A Tea-Infused Holiday Dinner: Four Recipes

Explore a four-course holiday menu using brewed tea in a citrus salad dressing, cranberry ham glaze, roasted potatoes, and apple crumble. Check all ingredient information for your guests, and follow the preparation directions for each blend.

The Menu

• Winter citrus salad with Mindfulness tea vinaigrette
• Cranberry Crush tea-glazed fully cooked ham
• Rosemary and Astoria Explorer roasted potatoes
• Apple crumble with Apple Orchard Cider tea

Tea remains an ingredient in the finished dishes. Mindfulness contains caffeinated yerba mate, and Astoria Explorer contains black tea. Do not assume the whole menu is caffeine-free.

Winter Citrus Salad with Mindfulness Tea Vinaigrette

The original recipe suggests 4–6 servings.

Vinaigrette Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon Beach Wellness: Mindfulness
• 1/2 cup freshly boiled water
• 1 teaspoon honey or infused culinary sugar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic or champagne vinegar
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Salad Ingredients

• 6 cups washed mixed greens
• 2 mandarin oranges, peeled and segmented
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup pomegranate arils
• 1/4 cup toasted almonds or pecans

Instructions

1. Steep the Mindfulness in the freshly boiled water for 6–8 minutes, following the blend's saved timing guidance. Strain and cool promptly. This recipe uses a concentrated quantity of the blend.
2. Whisk the cooled tea with mustard, sweetener, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
3. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. The dressing may separate; whisk again before serving.
4. Combine the salad ingredients and drizzle with dressing to taste just before serving. Keep unused dressing and prepared salad refrigerated.

Cranberry Crush Tea-Glazed Holiday Ham

Ingredients

• 1 fully cooked spiral ham, 8–10 pounds
• 2 cups brewed and strained Cranberry Crush
• 1 cup cranberry sauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar or cane sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon zest from a washed orange
• A pinch of cloves or cinnamon, optional

Instructions

1. Read the fully cooked ham's package instructions before starting. Use its specified reheating method, oven temperature, timing, and temperature checks. The original recipe suggested 325°F, but a fixed oven setting or time does not replace the directions for the particular ham.
2. Brew the Cranberry Crush using its product guidance, then measure 2 cups strained tea. Its saved directions specify 212°F and 7–8 minutes. For a stronger flavor, adjust tea quantity rather than automatically lengthening the steep.
3. Combine tea, cranberry sauce, sugar, butter, mustard, zest, and optional spice in a saucepan. Simmer for about 10 minutes, watching and stirring as needed. Thickness will depend on the sauce and reduction; do not assume every batch thickens identically.
4. Use about half the glaze initially and reserve the rest for a later application, following the ham's reheating and glazing directions. Keep reserved glaze and utensils separate from those used on the ham.
5. Complete reheating according to the package instructions. The original recipe suggested resting 10 minutes before slicing; follow any resting directions supplied with the ham.

This recipe is for a fully cooked ham, not a raw or partially cooked ham. Appearance and caramelization alone do not establish that reheating is complete.

Rosemary and Astoria Explorer Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients

• 2 pounds washed baby potatoes, halved
• 1/3 cup brewed and strained Astoria Explorer
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon washed culinary rosemary, chopped
• Pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Brew Astoria Explorer following its product directions and measure 1/3 cup strained tea. Its saved temperature and timing are 205°F and 4–5 minutes.
2. Toss the potatoes with oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and rosemary.
3. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and pour the measured tea evenly over them.
4. Roast for about 35–40 minutes, turning once, until tender. Potato size, pan crowding, and the added liquid affect cooking time and browning.

Apple Crumble with Apple Orchard Cider Tea

Apple Orchard Cider is a rooibos blend with fruit, herbs, and spices, not a black tea or a chai.

Filling Ingredients

• 5 apples, washed, peeled, and sliced
• 1 cup brewed and strained Apple Orchard Cider
• 1/4 cup sugar or apple-infused culinary sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• A pinch of nutmeg

Topping Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare the Apple Orchard Cider according to its product directions and measure 1 cup strained tea. Its saved temperature and timing are 212°F and 6–8 minutes.
2. Heat the tea and filling sugar in a skillet until the sugar dissolves. Add the apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Transfer the apples to an oven-safe baking dish large enough for the filling and topping, leaving excess liquid behind in the skillet. Do not automatically pour all remaining tea into the dish.
4. Mix the topping ingredients and spread over the apples.
5. Bake for about 35–40 minutes, until the apples are tender and the topping is golden. Apple variety, slice thickness, and baking-dish depth affect the result.

The original recipe does not specify a tested baking-dish size or yield. Do not taste raw flour mixtures.

Plan Your Serving

These dishes use different oven temperatures, so plan their preparation order around the equipment you have. Use suitable containers for hot liquids, check guests' ingredient needs, and refrigerate perishable leftovers promptly. The recipes do not provide tested storage durations.