'Fabulous Four' Must Use Flavors

At Sensational Seasonings we are all about great flavor and finding every possible way to maximize it! Imagine - it's Friday night and you're having some friends over for dinner, so you go all out preparing a delicious meal. Now imagine your frustration, when the dinner that you spent hours preparing, just doesn't have the 'zing' that you were looking for. It's bland, despite all the herbs and seasonings that you used.

What happened?

With most recipes, there are four distinct flavors that are necessary to make your dinners impress. Leaving out just one of these makes a big difference and may even cause you to overcompensate by making it more salty or sweet. Think about it...salt is inexpensive and that's why many processed foods have sodium levels that are off the chart!

So what are these four magical potions?

Well, I've already mentioned two of them...salt and something sweet. The other two are spicy and sour. However, let's say that you don't like spicy food...or you are trying to cut back on salt. That's the beauty of these fabulous four, they balance each other out so that you don't have to go overboard with any one of them.

Here's an example and a great marinara sauce recipe...

Let's put into practice by making a marinara sauce. Start by sauteing minced onions, garlic, carrots, and celery cooking over medium heat in olive oil. Next, let's enhance the flavor and add more ingredients.

Flavor #1 - Salt

Let's start with salt, 1/2 tsp to be exact. What salt does is actually bring out the natural flavors of food. There's a reason why marinara sauce from the grocery store tastes so good, it's loaded with salt! That's why it's better and healthier to make your own at home. Remember though, one of the benefits of cooking at home is to reduce your salt intake and make better choices, so take it easy with the salt.

Tip: Another way to incorporate some salt, without going crazy, is by using Parmesan cheese or bacon. Imagine finishing pasta with some Parmesan or adding some crispy bacon.

Flavor #2 Spicy

Back to our marinara recipe...Now add just a pinch of chili peppers or red chili flakes and a teaspoon of thyme (or for a nice mix of herbs and spices use Sensational Seasonings' salt free, Italian Herb. If using Sensational Seasonings, add two teaspoons along with a pinch of pepper flakes.  This is where spicy comes in. Spice works really well when it compliments some sweetness in a dish. Plus it really wakes up your pallet.

Tip: Here's another idea for adding just a little heat to a side dish that can come out tasting bland...Fried rice. If you're making fried rice, use  just a little sriracha or chili sauce.

Let's now add two heaping tablespoons of tomato paste. Even better, cook the tomato paste for a couple minutes which intensifies the flavors of the tomato even more and it gives it plenty of depth.

Flavor #3 Sour

Now for this flavor enhancer, we're talking about either acid or something sour. For this recipe, some red wine will do the trick. Add some wine to the pan and reduce it by half. Now add a can of pureed tomatoes.The flavor is going to become more intense and really create a good base. Something acidic, like this, works because it brightens things up and it cuts through the richness of some dishes.

Tip: With other dishes, lemon juice cuts through the richness and make the flavor bright and pop. This is why so many recipes call for it. Also, a touch of vinegar is great for a salad dressing because they're mostly made of oil which is rich. Balance it out with one part acid or vinegar. So much better!

Flavor #4 Sweet

For the fourth layer of flavor, we're going to add honey, which rounds out all the flavors perfectly. Especially for marinara sauce because tomatoes are very acidic and the honey helps cut through that acid. Another way to add sweetness is Molasses. Honey or some kind of 'sweet' is also important when making chili. Always add it gradually though and taste along the way.

Bonus Flavor - Richness

Here's a bonus to make your marinara sauce even better. If you'd like to add a rich, earthy flavor to this marinara sauce, try either mushrooms, soy sauce or Parmesan cheese (or all of the above). There you go! Don't forget these fabulous four, it makes cooking at home that much more enjoyable and fulfilling! And by cooking at home, you can take control of your diet, limit your salt intake and live a healthier life.

