Taco and Fajita Seasoning

I recently gave up on buying Taco and Fajita seasoning packets from the store because I found these seasoning mix recipes that I think are so much better. Plus, you can increase or decrease the ingredients to suit your tastes (I always add extra hotness, like cayenne and crushed red pepper).

Taco Seasoning

To make about 1 packet worth (for 1 lb meat):

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Or 4x it and do this to make about 2/3 cup:

4 Tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoon paprika

6 teaspoon ground cumin

4 teaspoon sea salt

4 teaspoon black pepper

I do the 4x recipe and put the ingredients right into a small container (like an old jam jar or small plastic container) and then shake. To use, add a few tablespoons of the mix and a few tablespoons of water.

Fajita Seasoning (about 3 packets worth)

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1 Tablespoon salt

1 Tablespoon paprika

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons crushed chicken bouillon

1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Same as with the Taco seasoning, put the ingredients right into a small container (like an old jam jar or small plastic container) and then shake. To use, add a few tablespoons of the mix and a few tablespoons of water.

Root Beer Float Cookies

Holy cow! These are amazing! So amazing, in fact, that I didn't even get the glaze made and they were disappearing so fast that I decided to skip it this time, although I'm sure it only adds deliciousness.

Root Beer Float Cookies

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons root beer concentrate or extract
4 cups flour
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream together sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Add milk, eggs, and root beer extract. Stir to combine. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Refrigerate dough for one hour until firm, then roll into one inch balls. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet (or use a silpat like I did). Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely before applying glaze.

Cream glaze:
2-3 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Whisk all ingredients until all lumps are gone.

Zucchini Cakes

I found this recipe in Relish Magazine (which comes with the newspaper), and since I had two big zucchini sitting in the fridge and we always have trouble using them, I decided to give it a try. These were delicious and didn't taste too zucchini-y (the recipe claims they taste like crab cakes but I don't know what crab cakes taste like). As usual, I didn't have everything: I substituted a Old Bay spice blend substitute I found online for the Old Bay Seasoning and some white onion for the green onion.

Zucchini Cakes

3 cups coarsely grated zucchini
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (from a baguette)
1 egg
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon mayonnaise or plain yogurt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying
1 teaspoon butter

1. Place grated zucchini in a colander; sprinkle lightly with salt and let stand 30 minutes. Press with paper towels to remove as much liquid as possible. Zucchini should be fairly dry, and you should have about 2 cups. Place zucchini and remaining ingredients (except oil and butter) in a bowl. Mix well. Form into 8 patties the size of crab cakes. Chill.
2. Heat oil and butter in a skillet.
3. Add patties to skillet and cook on both sides until browned. Drain on paper towels.

Clam Chowder

This recipe makes an awesome clam chowder. I used 'fat free" half-and-half (what is that anyways? I thought it was the fat content that determines whether it is milk or heavy cream or half-and-half, etc. Anyone know?) and it still thickened up just fine and tasted great. Also I substituted apple cider vinegar for the red wine vinegar. The vinegar really makes the flavor pop so don't leave it out! Last time I made it I added extra onion, potatoes, celery, carrots and 4 cans of clams, making it a little heartier but still very delicious, without needing to increase the sauce (besides the added water to cover the veggies while cooking).

Clam Chowder

3 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams
1 cup minced onion
1 cup diced celery
2 cups cubed potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart half-and-half cream
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
ground black pepper to taste
bacon (optional)

Pour juice from clams into a large skillet over the onions, celery, potatoes and carrots. Add water if necessary to cover, and cook over medium heat until tender.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in cream and stir constantly until thick and smooth. Stir in vegetables and clam juice. Heat through, but do not boil.

Stir in clams just before serving. If they cook too much they get tough. When clams are heated through, stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

Baked Spaghetti Squash with Beef and Veggies

I know many people aren't big fans of squash, but this is a recipe that even my squash-hating husband enjoyed. I chose this recipe because it has lots of other flavors that do a pretty good job of covering any squash taste. I did make a few modifications: I used half spicy sausage and half ground beef, used a second green pepper and some red pepper flakes instead of the red pepper, used some fresh tomatoes in addition to a small can of tomatoes, and substituted some of the cheddar with mozzarella. This smells delicious baking! Enjoy.

