Small size, big flavor!
Friday favorites is a place where I can talk about and recommend some of my favorite things. From food to music to technology to great ideas, Friday favorites will feature them all. If you have feedback on something that’s deserving of a Friday favorite, please don’t hesitate to use the comment section or send me an email at matthew515blog@gmail.com. I want to hear about your favorites too!
Today’s favorite is a necessity in my house and is used in many of our favorite dishes. Being a fan of Mexican and Southwestern flavors, Vicki and I used to buy Old El Paso Taco Seasoning on a weekly basis and use it in a variety of dishes. Once we started to educate ourselves in the area of nutrition and to watch the labels on the items that we were buying, we were shocked to discover the amount of salt used in our favorite Taco seasoning: 560mg in 1/6th of a packet. That’s 23% of your daily recommended salt intake in 2 teaspoons!
Thankfully, we now have an excellent alternative that is homemade, flavorful and so much healthier than the store brands. We use this blend to flavor ground beef, chicken, refried beans, rice and even vegetables in certain dishes, one of which I will feature in a future Friday Favorites.
One final word about this blend. While it tastes delicious, if you have been acclimated to the store brand stuff then you will definitely notice the lack of salt on your taste buds the first time or two that you use it. After that, you will most likely enjoy it as much as I do and never notice the lack of salt again. And I can guarantee you that your heart and your blood pressure will thank you for making the switch!
Homemade Taco Seasoning
1/4 cup instant minced onion
2 T chili powder
2 t paprika
2 t crushed dried red pepper flakes
1 1/2 t dried oregano
1/4 t pepper
2 T corn starch
1 T instant minced garlic
1 t ground cumin
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and blend thoroughly with a wire whisk. Spoon mixture into a tightly closed container and store in a cool, dry place. Use within 6 months. 2 T equals 1.25 oz. package of purchased taco seasoning mix.