Posted on No Comments on Homemade Taco Seasoning

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Have you ever started to make tacos for dinner and then suddenly realized that you’re completely out of those little packets of taco seasoning? Well, necessity is the mother of invention as they say. Last time I found myself in this predicament I got super frustrated (I mean my whole dinner plan was ruined after all)..and then I thought surely I could make my own taco seasoning? Thankfully, a quick Pinterest search for homemade taco seasoning totally saved me and I was on my way in no time. How did we ever live without Pinterest? I’ve now made this seasoning a couple of times and realized it was about time I shared it.

This taco seasoning was super quick to throw together and we now have a little container of the mix ready to go. I love knowing what all is going into our food and this homemade taco seasoning mix packs the perfect flavor for our Tex-Mex inspired dishes. And who doesn’t like saving a little money?

I don’t think we’ll be going back to the taco packets anytime soon. So the next time tacos are on the menu make your own taco seasoning and let us know what you think!

Ingredients:

  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 3/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • dash crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

  1. Mix all ingredients together.
  2. Use as little or as much seasoning as desired.

* Makes about 3 Tablespoons. I tripled the recipe to store in an airtight container until the next time we need it.

Posted on No Comments on Italian Summer Veggie Soup

Italian Summer Veggie Soup

Italian Summer Veggie Soup

Oh this soup. I love this Italian summer vegetable soup. Hands down the best soup I’ve ever made up totally on the fly with ingredients I managed to scrounge up from the pantry and fridge. It helped that we had a few veggies leftover from our recent farmers market haul…

On another note, why is soup so darn difficult to photograph well? I have yet to meet a photogenic soup, and this one is no exception…but the flavor you guys. This soup is bursting with fresh, veggie flavor. It manages to be both light and hearty all at the same time. From the first spoonful, I was hooked. We will definitely be adding this to the collection of favorite recipes.

Ingredients:

  • 1 box & 1 can beef broth
  • 1.5 cups water
  • 1 tsp onion powder (could sub for some fresh, chopped onion)
  • 4 cloves minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/2 can cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained & rinsed
  • 1 large tomato diced
  • roasted veggies (I roasted some eggplant and zucchini with garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper)
  • 1 cup ditalini pasta
  • 1/3 cup shredded parmesan
  • parmesan rind (optional, but gives some nice added flavor)

Directions:

  1. Roast veggies and set aside.
  2. Combine all ingredients except for the pasta in large pot (I love to use our dutch oven for soups) and bring to medium-high heat. Let cook for 15-20 minutes.
  3. Add pasta and continue cooking soup until pasta is al dente.
  4. Remove Parmesan rind.
  5. Serve it up and let cool for a few minutes before entering soup heaven.