North Bay Woman

18 NORTH BAY WOMAN F A L L | W I N T E R 2 0 2 1 Beyond the basics: To make this into a sweet and salty dish, drizzle honey on top of the pro- sciutto wrapped dates. Grilled tri-tip with chimichurri Serves 4 people Active time: 20 minutes Gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free Ingredients n 1/2 cup liquid aminos (or low- sodium soy sauce) n 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 1 orange) n 2 tablespoons maple syrup n 8 parts SPOOG (salt, pepper, olive oil, garlic powder - see mini recipe below), divided n 2 pound tri-tip n 1/4 cup red wine vinegar n 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more n 2 large garlic cloves n 1/2 shallot, chopped n 1/2 Fresno chile or serrano chile, finely chopped and seeds removed n 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro n 1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley n 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano Instructions Combine the first four ingredients in a large container that can be covered. Marinade tri-tip in this mixture, cov- ered, for at least 60 minutes at room temperature or in the refrigerator 4-12 hours before cooking (or howev- er much time you have). Make the chimichurri: In a blender or food processor, combine all of the ingredients starting with red wine vinegar to the bottom, in addition to 4 parts SPOOG with additional olive oil if needed to loosen up the mixture. Blend for a fine, delicious and beauti- fully green sauce. Preheat the grill on high heat to 500 degrees. When hot, sear the steak on each side for 5-6 minutes, or until out- sides have dark grill marks. Reduce heat on grill, cover, and cook another 5 or so minutes, depending on how thick the steak is. You want the steak to still be slightly rare on the inside, depending on your preference, know- ing that the steak will continue to cook when it rests. Let the steak rest on a foil covered plate for 10 minutes. Slice and serve with chimichurri driz- zled on top. Anja Lee's Dark Chocolate Apple Crumble Serves 3-4 people Active time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 15-20 minutes Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian Ingredients n 3 apples n 2 tablespoons coconut sugar n 1 teaspoon sea salt, divided in half n 4 ounces dark chocolate – (preferably 80%+ cocoa), chopped into small pieces n 1 1/2 cups almond flour n 1/2 cup coconut oil n 1/4 cup honey n 1 teaspoon vanilla extract n 1/4 cup shaved coconut Ice cream of choice! (optional) Instructions Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice apples into bite-sized chunks with skin-on, discarding the core. In medium bowl, toss apples with coconut sugar and 1/2 tea- spoon salt. In large bowl, use clean hands to combine almond flour, coconut oil (room temp, not melted), coconut sugar, vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon salt well until coconut sugar is no longer clumpy and everything combines well to make a dough. Pour apples into a small casserole dish and spread out across the bottom of the dish. No oil is necessary at the bot- tom of the dish. Sprinkle choc- olate on top of apples. Sprinkle crumble mixture all over top. Bake in oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until crumble is start- ing to brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle shaved coconut on top. Bake in oven for 3 more minutes to toast coconut shavings. Remove from oven and serve hot with ice cream! Mini recipe: SPOOG This recipe is referred to many times within my books. SPOOG is an easy way to add the perfect amount of flavor to almost anything — meat or vegetable — for a healthy, simple dish. It can be baked, sautéd, added after poaching, and even eaten raw in a salad dressing or sauce. n 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (S) n 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (P) n 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (OO) n 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (G) Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with a whisk or fork. Reserve to add to varying recipes for a simple and delicious flavor. n Chef Anja Lee Wittels is founder of Anja Lee & Co., Anja Lee Catering and Silicon Chef (the company arm of team-building cooking competitions). She is the in-locker room chef for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors, in addition to being author of two cookbooks. Grilled tri-tip with chimichurri. – Photo by Callisto Media

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