You may know hibiscus tea as agua de jamaica. My weekly routine for years included several stops at a favorite Mexican restaurant in Portland to get my fix of this nourishing drink.

Hibiscus tea is enjoyed around the world and is one of the healthiest drinks imaginable. We found ourselves asking, what health benefits doesn’t it offer?

Refined sugars are often used to sweeten hibiscus tea. Eliminating those sugars and offering several healthier substitutions makes it even better!

With a contested origin between Africa and India, jamaica (hibiscus) flowers are now deeply rooted in many cuisines.

Although strongly associated with Mexico and Latin America, Agua de Jamaica is known around the world under a variety of names. Here are just a few:

• Australia calls it Rosella
• U.S. – Hibiscus Tea or Agua de Jamaica
• Caribbean – Sorrel or Red Sorrel
• Italy – Cascadé or Italian tea
• Thailand – Roselle or Karkady
• Panama – Saril
• Africa – Karkadé, Zobo or Bissap

Did you know, this wonder tea was also consumed by the Pharaohs in ancient Egypt?

The roselle plant is a species of hibiscus thought to be native to West Africa. Pictured below are dried calyces used to make the drink, though fresh flowers can also be used.

dried hibiscus flowers

Health Benefits of Hibiscus Tea

We are just amazed by the numerous health benefits!

Hibiscus tea:

• Manages Blood Pressure
• Lowers Cholesterol
• Protects the Liver and helps in treating liver diseases.
• Has Anti-cancer Properties: Has anti-tumor and antioxidant properties. A study conducted by the Department and Institute of Biochemistry at the Chung Shan Medical and Dental College, in Taichung, Taiwan suggests that hibiscus slows down the growth of cancerous cells by inducing apoptosis, commonly known as programmed cell death.
• Relieves Menstrual Pain and helps in restoring hormonal balance.
• Acts as an Antidepressant Agent: Calms the nervous system, and may reduce anxiety and depression by creating a relaxed sensation in the mind and body.
• Improves Digestion
• Helps Lower Inflammation
• Helps strengthen the Immune System
• Satiates Thirst: It is also used as a sports drink and has the ability to cool down the body quickly.
• Promotes Weight Loss: Speeds up metabolism and helps in healthy, gradual weight loss.
• Rich in Vitamin C, Minerals and Antioxidants 
• Summer & Winter Drink, great iced or hot.

Other Effects of Hibiscus Tea to be Mindful of…

Since the health benefits of hibiscus tea include lowering blood pressure, it is not recommended for people who already have hypotension, or low blood pressure. It may cause faintness, dizziness and other health problems if consumed by anyone with low blood pressure.

Hibiscus tea is also not recommended for pregnant women because of its effects of stimulating menstruation or blood flow in the pelvic region.

Time for Punch

What an easy tea to make, or call it a punch. And look, there are not a lot of ingredients.

mise en place

Water is brought to a boil and poured over dried hibiscus flowers and other fun stuff. We use a cinnamon stick and orange peel. Fresh ginger is another great healthy addition. Covered and allowed to steep for 20 minutes, it’s then strained into a pitcher. A sweetener and a little fresh orange juice are added, or if you prefer, you can add fresh lime juice.

That’s all there is to it. We like to keep a large mason jar of hibiscus tea in the fridge. A glass jar is preferable, because plastic containers seem to give the tea an off taste as well as the tea tends to stain the plastic.

Cheers to a delicious and healthy drink!

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Hibiscus Tea

Author Your Allergy Chefs

Yield 10 Cups

Free of: gluten and top 8 allergens.

This tea is enjoyed around the world and is one of the healthiest drinks imaginable. The question should almost be, what health benefit doesn’t it offer?

 

Ingredients

10 cups water

1/2 cup coconut sugar (see recipe notes)

1 cinnamon stick

1 cup dried hibiscus flowers (flor de jamaica), rinsed

2 (2-inch) strips of fresh orange peel

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

Lime wedges, optional

Strawberry halves, optional

Instructions

1. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Turn off heat and remove pot from stovetop.
2. Immediately add sugar, cinnamon stick, hibiscus flowers and orange peel. Stir to dissolve sugar. Cover and let steep for 20 minutes. Strain into a pitcher and discard the cinnamon stick, hibiscus flowers and orange peel.
3. Add the orange juice. Let cool and place in refrigerator and chill until cold. Serve with lime wedges and fresh strawberries. Enjoy!

Notes

You can use a variety of sweeteners.

Coconut sugar causes much less of a blood sugar spike than regular white sugar because it has a lower glycemic index. It’s also healthy for the gut.

Raw honey is quite different from supermarket honey, which is often blended from a lot of different sources. Store bought has a higher glycemic index and does not have the raw, healing properties of honey from nature. It’s best to buy local, raw and organic. If using honey in this recipe, replace the 1 cup coconut sugar with 3/4 cup honey.

