September 19, 2024
KetoFLEX Kitchen 12/3: How to Build a Flavor Profile
What’s the secret to keeping a whole foods diet exciting? It’s all about learning what flavors work together to create endless menu options. Keep reading for inspiration on how to create your own flavor profiles that will enhance your meals and encourage you to experiment to find new favorites.
How to Build a Flavor Profile
Tips:
● Include a variety of colors from herbs and spices to add a diverse spectrum of phytonutrients.
● Use fresh seasonal herbs, dried herbs and spices as well as low-glycemic flavored vinegars, etc. to create your flavor profiles.
● If you are looking to make a larger batch of dried spices to save for future use, use only dried herbs and no liquid ingredients. For instance, use mustard powder instead of regular mustard.
● Add your flavor combination to any protein (as a rub, marinade, or topping) or vegetable (as a seasoning, dressing, dip, or sauce) of your choice.
● Add your flavor profile ingredients to high polyphenol extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) to make a salad dressing, marinade, or sauce.
● Add to mashed avocado, an approved mayonnaise, A2 yogurt, or mix with some soaked pureed nuts to make a dip, topping, or a sauce.
● Add the ingredients to soups, stews, or casseroles to amplify or change the flavor profile.
● Quick and easy dry spice blends to purchase for when you are short on time are Chinese Five Spice, chili powder, curry powder, garam masala, Old Bay Seasoning, herbs of Provence, za’atar, ras el Hanout, or harissa.
Directions:
● The fun part about creating flavor profiles is that there is no one correct recipe. By using ingredients on hand and tasting as you go, you can’t go wrong!
● Use your sense of smell to decide which ingredients you like together or take a taste.
● Use larger amounts of mild flavors, like basil and parsley, and smaller amounts of stronger-tasting ones, like cinnamon or hot pepper.
● Mix your ingredients in a small bowl or jar.
● Start with spices, dried and fresh herbs
● Add any wet ingredients, such as mustard, vinegar, or tamari.
● Add your base, such as EVOO, yogurt, mayonnaise, mashed avocado, or soaked pureed nuts (or any combination), and mix to the desired consistency.
● Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking.
Need Inspiration?
Experiment with different combinations to find your favorite flavor profile. See some ideas for inspiration below. Apollo Health subscribers have access to recipes for each regional flavor profile.
Mediterranean
Basil, black pepper, cardamom, coriander, Dijon mustard, EVOO, lemon juice, marjoram, nuts, olives, onion, oregano, paprika, parsley, red wine vinegar, rosemary, and thyme
Latin American
Avocado, chili powder, cilantro, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, garlic, jalapeños (or other peppers), lime, zest or juice, oregano, pepitas, salt, and tomato
Asian
Cardamom, chili pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, fennel, garlic, ginger, green onion, lemongrass, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, star anise, tamari, and turmeric
Creole
Black pepper, cayenne pepper, coriander, cumin, fennel, garlic, mustard, oregano, onion, paprika, red pepper flakes, rosemary, salt, thyme, and tomatoes
Middle Eastern
Allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cloves, cumin, dill weed, garlic, ginger, lemon, mint, onion, oregano, nutmeg, parsley, peppers, saffron, sesame seeds (or tahini), sumac, and turmeric
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