You cannot make everybody happy, you are not a taco
~ Unknown ~
I am soon going to have to make a menu option for all my posts about Mexican food. I really love it all and it just works with the kind of food I like to cook. Maybe we have all had enough of making Italian food, or I just like it spicy, who knows? I have learnt to keep some pantry staples around that makes it easy to make Mexican food at the drop of a hat. Tinned tomato is almost always on my shopping list, but now I add black beans, pickled Jalapenos, taco shells, tortillas and Taco Seasoning.
Of course I’ll rather make it myself
If you have a look on Pinterest you will find a homemade version of almost every seasoning or spice rub under the sun and I have learnt to make my own Taco Seasoning of late. What I like about making my own, is that I can flavour it to my own liking. The main flavours in Taco Seasoning are usually chilli, cumin, garlic and smoked paprika or chipotle. I love adding a bit more smoked paprika to mine whereas the shop-bought ones are usually heavy on cumin. My current batch also used home-grown African Birdseye Chillis, so I am a bit apprehensive about how hot it’s going to be! All in all, it is easy to buy some basic spices like cumin, smoked paprika, garlic and onion powder, keep it in the pantry, and whip up your own seasoning when you need it!
You are now armed and ready to make Mexican food!
I usually use one to three tablespoons of the taco seasoning for any dish I want to give a Mexican flavour – Drunken Beans, White Chicken Enchiladas or just simple Chicken Fajitas.
Taco Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp chilli powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp paprika or pimento
- 2 t ground black pepper
- 2½ t fine table salt
- 2 t dried origanum
- 1 t onion powder
- 1 t granulated garlic
- 1 t dried chilli flakes
- ½ t smoked paprika or chipotle I usually add a full teaspoon
Instructions
- Measure all the herbs and spices into a bowl with a rim, or straight into a jar with a tight-sealing lid.
- Mix the herbs and spices and store in the pantry in an air-tight container.
Yum.