When I am trying to make healthy food decisions, I sometimes feel as though I’m giving up flavor, and then I have to remind myself that does not have to be the case. Adding flavor to your food with fresh herbs, dry spices and hot sauces can keep everything you eat interesting and delicious. Hot sauces are my favorite, and I like several different ones. I was introduced to squirt bottles of sauce while living in Indonesia in the early 80’s; GaGa brand of Cabe Rawit, a green chili sauce, and Dua Belibis brand of Saus Cabe, a red sauce of potent awesomeness. I fell in love with Louisiana’s Crystal Hot Sauce while living in New Orleans in the late 80’s. I prefer Sriracha to ketchup, and Marie Sharp’s Belizean Heat puts most brands you’ll find on U.S. store shelves to shame. But my current crush is on Intensity Academy Gourmet Sauces Carrot Karma, a delicious and flavorful blend of fresh carrots, habaneras and lime.

Intensity Academy is a Florida based, all natural, gourmet and hot sauce company owned by Tampa Bayers Michele Northrup, aka “The Saucy Queen”, and Tom Was. They have several delicious products, check them out at https://intensityacademy.com/shop/, but I’m currently hooked on the Carrot Karma. How do I use it? Let me count the ways:

• scrambled eggs & omelet topper
• veggie stir fry topper
• basting for seafood before grilling (Carrot Karma Buttered Shrimp)
• in my bloody mary
• in my cocktail sauce
• in my deviled eggs
• in soup, every kind
• in my brine (just add a heaping tablespoon full to your brine)
• mix it with healthy yogurt, and it’s a delicious dip
• veggie salad topper
• in my chili while cooking, and again as a topper
• in my guacamole (delicious on avocados!)

Get the picture? Carrot Karma is versatile and compliments many different foods. I’m such a fan that we also offer it on your table at Three Birds Tavern.

Looking for a simple and flavorful marinade? Whisk together oil (I prefer extra light olive oil and will get into that another time), freshly squeezed juice of one lime (yes, I know, limes are outrageously expensive right now), chopped scallions, minced garlic and Carrot Karma for a simple and delicious chicken or pork marinade. Michele shares recipes on her website, and here are two more for your palate’s pleasure:

Carrot Karma Succotash

Heat extra light olive oil in a large skillet; add fresh corn kernels from four ears of corn, a handful of chopped fresh cilantro, freshly squeezed juice of one lime, a cup of fresh or frozen (rinse if frozen) peas or lima beans, and a tablespoon of Carrot Karma. A side dish that is easy to make, healthy and delicious.

As Michele would say, “creating flavors to make the world a saucier place to live, one bottle at a time.”