Halibut with Mushrooms in Tarragon Lemon Butter

This recipe for two is low-carb with mild but pleasantly interesting flavors. I came up with it a couple of days ago as a gentle entree for someone on a very low carb diet and with a sensitive stomach, and it was well-received. I used frozen halibut fillets, but probably any mild white fish would work.

Ingredients
2 Tbs unsalted butter
4 baby bella or white mushrooms, sliced (about 3/4 cup sliced)
2 halibut fillets, 6-8 oz each
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Salt & pepper to taste

Using a pan large enough to hold both fish fillets, melt the butter over medium heat then add the mushrooms and saute until they start to soften. Add tarragon and lemon juice, season with salt & pepper if desired, stir and saute until mushrooms are soft. Use a slotted spoon to remove the mushrooms and set aside. Add the fish to the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then carefully flip, reduce heat to medium-low and cover the pan. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until fish is just cooked--time will vary depending on thickness of fillets. You want the fish to flake in the middle but still be moist, not overcooked--I began checking for doneness after 5 minutes. Once fish is done, serve and top with reserved mushrooms and drizzle the with the tarragon lemon butter from the pan.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: If you're counting carbs or watching your sugar intake but want to continue enjoying flavorful, well-seasoned foods, check out our varied selection of low-carb and no carb sauces, seasonings and condiments. We also offer meats and cheeses through our carefully selected partners, including genuine Smithfield, North Carolina country ham that's sure to satisfy any carnivore.

Jolokia 10 Mustard

Rarely does an extremely hot sauce or condiment also rate highly for excellent flavor. The new Jolokia 10 Mustard is that rare exception, masterfully blending two of the hottest peppers on the planet with premium yellow mustard for a result that is tantalizingly delicious while burning the bejeezus out of you.

Unlike other hot mustards that rely on wasabi or horseradish for a sinus-clear kick, or on funky-tasting capsaicin extracts to artificially ratchet up the heat, Jolokia 10 Mustard does it the old-fashioned way with simple, natural ingredients. As you've probably figured from the name, the Naga (Bhut) Jolokia Pepper--recently recognized as the world's hottest hot pepper--plays a major role in this fiery mustard, and it's paired with ultra-hot Red Savina habanero peppers for additional dimensions of peppery flavor and fire. Because the base mustard used is a high-quality product, and no artificial heat-boosters have been added, your first taste will present the familiar flavor of a well-made yellow mustard. But within a few seconds the intense heat will announce its presence, and will build steadily with each bite until it is searingly hot. Yes, you might cry, but you'll be shedding tears of pleasure as well as pain as you discover what a well-made ultra-hot mustard should taste like!

If you are serious about your fiery foods, Jolokia 10 Mustard is a must for your table. Use it like you would any mustard, albeit judiciously and with respect. Jolokia 10 Mustard is perfect for robust grilled fare like sausages, bratwurst and kielbasa, on hot dogs and burgers, as a wet-rub for pork loin and chops, and as a spicy addition to your favorite deviled eggs or potato salad recipe. If you follow a low-carb or no-sugar diet, you'll be glad to know that this mustard has no sugar added. It's also very low sodium, in case you're watching your sodium intake. Normally retailing for $10 a jar, it's currently on sale online at the Carolina Sauce Company where you can now buy Jolokia 10 mustard for only $8.95 a jar!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

My Low-Carb Alternative to Pasta & Rice

If you're cutting back on carbs and are interested in trying a nutritious--and delicious--low carb alternative to rice, spaghetti, noodles or pasta, I recommend spaghetti squash. Rich in beta carotene and high in fiber, its unique ability to separate into thin, spaghetti-like strands when cooked makes it ideal in Asian and Italian dishes, and as a healthy low carb side dish. Spaghetti squash has a very mild squash flavor that won't interfere with the other flavors in your sauces or recipes. The texture is different from that of rice or pasta, however, with more of a crunch, so don't expect it to be identical in mouthfeel to spaghetti or rice. But it tastes quite yummy with your favorite hearty pasta sauce, light marinara, zesty stir-fry sauce or exotic curry. You can also serve it seasoned simply with some extra-virgin olive oil, sauteed garlic, salt & pepper to taste, and maybe some Parmesan, feta or mozzarella cheese.

