• Bio

Ash Archambeau

Ash Archambeau is Kitchen Koach LA, helping you and your kitchen get along! As a cancer survivor Ash improved the functioning and healing of her body through diet and lifestyle changes. With that spirit in mind, KKLA can help anyone interested in making change in their lives- particularly in their kitchens. Along with helping individual clients and writing for Body Temple LA, she recently went to the final callbacks for Food Network's reality series "The Next Food Network Star". Currently she's taking on new clientele working with a non profit in East LA helping lower income families integrate healthy eating into their homes. For more info on how Kitchen Koach LA can help you check out www.KitchenKoachLA.com.

It’s really starting to feel like summer time in Los Angeles (even if it’s snowing in my hometown in Ohio), and while we don’t have a sweet tea tradition here, we can start a new tradition: Hibiscus Tea. It’s been sipped across the world and across centuries for a myriad of health benefits. Most recently (I’m talking in the past five years) a few landmark studies have come out about the benefits of hibiscus tea on dramatically lowering cholesterol and high blood pressure.  Enjoy this tart and slightly sweet version of Hibiscus tea for the summer and for your heart health! 

Agua de Jamaica (Hibiscus Tea)

Makes 2 1/2 Quarts

Ingredients:

2 quarts water (8 cups.)
1 c. dried hibiscus flowers (found in the mexican spices aisle) 
1/2 cinnamon stick
4 tbs. honey
2 c. apple juice
1 cinnamon stick
a few thin slices of fresh ginger (opt.)

Directions:
1. Put 4 cups of the water, 4 tbs. honey, cinnamon stick, and ginger slices in a medium saucepan. Heat until boiling. Remove from heat. Stir in the dried hibiscus flowers.

2. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes. Strain into a pitcher and discard the used hibiscus flowers, ginger, and cinnamon. This makes a concentrate. (At this point you can store ahead the concentrate until ready to make the drink.)

3. Add remaining 4 cups of water and 2 cups of apple juice to the concentrate, and chill. Serve over ice with a slice of orange or lime. For a festive hibiscus punch you can add ice and chilled soda water for a bubbly version along with a little lime juice.