
The other day I was working on seasoning some Orso. I started out with some basil, olive oil, pasta water, lemon juice and some lemon zest. Never content to just add a touch of zest I added the zest from almost a full lemon. Yes, it was a tad overdone, but it got me thinking. With just a little imagination, one could season almost anything without using lots of salt, sugar or fat.
So here it is. My first official blog on using bright flavors like zest or spices that will give you lots of flavor without loading on the salt or sugary carbs.
French Fries:
Add a touch of spice instead of plain salt. For a tangy flavor try our Adobo Rub or add Tandoori for a sophisticated flare.
Roasted Potatoes:
Instead of Russet potatoes use a softer buttery potato like Yukon gold. It has such a lovely meaty sweet taste makes the use of a lot of butter unnecessary. To bring up a nice crisp skin, lightly coat the potatoes with a touch of olive oil Bake until soft. Finish with a touch of Garlic Chili Salt and Parsley or for those that like a little zing, try a sprinkle of our Aleppo or Marash chili peppers.
Mashed Potatoes:
Add 3/4 teaspoon of our classic madras curry to a 1/2 cup of warm milk, then add to the processed potatoes.
Coffee:
Before brewing add just a touch of Saigon Cinnamon or 1/3 of a split vanilla bean and skip the sugar.
Spinach:
Add a touch of freshly ground nutmeg just before serving.
Oatmeal:
Add a sprinkle of sweet and fragrant cassia cinnamon rather than sugar.
Poached Salmon:
Add about a teaspoon of Herbes de Provence to a skillet filled with 2″ of water. Rehydrate the herbs. Add the fish and cook through.
Voila, a super low calorie dish with no salt. Plus you get the heath benefits of the re-hydrated herbs. Add a squeeze of lemon
to finish.
Pork Chop or Pork Tenderloins:
Once the pork is finished cooking. Take it off the heat. Sprinkle a light dusting of our Adobo Rub and cover for a few minutes.
The Adobo Rub will be absorbed into the meat and lend a nice flavor to the pan juices. (Added bonus: if you have a small apartment kitchen without much ventilation, you can significantly reduce clingy kitchen aromas by judiciously using strong accent flavors as a finishing spice.)
Fresh Italian Salad Dressing:
Combine 2 ounces of good extra virgin olive oil, 1 ounce of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of our Italian Seasoning, 1 teaspoon of minced shallot or red onion, pinch of kosher salt and cracked pepper, stir. Pour over mixed green salad, toss salad greens until coated.
Rice:
To add extra flavor to rice, cook the rice in a nice clean chicken stock instead of water. Then season the rice after it is cooked with a touch of herbs like fresh basil or try combining tarragon and just cooked through peas. Then finish with a touch of olive oil.








An Italian Prosecco from the Valdobbiadene or Conegliano regions is a wonderful choice. It is crisp, light and lower in alcohol than champagne. Rustico, Rive del Il Frattelli and Col Vetros are among my favorites.

