Homemade Zesty Lemon Dill Seasoning Blend (Salt-Free)

Lemon Dill Seasoning (Salt-Free)

I created this salt-free seasoning blend to duplicate a blend sold in stores. It is much less expensive to make your own spice blends, plus, there are no added fillers, starches, or mystery ingredients, and you can customize them to your taste preference.

The lemon essential oil adds a definite brightness to this seasoning. This is a great basic to have in your spice cupboard. My family uses this seasoning on tuna and other fish. You can sprinkle this on salads, mix into sandwich spreads, dips, sprinkle over eggs, etc...


LEMON DILL SEASONING Recipe:

Yield: about 2 ounces

3 T. onion powder
1 T. granulated garlic
2 T. dill weed
2 t. dried lemon peel (or orange peel, 2nd choice)
2 t. dill seeds
1 t. Chile, dried and ground (or dried jalapeno)
20 drops organic lemon essential oil


Method:

Place the citrus peel in a 2-ounce glass spice jar. Drip lemon essential oil over citrus peel and let it be absorbed for a few minutes, with the lid secured.

Add the rest of the ingredients and shake together well (or blend in a bowl and pour back into the spice jar).

Store sealed in a cool, dark place.


Enjoy,

Leila

Chipotle Con Crema - Slather some on you Mexican food!

Chipotle Con Crema


I tasted a variation of this at our local farmer's market. It was so good that I had to go home and recreate it. And that is exactly what I did. It dresses up foods nicely, especially Mexican foods.


CHIPTLE CON CREMA Recipe:

1 large sweet onion, sliced into rings and then halved
1/4 c. real organic butter
1 c. sour cream
1/8 t. chipotle powder or chipotle peppers (more if you want hotter)
2 t. organic chicken base or bouillon
1/2 t. smoked paprika
onion salt, to taste, optional


Method:

Saute the onions in the butter until translucent and slightly caramelized.
Add chicken base and maybe a touch of water if needed to dissolve it. Heat until dissolved.
Stir in chipotle and smoked paprika. Take off heat and let cool to just warm.
Add sour cream after it has cooled down, and mix in well. Add a touch of onion salt, to taste.
Use immediately or chill. Store in the refrigerator.


Use:

Use as a topping or filling for various Mexican foods. We love it with burritos, inside chicken enchiladas, on tostadas, tamales, soups, taco salads... It is very versatile and makes almost any Mexican dish memorable. It is also good in wraps and sandwiches.

To use once it is chilled: Scoop out 8 ounces and put in loosely covered container. Microwave on high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Stir and serve.


Enjoy,

Leila

Dilly Rice Salad - A very fast and flavorful dish (Gluten-Free)

Dilly Rice Salad or Side

Loaded with flavor, this is a great basic recipe that you will come back to again and again. It is quick to put together and it lasts several days in the refrigerator, saving you a lot of time in food prep. I like making a batch for quick meals throughout the week. It makes a nice lunch, great for taking to work or on picnics, and of course as a side for dinner. It makes a nice meal
served with a rotisserie chicken from Costco, and some fresh sweet melon and berries.


DILLY RICE Recipe

8 c. cooked brown rice
2 handfuls fresh dill weed, minced, to taste
2 T. fresh lemon juice, to taste
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
4 small scallions, minced (or 2 large)
1 to 2 garlic cloves, pressed, to taste (my mom prefers 3 to 4 cloves)
1 bunch parsley, minced (or spinach)
1/3 to 1/2 cup high quality olive oil or GREEN OIL (recipe on this blog)
onion salt, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
BioSalt, to taste (recipe on this blog)
sliced olives, optional
Parmesan cheese, to sprinkle over top, optional
Dried dill weed, optional


Method:

In a large bowl, toss everything together well, seasoning to taste.
Chill. This is even better the next day. Taste again for seasonings before serving.

Fresh Orange Ginger Oriental Dressing (Oil-Free)

Dad's Dressing - Quick & Easy (oil-free)

We all love dad's delicious salad dressing. It has an Asian flair and is a nice combination of sweet, tangy, savory and spicy. He mixes it up fresh in the salad serving bowl, to taste. Then he adds the desired salad ingredients, tosses and serves at once.

At our house, we like a mix of romaine, spinach, and baby greens, topped with scallions, shredded raw vegetables (carrot, zuchinni, celery...), diced apples, oranges, even bananas, sprouts, slivered almonds, shredded chicken, etc...

Try this healthy alternative to store bought dressing!


DAD'S DRESSING Recipe:

Yield: Enough for 1 large salad

Juice and mashed pulp from 1 sweet orange
2 T. real maple syrup, or to taste
1/2 to 1-inch piece of ginger root, grated fine
2 t. sesame seeds, to taste
Tamari soysauce, to taste

Method:

Place the orange juice and pulp in a small mixing bowl.
Add the maple syrup, ginger and sesame seeds, mixing well.
Add enough Tamari to salt the dressing to taste.


This dressing is best used fresh and is good over many kinds of salads.


Enjoy,

Leila

Soft Butter Spread (Stays soft even when cold)

Soft Butter Spread

This is a healthy way to have a cold spreadable butter. Use coconut oil if you intend to use this for cooking, to avoid creating trans fats. You can store this in your refrigerator and still spread it on your toast.

