Recipes and Mixes

I really enjoy getting updates from Frugal Sally on my facebook.  She has themes she tends to update with.  Today's is frugal gift wrapping ideas and yesterdays was frugal mix ideas which was right up my ally.  I wanted to make sure I remembered the recipes, so I am going to share them here too.  But be sure to check her out if you like them because she is really great!

Tips on freezing diced potatoes

Homemade Creole Spice Blend

1 cup paprika
1 cup dried basil
1 cup dried thyme
1/2 cup cayenne
1/2 cup file gumbo
1/4 cup chili powder

 Homemade Salad Seasoning

2 tablespoons Romano cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Dash cayenne pepper

Tastes great mixed with Italian Salad dressing and pasta..

 

 Whole Spice Old Bay Seasoning Mix

This is the recipe to use when you want to take the time to use whole spices. No matter when you buy ground spices, they are never as pungent or fragrant as fresh, simply because they have been sitting in the factory, in transit, and in the grocery store. The amounts are slightly different in this recipe to accommodate that fact. For a recipe using ground spices, please see Old Bay Seasoning Mix.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 3 tablespoons
Ingredients:

    4 whole bay leaves
    1 teaspoon black peppercorns
    1 teaspoon white peppercorns
    2 teaspoons celery seed
    3 whole cloves
    1 allspice berry
    1 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
    1/4 teaspoon mustard seed
    1/8 teaspoon freshly grated cinnamon
    1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
    1/8 teaspoon ground mace

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in spice grinder. Grind until finely ground. Store tightly covered in dark cool place in airtight container. You can vary the spice amounts according to your taste. Take a sniff of this mixture when it's done and add more of any of the ingredients. You can also add cardamom and nutmeg to this blend if you'd like.

"Mrs. Dash" Table Shake

Makes 1/2 cup 1 cup vegetable flakes
4 tsp. herbs fines
4 tsp. parsley
4 tsp. sweet paprika
4 tsp. black peppercorns     1 Tbsp. lemon peel or orange peel, dried
1 Tbsp. citric acid powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. celery seeds
1-2 sundried tomatoes, cut into slivers

Use a coffee or spice mill to grind up everything that is not already ground to a fine grain texture.
This is the general table shake you can substitute up to 2 Tbsp. of your favorite dried herbs for the herbs fines. (e.g. oregano, basil, etc.)


Dry 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 sugar
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 in a recipe in place of 1 packet of onion soup mix. Store this in a dry, cool place.

Homemade Poultry Seasoning

1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Add savory, marjoram, dill,
allspice and ginger according to your own personal taste. The recipe above
makes about 1 tablespoon, enough for 1 chicken dish.

Homemade Cajun Seasoning

1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper

Adds flavor to chicken, pork, and pasta.


Homemade Shake n' Bake

Make your own meat coating mix, or Shake 'n Bake, to control flavors and sodium.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:

    4 cups flour
    4 cups finely crushed saltine crackers
    1/4 cup salt
    2 Tbsp. sugar
    1 Tbsp. garlic powder
    1 Tbsp. onion powder
    1 Tbsp. pepper
    3 Tbsp. paprika
    1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preparation:
Mix all dry ingredients together well. Drizzle oil over mixture and mix thoroughly until oil is well distributed and particles are fine. Store mix, refrigerated, in a tightly covered container. Adjust spices and salt level to your taste and nutritional needs. Shake and Bake Chicken
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 1 cup Homemade Shake and Bake Coating Mix in a shallow bowl. Rinse chicken or fish; pat dry. Dip chicken or fish into beaten egg, buttermilk, milk, or salad dressing to coat, then dip into Homemade Shake and Bake Coating Mix. Place on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees. Bake 20-30 minutes for boneless chicken or fish strips. Bake one hour for bone-in chicken pieces, until meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.


KFC Secret Spice Mix

1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon powdered sage
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 ½ teaspoon thyme
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons dry minced parsley
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons garlic salt
2 tablespoons onion salt
2 tablespoons powdered chicken bouillon; or 4 cubes mashed
1 package Lipton tomato cup of soup mix

There are actually 11 spices in the above combination, but an additional 3 ingredients were necessary to derive that special flavor. Place all ingredients in blender with on/off speed for 3 to 4 minutes to pulverize, or rub through a fine strainer. Store in an airtight container so it will not lose potency. To use with flour, add 1 ounce of the mix to 1 cup of flour for coating chicken.