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Sensational Seasonings is a gourmet seasonings company located in Johnson City, TN. Our healthy and delicious product line includes:  Cajun Blackening Seasoning, Chicken Seasoning, Jamaican Jerk Seasoning, Italian Seasoning and Pork Rub. Each of our seasoning blends are either salt-free or low-salt (meeting all guidelines of the FDA). Reducing the salt content in our seasonings allows you to get more flavor from all the herbs and spices we include, while allowing you take total control of your salt intake.

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Top 15 foods to fight inflammation

If you're reading this, you are probably dealing with inflammation or you're doing your best to avoid it! I'm about to give you a list of the top 15 anti-inflammatory foods and herbs.

Since inflammation is a major cause of disease, you'll definitely want to incorporate these foods into your diet. In fact, heart disease is caused by the inflammation of your arteries, while arthritis is caused by inflammation in your joints. Even ulcerative colitis is caused by inflammation of your colon. Most disease today has an inflammatory component, even cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

Top 15 -

 

• Leafy Greens! Green, leafy vegetables are high in vitamin K as well as chlorophyll which helps detoxify your body and lower levels of inflammation. Looking to change up your salads, try chard, dandelion greens, beet greens.  Spinach and kale are great as well in terms of their vitamin K, their calcium, magnesium. Those minerals to help lower inflammation in the body.

• The next one is Bok Choy, part of that cabbage family which is  very high in something called vitamin U. Vitamin U is known to support glutathione levels in the body which helps lower inflammation and helps support the liver. So bok choy, another incredible super food with anti-inflammatory properties.

• Celery is another unique super food for reducing inflammation (and especially celery juice). Celery is very high in electrolytes and also a trace mineral called silica. It's high in potassium and overall works in a unique way to help flush toxins out of our bodies. It helps with something called "fluid exchange" of intracellular and extracellular fluids.

  Celery is also great for gout. If somebody has uric acid buildup in their body and they would have a sore elbow or certain joints, celery helps with flushing out uric acid out of your system. So overall, an incredible vegetable for its anti-inflammatory benefits.

• Beets is next on the list (though one that you'll want to be careful with if you're watching your sugar levels). Beets actually boost something in your body called nitric oxide, which is known to increase your body's red blood cells and your overall circulation. This is why endurance athletes supplement with nitric oxide.

  Many eat beets because of its ability to help support red blood cell production and the overall health of the blood. Nitric oxide also helps reduce inflammation in the body. So beet's an incredible super food for building your blood, improving endurance, improving energy but also for supporting the heart health and reducing inflammation!

• Broccoli, which is very unique in many ways! It actually has high levels of chromium which is really good for your blood sugar levels ( and great for diabetics). Broccoli is actually one of the most nutrient-dense of all foods out there including its high level of vitamin C - another natural anti-inflammatory. I actually eat broccoli several times a week!

• Here's a tasty health food that almost everyone loves...Blueberries! Now, blueberries are powerhouse when it comes to antioxidants as they contain resveratrol, flavonoids and vitamin C.  Blueberries and certain antioxidants actually help eat up oxidative stress.

• Next up...Pineapple which has the highest levels of a nutrient called bromelain (in the core). Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme that helps reduce inflammation. In fact, a lot of athletes are now doing beet juice before they go and work out and then pineapple juice after since bromelain reduces inflammation the naturals sugars in pineapple help with the recovery after exercise.

• Here's one you probably didn't expect...Bone Broth! If you knew this, you get bonus points. Bone broth is very high in collagen-producing amino acids such as proline and glycine and hydroxyproline. This is what helps us anti-age and makes our skin tighter.And also, bone broth is very high in three unique nutrients: hyaluronic acid, glucosamine, and chondroitin. When preparing soup with a broth, try to use one which is low salt, especially considering most Americans consume too much salt. A bowl of soup sounds good right about now!