Here are some tips for making (and making the most of) spaghetti squash as part of a low-carb diet or other healthy meal:

*Before using spaghetti squash in place of rice or spaghetti, you need to cook it and scoop out the seeds with a large spoon. Instead of boiling the squash in a big pot of water like many older recipes suggest, you can preserve more nutrients by cutting the squash in half lengthwise and cooking it in your oven or microwave.

*To cut the spaghetti squash without having it shift under your knife, place a damp kitchen towel under your cutting board to prevent it from sliding on your counter. This little trick works anytime you want to keep the cutting board from slipping while you cut a hard-skinned vegetable such as pumpkin and other winter squash.

*To bake the cut spaghetti squash, preheat your oven to 375F degrees. Place the de-seeded squash halves, cut side down, in a 9"x13" casserole dish with half a cup of water. Bake at 375 F until the squash is just tender, about half an hour or so.

*Microwaving is faster than baking. To cook the spaghetti squash in your microwave, place the de-seeded halves, cut side down, in a microwave-safe casserole dish, add 1/4 cup water, cover the dish loosely (I use plastic wrap with one corner pulled up as a vent) and microwave until just tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

*To prevent the squash from becoming water-logged, make sure you don't overcook it: Check it towards the end of the cooking period, and remove from oven or microwave until it's just tender and the strands can be separated with a fork.

*When the spaghetti squash is tender, carefully remove from the casserole dish and let it cool off until you can handle it safely. Then use a fork to remove and separate the spaghetti-like strands: Rake the fork gently across the cooked squash and place the strands in a colander with small holes or a bowl until ready to use in your recipe. I use a colander in the sink to allow any extra moisture to drip off the squash strands.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Bailey Farms Chocolate Habanero Hot Sauce

Bailey Farms is a family owned and operated farm in Oxford, NC that specializes in growing a wide variety of chile peppers. Among them is the intriguingly-named chocolate habanero, the hottest variety of habanero pepper discovered to date. This rare, incendiary chile gets its name from its gorgeous chocolate-brown color and its surprisingly flavorful taste, making it a favorite among fiery-foods fanatics who value flavor as well as heat. Bailey Farms Chocolate Habanero Hot Sauce features their homegrown chocolate habaneros blended with cherry peppers, onion and other all-natural ingredients, all cooked down to perfection to produce a sauce that delivers serious heat, gourmet flavor and a rich texture. No, there's no chocolate in this hot sauce, but trust me, it's almost as satisfying to my taste buds!

You can say that Bailey Farms Chocolate Habanero Hot Sauce is inspired by Caribbean or Mexican hot sauces in that the ingredients include carrots, lime juice, garlic and cilantro, but this sauce is not thin or vinegary. Rather, there's a robust depth of flavor from the long, slow cooking process, and perhaps also from the touch of molasses that isn't evident on the palate but which probably serves to round out the "sharp edges" of the habaneros. The sauce itself is beautiful to look at, with its deep reddish-brown hue and little bits of pepper and other fresh ingredients, and because of its more substantial texture it will stick to your food. An obvious choice for Mexican, Caribbean, Creole and Cajun dishes, this gourmet hot sauce is also quite good on pizza, in pasta sauce & on spaghetti, in stews & casseroles, splashed into raw ground meat for your favorite recipes, and added to marinades & BBQ sauces for chicken, beef, pork and game meats. I suspect it would also be quite nice used in conjunction with steak sauce for venison and other "stronger-flavored" meats. Just keep in mind that it is truly VERY hot.

Bailey Farms Chocolate Habanero Hot Sauce has been featured on the Food Network, and in 2008 it won the Critics' Choice Award at the NC Hot Sauce Festival. We're thrilled to be able to offer it at the Carolina Sauce Company, where you can now order it at a special sale price of only $4.99 for a full-size bottle!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Xtreme Hot Sauce

If you love really hot habanero hot sauces but also have high expectations for their flavor -- and assuming you're not a vampire -- you need to check out Xtreme Hot Sauce, the latest new product at the Carolina Sauce Company. This aptly-named hot sauce stands out from the crowd on every level: First, it comes in an eye-catching flask instead of the usual 5oz hot sauce bottle. One nice thing about the flask is that you get more sauce for your money, as it holds 7.5 fluid ounces (think of it as getting an extra half-bottle of sauce for the same price as many 5oz hot sauces). The simple, plain brown label with the graphic "X" is also a dramatic departure from the typical "busy" designs on many lesser hot sauces.

