Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix ~ it's better than store-bought!

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix ~ it's better than store-bought!
As shared by Once Upon a Plate by Mari
www.onceuponaplate1.com

One recipe makes the equivalent of one packet store-bought. Enough to season 4 to 6 servings of filling. I always triple or quadruple recipe and store in an airtight jar in the pantry or refrigerator.

Please do adjust the seasonings according to what you like, feel free to increase or decrease the ingredients to your taste. I like to use less salt in the mix, as you can always add more as you're cooking your taco meat, but you cannot "unsalt" the mix!  ;)

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon chili powder* 
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoons garlic powder (not garlic salt)
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoons onion powder (not onion salt)
1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (I only add a tiny pinch)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 to 1 teaspoon paprika
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt*
1/4 to 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Use about 2 Tablespoons mix to 1 pound of meat (more if you like it more flavorful)

If using to season ground beef: Brown beef in pan, drain/pour off fat. Sprinkle seasoning over meat and add 1/3 cup of water; stir. Simmer until water is absorbed, taste and adjust seasonings. 

Click here for recipe for delicious Mexican style chicken meat recipe to use in your favorite Mexican dishes.

*Chili Powder: I just use the kind usually labeled "Dark Chili Powder" ~ check the label;  it usually lists Chili Pepper, Spices, Salt, and Garlic in the ingredients. (Because it already has salt in it, I take that into consideration when adding to other recipes, like this one.)

I hope you love it!

Haricot Verts with Dijon Mascarpone

Haricot Verts with Dijon Mascarpone
As shared from the kitchen of Once Upon a Plate by Mari
www.onceuponaplate1.com
4 servings

Ingredients:
2 1/2 teaspoons Dijon or Whole Grain Mustard
1/2 cup mascapone
1 pound haricot verts (or other green beans), remove stem ends
Lemon zest
Salt and freshly crack black pepper, or tri-color pepper
Method:
(Make the Dijon Mascarpone at least 1/2 to 1 hour ahead of serving time and refrigerate:)
Allow mascarpone to come to room temperature. Using a whisk or silicone spatula, mix the mustard into the mascarpone until well combined, season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour (until firm.)
Just before serving; cook the beans:
1.) Line a rimmed baking pan with a clean kitchen towel, or double thickness of paper towels. Set aside.
2.) Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add about 2 Tablespoons salt for each quart of water. Add the haricot verts to the boiling water, cook until just tender but still firm (about 3 to 4 minutes.)
Using a slotted or wire spoon remove the haricot verts from the pot and drain in prepared baking sheet. Grate the lemon zest over the top.
3.) Transfer the beans to a warmed serving bowl and top with spoonfuls
of the Dijon mascarpone. Sprinkle with more lemon zest and freshly ground black pepper. The mascarpone will begin to melt over the beans;
serve hot.

Enjoy! ~Mari


Recipe has been adapted from www.cooktasteeat.com


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Three Asian-Style Dipping Sauces

From the kitchen of Once Upon a Plate, by Mari
www.onceuponaplate1.com

Any or all of these are wonderful served with Asian style spring/summer rolls, or egg rolls. Also delicious drizzled over poached or grilled chicken, fish, prawns or crab. You can make them up to a day ahead and store, covered in the refrigerator.  (Bring to room temperature before serving) You can double or triple the recipes if you need larger servings.

Lime-Sesame Dipping Sauce (Tangy and mild)

• Juice from 1/2 lime
• 2 Tablespoons canola oil
• 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2  teaspoon soy sauce, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar, or more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil, or more to taste
• sesame seeds (optional garnish)
• Method: In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients together until blended and sugar is dissolved. Taste for seasonings and
• adjust. Sprinkle with a few sesame seeds before serving.

Peanut-Hoisin Dipping Sauce  (Make it Mild or Spicy)

• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 Tablespoons peanut butter (creamy)
• 2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 Tablespoon fish sauce (OR optional: use 1 up to 3 teaspoons soy sauce if you prefer, start with after 1 teaspoon. After mixing sauce add more soy sauce, to see if you like it saltier)
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon chili paste or hot bean paste (more if you prefer spicier)
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
• Method:  Warm the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. When oil is hot, add the garlic and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 30 seconds. Add the peanut butter, hoisin sauce, fish sauce or soy sauce, sugar and chili paste, stir well and simmer for 15 seconds. Stir in the chicken broth; the mixture should have a thick, creamy consistency. Stir in peanuts. Allow to cool and serve, garnish with a few chopped peanuts if desired.
• 
  
• Spicy Sweet  Chili Dipping Sauce 
• • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar 
  • 1 to 2 cloves peeled, crushed garlic
  • 2 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce 
  • 1 Tablespoons sugar, plus more, to taste 
  • 2 teaspoons minced jalapeño chili, plus more, to taste*
  • *You may use serrano chilis, I used ripe (red) serranos from the garden this time.
  • If you like it spicier, add a little Chinese Chili-Garlic Sauce (from the jar.)
  • Method: Mix all ingredients until sugar is dissolved. Serve.
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Hatch New Mexican Chile Aioli

Green Chile Aioli
Makes a little over 1 cup
As shared from the kitchen of Once Upon a Plate by Mari
www.Onceuponaplate1.com

This makes a wonderful spread for hamburgers or other sandwiches, or as a sauce for slices of roast pork, grilled chicken or shrimp, on a BLT, or in a chicken salad, etc.  If you cannot find Hatch New Mexican Chiles, you can use any mild roasted chiles.

