Kashmiri pink noon tea

Gunpowder tea's in the pot.

A miserable bag, a teaspoon of sweepings from the floor and a whole nation relaxes as the National grid switches to auxiliary power during the ad. breaks in Corrie.But the drink that quenched an Empire's thirst and caused quite a lot of trouble has rather a lot more than just one variety.Tea has come to symbolise a particular type of relaxation, it's probably the closest the English get to a spiritual meditative moment and as a panacea it is unbeatable. Everything can be cured or solved with a "nice cup of tea".Unless you're on holiday in France of course. Better off sticking to coffee -- or bring your own with you.My own tea collection is ever expanding. The everyday Twinings Darjeeling or Ceylon I enjoy mid-afternoon is kept in the cupboard at the front. But delve a little deeper, and even in to the tea drawer (yes, I have a dedicated drawer now) below and you will find a cache of tea for any occasion. There are so many exciting types to try, some delicate, some perfumed, some strong and muscular and some that taste like you've spilt the kettle into the ashtray. Take your pick.I have always taken my tea black in the strong belief that milk is for baby cows. I really don't get on well with it unless it's in the form of cheese or ice cream, and then, well, those calves can go thirsty.But with this tea, milk of some kind is essential. It rounds everything out, softens it, gives it a comforting velvetiness. I use almond milk, it accentuates the nuttiness from the ground pistachios and has the creamy texture you need.And the tea itself? Well the pink is dramatic. That comes from the addition of bicarbonate of soda to the water. The colour is fantastic, and the green nuts and pink rose petals give an elegant delicacy.The flavours and colours transport me to an exotic world, where spice meets desert and mountain and the little extra effort involved in this drink is worth that alone. But it's also delicious and the colours really cheer you up at a London lunchtime. The noon, however, means salt in Kashmiri and I've tried it with some as it should be and with sugar as an alternative. They both have their positives, but the way I prefer it is with neither. Just a lot of cardamom and certainly as close to 12 o'clock as possible.You can get gunpowder tea easily online (try this brand for a basic type). I tend to top up when I go to Tooting and the Indian shops that line the high road.Ingredients4tbsp Kashmiri tea or 'gunpowder' tea450ml of boiling water plus 200ml of cold1tbsp cardamom seeds, briefly crushed in a pestle and mortar1tsp bicarbonate of soda1 star anise4 clovesA pinch of salt, sugar or honey if you likeA handful of pistachios, ground in a pestle and mortar. You can also use almondsA few rose buds to decorateAlmond milk to serve. (I use Plenish -- which admittedly sounds like a dishwasher tablet -- as it has a high nut content and no added sugar or unnecessary rubbish.)MethodBring the tea to the boil in 450ml water with the cardamom, star anise, cloves, bicarbonate of soda and salt (if using) and simmer gently for about 20 minutes.Pour in the remaining cold water, stir well and bring back to the boil. Simmer gently for a further minute or two. Strain into a jug. You can keep this in the fridge for a few days, which saves you the bother of making it like this every day.Heat as much milk as you need to fill each cup 3/4 full, pour in the prepared tea until you have a vivid pink then serve hot with a sprinkle of nuts and flowers.