• Fatty fish. This includes Salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies and cod. These and others are high in healthy fats. Salmon is continues to gain in popularity because it is very high in omega-3s, the fatty acids EPA and DHA. Those reduce inflammation and helps the heart health. It's good for your skin, hair and even your eyes!

• Next up...Walnuts, which are another omega-3 supplement, though walnuts contain different types of omega-3 fats than fatty fish like salmon. Walnuts contain ALA, alpha-linolenic acid. Those omegas and some of the minerals they have are known to help support brain health as well as inflammation.

• The next one has become controversial lately - Coconut oil. Here's where the controversy exists...some evidence has shown that the saturated fats in coconut oil are actually good for your cells and reduce inflammation. However, at the same time, it is labeled by the American Heart Association as an unhealthy fat.Do your research on this one or talk to your physician - for now, I personally continue to use coconut oil in my diet, but only in moderation.

• Cha-cha-cha-Chia Seeds. Like walnuts, they are high in ALA. Chia seeds are probably the highest omega-3 fatty rich food on the planet. Chia seeds also create what's called mucilaginous fiber. In fact, if you put them in water, they become very gelatinous which is very good for cleaning out your colon (just like jello is). As a bonus, chia seeds are also know to increase energy (and NOT in a caffiene kind of way). Overall, it's a great energy-boosting seed as well as anti-inflammatory because of its great fiber and its omega-3 content.

• Continuing the theme, Flax Seeds, which are also high in omega-3s. Flax seeds contain really unique compounds that support balancing out estrogen in the body and if your inflammatory condition is related to gut health, flax seeds can also help. Your next decision, whole versus ground.

• This next one is greatly known for it health benefits as well as its great flavor...Turmeric. Using Turmeric as a spice for cooking is a great way to add flavor to your food as part of a low salt diet. Turmeric contains two really unique compounds. In powder form, it's very high in curcumin. Thousands of studies have been done on turmeric and curcumin and its benefit to fight cancer, heart disease and to reduce inflammation.

  Also, turmeric contains a compound especially in its essential oil form.If you buy turmeric oil, it's called turmerone which has been shown to help support your body in tissue regeneration and producing more of its own stem cells to help heal herniated discs, torn ligaments or any type of tissue damage in the body. Turmeric is probably the ultimate anti-inflammatory herb, followed closely by Ginger.

• Ginger contains gingerols as well as zingibain. Zingibain is a proteolytic enzyme that really helps reduce inflammation at the cellular level. Gingerols work similar to some of those compounds in turmeric at reducing inflammation. It's great for reducing inflammation of the digestive system and the joints.  As a bonus, it's really good for helping any type of issue related to tissue in the brain.

If you found this article helpful, please share it with your friends. At Sensational Seasonings we are 'all about' making the lives better. We look forward to sharing other health tips as well as healthy recipes with you!

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Sensational Seasonings is a gourmet seasonings company located in Johnson City, TN. Our healthy and delicious product line includes:  Cajun Blackening Seasoning, Chicken Seasoning, Jamaican Jerk Seasoning, Italian Seasoning and Pork Rub. Each of our seasoning blends are either salt-free or low-salt (meeting all guidelines of the FDA). Reducing the salt content of our seasonings allows you to get more flavor from all the herbs and spices we include while allowing you take total control of your salt use. 

 

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Healthy Recipe, Easy Dinner

Healthy Recipes Easy Dinner by Sensational Seasonings

Sensational Seasonings provides healthy, delicious recipes and low salt or salt-free seasonings for those looking to live a healthier life, low blood pressure and/or loose weight (by eating low-carb meals).

Our Recipe Advantages:

• Quick & Easy
• Low Salt, Healthy Recipes
• Delicious Easy Recipes!
• Yummy for the Entire Family
• Great for Low Carb Diets

We hope you enjoy Healthy Recipes, Easy Dinner brought to you by Sensational Seasonings!

You can get more details about Sensational Seasonings and healthy, easy dinner recipes here: www.sensationalseasonings.com

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