• Baked Spaghetti Squash with Beef and Veggies
• 
  
• 1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 1/4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 
  

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Place squash on a baking sheet, and bake 40 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, cool, and shred pulp with a fork.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a casserole dish.
4. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until evenly brown. Drain, and mix in the green pepper, red pepper, red onion, and garlic. Continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender.
5. Mix the shredded squash and tomatoes into the skillet, and season with oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until heated through. Remove skillet from heat, and mix in 2 cups cheese until melted. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish.
6. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, and continue baking 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Basic Pizza Dough

A long while ago I found this pizza dough recipe on a website and it had very detailed instructions to how to prep it once it was mixed. Here is a link to the site for more detailed instructions on how to mix and prep it: http://www.fabulousfoods.com/recipes/article/46/17753

3 1/2 cups flour

1 cup warm water (between 95° and 115° F.)
2 T yeast (2 tablespoons, I like my dough a little yeasty. You can use less)
2 T honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt

Feel free to add ingredients to the dough to make it more interesting.

You can mix it in a bread machine, kitchen mixer/food processor, or by hand (detailed instructions at the link above). After mixing, roll it out (instructions below)

Rolling out the dough:

One mistake most people make when working with dough is not using enough muscle. Dough fights back. You push it, it pushes back. Don't be afraid of the dough. It won't bite you and you can't really damage it, either. When working with dough, use plenty of flour, but don't let it get too dry. It should be fun to work with, not too sticky and not too crumbly.

Form it into a flat ball about six to eight inches wide.

Using both hands, one on top of the other, press from the center outwards on it to start stretching it out, turning the dough a bit on each push. You can also pick up the dough and squeeze the edges of it while turning it like a steering wheel. This allows the weight of the dough to stretch it.

Once the dough is about 1/2" thick all the way around, use a rolling pin to flatten it out to about 1/4" thick. I usually run the pin over once or twice, flip the dough over and give it a quarter turn and roll it again to make it even.

Take a fork and put puncture holes all over the dough. This keeps it from bubbling up while cooking and it also helps to hold the sauce on as well.

Transfer dough to pizza peal sprinkled corn meal or place it on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Top with sauce, cheese and/or toppings and bake in a 400° F. oven until the crust is light brown. Bake on either baking stones or on the cookie sheet or a pizza pan.

This dough can also be made in advance and refrigerated for a day or so, or even frozen. Be sure to let it come to room temperature before using.

Also, sometimes I (Mindy) bake the dough for a while (half time) before topping it with sauce and toppings - there is nothing worse than making a magnificent pizza only to find the dough in the middle uncooked.

Squash Soups

Butternut Squash Soup (from Cindy Miller)

1 small onion

1/2- 3/4 stick butter

1 med/large butternut squash (peeled and cut into cubes)

4c water

4 cubes chicken bouillon

1 tsp dried marjoram ( you will find it

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese ( I use fat free and it still tastes great)

1 tsp vanilla

* saute onions and butter until soft. Add cubed/peeled squash, water,chicken bouillon, marjoram and black pepper to the pot and bring to a boil. Once squash is tender (not mushy) pull the squash out of the soup and add to blender and puree with cream cheese. Return to soup mixture, the soup should be creamy not chunky when finished. Add Vanilla but do not allow to boil at this point. Serve with French bread and Enjoy!

Tips for peeling squash: you either can cut squash in half across the equator & then countinue cutting in 1-2 ring sections. Once in rings, they are easier to peel. (that is how Melanie peeled hers) I cut the squash in half long ways then cut into sections kinda like a carrot, then peeled it with a potatoe or carrot peeler which I found easier than in circles. This soup is really GOOD...hope you all enjoy it!

SQUASH SOUP (From Allison Olson)

2 Tbsp butter or margarine

1 lb peeled and sliced squash (butternut or buttercup is good)

2 medium potatoes

2 large carrots

1 small onion

2 stalks celery

3 cups chicken stock

1/4 tsp thyme

1 Tbsp brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup half and half (or milk)

Cut all the vegetable in small pieces. In large saucepan, melt butter and saute squash, potatoes, celery, carrots, and onion for 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, thyme, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer till vegetables are tender, at least 30 minutes. Add half & half. Puree in blender. Heat and garnish with parsley.