Homemade Cajun Spice Seasoning Mix

When you want to be in control of the heat and saltiness of your Aye-eee!

This is a flavorful but NOT *HOT* recipe. Increase Cayenne to your own taste.

1/3 cup: paprika, garlic, onion
2 tsp (each): salt, cayenne powder
2 TBSP (each): black pepper, oregano, thyme

Toasted Sesame Asian Dressing

Toasted Sesame Asian Dressing:

  1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil

  2 tsp sesame oil

  1/3 cup Dark Soy Sauce

  1/3 cup Rice Vinegar

  1/3 cup water

  1/4 tsp onion powder

  1 TBSP lemon juice

  1 to 2 tsp freshly minced garlic (to taste) [1/2-1 tsp garlic powder]

  1/2 tsp ginger powder

  1/4 cup sugar [or 1/2 cup orange marmalade *what I use*]

  1 TBSP cornstarch 

  2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted*

*To toast sesame seeds, put them on a dry cookie sheet in Preheated oven that’s 350°F.

Arrange seeds in a single layer on a sheet pan. Toast in the oven for 4 minutes, toss, then toast for an additional 3 or minutes [WATCH CAREFULLY], or until golden. Remove from pan to cool.

 Prepare the dressing in a blender if using fresh diced ingredients. Then pour into small sauce pan.

 I use powders and simply add all ingredients into the small sauce pan and stir with a wire whisk.

Whisk well [quickly for about 15 seconds] to thoroughly combine.

 Bring to a medium boil until the dressing is thickened, stirring frequently (about 5 minutes works just dandy)

 Let stand for 15 to 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop and let cool.

Covered tightly, it keeps well in fridge for up to 2 months.

Mint Sauce For Lamb

Mint Sauce For Lamb

       Yield: 4 servings [or with me, maybe 2 servings. But my love for this crosses over into the realm of the disturbing, so, don't mind me, carry on...]

  

       3 lg Handfuls of chopped fresh mint leaves(stems removed) - or 4 TB dried Mint leaves

       4-5 TB  Granulated sugar

       1/2 cup  White Wine vinegar

  

   (From “English Country Cooking at Its Best” by Caroline Conran.

   Villard, 1985).

   

   

Alternatives: Use lemon juice instead of vinegar and you can also add

   a little olive oil. This is not traditional mint sauce, being much

   less pungent in flavor, but it is exceptionally good.

Bring vinegar to a simmer in a small saucepan [or microwave in a small glass measuring cup for just under a minute, add sugar and chopped leaves. Let sit for about 10 minutes, then stir and heat again for 30-60 seconds. Let sit another 10 minutes to infuse. Add more sugar or add a little water to taste, depending on how strong or how sweet you want the sauce. (I add no extra water or sugar to this recipe, but you may prefer yours a little less potent.)

Store in bottle with a lid.

Vinegar has natural preservative qualities, and mint sauce should keep for 2 to 3 months in cold storage or for 6 to 8 months in the refrigerator.

Mint sauce should be gently shaken or stirred before serving.

Traditional Italian Marinara Sauce

• 1 tsp salt
• 2 TB Olive Oil
• 2 TB Butter
• 1 whole large Onion, diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced—FRESH garlic REALLY makes a huge difference here! Use FRESH!
• 1 cup Wine (white Or Red Is Fine)
• 3 cans (14.5 Oz.) Crushed Tomatoes
• 2 TB dried Parsley

Saute onion and garlic in butter and olive oil on medium-low, about 5 minutes. Add wine and simmer together an additional 5 minutes. Add tomato and parsley, stir well. Cover and let simmer on low about 30 minutes.

Homemade Chili Seasoning

**This has been tweaked for those of us who enjoy medium zestiness.**

Ingredients:

2 tsp flour
2 TB chili powder
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Directions
In a bowl, stir together flour, chili powder, red pepper, onion, garlic, sugar, cumin, parsley, salt, basil and pepper. Store in an airtight container.

