Healing Quest | Green Tea Chai Frappe

Green Tea Chai Frappe

Healing Quest Episode 506
with Renee Loux
http://www.reneeloux.com/media/

Season
Autmn, Spring, Summer, Winter

Course
Drink, Snack

Serves
2 adults

Description
Chai is a delicious blend of spices traditionally served sweet and creamy with black tea. Using fresh, whole spices launches the flavor into a divine stratosphere. Though green tea does have some caffeine, it is an excellent source of antioxidants and naturally occurring fluoride. Fresh almonds make a positively delicious milk. For a quick fix if soaked almonds are not on hand, just use raw almond butter and blend. Using both maple syrup and agave or honey works well to open the sweetness nicely, and I find I use less when using both.

Blend with ice to make a frozen frappe (may need to add a touch more sweetness as the ice will dilute the flavor), or warm gently on a cool fall day.

Ingredients

2 green tea bags
2 cups hot filtered water
1 cup raw almonds, soaked 8 hours in filtered water, drained and rinsed or 3-4 tablespoons raw almond butter
2 cups filtered water
1 to 1-1/2 tablespoons chopped ginger
1-2 3-inch cinnamon sticks, broken or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ whole nutmeg, roughly cut or ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 whole cloves or 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch of sea salt and a bit of fresh ground black pepper
2-3 tablespoons maples syrup
2-3 tablespoons agave nectar or raw honey

Procedure
Steep green tea bags in hot water for 3-5 minutes. Remove and squeeze out teabags to extract as much liquid as possible. Cool tea in the fridge or freezer unless you intend to warm. In a blender, add cooled tea, drained almonds or almond butter ginger, spices, and blend all until super-smooth. Start with less sweetener and add more as you please. Pour through a strainer or sieve to separate pulp. Press with the back of a large spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. If you are using almond butter, it is not necessary to strain. Return to blender and add maple, and agave or honey to taste. Add ice, if desired, for a frosty frappe, or warm over low heat to warm the spirit.