heat.
• Add the roast and sear on all sides, until browned.
• Throw the onions in the bottom of a slow cooker. Add the seared roast on top. Pour on the broth.
• Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
• Taste, adjust seasonings and serve with your favorite roasted veggies.

The flavor of this roast exceeded my expectations! The rooibos tea pairs really well with this hearty cut of beef. The vanilla adds just a hint of sweetness and the ginger creates a little tang. I served mine up along with a side of yummy mashed sweet potatoes. A match made in heaven! From now on, I'm going to trust my instincts and simply create!