Springing a Leek

 On Thursday night we went out for my birthday supper at Olivio Carne, the sister to what is pretty much my favourite restaurant in London (Olivio near Victoria station) and I had pasta for the first time in nearly two months. My new rule is that food like that has to be worth it. And it was. A beautiful wild boar pappardelle. I also had plenty of Kate's duck ragù just to help her out.I've been wondering how to recreate one of my favourite dishes, ravioli con burro e salvia without pasta while I've been avoiding carbs. My new rules are that it's fine to occasionally eat what you want, and to not make sugar and wheat part of my daily diet. There seemed, after thinking about it, little point in trying to recreate ravioli, so here's a new dish based on those flavours.Leek is nature's cannelloni. And with this, instead of the traditional sage infused butter, a creamy sauce seemed a good idea. And to keep it dairy and wheat free meant almond milk and tapioca starch, so it's also gluten free. And vegan. And paleo. And Whole 30. It also dances the can-can for you while singing the Nessun Dorma. This should win awards for the most inclusive dish in the world. Unless you are allergic to nuts. Leave them out if you are. Unless you like risk.It's quite straightforward to make, once you get everything together. Just try not to spill double the amount of tapioca you need into the saucepan. This is very upsetting and can lead to a bit of a strop.Ingredients for two people as a starterFor the filling:420g roast butternut squash or pumpkin, diced40g almonds, skin on, chopped a little1 large clove of garlic, smashedA few young thyme sprigs1tbsp shiitake mushroom powder (optional)Pinch of chilli flakesA big squeeze of lemon juicesalt and pepperOlive oilFor the sauce:1 leek, light green part, pushed into tubesA large handful of sage leaves, shredded3tbsp Olive oilThin bits of middle of the leek, finely sliced300ml Almond milk1 1/2tbsp Tapioca starchSaltShredded sage leaves, chopped toasted almonds and dried borage flowers to serve, if you have them on the shelf in a jar and keep wondering what to do with them.MethodRoast the filling ingredients (apart from the lemon juice) at 200c for  25-30 mins, until soft and golden then leave to cool before adding the lemon juice and blitzing  until smooth (but not too smooth) in a food processor then put in a bowl. Taste it and adjust the lemon juice and seasoning if necessary.Cut the dark green and white parts off the leek and use for stock. Or, do what I did and forget about them in the back of the fridge then throw them away.Push out the inner tubes of the leek, leaving you with about six of the large outer tubes. Slice the inner ones then sauté them until soft in good olive oil, with sage and then season and transfer to a bowl. Add the almond milk and tapioca to the pan, heat and whisk until you have an emulsion as thick as double cream. Add the leek and sage mixture and leave to infuse for ten minutes before removing the sage stalks and blitzing the sauce in the food processor. If you prefer, you can leave it unblitzed, but I prefer it smooth.Stuff the leek tubes with the filling and cook gently in a little olive oil until soft. Turning occasionally and carefully. Chop some toasted almonds and get the sauce warmed.Put the sauce on plates, top with the leek then sprinkle over the almonds, sage leaves and borage flowers if using. Blowtorch the leek if you're feeling fancy. Finish with a drizzle of excellent olive oil and serve.

Fruit smoothie

About an hour after I've had my jasmine tea in the morning,  I'm ready for breakfast, which almost every morning is a Nutribullet smoothie.Usually I will start with a base of kale or other greens then add a little fruit or avocado, some coyo yoghurt, and top it up with almond milk and various ground things from mysterious containers. (Actually, they're all labelled, so there's no real mystery).This morning though, I was distracted. No hemp seeds, no flax seed, no greens. Mainly berries. And that's fine every now and then. It was much like a fruit ice-cream milkshake, and that's a pretty good way to start any day.Fortunately I have a few boxes of Bioglan superfood powders on the shelf. A tablespoon of the supergreens one went in. A quick fix. I can steam the greens later with some garlic, chilli and ginger and have them with lunch.Ingredients for two1 large or two small bananasA large handful of frozen berries (I used a mix of raspberries, blackberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants)1tbsp PB2 powdered peanut butter (amazing stuff- goes great with bananas)1tbsp Bioglan supergreens powder, we got ours on Ocado (if you don't have this, I would recommend it. Along with hemp powder, flax seed, chia seeds and all those things you can get in the health food shop and many supermarkets now)1tsp raw cocoa nibs1tsp turmeric (fresh preferably, but I only had extract and powdered on my shelf)Almond milk, fill up to the line, otherwise enough for two glasses (unsweetened and preferably with a high almond content)MethodBlend it all together until smooth. Couldn't be simpler. If you don't have a Nutribullet, a normal blender should do the job.

Morning Smoothie

I tend to start every morning with a Nutribullet smoothie. I was never a great breakfast eater, but this has proven an easy way for me to get the day off to a good start. Some combinations have been less successful than others, but one thing I find is using frozen fruit makes even the greenest vegetable drink taste delicious. Just blitz all the ingredients together and drink immediately.This morning's ingredients:1 bananaA handful of kale1tbsp goji berries1 tsp vanilla extract3 tbsp porridge oats2 tbsp sunflower seeds2 tbsp chia seeds1tbsp raw cocoa nibs1 tbsp turmeric powderA large handful of frozen mango, melon and pineapple piecesAlmond milk