Second, the sauce inside the bottle is satisfyingly "extreme" without being "insane." What I mean is that this 100% all-natural hot sauce packs a mighty habanero wallop BUT not to the point where you can't taste the rich, garlicky flavor (hence my reference to vampires) with citrusy notes. Xtreme Hot Sauce takes the heat level right to the edge, without going overboard, so you can enjoy your food while also experiencing a good "hot sauce buzz" or endorphin rush. This sauce is pleasantly thick in texture with little bits of garlic and pepper, making it interesting to the tongue, which some folks (like myself) find appealing in a hot sauce. The aroma is also quite intense, with plenty of pungent garlic and peppery "bite" - yes, you might sneeze if you take a big whiff from the open bottle. But this is all consistent with the Xtreme theme, after all.

Best of all, Xtreme Hot Sauce is an excellent way to add intense heat to a savory dish without extremely painful consequences later, because it doesn't contain artificial heat enhancers (no extract in this baby). From pizza to burgers to Tex-Mex to casseroles and more, you can enjoy this hot sauce on pretty much anything except dessert. It's also a great heat & flavor booster for salsa, BBQ sauce, and recipes. If you're counting carbs or watching your sodium intake, you'll like the fact that this powerful and versatile hot sauce has only 1 carb and 35mg of sodium per teaspoon -- and trust me, a teaspoon goes a L-O-N-G way.

So, if you enjoy living life to the fullest and eating "on the edge", get some Xtreme Hot Sauce, especially while it's on sale at Carolina Sauce!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Pickapeppa Brown Sauce

One of our loyal customers recently introduced me to the original Pickapeppa Sauce, also known as Pickapeppa Brown Sauce. I was familiar with several other fine Pickapeppa products, so I must confess that as a zesty-foods lover it came as a surprise to me that I'd somehow never tried the original Pickapeppa. The customer was right: This is indeed a delicious all-purpose sauce that's sure to please anyone who enjoys big, bold flavors with depth and complexity. I'd describe the flavor as "traditional steak sauce on steroids" and yet not "pushy" or overpowering. In other words, the layers of savory flavor will complement your food without overpowering it. There's a pleasant hint of sweetness and a touch of peppery spice, both of which are nicely balanced with the Jamaican herbs and spices for a thoroughly satisfying taste.

Excellent on steaks, grilled meats of all sorts (including venison and other game), on roasts and in stews, Pickapeppa Brown Sauce is also good on heartier seafood and poultry dishes. Add a splash to gravy and soup for dimensional depth, or use it in place of Worcestershire sauce in Bloody Mary's for a new twist. Because this sauce is on the mild side of spicy, it's good with scrambled eggs and sausage or country ham to wake up your taste buds in the morning without scorching them. The ingredients are all-natural, and the sauce is aged in oak barrels for a least one year before bottling, allowing the flavors to meld and develop just like with wine or barrel-aged spirits. Pickapeppa Brown Sauce is low in sodium with only 40mg per teaspoon, and it has only 1 carb per teaspoon, making it a good choice for folks watching their sodium or carbohydrate intake. And if you're looking for a gluten-free sauce, you'll be glad to know that this versatile condiment is gluten-free. Pickapeppa Brown Sauce is currently on sale at the Carolina Sauce Company for only $3.95, making it a real steal!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Haiti Is Hot! Hot Sauces

Haiti Is Hot! hot sauces come to us from Haiti thanks to the efforts of Bel Soley, a visionary company committed to the rebuilding of Haiti "one pepper at a time." Made from the native Haitian variety of habanero known as the Piman Bouk, these amazingly delicious and fiery-hot hot sauces are based on traditional Haitian recipes and use all-natural, locally produced ingredients.

The Piman Bouk pepper has been measured raw at 124,000 Scoville Units and both flavors of Haiti Is Hot! pepper sauce feature plenty of heat, with the Mango-Acerola Cherry Hot Sauce on the hot side of medium-hot and the Papaya Hot Sauce being noticeably hotter, a good solid 7 or more on a 10-point heat scale. But what makes these hot sauces really stand out is their superb, unique flavors thanks to the use of the finest ingredients. Bel Soley works with small local farmers who grow their fruits and vegetables using organic standards. The Mango-Cherry sauce blends fresh Piman Bouk habaneros with the finest Francique and Mango Blanc mangoes (over 60 mango varieties grow in Haiti!) plus Acerola cherries for a sauce that's naturally sweet with a spunky hint of tartness and a peppery punch. The Papaya hot sauce combines papaya with a local sweet variety of grapefruit called Chadeque and cane sugar to create a tangy, fruity taste with a big habanero wallop. I like both of these hot sauces on all sorts of grilled food and robust dishes, from meat (including goat of course) to poultry to seafood, and of course they're ideal for making authentic Creole and Haitian meals.