**3 TB is Equivalent to 1 package store bought seasoning**

Italian Meat Sauce

1/2 lb. Italian Sausage 

1 medium onion chopped, or 2 TBSP dried, minced onion, or 1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder, or 3 cloves, minced, or 1 TBSP minced
1 15oz. can tomato sauce
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
2 TBSP oregano
2 tsp basil
1 tsp Marjoram
1 tsp thyme

1 tsp crushed Rosemary
1 tsp salt

*If using Italian sausage, peel casing from sausage before cooking*, then cook in medium sauce pan until browned. Chop with spoon while cooking so it forms small bite sized chunks.

**I cook sausage in about 2 cups of water and mush it by hand in the water before cooking so it breaks up into fine pieces instead of chunks. then drain when done to remove a large portion of the fat**

Remove meat, set aside in bowl lined with paper towels to drain. Pour out fat from pan.

Add all ingredients in together and simmer, covered, over med-low [ #2 or #3 on my dial] heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

P.F. Chang's Mongolian Sauce

P.F. Chang's Mongolian Sauce
 Anytime  I go to P.F. Chang's I always get a side of their Mongolian sauce no matter what dish I order. It's amazing and, honestly, enhances any and all of the dishes I have ever paired it with there.
It's awesome on its own with stir fry beef and veggies too!

2 tsp Extra light olive oil [I don't always add this]

½ tsp ginger powder

1 TBSP minced garlic  [4 cloves]

½ cup soy sauce 

1 cup beef broth [or water]

1/4 cup dark brown sugar [or white sugar with a little dollop of half tsp. molasses]

2 large green onions 

Make the sauce by heating 2 tsp of oil in a small saucepan over med/low heat. Don't get the oil too hot or you'll get a major spatter when adding the other liquids. Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches. Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to about medium and boil the sauce for 4 to 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove it from the heat. 

Tartar Sauce Made Easy

1 cup light Hellman’s mayonnaise
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 heaping TBSP sweet relish
1 TBSP lemon juice

Best Fruit Punch. Ever.

1/2 gallon rainbow sherbet

2 liters Schwepps Ginger Ale

1/2 bag of ice

1 can Five Alive frozen fruit punch

1 box frozen strawberries and syrup

combine and prepare to be delighted!

*Options! Options!*

1 can frozen limeade plus 1 can frozen orange juice, if you can’t find FIVE ALIVE

Frozen raspberries instead of Strawberries if allergies are a problem.

Chicken Fajita Seasoning

Once again, I had my taste buds all set for something and come cook time realized I was missing some key ingredient. In this case it was chicken fajitas and I'd forgotten to buy the seasoning packet.

Here I was, mouth all adrool, and no seasoning. So I went to the always trusty in a pinch www.allrecipes.com, and found a couple of recipes that had ingredients that sounded right. I mixed and matched my own combination and the resulting seasoning mix was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!!

Thought I would share it with you.

~Ingredients~ 

2 tsp Cumin

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/4-1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion Powder

1 Tb cornstarch

1 1/2 tsp chicken boullion granuals

2/3 cup water

1 Tb veg or canola oil

1/4 cup lime juice

I marinated my chicken in the lime juice and then added it into the pan when I cooked it as well.

This recipe is equal to one regular packet of seasoning from the store

Make It Yourself Taco Seasoning

If you are like me, sometimes you get ready to start making dinner and just as you are accumulating all of the ingredients you need, you realize you're, of course, missing the most important one. Like tonight. I was making tacos and realized I'd forgotten to pick up a seasoning packet at the store. Well, www.allrecipes.com to the rescue!!
I found a recipe for taco seasonings and tweaked it a bit. It was QUITE tasty!
So, of course, I had to share it with you in case you ever find yourself in the same boat.

• 1 TB Chili Powder
• 1.5 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• black pepper to taste [abt 1/8 tsp works for us] 
• 1-2 TB cornstarch

This is equivalent to a packet of seasonings and works for 1 lb of beef or chicken with 2/3 cup of water.