1 1/4 cup good quality Mayonnaise (Best Foods/Hellmann's®)
2 or 3 roasted, peeled, chiles (stems, seeds and membranes removed)
3 cloves garlic, roasted and mashed
fresh lime juice, to taste

Cut chiles into pieces for more even processing. Add all ingredients, except lime juice, to the bowl of food processor. Pulse until the consistency you like is reached. Add lime juice to taste. 

*My Farmer's market sells fresh roasted Hatch Chiles, but you
can use any large green chile you like. To remove the tough
skin, grill, place over the flame of a gas stovetop burner
or broil the whole chiles, turning once in a while until
they are evenly charred black. Place in a paper or food-safe plastic
bag, seal and allow to cool slightly, the skin will peel off easily
if you've charred them enough.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Border Cookbook


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Tomato Ketchup (Lacto-Fermented)

Tomato Ketchup (Lacto-Fermented)
(Yields about 1 1/2 cups)

12 ounces organic tomato paste (no salt added)
1/4 cup water
1/8 cup whey* (or an additional 1/8 cup water)
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar; I prefer natural raw, organic for this recipe (i.e. Bragg's)
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard (dry mustard)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
pinch garlic powder
pinch onion powder
1/2 to 1 teaspoon sea salt (to taste)
1/4-1/3 cup sweetener of your choice (agave syrup, honey, maple syrup, molasses, barley malt, or a combination of any of those.)

Note: This recipe is a basic guideline, so I suggest starting with 1 Tablespoon vinegar, and add more to your taste. (I use the full 2 Tablespoons.) You may prefer to add more sweetener if you like a sweeter ketchup, and be sure to taste after you mix it, adjusting seasonings to your liking... the ketchup mellows as it ages.

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl (glass or enamel), and whisk together until completed blended. Pour or ladle sauce into clean, dry containers (I prefer glass). Cover and leave at room temperature for two days (to encourage fermentation.) After two days store in refrigerator.


*Whey is the residual liquid left during the cheesemaking process~ I use the whey (liquid) that separates from natural, unflavored yogurt. I collect it when I make healthy and delicious yogurt cheese (great substitute for sour cream or cream cheese). For directions click here.

Adapted from Erin's recipe on Wardeh's GNOWFGLINS blog.

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Pan Seared Salmon Filets with Sweet & Tangy Mustard Vinaigrette

Since I prepare salmon often, I like to prepare the salmon simply and liven it up with some sort of sauce. I devised this one after looking through a few cookbooks, and recipes on the internet. The sweet vinaigrette also compliments the slight bitterness of the mustard greens very well.

We really enjoyed it, 5 out of 5 stars. I've already been asked to make it again soon.

Do not hesitate to adjust the vinaigrette to your own taste ~ I increase the amount of mustard and don't use the entire amount of olive oil to cut fat and calories. Make it sweeter or more tart ~ whatever you think is best.

Grilled or Pan Seared Salmon with Whole Grain Mustard Vinaigrette
2 to 4 salmon filets (about 5 to 6 ounces each)
salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons Whole Grain Mustard
1 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 ounces Red Wine Vinegar
1 to 2 Tablespoons Agave Syrup or Honey
1/4 cup Olive Oil, plus more for brushing on fish before cooking
Salt and pepper

Before grilling or searing salmon, prepare vinaigrette:

In a medium bowl whisk together mustards, vinegar and agave syrup or honey, slowly whisk in olive oil until mixture thickens. Finish with salt and pepper to taste.

If grilling, prepare grill to medium heat. If pan searing, heat pan over medium high heat. Brush both sides of salmon with olive oil, ightly season salmon with salt and pepper.

Grill or pan sear turning once, until just cooked through, but still juicy. Plate the fish on warm plates. Drizzle with Mustard Vinaigrette and serve hot.

Optional:

Top with Crumbled Oven Crisped Proscuitto bits:

Crisped Prosciutto

Preheat oven to 375 F. Place slices of Prosciutto di Parma on a low-rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes then remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Break into crumbles or shards. div>

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This time I served over mustard greens (saute sliced onion with garlic in a little olive oil), then added the chopped mustard greens and quickly sauteed in olive oil until just tender, but still bright green in color.

I also served pan roasted on-the-vine tomatoes.
If you try this recipe, I hope you love it!

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Homemade Infused Vinegars

Homemade Infused Vinegars ~

Fun and easy to make; homemade infused vinegars can add variety to salads, as well as a piquant finish to sauteed chicken, fish and chops.