Haiti Is Hot! Hot Sauces are sold in Haiti under the name "Nap Boule!", which in Creole means "we are on fire!" When you purchase these hot sauces, you help the rebuilding efforts that are ongoing in Haiti: Bel Soley (which means "beautiful sun") is actively involved at the community level to foster local economic development, entrepreneurship and empowerment coupled with the improvement and protection of Haiti's environment including reforestation efforts and financial assistance to small farms that want to implement organic methods and obtain organic certification. For this reason -- and also because these hot sauces taste great -- we are pleased to include the Haiti Is Hot! sauces in our Sauce for a Cause program. And for a limited time, you can purchase either or both flavors of Haiti is Hot! Sauce at a special discounted sale price when you order them from the Carolina Sauce Company.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

On Sale Now: Walkerswood Jonkanoo & Scotch Bonnet Sauces!

Walkerswood makes some of the finest -- and most popular -- Jamaican sauces and seasonings, with devoted fans in Jamaica as well as here in the USA. And for a limited time only, the Carolina Sauce Company has slashed its already low prices on the feisty and flavorful Walkerswood Jonkanoo Hot Sauce and the fiery-hot Walkerswood Scotch Bonnet Pepper Hot Sauce. These hot sauces were already a bargain at the regular price of only $3.99 for a full-size 5 oz bottle, but you can now order each of these Jamaican favorites at the limited-time special sale price of only $3.75 each! This special extra-low price is good only while supplies last, so don't delay and order today - no coupon necessary!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: If you're following a low-carb diet and are looking for low-carb hot sauces, you'll be thrilled to know that both the Walkerswood Scotch Bonnet sauce and Jonkanoo sauce have zero carbs.

Virginia Gentleman Bourbon Chipotle Hot Sauce

On the recommendation of a customer, I recently tried Virginia Gentleman Bourbon Chipotle Hot Sauce, and enjoyed it enough to add to our offerings at the Carolina Sauce Company. This sauce is all about well-balanced, rich flavors without the overpowering heat of other hot sauces (I'd rate it about a medium in heat), and with a pleasant tang that's not harsh like some vinegary hot sauces. Reminiscent of a good spicy barbecue sauce, Virginia Gentleman Bourbon Chipotle Hot Sauce has a robust, earthy flavor with just the right amount of smokiness from chipotles. The bourbon is what adds the depth and character to this sauce, without making it taste like booze. This is a meat-eater's hot sauce -- great with steak, ribs, pork chops, venison, hamburgers and grilled or smoked meats -- but you can also enjoy it on roast chicken, smoked turkey, veggie burgers, and grilled vegetables.

If you're tired of hot sauces that punch you in the face with heat or strip your tastebuds with too much tartness -- or that are just plain boring and one-dimensional -- then Virginia Gentleman Bourbon Chipotle Hot Sauce is for you. It's currently on sale at the Carolina Sauce Company, just in time for Labor Day, so now's the time to try it!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: This hot sauce is also all-natural, and has zero carbs (in case you're counting).

Busha Browne's Spicy Tomato Love Apple Sauce in a New Bigger Bottle!

Check out the new, larger 12oz bottle of Busha Browne's Spicy Tomato Love Apple Sauce, also with a spiffy updated look for the label! The recipe is the same delicious flavor: Lots of rich, ripe tomatoes (also known as "love apples"), a touch of cane sugar and a dash of Jamaican spices plus just enough fiery scotch bonnet peppers to heat things up. The ingredients are all-natural, low-carb and very low sodium, making this zesty sauce a healthy addition to everything from your family recipes to your favorite savory dish. Enjoy Busha Browne's Love Apple Sauce as an alternative to ketchup on scrambled eggs, burgers and hot dogs; as a steak sauce and accompaniment to grilled foods; and as a dipping sauce for french fries, onion rings, tater tots and more. Best of all, this larger bottle is now available at the same price as the smaller bottle when you order it from the Carolina Sauce Company, so you get more sauce for your dough!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Scorned Woman Chipotle & Garlic Pepper Sauce

