If you read my blog regularly, then you know that I love good food and easy recipes. Lately, I have been experimenting with making my own homemade convenience mixes like this great Savory Rice Pilaf Mix that I want to share with you today.
What makes my version so delicious is how the herb and spice combination heighten the flavor of plain rice beyond your expectations.
I do hope you will make up a batch because it is wonderful to have on hand. This recipe will save you time, money, and make you a star in your own kitchen.
My Savory Rice Pilaf Mix
4-1/2 tablespoons of dried oregano
3/4 cup of dried basil leaves
1 tablespoons of sugar
2-1/2 tablespoons of dried thyme leaves
3 tablespoons of garlic powder
1 tablespoon of black pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons of coriander
1 teaspoon of curry powder
1 tablespoon of salt
Mix all the ingredients together and store in an airtight container.
When you are ready to use, you need two tablespoons for each cup of rice or whatever other grain you normally use in your recipe.
ENJOY!
If you love tacos, then you will like my convenient recipe to make your own taco mix. You’ll find the flavor just as zesty and delicious when you make tacos with this blend. However, you’ll time, money, and the need to order your tacos out.
For those watching their salt intake, you may notice that I skipped the salt. Instead, the seasonings do enough to beautifully bring out the flavor. Nonetheless, do feel free to add salt if you miss it. Seriously though, I do not think that you will once you taste this.
I do hope that you will try my recipe one day!
My Easy Taco Seasoning Mix
½ cup instant minced onion
2 tablespoons of chili powder
3 tablespoons of dried oregano
1 teaspoon of dried cumin powder
3 tablespoons of cornstarch
2 tablespoons of dried basil leaves
2 tablespoons of crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons of garlic powder
Mix the ingredients together and store in an airtight container.
All you do when you prepare your normal recipe is to take 1-1/2 tablespoons of this mix for each pound of ground turkey or ground beef to flavor it just so.
Let me share a great recipe with you to make your own homemade cake mix to have on hand. This particular cake is better suited for a sheet cake than a layer cake. However, it is delicious and very convenient to keep ready in your refrigerator (if using a margarine) or your pantry (if you prefer shortening) for those times when you crave something sweet and just don't feel like working!
What is really nice about this basic recipe is that you can use a healthier margarine and avoid preservatives and all those trans fats that come in packaged cake mixes. You can also make a smaller 8" or 9" cake.
Another wonderful thing about this cake is that you can alter this basic cake mix recipe to get a few different cakes out of the same mix! I will show you how a couple of changes will turn that basic recipe into a Yellow Cake, Chocolate Cake, Orange Cake or Lemon Cake snack cake like magic.
Trust me, you will love this fabulous timesaving recipe!
Homemade Basic Cake Mix--Nuts Style!
3 cups of sifted all-purpose flour
2 cups of sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons of baking powder (I use Rumford only because it does not contain aluminum!)
1 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup of margarine (Be careful to make sure the package states margarine, not spread. A spread will never work for baking due to the high amount of water. You can also use a shortening, which is less healthy in my opinion but it works as well.)
Add flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl or your food processor. Mix together or process a few seconds before adding your margarine or shortening. Work this mixture with your fingers or process it until it resembles cornmeal texture. Store the margarine version in the refrigerator or the shortening one at room temperature. This makes about 6 to 7 cups of mix.
To Make My Yellow Snack Cake:
2 cups of Basic Mix
1/2 cup of milk
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Preheat the oven to 375-degrees. Grease an 8 or 9" square baking pan. Stir the mix first before adding the rest of the ingredients in your bowl before pouring into a greased baking pan. Bake about 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
To Make Chocolate Snack Cake Version:
2 cups of Basic Mix
1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup of very cold or ice water
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Prepare the same way as I instructed when making the yellow cake.
To Make Orange or Lemon Snack Cake Version:
2 cups of Basic Mix
1 large egg, slightly beatne
1 tablespoon of grated orange (for orange cake) or lemon peel (for lemon cake)
1/4 cup of either orange juice (for orange cake) or lemon juice (for lemon cake)
1/4 cup water
Prepare the same way as I originally instructed when making the yellow cake.
