Fried Sage Leaves (Salvia Fritta)

Thanks to Lawrence Rice for capturing these luscious leaves. :)

Just as the last leaves fall and the first snows start, a sage bush in the herb garden is still pumping out leaves. That's probably why sage is such a traditional part of Thanksgiving seasonings. In Tuscany, we found that they're in love with sage, too. We swooned over a small side dish of fried sage leaves that accompanied a rosemary-scented porterhouse steak. Now we're fried-sage evangelists.

Sage is a powerful herb, but the light crust and quick frying transforms the leaves into a mellow crispy treat, kind of like a flavored potato chip. These are wonderful alongside any kind of meat, or as a good snack or appetizer. You might find yourself whipping up a batch to sprinkle over a vegetable or grain dish, too.

Actually, we have trouble getting them to the table, since we like to munch on them while we're putting the finishing touches on dinner. Yes, they're that good.

Ingredients

24 large fresh sage leaves

1 egg

2 tbsp water

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ tsp salt, plus more for sprinkling before serving

Vegetable oil for frying

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Rinse the sage leaves and pat them dry with paper towels.

Whisk together the egg and water in a shallow bowl. In a plate, stir together the flour and salt. Layer a platter with paper towels to drain the cooked leaves. 

Pour about 1 inch of oil into a large frying pan and heat until a drop of water sizzles on contact. Working quickly in small batches, dip the leaves into the egg mixture, let the excess drain off, then dip them into the flour and shake off the excess. Drop them into the oil and cook until barely golden - do not let them brown, as this will make them taste bitter.

Drain the cooked leaves on the paper toweling, and set the platter in the oven to keep them warm while you finish the rest of the leaves. 

Sprinkle with salt before serving.

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Sun-Dried Tomato Harissa (Tunisian Chili Sauce)

Harissa is a hot pepper sauce from Tunisia, the northern-most country in North Africa with both a lovely Mediterranean coastline and the tip of the Sahara desert. This pepper paste can contain many different ingredients, but the base is a mixture of mild and spicy peppers with oil, caraway, cumin, coriander, and garlic.

Map of Northern Africa - Tunisia is colored orange

Tunisia has been a crossroads of many cultures, the Saharan Berbers, the ancient Romans, the Middle Eastern Muslims. The food most resembles other North African and Arabian dishes, with lots of goat and lamb, spicy tomato sauces, almonds, lentils, dates, and olives. If you love couscous, thank the Tunisians - it might be called their national dish.

Saharan oasis in Tunisia

The city of Sousse, eastern Tunisia

Tunisian Beach

Tunisia is definitely on our list of places to visit in our lifetime, for sure.

Now let me tell you about harissa! A small jar of harissa in your refrigerator is great for dressing up steamed vegetables or sandwiches, dropping into a stew or a stir-fry, spreading warm on toasted bread or pita, or adding to a meat marinade. Oh yeah, it's also tasty stirred into yogurt as a dip for fresh veggies. We included Middle Eastern ingredients of sun-dried tomatoes and mint, which adds a fresh, tangy dimension. 

We bet that harissa may make you cheat on sriracha sauce, but we don't blame you if you do.

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz cayenne or arbol peppers
4 oz pasilla or ancho peppers
4 oz sun-dried tomatoes
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tsp fresh mint, chopped
2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for storing
1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions

Remove the stems from the peppers and shake out the seeds. Place them in a bowl with the tomatoes, and cover with boiling water. Soak for 15 minutes. Drain, retaining the water.

In a food processor combine chili peppers, garlic, salt, and olive oil. Blend, stirring frequently, and add a little of the water if the paste becomes too stiff. When well combined, add the remaining spices and blend to form a smooth paste.

Place in an airtight container and cover it with a layer of olive oil to keep it fresh. It will keep about 1 month in the refrigerator.

Makes about 1 cup.

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Cajun Spice Mix

Joe uses this spice mix in stews, gumbos, side dishes, and as a rub for meat, poultry, or seafood.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons dried garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon dried onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon crushed cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
• 1 teaspoon powdered cumin seeds

Mix together spices, herbs, and sugar and place in an airtight container.

