a Friday at Home and Bubble Tea

Today was the fist day this week that I didn't have to go anywhere ALL morning or afternoon and it will be the last one for at least another week. My parents were gone for the day, my sisters had slept in, and there were just a few odd ends of remaining foods in our near-bare refrigerator: 2 peaches, 2 baked chicken thighs, 2 boxes of strawberries, 5 carrots, a pound cake, 1 potato, 5 tomatoes, a few onions...you get the idea. I'm going to beg to go to the grocery store tomorrow as I've been without spinach for 3 days now and it's killing me!

Still, the house was quiet, the morning gray, and I had the kitchen to myself so I decided to make do and play around before I had to clean my room and do homework. First thing, I made some balsamic macerated strawberries and chocolate tofu mousse to have with the pound cake when my mom and dad get home tonight, then I threw together a variation of my Whole-Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes, replacing the oil with apple sauce, and adding vanilla, cinnamon, brown sugar, and oatmeal - hot and fresh for breakfast.

 

After the first round of clean-up I made my first ever attempt at Bubble Tea!! I was very excited to finally use the tapioca pearls that I bought a few months ago and when I saw this fabulous recipe on The Pastry Affair and I just had to try it! The tapioca pearl bag had no cooking instructions so I just had to wing that one, but they came out great, if not a little flat-ended from me forgetting to stir them enough. I split the batch between myself and my sisters and it was the perfect refreshing kick that the dreary day needed. My sisters had fun with the oversized tapioca "bubbles". My youngest sister said that they looked like "albino pomegranate seeds" and tasted "chewy, yet unchewable" :p I hope to get some colored ones next time to amuse them further.





Finally I used up a bag of flour tortillas and a bag of Mexican shredded cheese to made quesadillas and sauteed some onions, the last potato and the 2 chicken thighs, both shredded and mixed in some chili powder cumin to make a filling. I chopped up the tomatoes with the last of our pickled jalapenos, some onion, some pineapple, salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice for a sort of salsa fresca (a little fresh cilantro and this would have been PERFECT). Finished with some plain yogurt and it was a pretty good looking lunch I thought. Even my giant Army ROTC brother starved from his last day of school could only finish have of his serving, they were that filling!

Now with the kitchen finally clean, the kitchen a bit barer, my siblings fed, my camera batteries dead, my room straightened up, and a few essays in the mix, the sun is shining and it's a beautiful day and you can call me weird, but man do I love Fridays at home :)

Bubble Tea, also called Boba Tea and many other names, is a popular Asian drink, so named for the large tapioca pearls that float around in the drink like big bubbles. These pearls come in various sizes and colors, but all of them have that you-either-love-it-or-you-hate-it chewy, gummy texture. You're supposed to drink Bubble Tea with overly-thick straws so that you can a nice amount of tapioca and tea at the same time instead of getting stuck with a pile of pearls in the bottom or your cup. If you don't have these straws, they can be bought as Asian markets...or you could just use a spoon...but that's not as fun!

Honey Peach Bubble Tea

Ingredients:

§  ½ c med-large tapioca pearls

§  2-3 Tbsp honey, separated

§  1 large or 2 small ripe peaches, pitted and sliced

§  ½ c strongly brewed black tea, chilled

§  ½ c milk

§  ½ c ice cubes

Preparation:

1.       Season the chicken pieces with about 2-3 tablespoons of the Creole Spices while you prepare the vegetables.

2.      Cook the tapioca pearls according to the package directions or boil 4 c water in a medium saucepan and then add the tapioca pearls and boil for a minute or so until they begin to float to the surface. Turn the heat down to medium, cover, and cook for 45 min- 1hr, depending on the size of the pearls, stirring occasionally, until transparent and chewy, cooked all the way through. (You will have to stir the pearls more frequently in the last 10-15 min because they will begin to stick more and the bottoms will get flattened.)

3.      Strain the cooked tapioca pearls and rinse with cold water. Place in a bowl and stir in 1 Tbsp of honey so that they are glazed and not sticking together. Spoon the pearls into the bottom or your cup(s).

4.      In a blender combine the peaches, tea, milk, and remaining 1-2 Tbsp of honey (more or less depending on how ripe your peaches are and how sweet you want the drink to be) and blend until smooth. Add the ice and blend again until smooth.

5.      Pour the tea into the cups on top of the pearls and serve immediately with spoons or large straws.