Homemade taco seasoning

Just about a year ago I stopped buying those little packets of taco seasoning. First off, the prices are rising and they're not as cheap as they used to be. Second, I have all the ingredients I need to make it at home in my already bursting spice cabinet, and third, have you ever really looked at the ingredient list?

(Source)
Holy fakeness!! No, thanks! Monosodium glutamate- yep, that's MSG. Partially hydrogenated soybean oil- trans fats. Ethoxyquin- preservative= fakeness. I'll stick to just adding some spices together in my own kitchen rather than buying a packet of chemicals.

Here's a helpful document to help you locate MSG on ingredient labels. It's not always just laid out for you to easily spot.

Also, with this dish I made my own nacho chips using whole wheat tortillas. Perfectly crispy and delicious and I avoided having to use fried chips. Just cut em up like a round pizza and bake in the oven for a few minutes. Tortillas can also be a food item that you need to read the label. Look for packages that you can read all of the ingredients and doesn't contain any enriched products. Enriched just means stripped of the nutrients= no nutritional benefits.

Homemade Taco Seasoning
Recipe from all over the internet (not sure which site I originally pulled from. I never measure anymore, I just know what it takes and add a little of this and a little of that.)

Ingredients (seasons 1lb ground meat)

• 2-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 3/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper 
• 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 cup water

 

Whole Wheat Baked Tortilla Chips

Ingredients

whole wheat flour tortillas

 small amount of olive oil or olive oil spray

sea salt (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cut up tortillas with a knife or pizza cutter like you would a round pizza.

2. Lay out on a baking sheet and spray or brush with olive oil.

3. Sprinkle on sea salt.

4. Bake in the oven for 5-8 minutes until crispy.