RECIPES: The Ultimate Tea Diet

Jan. 9, 2008 — -- Mark "Dr. Tea" Ukra, the leading authority on tea, revealed the potential health benefits of the ancient herbal drink on "GMA NOW."

Armed with a briefcase full of tea, "Dr. Tea" showed us how people around the globe are losing weight and staying healthy with his Ultimate Tea Diet.

A sneak peak of some recipes from his book are below.

Lettuce-Wrapped Tea Turkey Burgers

1 pound ground white meat turkey

2 eggs

2 tablespoons chopped celery

2 tablespoons finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes

2 tablespoons grated fat-free Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-fleaf parsley or 1 teaspoon dried

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon finely ground dry green tea

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

½ teaspoon hot sauce

¼ cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

Olive oil cooking spray

1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated, rinsed, and dried

Combine the turkey, eggs, celery, tomatoes, cheese, parsley, Worcestershire, dry tea, hot sauce and panko in a medium bowl, mixing lightly until all ingredients are incorporated. Divide into four portions and form into patties. Heat a grill pan or barbecue to medium. Spray the pan or grate with a little olive oil cooking spray. Cook for about 8 minutes each side.

Serve in the lettuce leaves.

Serves 4

Nutrition per serving: calories 210, fat 2.5g, protein 35g, carb 13g

Strawberry Chocolate Mint Tea Frozen Yogurt

½ cup filtered water

3 tablespoons dry Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Rooibos, or any dry chocolate tea

1 quart plain nonfat yogurt

1 cup sugar-free frozen strawberries

Bring the filtered water to a boil and remove from the heat. Add the dry tea and steep for 5 to 7 minutes. Strain the tea into a blender or food processor. Add yogurt and strawberries to the tea mixture, and blend until smooth. Place into a freezer-safe container and freeze for 2 hours, or until you are ready to serve.

Makes about 1 quart; serves 4

Nutrition per serving: calories 120, fat 0g, protein 13g, carb 22g

Copyright © 2008 by Mark Ukra.

"Dr.Tea's" entire diet plan, the above recipes and more can be found in Mark "Dr. Tea" Ukra's book, "The Ultimate Tea Diet." For more on "Dr. Tea," please visit www.teagarden.com