[1] A memorable cup of sage tea: healthy, organic and kosher (photo by River Soma | © THE NIBBLE).

[2] Fresh sage (photo © Good Eggs).

[3] Dried sage (photo © Marietta Spice Mill).

Last year, strolling through the farmers market at San Francisco’s Ferry Building, we met a farmer who grew fresh sage and turned it into sage tea.

It was splendid, but we lost her card and never ordered any.

Good karma brought a tin of Rishi Tea’s organic Bergamot Sage Tea, a blend of sage, peppermint, bergamot and lemon thyme. It may be even more splendid!

Rishi organic teas are also certified kosher.

While the expert tea blenders at Rishi have worked long and hard to come up with a stellar blend, it’s easy to make your own hot or iced sage tea.

Sage has long been an herbal remedy for sore throat and mild gastrointestinal upset, but we now drink sage tea daily because it’s soooo refreshing.

You can also create a blend by adding basil, lavender, mint, or other sweet herb.

Or, you can make a variation of an Arnold Palmer: half iced tea, half lemonade. See the variation below.

An Arnold Palmer is a cold drink, but there’s no reason why you can’t turn it into a hot one.
 
 
RECIPE: SAGE TEA

Ingredients Per Cup

 
Preparation

1. POUR the boiling water over the sage. Steep to the desired strength and straining out the leaves. (You can use a tea ball/spice ball for dried tea.)

2. SERVE with optional sweetener and lemon.

3. ARNOLD PALMER VARIATION: To each glass of iced tea, add the juice of 1 lemon (we add the grated rind as well). Drink plain or sweeten to taste.
 
 
> The history of tea.

> Tea terminology: a photo glossary.

> A year of tea holidays.

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

In general, milk is known for abetting strong teeth and bones, good skin, immune system support and the prevention of dental decay, hypertension, respiratory problems, some forms of cancer and other illnesses.

And now, it helps to reduce heart disease. A study published recently in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that three glasses of milk per day may lead to an 18% decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.

While some people steer clear of milk because of the saturated fat, the researchers, from Harvard University and Wageningen University in The Netherlands, found no link between the consumption of regular or low-fat dairy and any increased risk of heart disease, stroke or total mortality.

That doesn’t mean you should embrace the calories and fat of whole milk. Switch whole milk for 2% lowfat milk and wean your way down to 1% and 0% fat.

Three glasses a day keep the doctor away.
Photo courtesy Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

• Try Superpremium Milk. We love the “superpremium” fat free milk that removes some of the natural water content. It concentrates the milk flavor so that 0% tastes like 2%. It’s well worth the extra money.
• Go Lactose-Free. There are plenty of lactose-free milk options for sensitive people. THE NIBBLE office has only lactose-free milk and soymilk in our office. Lactose-free milk tastes exactly like conventional milk and is available in lowfat and nonfat versions.
• Consider Organic Milk. One of the best-selling organic products is milk, since conventional herds can be injected with the growth hormone rBGH/rBST. You can even find milk that’s organic and lactose-free. Organic Valley makes certified organic Fat Free/Skim Lactose Free Milk and 1% Lactose Free Milk. There’s a $1.00 coupon on the website.

You don’t have to drink milk by the glass. Add it to tea (chai with a hefty pour of milk is a natural). Switch regular coffee for latte. And try this comfort food, one of our diet tricks:

• Fill a mug with nonfat milk and heat it in the microwave. Time will vary based on milk temperature, so start with 60 seconds for cold milk and see what works best in your microwave.
• Remove mug from microwave and stir in a packet of noncaloric sweetener or a bit of agave nectar.
• You can play around with spices (cinnamon and nutmeg work well) or extracts (a bit of vanilla or banana, for example; or stir in a piece of mashed banana).

Milk it for all it’s worth.

Elvis Presley’s favorite sandwich (photo courtesy Hipsubwg.Blogspot.com.

Elvis Presley was born on January 8, 1935, and left the world too soon in 1977, age 42.

As has been told many times, his favorite food was a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich.

Try one to see if you and Elvis enjoy the same snack. Here’s the recipe, from Are You Hungry Tonight? Elvis’ Favorite Recipes.

Enjoy it while listening to your favorite Elvis tunes. Buy a CD of his 30 top hits or download any of the Top 30 MP3.
 
RECIPE: ELVIS PRESLEY’S FRIED PEANUT BUTTER & BANANA SANDWICH

This is Elvis comfort food. The King enjoyed “peanut butter and ’nanner sandwiches” at all hours of the day and night. Enjoy your sandwich with one of Elvis’ favorite beverages: Pepsi Cola, orange and black cherry soda.

 
Preparation

1. MASH the banana in a small bowl with the back of a spoon.

3. SPREAD the peanut butter on one piece of toast and the mashed banana on the other.

3. FRY the sandwich in melted butter until each side is golden brown. Cut diagonally and serve hot.
 
MORE ELVIS RECIPES

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

There are many ways to keep grilled salmon interesting. But instead of topping it with sugar-laden chutney, sauces and glazes, take a healthy approach.

In this idea from Whole Foods Market, grilled wild salmon (so much better than farmed salmon) tops a mound of tabbouleh, which is made with whole-grain bulgur wheat. The salmon is marinated in olive oil, fresh orange juice and zest.

It’s topped with a Middle Eastern/Israeli salad of chopped cucumber, red onion and halved cherry tomatoes. We add dill and/or parsley to our chopped salad. In season, substitute chopped vine-ripened tomatoes.

We purchased our tabbouleh to save time, but here’s the recipe to make it from scratch, along with the citrus-marinated salmon.

An extra-healthy salmon recipe combines all
those omega-3s with whole-grain tabbouleh.
Photo courtesy Whole Foods Market.

It’s easy to make your own grilled chicken,
fish, kebabs and roasts in this Cuisinart
Vertical Rotisserie.

One of our most popular articles last January was 10 Appliances For Low Calorie Cooking.

Take a look at how you can whip up low calorie foods—with high taste—using a:

Find our favorite low calorie products in THE NIBBLE’s Diet Foods Section.