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Tri-Tip Steak Marinade

Who wants steak? We do, we do! Joe whipped up this marinade when we were looking for something interesting and new to do with steak before we slapped it on a hot grill. A tri-tip steak has a lot of flavor and is fairly cheap, but it can be a little firmer than a butter-soft strip or sirloin. The herbs and vinegar in this marinade helps to tenderize the meat while giving it a great burst of flavor.

Joe grills year-round, sometimes with an umbrella or windbreak over the grill, though our balcony has a wonderfully wide overhang that protects us from everything but the most horizontal wind. Extreme cold doesn't faze him! Dedicated man, and I'm thankful.

The triangle-shaped tri-tip is sometimes called a California cut, "Santa Maria steak", or "Newport Cut", depending on your region. In Europe, it might be called aiguillette baronne, Bürgermeisterstück, or rabillo de cadera. It's also a traditional cut in the Argentine asado buffet of grilled meats.

This is also good on the trendy hanger steak or flank steak cut, but thankfully the tri-tip is slightly less trendy, and therefore a lot more affordable!

Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped

2 tsp fresh parsley

1 tsp rosemary

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp dry mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Whisk together all ingredients, then pour over 1/2 to 2 pounds of tri-tip or other beef steak. Let marinate for 30-90 minutes before grilling as usual.

Serves 4-6.

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Sriracha Sea Salt Sprinkle and Spicy Roasted Almonds

Last Christmas, we send bundles of herb blends to our family, including this Sriracha sea salt sprinkle, Joe's Rib Rub, and his Grillmaster's Blend. People are already clamoring for refills on all the bottles, and we're happy to make more!

The home smells wonderful while the Sriracha salt is drying. We keep a bottle of the seasoning right next to the stove because we add it to a lot of dishes that need just a little kick and a bit of salt at the same time: omelettes, roasted potatoes, corn on the cob, steamed veggies, and so on. It's also wonderful on popcorn, or one of our favorite snacks, roasted nuts.

Tuesday night our bible study group met at our place, so we were making snacks for people to nibble on while we studied the story of the wedding in Cana. We learned some pretty interesting things about Jewish marriage customs in the first century A.D. For example, men would ask their father's opinion on a woman he wanted to marry, before formally going to the woman's father to ask permission to marry her. When the father and the bride-to-be agreed, they made a covenant together, then the bridegroom would build a wedding chamber in his father's house for them to live.

When the place was ready, the man would do a mock kidnapping in which he and his friends would take the woman, her friends, and sisters on a parade through the street, laughing and joking and singing. Pretty festive, right? Once they got back to his father's house, they would have a seven-day party that ended with a huge feast. That's where the story of Jesus turning water into wine would have happened.

It sounds just as elaborate as weddings are today, or maybe even more so. I can't imagine having to plan a seven-day celebration! It's pretty likely they would have served almonds and sea salt at the feast as a Mideast food staple, so I will use that as my very awkward segue into two quick and delicious recipes.

Sriracha Sea Salt Sprinkle

2 cups fine sea salt

1 cup Sriracha sauce

2 tbsp lemon pepper

2 tbsp dried oregano

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Stir together all ingredients and spread onto a baking pan. Bake slowly in the oven, stirring every 5-10 minutes, for about 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 225, and continue baking and stirring for 30-60 minutes more, until the salt is completely dry.

If the salt is too coarse after it's fully dry, whirl it in a blender, food processor, or spice grinder until it is the consistency you like. Store in an airtight jar.

Makes 2 cups.

Spicy Roasted Almonds

12 oz unblanched whole almonds

4 tbsp butter

1/4 cup Sriracha sea salt (or more, to taste)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread out the almonds on a baking sheet. Melt the butter, then allow it to cool slightly, Stir in the Sriracha salt. Pour the mixture over the nuts and stir them so that they are completely coated.

Bake for 5 minutes, then stir the nuts and bake for about 5 more minutes. Take them out before they look completely browned and toasted; they will continue cooking for several minutes after you remove them from the oven. 

These are best if you make them a day ahead and let the spices develop. Store in a plastic bag or airtight container until ready to serve. These make great little gifts too, packed into plastic gift bags and tied with some pretty ribbon.

