Taco Seasoning

1/4 cup chili powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 T ground cumin
4 tsp salt
4 tsp pepper

Mix together and store in a moisture tight container (or else it will clump).

Homemade ranch dressing

There are very few salad dressings that are soy-free. Thus I began a quest to develop a few salad dressings that tasted like the real thing. This recipe is the closest I've achieved to store bought ranch in my experimentations.

Ingredients

3/4 cup soy-free mayonnaise (see below for a homemade version)

1 1/4 cup of sour cream

1 tsp freeze-dried chives

1 tsp dillweed

1 tsp parsley

1 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp onion powder

0.5 tsp salt

0.5 tsp ground black pepper

Directions

In a sealable container mix well all ingredients together. If using fresh spices/herbs use 3x the amount called for in place of the dried ingredients.

Homemade mayonnaise

The soy-free mayonnaise found in the store can be pretty expensive so I set out to make a homemade equivalent.

Ingredients

1 egg yolk (make sure to check date stamped on cartoon to make sure you are using the most fresh eggs available)

1 Tbs white distilled vinegar

0.5 tsp of salt

0.25 tsp of dried mustard powder

3/4 cup oil (preferably canola or safflower)

Directions

Mix the egg yolk, vinegar, salt and mustard powder together in a circular glass container. I've found that containers with steep sides (IE 90 degrees) work much better for the later stages of prep. then do those that have more slanting sides (IE bowls). In order to achieve the mayonnaise emulsion, the oil needs to be added very slowly in the beginning to the egg yolk mixture using a whisk. If the oil is added too quickly than the you will end up with a soupy mess instead of the desired emulsion. To do this you can use a tablespoon to add a couple of drops at a time. Once you have added about half the oil you can start adding oil more quickly. Since you are adding fresh egg yolk the mayonnaise should be used within 3-4 days.

* it should be noted that lemon juice can be added instead of vinegar for those who don't like vinegar. If you are using wet mustard, try using a scant teaspoon instead of the dry measurement.