Is great flavor important to you when selecting a hot sauce? Do you enjoy the pungent flavor of garlic? How about the smoky, fiery heat of chipotles? If you answered yes to these 3 questions, then Scorned Woman Chipotle & Garlic Pepper Sauce is for you. Not nearly as hot as the original Scorned Woman Hot Sauce, this hot sauce is all about the flavor. Moderately spicy on the heat scale (about a mild medium to most folks), this zesty hot sauce features the robust flavors of chipotle and garlic in a tangy -- but not overly vinegary -- base, making it an excellent choice when you want to add complementary flavors with a fiesty kick. I like this hot sauce on pretty much anything grilled: hamburgers, veggie burgers, chicken, shrimp, veggie kabobs and the like. As you can imagine, it's also quite good on nachos, burritos, tacos and other Tex-Mex and Southwestern fare. I've even been known to splash it on pizza and spaghetti to rev up the flavor. Scorned Woman Chipotle Garlic Sauce also works well in hearty recipes including pretty much anything with ground meat, plus stews, casseroles, bean dishes, roasted vegetables and the like. Use a dash or two on rotisserie chicken, deli sandwiches and leftovers from last night's dinner to wake up your palate. At only $4.25 for a full-size 5oz bottle when you order it from the Carolina Sauce Company, Scorned Woman Chipotle Garlic Pepper Sauce is a great deal!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: If you're counting carbs or watching your sodium intake, you'll be glad to know that this hot sauce has no carbs and only 25mg of sodium per teaspoon.

Semper Fi Marine Corps Hot Sauce

Dedicated to the brave men and women who serve and who have served in the US Marine Corps, Semper Fi Marine Corps Hot Sauce comes to us from Camp Lejeune NC, where it is a favorite on steaks, chops, burgers, and anything else that could use some serious firepower. This is a gourmet hot sauce made with all-natural ingredients according to the Caribbean style: Fiery red habanero peppers blended with carrots, onions and garlic in a vinegar-lime juice base, with just a dash of salt. The habanero flavor is straightforward with plenty of heat (about a 7 on a 10-point scale where 10 is hottest), but not so ridiculously hot that you can't taste your food. Semper Fi Hot Sauce is great as an everyday hot table sauce to splash on everything from breakfast eggs, sausage, hash browns etc. to lunchtime sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, tacos etc. to dinner entrees like grilled meats, roast chicken, pasta, Mexican/Tex-Mex/Southwestern and other hearty fare. Because this is an honest hot sauce without additional flavorings (e.g., no herbs, mustard, smoke etc.), it also works well in all sorts of recipes when you want to add fiery heat without altering the essential flavor of the recipe -- for example, chili, meatloaf and other ground-meat dishes, casseroles, stews, homemade salsa and spaghetti sauce, rice & beans, and more.

If you're looking for a gift for a Marine who enjoys zesty foods, you can't go wrong with Semper Fi Marine Corps Hot Sauce: The elegant gold-foil label features the Marine Corps emblem, AND when you purchase this sauce from the Carolina Sauce Company we donate a dollar for every bottle sold to Operation Sauce Drop, our nonprofit program that sends free gift boxes of hot sauce, BBQ sauce & salsa to US troops serving abroad. To see other products that help support our deployed troops, check out our Shop to Support Operation Sauce Drop offerings. Semper Fi Hot Sauce has no artificial ingredients or preservatives and has zero carbs, making it a healthy, as well as patriotic, choice for spicing up your food.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Tortuga Hot Caribbean Pepper Sauce

Tortuga Hot Caribbean Pepper Sauce is a classic West Indian hot sauce made from a traditional recipe featuring fiery scotch bonnet peppers in a tangy mustard base. If you want to experience a true Caribbean scotch bonnet hot sauce, you can't go wrong with this one from Grand Cayman Island. While the heat of the hot peppers definitely takes center stage, the mustard and authentic island seasonings provide richness of flavor that will complement any savory dish. The combination of mustard and fiery heat make this hot sauce an excellent choice for all sorts of grilled fare, from robust meats to succulent chicken. But because Tortuga Hot Caribbean Pepper Sauce is *not* a vinegar hot sauce, it will also nicely complement fish, seafood and other more delicate fare without overpowering the food. And as you can imagine, it's simply wonderful on any type of Caribbean dishes, from conch fritters to meat patties to red beans and rice. I turned a relatively boring veggie burger (yes, I do eat those from time to time!) into a spicy tropical burger by omitting my usual condiments and instead splashing on some of this zesty hot sauce and topping the burger with finely sliced green onions.

