Tea & Happiness

Tea & Happiness Tea ceremony host
Private, retreat & special events chef
Plant based catering
DF cheese workshops Food is my life. It is my smile, my heart, my everything.

I am in love with being in my flow and allowing my imagination to run wild with the simplest of ingredients. I believe the magic lies in their special language: it is an invitation to visit the realm where humans and animals alike receive nourishment from plants. I am the woman in the market touching and smelling the rinds of melons, weighing the oranges like jewels and eyeing up the greens for t

he deepest, darkest green leaves. My food philosophy is unashamedly simple: simplicity is where the true magic happens. I grew up in Western Cape, South Africa. The wine region and fruit basket of this beautiful country. Surrounded by the best produce in a moderate climate and influenced by the cosmopolitan amalgamated Indian, Malaysian, European and Mediterranean cuisine, my style resembles homely, earthy dishes that burst with flavour and leave epic memories. Spice is life! In my early 20’s my foundation for flavour and simplicity crescendoed as a result from touring the south coast with hard core surfers to the most remote areas to catch the big waves. There was no other alternative than cooking over an open fire in the bush and on the beach. Over a period of five years I pushed my creativity around the fire pit and in the most challenging of environments, I was still able to conjure magic with just a pumpkin, cinnamon, coconut oil and salt. Later in life I swapped the wild coasts of South Africa for a small island off the coast of France, nl Jersey. Here I was able to learn more about Europe’s wild foods and foraging. Sea vegetables and hedgerow herbs became a fascination with my growing food curiosity. Daily we would forage for sea spinach and in season for elderflower, sloe berries, gorse flower and rosehip. As it was so close to France, trips to the continent sparked my learning journey with more traditional, classic French cooking and I still use some of the techniques I learnt then today. Here in NZ, my food journey started with a bang. We arrived on the back of a very stressful period and spurred on by stress related health challenges, life pushed me to go deeper with my understanding of food and this is where Tea & Happiness bloomed into what it is known for today - healthy, plant based food to heal and nurture. I became obsessed with fermentation and fermented everything and anything. The ribbon in my logo resembles the gut and I learnt to value the crucial benefits of microbiotics and enzymes. My health and my family’s health would not be the same without this profound knowledge. I steadily gained a reputation for creating cultured and aged vegan cheeses, tasty kombucha, vegan kimchi and all the other creations in between. From market stall to food truck to opening a cafe, I am nowadays in my happy self as a traveling retreat and events chef. My tag line is simple: Happy food, happy people.

26/04/2025

Simple desserts....Banana icedream- 3 frozen bananas, chopped - 1 can of coconut cream- 2 tbsps peanut butter- dash of v...
02/03/2025

Simple desserts....

Banana icedream

- 3 frozen bananas, chopped
- 1 can of coconut cream
- 2 tbsps peanut butter
- dash of vanilla
- tiny pinch of salt

Blend

Pour into bowls, sprinkle with coconut sugar, squeeze a drizzle of molasses on top and decorate with chopped nuts.

Put in the freezer for at least 45 mins.

Eat

Yum...

My next step would be to use an ice cream maker and churn the first mixture. Then freeze and scoop. I ll let you know the results 😊

Sometimes it is just that simple. Plate +vegetables + dip 😁 Simplifying life.
07/02/2025

Sometimes it is just that simple.

Plate +vegetables + dip 😁

Simplifying life.

Dear friends,Wishing you all a safe and happy celebration with friends and family. May it be a time of nourishment and n...
22/12/2024

Dear friends,

Wishing you all a safe and happy celebration with friends and family. May it be a time of nourishment and nurturing ❤️

With love,

Karin

Loaded breakfast!Chia, flax, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Add water, goji and blueberries. A dash of cinnamon.Yum!
14/12/2024

Loaded breakfast!

Chia, flax, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Add water, goji and blueberries. A dash of cinnamon.

Yum!

Playful days in the kitchen are always exciting! Inspired by simple fresh ingredients like sunflower seeds and cauliflow...
13/12/2024

Playful days in the kitchen are always exciting! Inspired by simple fresh ingredients like sunflower seeds and cauliflower, combined with zucchini, herbs and spices, I created this delicious summer salad:

Raw zucchini noodles

1 cup sunflower seeds (soaked 2-3 hrs)*
2-3 Organic sundried tomatoes
2 tbsp Tahini
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
Dash of tamari
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp tomato paste (optional)
Salt
Pepper
1/2 tsp Smoked paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
3/4 - 1 cup water (add more water for a thinner sauce - not too much)
Juice of 1/2 a small lemon

Put all in a blender and blend into a smooth paste. This makes a large batch. Store two thirds in the fridge. Can be used as a spreadable cheese or stirred into pasta.

* Discard soaking water and sunflower seeds can be replaced by cashews. Always soak nuts and seeds before use.

1 zucchini made into noodles
1/4 cucumber diced into small cubes
1 tomato cubed

Two to three large chunks of cauliflower (I used three flower stems from a medium sized head of cauliflower)
10 green olives
1 tbsp h**p seed oil**
Dash of tamari
Smoked paprika
Tomato powder
Salt n pepper

** Optional

Put all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and process into small crumbs.

Combine ingredients into a bowl and stir in a third of your sunflower cheesey yumminess. I added a dash of extra virgin organic olive oil on top and 🌶️chili flakes.

Eat and enjoy while soaking up the sun rays ☀️

Love, light and blessings 🙏

In love with the fragrance of freshly fallen 🌹 petals!
12/11/2024

In love with the fragrance of freshly fallen 🌹 petals!

Recipe share! Hi, Yesterday I had a play with making BUCKWHEAT flatbread. It's still being perfected, but this is how I ...
08/11/2024

Recipe share!

Hi,

Yesterday I had a play with making BUCKWHEAT flatbread. It's still being perfected, but this is how I got the processes going:

500g buckwheat
1kg cauliflower (approximately 1 head)
1 can coconut cream
Salt to taste
Nutmeg

Place buckwheat and cauliflower in a pot, cover with water and boil together until cauliflower is soft. Put the lid on and wait until all the water is absorbed. Add coconut cream and blend until combined and thick like a smooth batter. I use a stick blender. Season to taste with salt and nutmeg.

At this stage, you can add psyllium husk (1-2 tbsp) or ground flax (1-2 tbsp) to bind the dough. It is very crumbly after baking and the psyllium and flax seed will help with this.

Divide into 300g portions and spread thinly on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

You can freeze the portions you are not using and save it for later.

Bake in a hot oven for 20mins, flip over and bake the other side until crispy, another 15-20 mins.

Eat with your favourite toppings like hummus, avocado or tomato and a side salad.

Experiment:

- add a crumbled nori sheet
- add a handful of sunflower or pumpkin seed
- add crumbled vegan feta

Enjoy making and let me know what you think or even better, share a photo of your creation!

Have fun!

Until next time .... 😊

08/11/2024

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Rotorua

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