Stevia is processed from an herb, with zero calories and a glycemic index number (its effect on blood sugar) of 0. There have been almost 400 scientific studies done on Stevia actually healing the body in many ways. To use Stevia, omit the coconut sugar. Add Stevia to taste when serving or with the addition of the orange juice. There are both liquid and powder forms. Follow manufacturer’s recommendation for replacing sugar with Stevia. 

Piloncillo is an unrefined Mexican sugar usually molded into cones or sticks and traditionally used to sweeten agua de jamaica.

Courses Beverages

The post Hibiscus Tea appeared first on Your Allergy Chefs.

free of gluten and top 8 allergens

It doesn’t matter if it’s 100 degrees outside or 40 degrees in December, we always love a bowl of soup. What a quick and cozy comfort food!

And we’ve got just the soup. It’s packed full of goodness and worthy of a place on the holiday table.

Moreover, this pumpkin and black bean soup has “Souper” Powers!

The Powers

Pumpkin could quite possibly be the favorite fall vegetable and it’s really, really good for you. The fiber, potassium, and vitamin C content in pumpkin have amazing health benefits.

In addition, black beans are a great source of protein and fiber, with numerous vitamins and minerals plus disease fighting antioxidants.

We love soup and the health benefits we get from eating more veggies.

Furthermore, it’s inexpensive, easy to make and so versatile. And the best part are the leftovers…if there are any.

The Ingredients

Not a lot of ingredients and best of all, this soup is made in 30 minutes from start to finish. The hardest part is probably the chopping of the onions, that’s it!

You can substitute canned pumpkin for 1-3/4 cups fresh sugar pumpkin puree. Visit our pumpkin pie post for instructions on baking sugar pumpkins.

Where’s the Meat?

This soup is delicious as is, but if you feel like you want some meat action, add 1/2 pound cooked, diced ham during the last 5 minutes of cooking. You won’t be disappointed!

With or without ham, we hope you enjoy this healthy holiday soup that we know will have you coming back for more!

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Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup

Author Your Allergy Chefs

Yield 6 Servings

Free of: gluten and top 8 allergens.

A hearty, comforting soup that’s so quick and easy to make, loaded with flavor and packed full of goodness.

Ingredients

2 tbsp grapeseed oil

2 cups chopped yellow onions

pinch salt

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

1-1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tbsp curry powder

1/2 cup dry sherry, not “cooking sherry” (see recipe notes)

3 cups vegetable broth, low sodium

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin puree (see recipe notes)

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

3 tbsp fresh orange juice

1/2 tsp sea salt, fine crystals

1/2 pound cooked diced ham – optional

1/3 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onions and pinch of salt. Cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add cinnamon, cumin and curry powder. Stir for 1 minute.
3. Add sherry, vegetable broth, black beans, pumpkin puree and tomatoes. Stir to combine. Increase heat to medium-high. When soup comes to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.
4. Add orange juice and salt.
5. If you’re making your’s “meaty”, add ham.
6. Stir to combine and cook an additional 5 minutes.
7. Divide soup into bowls and top with toasted pumpkin seeds.

Notes

• Fino sherry is a good choice and can be found in the wine section. Dry sherry can be inexpensive and is also good for drinking. Just make sure you don’t accidentally buy “cooking sherry” which may have salt added to it.
• You can substitute canned pumpkin for 1-3/4 cups fresh sugar pumpkin puree. Visit our pumpkin pie post for instructions on baking sugar pumpkins.
• Nutrition Facts do not include ham.

Courses Soups & Salads

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1-1/2 cups

Amount Per Serving
Calories 153
% Daily Value
Total Fat 5 g		8%
	Saturated Fat 0.5 g	3%
Cholesterol 3 mg		1%
Sodium 287.3 mg		12%
Total Carbohydrates 24 g		8%
	Dietary Fiber 6.3 g	25%
	Sugars 10.5 g
Protein 3 g		6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

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free from gluten and top 8 allergens

Welcome to Your Allergy Chefs and our first post. We developed a recipe for one of our favorite foods…mushrooms. We are excited to share it with you and hope you stick around.

Mushrooms are magical and one of the most versatile foods on the planet. They come in all shapes, sizes, and flavor profiles. As a result, chanterelles, cremini, maitake, oyster, portobello, shiitake and porcini, just to name a bunch can all be breaded and fried or baked. But which one will be best for our mushroom strips? You have probably guessed it, the Mighty Portobello because of its size and meaty texture. Whether you spell it portobello, portobella or portabella… you’ve spelled it right.

Did you know that button, cremini (a.k.a. baby bella) and portobello mushrooms are of the same variety? The difference between these popular mushrooms is age. While the white button is the baby, the more mature cremini is the middle mushroom and the adult portobello is the most mature of the three, as they are left to grow for longer periods of time. Apparently in the early 1980’s when whole foods and natural foods became popular, some ingenious marketer discovered there was a market for these overgrown creminis and that a higher price could be fetched.