Tortuga Hot Caribbean Pepper Sauce has zero carbs and is low in sodium, with only 65 mg per teaspoon -- and you probably won't need an entire teaspoon to season an individual serving of food unless you're one of those folks who douses everything with hot sauce. And if you are, then you'll be VERY glad to know that a full-size 5 oz bottle of Tortuga Hot Caribbean Pepper Sauce is currently on sale for only $3.50 a bottle at the Carolina Sauce Company online store, so you can get several bottles without breaking your budget!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Pig Pen's Hot & Spicy Seasoning

If you love fiery foods and are searching for really fiery dry rub that also delivers great flavor, look no further than Pig Pen's Hot & Spicy Seasoning from Salisbury, North Carolina. This all-natural savory seasoning starts with the same special spice blend as Pig Pen's Original Seasoning, but then ratches up the heat to super-hot levels with the addition of plenty of ground habanero and cayenne pepper. You can use it the same way as the original -- as a dry rub for pork, ribs, chicken and other meats, and as a seasoning for seafood, veggies, fries, eggs and more -- but be sure to apply the Hot & Spicy Pig Pen's sparingly, as this baby is HOT (and that's coming from someone who loves really spicy foods). When we were first sampling this product, Greg made some Onions & Peppers a la Pig Pen as if he were using the original, and the end result was hotter than he could handle (and it was at the upper end of my heat scale), BUT the flavor was phenomenal. Since then we've learned to use a lot less of the Hot & Spicy version -- and the nice thing about that is that you'll really get your money's worth from a bottle!

Like the Original Pig Pen's Seasoning, the hot & spicy version is much more than a dry rub for meat and chicken. You can use it as a substitute for seasoned salt or pepper in breadings, sprinkled on broiled or grilled or steamed vegetables, added to ground meat for burgers, and even as a fiery popcorn seasoning. And also like the original, one serving of Pig Pen's Hot & Spicy Seasoning has no carbs, so it's ideal for folks on low-carb diets who also enjoy hot and spicy foods. If you like spicy foods and wish the original Pig Pen's was hotter, but you aren't sure if the new Hot & Spicy version might be too hot, here is my recommendation: Get a bottle each and then mix some of each together to create your own personalized level of heat. Since the basic spice blend is the same for both versions, you won't dilute that great Pig Pen flavor while adjusting the fiery heat to suit your personal preference. Pig Pen's Hot & Spicy Seasoning is currently on sale at the Carolina Sauce Company, so treat yourself today -- or give some to your favorite Dad for Father's Day!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Zesty Faux Mashed Potatoes

If you're cutting carbs and you crave mashed potatoes, these flavorful faux mashed "potatoes" are a delicious low-carb side dish. This recipe makes 3 to 4 servings.

Ingredients
1 large cauliflower
4 or 5 thinly sliced garlic cloves
Salt to taste
Fresh-ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbs butter at room temperature (high quality butter is best, like Plugra brand or other rich European butter)
1 1/2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil (high quality is best)
Optional: 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg OR 1/8 tsp dried dillweed OR 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

Break the cauliflower into florets and place in a steamer or a microwave-safe dish. Add the sliced garlic, a little salt to taste, and just enough water for steaming or microwaving. Cover and cook until very tender, so that a knife easily slides into a piece of cauliflower. Drain well, then place the cauliflower and garlic in a food processor. Add the butter and olive oil, puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and either nutmeg, dillweed or blue cheese if desired.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: If you're on a low-carb diet, the Carolina Sauce Company has a wide selection of low-carb and no-carb sauces & seasonings, with no more than 1 carb gram per serving.

