Sage Recipes For Those Who Love Comfort Food

Sage is an herb from the mint family which is grown in the United States. Its flavor enhances meat dishes such as pork, lamb, and sausages. It is one of the most popular herbs in America and the abundance of sage recipes is a testament to that fact. It is used in salads and added to pickles and cheeses.

Sage is an herb with a velvety texture, a fragrant smell and warm flavor. To use this herb in sage recipes, it is best to crush the leaves in order to release their full fragrance. When using ground sage, use less than if using fresh sage. Ground sage will seep its flavor into the food and make the dish overwhelmingly taste of this one herb. Some sage recipes call for a combination of sage and lemon butter, such as those including swordfish, tuna, chicken, and turkey. Pork tenderloins are rubbed with sage, black pepper, and garlic before cooking. Sage enhances the flavor of seafood, meats, vegetables, cheeses, and savory breads.

Recipe

Fettucine with Mushroom and Sage sauce

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces spinach fettucine pasta

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 3 cloves garlic, chopped

• 4 ounces chopped fresh Portobello mushrooms

• 1/3 cup fresh cream

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

• A dash of white wine

• 1 diced green onion

• 1/3 cup diced shallot

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain. Heat the olive oil and a separate saucepan over medium heat and stir fry the shallots, green onion, and garlic and cook until tender. Add the mushrooms but be careful not to crowd them. Mix in the fresh cream and the sage. Cook until the sauce thickens. Toss the cooked fettucine with the sauce and add a dash of salt and black pepper before serving.

The origin of sage

Sage was used as far back as two thousand years ago to preserve meats. People then overestimated its medicinal properties and used it for all kinds of ailments such as snakebites and even mental illnesses. In Medieval times, the French thought sage was a cure-all.

The Romans thought it had magical properties and used it to seek immortality. In Arab cultures, there was a superstition that sage helped give psychic powers. Back then, sage recipes were used less for enhancing the flavor of meats and cheeses and more for conjuring hocus pocus!

Benefits 

The advantages of using sage recipes is that it is an herb, meaning it is a natural way of boosting your immune system because herbs often have a myriad of beneficial properties. Sage can help reduce excessive perspiration and digestive problems. It helps heal sore throats, ease premenstrual cramps, and reduce high blood sugar.

Another benefit of using this little herb for various sage recipes is its versatility. It's rich but not overpowering flavor can be used in so many ways. In Great Britain, it is mixed with chopped onions for stuffing poultry. The French use it to enhance the flavor of soups and the Chinese use it to make medicinal herbal tea. Sage can be added to practically any dish and be found in just about any grocery store no matter where you go. It is easily available and just as easy to use and experiment with. It's also beneficial to one's health, so it wouldn't hurt to sprinkle it in here and there and invent some sage recipes of your own!