Homemade Taco Seasoning - Take II

Although I liked my old Taco Seasoning Mix, I wasn't a fan of how much onion flakes were in it, plus it didn't have the kick we crave.  So, in honor of Cinco de Mayo, I adapted several recipes from the web to have more spicy flavor.

3 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper

1. In small glass jar, mix all ingredients, and cover with lid.  Stores for up to six months.
2. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of this mixture plus 3/4 cup of water to one pound of browned meat, minced onion and garlic. Simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently until there is very little liquid left in the pan.
3. Serve with all your favorite taco toppings.  We love it with Frontera Habanero Salsa!

Cajun Seasoning

This spice mix is wonderful for blackened chicken or my latest favorite, in cooked cabbage!

3 tablespoons paprika
1-2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly then store in an airtight jar.

Best Ranch Dressing and Dip

 I keep forgetting to add this wonderful ranch dip recipe I've been using for the last six months or so.  The recipe is from An Oregon Cottage and I love the freshness of the lemon juice! 

ranch dressing stored in a former lemon curd jar

1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. dried parsley, or 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh
1/2 tsp. onion powder
3/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. dried dill

1. Combine sour cream, buttermilk, and lemon juice in a pint jar or quart mixing bowl. Shake or whisk to mix well.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and shake (or whisk) again until well combined. If using a bowl, transfer to a dressing container with lid. *UPDATE: If you like your dressing thicker, mix the sour cream and seasonings first, then add the buttermilk slowly until you reach the desired consistency.*
3. Refrigerate one or more hours before using, and taste to adjust seasonings after dressing.
4. For a thicker dip: increase sour cream by 1/4 cup (or, conversely, add more milk, a little at a time if a thinner consistency is desired).
5. Shake well before each use.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

Thanks goes out to my friend Lisa, for this yummy homemade dressing recipe!

1-1/4 c creme fraiche

1/2 c buttermilk

1 T lemon juice

1/2 t onion powder

1 clove minced garlic
1 T dried parsley
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t dill

Put it in a mason jar. Shake. Refrigerate an hour before serving. Stores well.

Pizza Sauce

Quite some time ago I was looking for a pizza sauce recipe and found this one by Cat Cora, the Iron Chef.  Enjoy!

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water (I used 1 cup)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves *
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves *
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves *

Mix together the tomato paste, water, and olive oil. Mix well. Add garlic, salt and pepper, to taste, oregano, basil, and rosemary. Mix well and let stand several hours to let flavors blend. No cooking necessary, just spread on dough.

* I used 1-1/2 tablespoons of Italian Seasoning.
** I've also just used a small can of tomato sauce in place of the tomato paste and water for a thicker sauce.

Homemade Kansas City Style Barbecue Sauce

We've finally had Spring-like weather for more than a week, so I thought I'd share this BBQ sauce recipe.  Jason made this yummy BBQ sauce late last fall following this recipe from CheeseSlave.  Our only adaptation was reducing the amount of paprika by half.  Leftover sauce will stay fresh in the refrigerator for two weeks.

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup mustard
1/8 cup molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
chili powder to taste

Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the onion and let soften, then add the garlic. Add all the dry ingredients: paprika, black pepper and sea salt, then the wet ingredients: ketchup, vinegar, honey, mustard, molasses, Worcestershire sauce. Add the chili powder to taste.

Let simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes and modify with seasonings to taste.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

Some time ago, My Homemade Happiness linked her recipe for Homemade Ranch Dressing and Dip on Tempt my Tummy Tuesday. Today I tried it out for the first time. Although we liked it, we thought there was plenty of dill and not enough of the other spices. Below are my adaptations.

Seasonings:
1 tsp dried parsley, finely crumbled
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried thyme, finely crumbled
1/4 tsp dried dill
Use this seasoning mix right away for veggie dip or salad dressing or store it in an airtight container for later use. (I plan to triple the recipe next time and store it in a recycled spice jar.)

For Ranch Veggie Dip:
Mix 1 recipe dry seasoning mix with 1 3/4 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup buttermilk.  Mix up a few hours before serving, so the flavors all blend nicely.
For the Salad Dressing:
Mix dry seasoning mix with 1 cup mayo (or 1/2 mayo and 1/2 sour cream) and 1-2 cups buttermilk (depending on how thick or thin you want it). I like adding in 1/2 tsp lemon juice for a little zing as well, but it's not necessary.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

recipe from Polka Spot Farm

1 cup dried minced onion (2 oz. bottle)
1/3 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons cumin
4 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon oregano
4 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder

Combine all ingredients, pour into a glass jar and store in a cool, dry place.  Use 2-3 Tbsp. of mix in place of packaged taco seasoning.

Homemade Basic Cream of ??? Soup

2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 c whole wheat flour
1 tsp. salt or more to taste
1 tsp. chicken base
1 cup of milk
1 cup chicken broth

Heat butter and oil then add flour and salt and base, stirring to make a roux. Add milk and broth, stir until thickened. This is a substitute for two 10 oz. cans cream of chicken soup.

I usually saute a small onion and some garlic in the butter/oil and season with plenty of salt and pepper, plus some thyme or other herbs.

Refried Beans Without the Refry

Refried beans are simple to make when cooked in a slow cooker. This recipe will yield flavorful, fat-free refried beans seasoned with garlic, jalapeno, and cumin.The recipe is from the Keeper of the Home and includes my comments/adaptations.

1 onion, peeled and halved
4 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed *
2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
9 cups water

Place the onion, rinsed beans, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin into a slow cooker. Pour in the water and stir to combine. Cook on High for 8 hours, adding more water as needed. Note: if more than 1 cup of water has evaporated during cooking, then the temperature is too high.

Once the beans have cooked, strain them, and reserve the liquid. Mash the beans with a potato masher, adding the reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency.

Freeze 2-3 cups per freezer bag or container. Thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours before use.

* 2 cups dry beans = 1 pound

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

from Lynn's Kitchen Adventures

2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, undrained
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 clove garlic, minced

Combine all tomato sauce ingredients and place in a blender. Puree ingredients. Then place in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until heated through, about 5 minutes. Use as desired for enchiladas.

Spaghetti Sauce

I have adapted several different recipes to find this one we enjoy the most. Because I fill plastic bags with cooled sauce to freeze, I only make this sauce every 6-8 weeks. I chose to make the sauce meatless because I use it for chicken, sausage, beef and meatless recipes.

3 onions, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
9 garlic cloves, minced
3 stalks celery, chopped (if on hand)
32 oz. beef broth
5 (28 oz) cans pureed tomatoes
2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes
5 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Saute onions, green pepper, garlic, and celery in a small amount of beef broth until soft. Add the rest of the beef broth as well as the remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for several hours, stirring occasionally.