Shopping for the Perfect Mushroom

We love shopping for mushrooms and picking the right mushroom is extremely important in creating the perfect strip. So what do we look for when shopping for portobellos? If possible, we buy loose mushrooms rather than pre-packaged so we can closely examine them. By the same token, loose or ‘bulk’ mushrooms are not always fresher or of higher quality than packaged mushrooms. If the package in question shows a fair amount of condensation, keep on searching. We check for firm caps and stems, while avoiding shriveled, bruised or soft caps. The gills should be dry. If they are wet looking or intensely black, the mushrooms are past their prime. In addition, mushrooms store well in the refrigerator as long as they have proper ventilation, hence being stored in a paper bag, which holds on to some moisture while allowing air to pass through.

Proper Technique for Cleaning a Portobello

Even though it is not necessary to remove the gills from portobello mushrooms before using, we usually do. While gills can discolor a sauce, they can also hide sand, dirt and even insects. Therefore, scooping out the gills prevents any grittiness in your finished dish. To remove the gills, first break away the stem by bending it back and forth. It should break off where it joins the cap. The key to removing the gills is to scrape the inside of the cap with the tip of a spoon as Joel is doing here. Finally, wipe the inside of the mushroom cap with a paper towel.

To Brush or to Bathe

We couldn’t resist commenting about brushing and bathing. Haven’t you heard never to wash mushrooms in water because they are porous and will become waterlogged? Most authorities will say a brush is the way to remove dirt and “compost” from mushrooms. Have you ever used a mushroom brush? We have. As a result we just give them a quick rinse under cold water. The key is not to give them a leisurely soak, as that would drown the magnificent fungus.

The Secret Ingredient

The key seasoning that will make these strips everyone’s favorite is Montreal Steak Seasoning. But why would we want to use a steak seasoning on vegetables? Much as it sounds outrageous, this seasoning is good on just about anything. If you’ve ever had the allergen-free chicken tenders at Walt Disney World you’ll agree, as the secret ingredient in these chicken tenders is Montreal Steak Seasoning.

Keeping these Secrets can be Dangerous!

Many grocers carry the seasoning blend, however  the ingredient list on the brand we found read “spices (including black and red pepper)”. This manufacturer is keeping their spice blend a secret, which could be deadly for someone with a spice allergy. We are confident that one day soon we will have complete transparency of ingredients on labels and of recipe ingredients in all restaurants.  Until then, there are many copycat recipes for Montreal seasoning that use slight variations on spices. Search for a recipe that works for you. It will be worth it! These baked mushrooms outshine any fried mushrooms because they are guilt free with all the taste and texture you and your family will enjoy.

crush those cornflakes

breading station

The recipe takes you through the breading process, making the best crispy portobello strips!

2 votes

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Crispy Baked Portobello Strips

Author Your Allergy Chefs

Yield 4 Servings

Free of: gluten and top 8 allergens.

Crispy on the outside and deliciously meaty on the inside, these strips make an irresistible appetizer or entree.

 

Ingredients

4 large portobello mushrooms

1 cup garbanzo bean flour

1 tbsp Montreal Steak Seasoning, crushed

1/4 cup flaxseed meal

1 cup lukewarm water

4 cups gluten-free cornflakes

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. To prepare the mushrooms, first clean by wiping each mushroom cap with a damp paper towel or rinse cap quickly under cool running water and dry with paper towel. To remove the gills, break away the stem by bending it back and forth. It should break off where it joins the cap. With the tip of the spoon, scrape out the dark gills from underneath each mushroom and discard. Wipe the inside of the mushroom cap with a dry paper towel.
3. Cut each mushroom into 1/2 to 3/4-inch strips. Stack on a plate and set aside.
4. Sift garbanzo bean flour into a small bowl. Mix in Montreal Seasoning. Transfer to a shallow dish or pie pan. Set aside.
5. In another small bowl, whisk together the flaxseed meal and water. Let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk again. After another 5 minutes, whisk vigorously; it will be gelatinous. Transfer to a shallow dish or pie pan. Set aside.
6. Place cornflakes in a food processor. Process until coarse crumbs remain. You will have approximately 2 cups. Place the crumbs into a shallow dish or pie pan.
7. To set up breading station, start with the plate of mushrooms on the far left. To the right of the mushrooms, place the flour followed by the flaxseed mixture. Next to the flaxseed mixture place the cornflakes and end with a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and a screen.
8. One by one, dredge the mushroom slices with seasoned flour. Place in flaxseed mixture to coat, gently shaking off any excess and finally place into the crumbs and coat so that each slice is well breaded. If the flaxseed mixture gets too thick, add 1 tbsp water as needed.
9. Arrange breaded mushrooms on the screen. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. If you do not have a screen, bake directly on baking sheet lined with foil and turn once during cooking. 
10. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Notes

We love these served with barbecue sauce and honey mustard. They also are good with ketchup or a sweet and sour sauce.

Courses Mains, Starters

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