Nando's Hot Peri-Peri Marinade

The peri peri pepper, also known as the African bird's-eye chilli, is the hottest African pepper and plays a prominent role in South African cuisine - which, in turn, was influenced by Portuguese cuisine during colonial times. Nando's Chickenland, a well-known South African chain with restaurants around the world, has mastered the art of cooking with peri-peri peppers, and their rich, flavorful sauces have fans in many countries. Here at the Carolina Sauce Company, we're proud to announce the arrival of Nando's Hot Peri-Peri Marinade, the latest addition to the Nando's family. Featuring a hefty dose of fiery peri-peri heat in a lemony tomato base, this hot & spicy marinade from South Africa is seasoned with traditional herbs and spices to impart exotically delicious flavors to chicken, beef, pork and even seafood & veggies.

Like all the Nando's marinades and cooking sauces, Nando's Hot Peri-Peri Marinade is simple to use and delivers gourmet results with little effort: Just pour some sauce over whatever you're cooking (I use a resealable plastic bag), refrigerate (30 minutes for seafood, 2 or more hours for poultry, overnight for meat), and then grill, bake, roast or broil, basting generously with more sauce. That's it! You can also use Nando's Hot Peri Peri Marinade as a stir-fry sauce and in your crock pot, or add it to ground meat for zesty burgers, sloppy joes, meatloaf or meatballs. Your imagination is the limit with this wonderful sauce! Nando's Peri-Peri Hot Marinade is Kosher Parev, and contains no added MSG. And if you're counting carbs, you'll be pleased to know that it has only 1 gram of carbs per tablespoon.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Melinda's Mango Coconut Pepper Sauce

Fresh, juicy mango and naturally sweet flaked coconut are a match made in paradise, or at least in a Caribbean or Southeast Asian kitchen. The folks who make Melinda's Habanero Sauces have taken these two tropical delicacies and blended them with other all-natural ingredients -- including just the right amount of fiery habanero peppers to tickle your taste buds -- to create Melinda's Mango Coconut Pepper Sauce, truly a taste of paradise. This versatile sauce captures the essence of sunny tropical cuisine and helps you prepare amazing gourmet fish, seafood, poultry and pork dishes with minimal effort. Perhaps the easiest way to enjoy this sweet and spicy sauce is as a finishing sauce or table sauce for grilled foods, but it's also a tasty marinade, an exotic dipping sauce for egg rolls and satays and fried shrimp, and even a glaze for kabobs. One of my favorite ways to enjoy Melinda's Mango Coconut Pepper Sauce is with skewers of grilled pork or shrimp, fresh pineapple chunks, bell peppers and onions. You can even pour it on fried rice and lo mein as an alternative to duck sauce!

If you're like me and enjoy sauces with interesting textures, you won't be disappointed with Melinda's Mango Coconut Pepper Sauce: It's got a nice spoon-coating consistency that helps it stick to your food without running or dripping off, and there are plenty of little flakes of real coconut to entertain your tongue and add visual appeal to this lovely orange-yellow sauce. The sweetness comes from the fruit and from the addition of real sugar - there's no high fructose corn syrup here! And amazingly, despite its naturally sweet taste, Melinda's Mango Coconut Pepper Sauce is low carb, with only 1 gram of carbs per serving (15 ml, which is 1 Tablespoon). Like other Melinda's sauces, this one is all natural, with no artificial preservatives or colors. In short, you can feel good about enjoying this good sauce! Melinda's Mango Coconut Pepper Sauce is currently on sale at the Carolina Sauce Company online store.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Thomas Marinade

Back in the old days, the word "marinade" wasn't usually used by regular folks and country cooks -- but that doesn't mean that they didn't know about the benefits (and delicious results!) of soaking a piece of meat in a blend of vinegar or lemon juice to tenderize and get rid of any "gamey" off-flavors, oil to keep the meat moist while it cooks, and herbs and spices that enhance the meat's natural flavors. As any oldtimer will tell you, they knew about marinades -- they just called them "soaks" instead.

Thomas Marinade, from Thomas Gourmet Foods in Greensboro, NC, is an old-fashioned "soak" or marinade that's made with all-natural ingredients, just like grandma used to make. The secret blend of herbs and spices is perfectly balanced to enhance, rather than overpower, the natural flavors of your meat or anything else you marinade in Thomas Marinade. Soy sauce is used not only because of its complementary flavors, but also because it helps to tenderize even the toughest cut of meat. The cider vinegar also helps in the same way, and because it can penetrate the meat it helps to infuse it with the seasonings in this marinade. And canola oil helps to keep your meat or poultry tender by sealing in the natural juices while you grill, broil, bake or roast after marinading.