This time Lemon & Garlic, Basil, Red Pepper, Bay Laurel, and the smallest bottle contains Sage-Rosemary & Thyme. You can easily use this same method with many fruits and flowers ~ just make sure to always use organic, unsprayed fruits and flowers.


Garlic has a tendency to float, so I skewer the peeled cloves before inserting them into the bottle. I slice the lemon slices very thinly, roll them gently, then slip them into the bottle. I always add some tendrils of lemon rind as well, since it contains intense oils-- the thin tendrils will settle on the bottom of the container. (You can thread the lemon slices on a skewer as well, roll them and gently work them into the neck of the bottle, but I don't bother ~ it's fussy work.) :)

I keep my eyes open for unusual bottles, and wash them thoroughly before use. This little bottle with the wooden stopper originally held imported Italian Balsamic vinegar.

You can use any vinegar you like ~ I prefer using a lighter vinegar rather than dark. The most economical vinegar to use is plain white distilled vinegar, it is perfectly acceptable.

For the Bay infused vinegar I just pluck some young leaves from one of the bay bushes. If you don't have access to fresh you can use dry Bay leaves instead. I like to add a couple of whole Allspice berries (Juniper berries work well too), and a couple of whole Cloves to add a flavor twist to the Bay vinegar.

I thread the dried red peppers on a skewer as well but you don't have to use a skewer, you can just drop them into the bottle and add the vinegar; just shake the bottle gently once or twice a week as the vinegar ages to distribute the pepper throughout.

If you don't want to find or save bottles, you can usually find them for a reasonable price sometimes they will come with their own dispensing spout~ like this Italian bottle by Quatro Stagioni. The hand painted pepper bottle came complete with the metal spout ~ for $1.99 (from Ross). I bottled the Bay Laurel & Spice vinegar in a small Sake bottle, from dinner out recently ~ I used a sparkling wine cork for the stopper.

Once you bottle the vinegar, allow it to age and infuse in a cool dark place for at least a month ~ it will last indefinitely.

Fresh or dry Bay leaves hold up very well, but tender leaves such as fresh Basil will soon discolor and wilt in the vinegar during the aging process, so you may want to age it in a jar then strain out the fresh herbs after a month, then place in a pretty bottle with a label.

Red pepper vinegar will be very spicy within a few days ~ so you may want to strain and re-bottle far short of the 30 days. (Or just use it as a decoration in the kitchen area ~ it's pretty!) :)

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Spinach Salad with Chevre or Panela Cheese and Chilatas

To make this salad you need to make the Chilata's condiment sprinkle first. Click HERE for the recipe.


Chilatas is an interesting Mexican condiment; a crunchy combination of toasted and ground seeds seasoned with chile and salt. Simple to make, and it stores well, tightly covered in the refrigerator or freezer.


Salad dressing:
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil or a nut oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon grated fresh Parmesan cheese (optional)

8 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup drained ricotta, chevre, (or panela cheese, cut into cubes)

Chilatas (see above for link to the recipe)

Form the soft cheese into balls by using a very small food scoop, or if using Panela, cut into bite size cube.

Toss the spinach dressing, sprinkling in about half of the chilatas mixture. Reserve remaining chilatas for another use.

Portion spinach mixture onto 4 plates, and garnish with the cheese balls or cubes.

Recipe adapted from Terry Conlan of Lake Austin Spa

Diana Kennedy's Chilatas

Chilatas is a textured powder of toasted and ground seeds and nut, seasoned with chile and salt. It is sprinkled over a freshly made corn tortilla or a dish of beans. Delicious sprinkled on salads. It is delicious, healthy, crunchy and addictive.

This version is from Diana Kennedy.

More about Diana Kennedy

Chilatas

Recipe adapted from "My Mexico" by Diana Kennedy Copyright © 1998

Makes: 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) loosely packed

1/3 cup (83 ml) shelled peanuts

1/2 cup (125 ml) sesame seeds

1/2 cup (125 ml) raw, hulled pumpkin seeds

1/8 teaspoon powdered, hot, dried chiles (such as ancho, guajillo, or chipotle powder, or de arbol powder), or a tiny bit more ~ to taste.

1/2 teaspoon or to taste, medium coarse sea salt

Toast each of the seeds separately in a heavy pan*, taking care not to let them get too brown, set aside to cool.

Grind them separately in an electric coffee/spice grinder to a textured consistency.
Mix together with the chile and salt and store in a dry place in an airtight container. It keeps indefinitely in the freezer.

*Note: I prefer to heat the oven to 350* (F), and toast each nut separately on small rimmed trays or metal pie pans.

Watch carefully as they can burn easily. I set the timer for 2 minutes, then stir the nuts. Set the timer again for 2 minutes and watch as the seeds/nuts begin to become fragrant and slightly turn color. The pumpkin seeds usually only take 3 minutes (depending upon the size and thickness (gauge) of the pan you are using.

I just place all of the cool nut/seeds and seasonings in the bowl of the food processor and pulse until the desired texture is reached.

The secret is to add enough salt and chili powder to spike the flavor ~ that's what makes Chilatas so delicious!

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