Thanksgiving is upon us! The grocery store shelves are brimming with autumn’s bounty and it’s time to make a decision on what to serve your guests this weekend.

JusTea has teamed up with Vancouver-based chef Matt Gostelow (Ask For Luigi, The Acorn, Au Comptoir), who has created a few seasonal recipes with a twist. We provided Matt with our brand new Purple Chocolate tea, as well as some Purple Jasmine and Kenyan Earl Grey, which he incorporated into a reimagined Thanksgiving spread.

If you’re looking for an alternative to roast turkey or need some suggestions for what to do with your leftovers, look no further.

Purple Chocolate Tea Turkey Mole

Ingredients

• Dried ancho chilies 2 each
• Jalapeños 1 each
• Canola oil 1 tbsp
• Onion 1 whole
• Garlic 2 cloves
• Ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp
• Ground cumin 1/4 tsp
• Ground coriander 1/4 tsp
• Dried oregano 1/2 tsp
• Unsalted peanuts 50g
• Runny honey 1 tbsp
• Purple Chocolate tea 4 tsp
• Orange juice 1/2 cup
• Tomato 2 each
• Leftover Turkey 500g

Instructions

1. Soak ancho chilies in boiling water and allow to cool. Brew 250ml of Purple Chocolate tea.
2. Finely chop onion and garlic. De-seed and finely chop fresh chilies. Toast peanuts until golden
3. Over medium-low heat, sauté onion, garlic, and chili in canola oil until softened, around 8 minutes
4. Add spices and cook for a further 2 minutes
5. Remove ancho chilies from water and remove their stems and place in blender with onion mixture, peanuts, honey and brewed Purple Chocolate tea, leaves and all, and blend until smooth
6. Dice tomato and add to blender with orange juice, season with salt and pepper and blend again until smooth
7. Return mixture to a pan and gently warm. Shred leftover turkey and add to mole sauce
8. Serve with rice and beans or with warm corn tortillas and shredded cabbage

Jasmine Tea Smoked Salmon with Soba Noodle Salad

Ingredients

Marinade

• Sesame oil 5ml
• Soy sauce 90ml
• Canola oil 30g
• Mirin 40ml
• Garlic 15g
• Ginger 30g
• Black peppercorns 1 tsp
• Sriracha hot sauce (optional ) 5g

Salmon Filets

• Salmon Filets 175g x 4
• Wood Chips 200g
• Jasmine Tea 4 tsp

Soba Noodle Salad

• Soba Noodles 200g
• Cabbage 100g
• Carrots 1 each
• Brussel sprouts 75g
• Roasted squash 100g
• Green onion 2 each
• Sesame seeds 4 Tbsp
• Lime 1 whole juiced

Instructions

1. Combine marinade ingredients together and blend until smooth. Reserve 1/4 of the marinade to dress the salad. Soak smoking ingredients in 1/4 cup of water
2. Place salmon in the marinade for 10-20 minutes, take out and pat dry
3. Combine smoking ingredients together and wrap in aluminum foil. Poke holes in the foil to allow smoke to escape. Using either stovetop smoker or roasting tray with a rack, place the smoking pouch at the bottom of the tray and the salmon on top of the rack. Place smoker over an open flame with a medium-low heat. Cover with lid or more aluminum foil and smoke for 7 minutes. Finish salmon in oven for 5-8 minutes until cooked through and salmon flakes apart
4. While salmon is smoking, cook soba noodles for 6 minutes, drain and rinse cold water and let drain.
5. Dice roasted squash, finely shred cabbage, carrot, sprouts, green onion and toss with soba noodles, remaining marinade, and the lime juice
6. Once fish has cooked, divide noodle salad between bowls, top with salmon and sesame seeds

Purple Chocolate Tea Thanksgiving Creme Brûlée

Ingredients

• Cream 500ml
• Egg Yolks 6 each
• Sugar 20g
• Honey 40g
• Tea leaves 4 tsp
• Vanilla 1/4 bean
• Sugar (for brûléeing) 6 tbsp

Instructions

1. Bring cream, sugar, honey to the boil, add tea and set aside
2. While cream is heating, separate eggs
3. Temper egg yolks in mixing bowl slowly with the hot cream mixture
4. Strain mixture into a jug and pour into 6 ramekins
5. Bake in hot water bath in the oven at 300F for 30-35 minutes. Brûlée mixture should jiggle slightly once cooked (Mixture can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Cooking time will take longer if the mixture is refrigerated)
6. Once cooked, remove from water bath and allow to cool to room temperature before placing in the fridge
7. When cooled put 1 tablespoon of sugar on top and use a blowtorch to caramelize sugar until thin crust appears. Serve immediately

Earl Grey Tea Scones

Ingredients

• Orange Zest 1 each
• Earl Grey Tea leaves 4 tsp
• Poppy seeds 2 tbsp
• Unsalted butter (cold) 150g
• Self-raising flour 500g, plus extra for dusting
• Baking powder 2 tsp
• Sugar 2 tbsp
• Salt 1 tsp
• Eggs 2 each
• Milk 4 tbsp, plus extra for brushing

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F
2. Grate orange zest and grind tea leaves
3. Roughly chop butter and add to a food processor along with zest and tea leaves
4. Add flour, baking powder, sugar and a pinch of salt and pulse until it resembles fine breadcrumbs
5. Add eggs and pulse again. Add milk a little at a time and pulse until it comes together as a dough. Tip out onto the floured work surface
6. Gently knead the dough, handling as little as possible to ensure crumbly scones. Add a touch more flour if necessary
7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and roll out dough until roughly 2cm thick. Stamp out scones with a round 5cm cutter. Combine and roll out the excess dough to use it up
8. Place onto baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until risen and golden. Leave to cool slightly before serving
9. Serve with clotted cream and a nice hot cup of tea