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5 Fabulous Steak Marinades and Toppers

Birthdays in our home are a big deal, and always have been. When I was a little girl, my mom would cook our favorite dinner for our birthdays. Back then it was often her fried chicken, but nowadays I love a good grilled steak.

When I say that birthdays are a big deal, I mean they are an extravaganza. Sometimes we'll celebrate for a whole week with good food, trips to local interesting places, and specially kind treatment for the birthday king/queen, who has to wear the birthday crown. When our girls lived at home, we'd have cupcakes for breakfast before school on the birthday day, too.

So in honor of my birthday week, I'm offering some of our favorite ways to dress up a steak. Which one do you think I'll choose for my birthday dinner?

1. Joe's Grillmaster Blend

2 tbsp Sea salt

2 tbsp Pepper – fresh ground

2 tbsp Paprika

1 tbsp Garlic powder

1 tbsp Onion powder

1 tbsp Thyme - dried

2 tsp Sugar

2 tsp Chives – dried (optional: garlic chives – dried)

1 tsp Celery seed

1 tsp Nutmeg

Blend ingredients. Generously rub on steak, burgers, chops and let stand for at least ½ hour. Grill!

2. Spicy Coffee Rub

This rub from Bon Appetit magazine works especially well if you baste it in butter while searing on a stove, then indirect-heat roasting it in the oven or on the grill.

1 tbsp Aleppo pepper

1 tbsp finely ground coffee beans 

1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper 

2 tsp (packed) dark brown sugar 

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp mustard powder

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Coat 2-2 1/2 pounds of steak with the rub, and let rest for 30 minutes before roasting or grilling. This meat rub can be made ahead and stored until needed.

3. Balsamic Strawberry Marinade

2 tbsp grapeseed oil

2 tsp lemon zest
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped

1 tbsp chives, snipped

2 tbsp ground black pepper
2 cups strawberries, sliced (you can use frozen if fresh is not available)

Stir together all ingredients and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain the liquid from the strawberries and set the berries aside. Pour the marinade over the steak and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes before grilling.

When the steak is ready, top with the strawberries before serving.

Makes 2 cups marinade/topping.

4. Creamy Brandy-Peppercorn Sauce

2 tbsp butter

1 tsp peppercorns, coarsely cracked

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp beef stock base or beef bouillion granules

1/2 cup brandy

3/4 cup half-and-half

Melt the butter in a small saucepan on medium heat. Stir in the peppercorns. Whisk together the mustard, stock base, and brandy, and then pour it into the pan. While it simmers, stir in the half-and-half. Serve hot over a freshly-grilled steak.

This steak is also shown with sauteed onions and mushrooms, which make any steak taste even better. 

Makes about 1 1/4 cups of sauce.

5. Asian Ginger Marinade

Try this on a flank steak cooked medium-rare, then thinly sliced across the grain. Mmmm.

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated

2 tsp sesame oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp fish sauce

Whisk together all ingredients. Pour all but 2 tbsp over 2-2 1/2 pounds of steak, and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes before cooking. Pour the last 2 tbsp of marinade over the steak after slicing.

NOTE: if you ever have leftover marinade that has been soaking into raw meat, either discard it or bring it to a boil and cook for 10 minutes before pouring it over the meat, This will kill any pathogens that might have been in the raw meat.

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Greek Meat Rub

Joe: "I developed this meat rub and seasoning mix after being unsatisfied with commercial blends. If you want to start out with fresh ingredients and dry them yourself, double the initial amounts, and then dry slowly in the oven at 175-200 degrees for several hours."

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oregano

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried mint

Directions

Mix together well, and place in a dry sealed container. Rub on meats about 30 minutes before roasting or grilling. Add to vegetables before steaming or sauteeing.

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Joe's Rib Rub

Memorial Day is a great time to fire up the grill and cook up these sweet-tangy ribs. I always ask him to put in more brown sugar - yum!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. paprika
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. seasoned salt
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. ground coriander seeds
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne powder
1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin

Directions:

1. Mix together spices, herbs, and sugar and place in an airtight container.

2. When ready to use, rub on meat cuts such as beef or pork ribs, steaks, or beef or pork loin. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes, and then brush the meat with vinegar.

3. Grill or broil 3 to 4 inches from heat.

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