Please do not use margarine. It has never been good for us!

SOFT BUTTER SPREAD Recipe:

Yield: 3 cups

Ingredients:

1 lb (4 sticks) real salted butter, softened (preferably organic)

1 1/2 to 2 c. healthy, light tasting liquid oil *

1/4  t. sea salt or BioSalt, or to taste (recipe on this blog)

Method:

In a blender or food processor, process the softened butter and 1 1/2 c. oil of choice, adding more oil as needed, until smooth and creamy. Another option is to use a hand mixer. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge. Recipe easily doubles.

* Examples of healthy oils than may be used: Fractionated coconut oil, GOLDEN OIL (recipe on this blog), chia seed oil, Cranberry seed oil, hemp seed oil, avocado oil, or extra light tasting olive oil.


Note: Do not bake, saute, or cook with anything but coconut oil and/or real butter (or animal fat) because they become unhealthy when heat treated. Even when healthy oils are heated below their smoke point, they still oxidize and turn into trans fats (not good).



Enjoy,

Leila

Sugar-Free Thai Cucumber Salad (Noodles & Co. Copy-Cat)

Thai Cucumber Salad  
-AKA- Noodles & Co. Tomato Cucumber Salad Copy-Cat


I find this salad very refreshing. I set out to duplicate this typically sugar-laden salad that is frequently served in Thai restaurants.  It is very easy to make, especially if you prepare a quantity of dressing in advance. My family likes this salad a lot. Sometimes I make this with only cucumbers and a touch of red onion, I like that it is very versatile. Now you and your family can enjoy this sugar-free version too.

I made a seasoned sprinkle to garnish your salad with too!



THAI CUCUMBER SALAD Recipe:

Dressing:

3/4 c. rice vinegar
1 1/4 c. xyitol (to replace the conventional 1 1/4 c. white sugar) (or Lakanto sweetener to taste)
1 clove garlic , mashed in a mortar & pestle
1 small shallot, peeled and finely sliced
1-inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and very finely sliced, or grated
1/2 to 1 small hot green chili, minced fine
2 cilantro roots, washed and minced or 12 cilantro stems, minced fine
6 ground coriander seeds (use if you do not have the fresh cilantro roots)
1 t. BioSalt or sea salt, to taste

Method:

Boil the vinegar with the sweeteners, garlic, and coriander roots (or the cilantro stems plus ground coriander seeds) for about 2 minutes, to blend flavors and thicken slightly.

Let cool to about room temperature before adding the minced shallot, grated ginger root, and minced hot chili.

I double the dressing recipe and store it in a jar in the refrigerator.


Salad:

1 large cucumber, diced
1 small bunch coriander leaves (cilantro), chopped, optional
1 - 2 ripe garden tomatoes, diced, optional
A few slivers of red onion


Method:

Place the prepared vegetables in a serving bowl.

Pour enough dressing over to coat and marinate the vegetables. Toss well and let marinate a few minutes before serving.

Garnish on top with the seasoned sprinkle (recipe below), if desired.

Serve as a side or relish.



Garnish:

2 t. sesame seeds (preferably toasted)
1 t. ancho Chili powder
1 t. sweet paprika powder
1/4 t. onion salt

Mix together and store air-tight. You have made enough for a few salads.

Enjoy!

Leila

Mother Nature's Salad Recipe - Does a body good!

Mother Nature's Salad 

This is one my most favorite salads, and has been so since I was in my preteens.
It is so fresh and beautiful piled high on a soup plate. It is quite stunning to present and is a meal in and of itself. This is a unique herbal dressing too and it goes perfectly with this salad. I often add even more of some of the herbs listed in this recipe (Tarragon and Basil).  I usually cut back on the thyme, for my personal tastes. Make sure there is enough salt or the dressing can taste a bit flat.

I do not have a picture of this salad yet....hopefully coming soon.



MOTHER NATURE'S SALAD & DRESSING Recipe:

Fill a soup plate with the following fresh ingredients in the order listed:

Diced Romaine Lettuce
Shredded carrots
Shredded red cabbage
Diced cooked beets (or raw shredded beets)
Sliced tomatoes
Sliced avocado
Diced white cheese (or shredded)
Thin-sliced mushrooms
Thin-sliced red onions
Alfalfa sprouts

Garnish the salad with:

Raw cauliflower florets
Raw broccoli florets

Top the piled-high salad with the dressing recipe below, to taste.


MOTHER NATURE'S HERB-OIL DRESSING:

3 c. olive oil
1 c. apple cider vinegar
1 t. sea salt, or BioSalt to taste
1/2 t. fresh ground black pepper
1 crushed garlic clove
1/3 c. dried parsley
4 t. dried dill weed
2 t. dried basil
2 t. dried thyme (or less. I think too much thyme makes foods taste moldy. Weird)
1/2 t. dried tarragon, crushed

Mix the dressing ingredients and give it some time to sit to let the flavors blend. Note that when you store this dressing in the refrigerator, the olive oil will solidify, so allow time to let it come to room temperature before using. shake well before use.

Mother Nature's Herb Oil Dressing

Enjoy nature's bounty,

Leila