Thomas Marinade is excellent for all sorts of meat, pork and poultry, and is especially good for tenderizing venison, flank steaks, and roasts. It's also a wonderful addition to raw ground beef or ground venison when you're making burgers, and you can drizzle it over (or brush it on) fish and other seafood just before cooking. I love putting some raw veggies in a baggie and then pouring some Thomas Marinade in, shaking the sealed baggie to coat the veggies evenly, and then grilling or broiling the veggies. This is especially good with sliced onions and peppers, raw broccoli florets or spears, sliced mushrooms and summer squash like zucchini or yellow squash. Just make sure you shake the bottle first -- like any high-quality, all-natural vinaigrette or oil/vinegar marinade, Thomas Sauce naturally separates since it doesn't contain any artificial emulsifiers.

If you're looking for an all-purpose old-fashioned marinade or "soak" to tenderize and complement your food without overpowering or masking its natural flavors, then Thomas Marinade is for you. And if you're watching your carbs, you'll be thrilled to know that Thomas Marinade is a low carb marinade, with only 1 carb per tablespoon. Get it today from the Carolina Sauce Company online store, and enjoy a taste of the good ol' days.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Nando's Peri Peri Grinders Are Back!!

Breaking News: Fresh from South Africa, a new batch of all 3 flavors of the deliciously versatile and much-missed Nando's Peri Peri Grinders will arrive at our warehouse the week of March 9, 2009 -- AND they're on sale! We were able to obtain a limited supply of fresh Nando's Grinds (this is NOT old inventory) thanks to one of our importer's diligent efforts, but he has warned us that he's not sure when or if he'll be able to obtain more. Because of the very high demand for Nando's Peri Peri Grinders, we're letting customers pre-order now at the Carolina Sauce Company, and orders will be filled in the order received as soon as the grinders arrive at our warehouse.

If you've never tried Nando's Peri Peri Grinds, you definitely want to get your hands on this flavor-packed whole spice seasoning with the nifty grinder top. You can either twist the top to freshly grind just the right amount of spices, or remove the lid altogether to spoon out or sprinkle the whole spices and coarse sea salt. The renowned Nando's Chickenland restaurants helped introduce the African peri-peri, or birds-eye, pepper to the rest of the world. Made in South Africa, all of the Nando's grinders feature the exotic peri-peri pepper. The Mild Peri Peri Grinder has just a touch of heat and features dried herbs and lemon peel, making it ideal for fish, seafood, poultry and vegetable dishes. The Medium Peri Peri Grinder packs a pleasant peppery punch complemented with garlic and a hint of citrus, and it's wonderful with poultry, meat, and more full-flavored fish like tuna and salmon. And for folks who love fiery heat, Nando's Hot Peri Peri Grind will not disappoint -- and its robust flavor and fire is fabulous on pizza and Italian food (use instead of red pepper flakes!), in all your favorite Mexican dishes, mixed into meatloaf and burgers, and more. Nando's Peri Peri Grinders are Kosher and low-carb, too. So don't miss out on these popular seasonings, and order today!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Tortuga Mango & Ginger Stir Fry Sauce

Two of my favorite tropical flavors, sweet mango and zippy ginger, are masterfully blended together with island spices and seasonings in Tortuga Mango & Ginger Stir Fry Sauce from the sunny island of Barbados. As the name suggests, this delicious, mildly spicy sauce is fabulous for marinading and stir frying all sorts of seafood as well as chicken and veggies. You can also pour it on steamed or microwaved food for a burst of zesty flavor, or even stir it into plain cooked rice to dress it up. I've been known to use Tortuga Mango & Ginger Stir Fry Sauce on tossed green salads as an alternative to salad dressing. Try it as an alternative to mayo or other ordinary condiments when composing a cold shellfish and/or vegetable salad, for an exotic tropical twist. The label even has a quick and easy recipe for a cheese spread to enjoy on crackers!

Virtually impossible to find outside of the Caribbean, and a favorite of folks who have cruised to the Caymans and other Caribbean destinations, Tortuga Mango & Ginger Stir Fry Sauce is a rare gem of a sauce that's now readily available -- and on sale -- at the Carolina Sauce Company online store. If you're watching your salt or carb intake, you'll be thrilled to know that this tasty treat is low carb (only 1 gram of carbs per serving) and very low sodium (only 5 mg per serving). Give it a try, and you'll bring some warm Caribbean sunshine to a dreary winter day!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria