10 Fun New Ways to Enjoy Green Tea

Green tea is really pretty awesome. Not only is it an antioxidant-filled superpower, but you can pretty much put it in anything, thereby adding a blast of free-radical fighting goodness and caffeine to any of your daily snacks or meals. Here are some of our favorite ways to enjoy green tea:

1. Ice your cupcakes: Two tablespoons of matcha powder in your favorite light buttercream frosting add vivid color to your cupcakes and impart a sweet, flowery taste to the decadent desserts.

2. In oatmeal: Spice up your everyday oatmeal with a blast of antioxidants. Steep a green tea bag in boiling water, then mix your favorite instant oats in it and prepare as you normally would.

3. Zest your eggs: Dr. Seuss got it right with Green Eggs and Ham. Mix a teaspoon of matcha with coarse sea salt and generously sprinkle the nutritious seasoning over poached or scrambled eggs.

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4. Get creative with cookies: Mix a heaping spoonful of green tea powder into your favorite cookie batter (try one of these healthy recipes). The quick and easy addition creates naturally green baked goods with a subtle earthy flavor .

5. Dunk your rice:Ochazuke, a dish popular in Japan, is made by pouring hot green tea over cooked rice, then topping the bowl with savory ingredients like seaweed. The rice soaks up every drop so each mouthful is rich with the tea's nourishing properties. Its simplicity makes ochazuke an ideal meal when you're short on time.

6. Make a marinade: Steep several green tea bags in hot water, then thicken the liquid with a touch of honey, salt, and pepper. Smother mushrooms or cubes of tofu and beef in the catechin-rich marinade and cook as desired. Your food tastes better-and healthier-glazed in this naturally sweet, tea-fermented sauce.

7. Stew your fruit: Submerge whole pears or apples in green tea, adding brown sugar, honey, and spices for a sweeter taste. Allow the mixture to simmer until you're satisfied with the result-tender fruit permeated with a smoky green tea flavor.

8. Dress up greens: Give your salad an extra dose of green by mixing a teaspoon of matcha into your vinaigrette. Even better, make your own by whirling green tea powder with grapeseed oil, apple cider, or rice vinegar and a dash of salt and pepper. Your salad gets an extra tasty coating from matcha's signature essence.

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9. Cool down: For a sparkling thirst quencher, dissolve a teaspoon (or more!) of green tea powder into hot water, then stir in ice cubes and ginger ale. The liquid blend is an antioxidant powerhouse, perfect for a quick pick-me-up.

10. Steep your eggs:Boiled eggs absorb the essence of green tea very well. Soak peeled, hard-boiled eggs in a mixture of high-quality green tea and light soy sauce for several days. The longer you leave the eggs immersed, the more powerful the flavor. The tea eggs offer a protein -rich midday snack.

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