Onion Soup Mix Recipe

Some of my favorite recipes (like my Mom's unbeatable lasagna) contain onion soup mix. This is a major problem for me because I try to avoid MSG as much s possible. So I was very excited to find that Laura at Heavenly Homemakers had created her oven version! She always has great recipes with natural ingredients, so I knew it would be good. You should really check out some of her other recipes as well! This is one mix that I plan to always keep on hand!

Onion Soup Mix

2/3 cup dried, minced onion
3 teaspoons parsley flakes
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon sucanat (or sugar if you prefer)
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Mix all ingredients in a jar, then give the jar a good shake. I’d recommend shaking the jar to mix the ingredients well before each use.

Use 4 Tablespoons Onion Soup Mix in a recipe in place of 1 packet of onion soup mix. (I actually found that 2 Tablespoons was plenty in a beef stew recipe I tried.) Store this in a dry, cool place.

Time-Saving Spice Mixes I Keep on Hand

I recently made up big jars of the following mixes, and I cannot tell you how handy they have been! Need some seasoning on my oven fried potatoes? Just sprinkle on some Italian seasoning mix. Need a quick dinner when the pantry looks bare? Make a basic cream sauce with milk, butter, flour and my ranch seasoning mix and toss in some chicken, pasta, and broccoli! Want to spice up a sweet potato? Sprinkle on some pumpkin pie spice! Needless to say, I have really enjoyed having these spice mixes at the tip of my fingers. (And if you are wondering why I don't just buy them at the store, it is because almost all pre-made mixes are loaded with msg and bad salt! Plus, it is cheaper to make my own mixes!)

So here are the ones I plan to always keep on hand:

Ranch Seasoning Mix

Italian Seasoning Mix

Taco Seasoning Mix

Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix

Onion Soup Mix

And I just found THIS awesome website that has 178 different spice mix recipes, so I can't wait to try them out and add to my list!

Taco Seasoning Mix

We were planning to have taco salad this week, so I decided to try out a new recipe. While at my parents' house a while back, I watched an Alton Brown show about tacos. (Yes, I LOVE the Food Network!!! But we don't have cable so I only get to watch it at my parents' house :) His tacos looked so good that I had to try the recipe. Mark thought it was great, and I like it because I can mix up a bunch of the dry ingredients ahead of time for whenever I want to make taco meat in a hurry!

Seasoning mix:

• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons hot smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Put all of the ingredients in a small jar and shake to combine. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Yield: 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons

Other ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 16 ounces ground sirloin
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 recipe Taco Seasoning Mix (recipe above)
• 2/3 cup low-sodium beef broth (I used some home-made chicken stock and a few Tbs of tomato sauce)
  
• 2 Tbs oil (I used olive)
  

Directions: Heat oil on med. heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and cook until softened and lightly browned around the edges, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ground meat, 1 teaspoon salt, and garlic. Cook until browned, about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, to break up the meat. Add Taco Seasoning Mix and beef broth. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until sauce is slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

I found the recipe @ http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/all-american-beef-taco-recipe/index.html

Italian Dressing Mix

One of my favorite bloggers, Donielle, posted this great mix on her blog and I was so excited! My husband likes me to marinade all of our meat in Italian dressing before grilling and I hate to do it because of all the rancid and "bad-for-you" oils in the store-bought kind. This mix is really handy for other things as well. I actually used it last night when I tried to make a pizza and realized that I didn't have any pizza sauce. I just mixed some tomato paste, diced tomatoes, coconut oil, honey, and a couple teaspoons of this mixture together and warmed it on the stove. (I wish I could give you that recipe, but I didn't measure a thing! It is definitely something that I'll try to keep on hand!

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  
• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar (something like evaporated cane juice would work well)
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 tablespoons salt

Use as Italian seasoning in breadcrumbs or sprinkled on grilled chicken. Can also be used as a dressing or marinade by mixing 2Tbsp of the mix with 1/4 cup vinegar, 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, and 2Tbsp water.