The Secret to Preparing Gourmet Tasting Healthy Food & Free Giveaway
You can eat healthy without spending tons of time and sacrificing flavor. I’m going to give you my little secret that makes my dishes taste gourmet. With this secret, your family and friends will be shocked at how amazing your food tastes and will make them wonder when you snuck away and attended culinary school.
Giveaway!
***Before I get in to that, be sure to come to my website next Monday June 20th. That’s when I’m having a giveaway to 10 lucky readers valued at $30 each! Free! Shipped to you directly with no strings attached. Each person will receive 3 items in their gift box. Find out what the gifts are on Monday when the give away begins. The contest will be for 3 days only, so be ready!
On to the secret! You don’t have to slave for hours in the kitchen to make healthy food that tastes gourmet.
Chefs make food taste magical and it seems like a mystery on how they make it taste so amazing! Well, not anymore! Now you can prepare simple, nutritious, scrumptious foods in very little time and still have your food tasting like a gourmet chef prepared it.
I must give credit and thanks to the person who taught me what I know. Her name is Elaina Love and she taught me advanced techniques in preparing raw food including this technique you’re about to learn. Thank you Elaina, you’re the best!
GOURMET SECRET REVEALED!
In order to get a balanced well rounded foundation of flavors in any dish you are making whether it’s salad dressing, soup, a vegetable dish or bean dish, you need to have these elements/ingredients.
When we taste food that we think is amazing, it’s hitting these 4 elements possibly the 5th & 6th element also. That’s what makes us like it so much. Once you learn this you will be able to pick out what’s missing in your dishes that you need to add to get that wow effect from your family and friends.
Here are the 6 Elements and options for each category
#1 FAT: 
Avocado oil or meat
Cold Pressed Oil: Macadamia nut oil, Sesame, Grapeseed, Olive, Hemp, Flax
Nut Butters or Whole nuts & seeds- Peanut Butter, Almond, Sunflower, Cashew
Raw Butter- if you are vegetarian
Raw Coconut Oil/Butter
#2 SALT: Salt’s not bad for you.
Sea or Mountain Salt- I’m not talking about regular table salt, I’m talking about mineralized “REAL SALT”. Stay tuned for an interview from REALSALT.
Miso Paste- the darker the miso the richer the flavor. lighter it is the sweeter it is.
Nama Shoyu- unpasteurized soy sauce
Tamari – wheat free
Brine from olive
Olives
Sea Vegetables/Seaweed
Dishes typically need more salt than you first might think. My husband always comes in, tastes my food and adds more salt. He was right! It always tastes better!
#3 TART/SOUR: Brightens up the dish. Start small and add more.
Citrus- lemon, lime, grapefruit
Vinegar- apple cider, white, red
#4 Pungent: doesn’t have to be much, just a little. Adds depth
Fresh Garlic
Fresh Onion
Fresh Ginger
Dash Cayenne Pepper
Mustard
#5 SWEET: Optional depending on the dish you’re making but typically balance out the flavor especially the acid and tone down the heat.
Dried fruit- raisins, dates, pineapple, banana, cherries, coconut
Fresh Fruit: apple, pear, banana, peach, orange
Vegetable: Carrot, Beet, Bell Pepper
Stevia
Raw Honey
Agave Nectar
#6: Spice, herbs or seasoning: This will give your dish an ethnic flair and is optional
Mexican: cumin, cayenne pepper, cilantro, or Mexican seasoning mix
Indian: Curry, coconut, cardamom, garam masala, black pepper, chili paste,
Thai: lemon grass, cilantro, lime, mint, basil, chili paste, curry
Italian: basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, sun dried tomatoes, Italian herb mix/seasoning
Whenever you’re making a dish use this check list and make sure you are hitting all the elements! You will be amazed at the difference, pat yourself on the back chef!
Kardena Pauza
Author of Easy Veggie Meal Plans- 90 day vegetarian weight loss plan
Certified Personal Trainer- Edge Personal Trainers
Thanks for the tips Kardena. Quick advice to anyone out there about cayenne pepper. A little definatly goes a long way. I was making a veggie mince dish for myself and my wife the other day and added a heaped teaspoon. Now I am british and pride myself on the fact that I can handle strong Indian Currys (our nations favourite food according to recent polls)but even I almost blew my own head off and my wife has only just forgiven me.
Take my advice – small quantities. This will keep you away from A&E and save your relationships!!
Any way thanks again for the tips I don’t usually comment much on your blog but I do read it often. Looking forward to Monday – very intriguing.
Thanks for sharing, I’m chuckling reading your comment because I can relate. Except my husband is the one that “gets” me. I have had tears literally running down my face because it’s so hot and singed off a good 20 taste buds, I’m sure.
Cayenne pepper is a powerful cleanser and is amazing for detoxification, however not the best way to bring two people together when it’s used in excess. And sometimes you get burned twice, ouch!
Great point Douglas, thanks for warning everyone. I’m a huge curry fan myself.
Great relationship advice!