I don’t offer nutrition facts for the spice blends because I don’t track them and their calories are so low, it’s not going to have a large effect on a recipe.
Ranch Seasoning (see notes)
Makes about 1/3 cup
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons dried dill weed
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chives
Directions
1. Whisk all ingredients together until blended. If you want it more finely ground, pulse in a food processor until it reaches your desired consistency.
2. Store in a small airtight jar or spice container.
Notes
• If you’d like to make this more like the ranch packets you get in the store, mix in 1/3 cup powdered buttermilk. About 3 Tbsp of this mix equals 1 packet of the store-bought seasoning mix.
• If you make this with the powdered buttermilk, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 months.
• If you can’t find or don’t want to buy powdered buttermilk, you can make your own. Whisk together 1/3 cup nonfat dry (powdered) milk and 2 tsp cream of tartar. This will be a 1:1 replacement for dried buttermilk.
• To make ranch dressing WITH the powdered buttermilk added, whisk together 1 Tbsp. seasoning mix with 1/3 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt and 1/3 cup almond (or other low-“chew”) milk.
• To make ranch dressing WITHOUT the powdered buttermilk added, whisk together 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning with 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt with 1/3 cup almond (or other low-“chew”) milk, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
Chili Powder
Makes about 1/4 cup
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoons oregano
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Directions
1. Whisk all ingredients together until blended.
2. Store in a small airtight jar or spice container.
Herbes de Provence
Makes about 3/4 cup
Herbes de Provence is a multi-purpose spice blend made with dried herbs commonly grown or used in France’s Provence region. There isn’t a standard blend, so the ingredients and their proportions vary from person to person and brand to brand. Herbes de Provence is traditionally used on dishes like roast chicken, roast lamb, grilled fish, and roasted vegetables, but feel free to experiment.
Ingredients
• 2 Tbsp dried rosemary
• 1 Tbsp fennel seed (or caraway seed, cumin seed, dried minced onion OR 1 tsp ground cumin)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 Tbsp dried thyme
• 2 Tbsp dried basil
• 2 Tbsp dried parsley
• 1 Tbsp dried tarragon
• 1 Tbsp dried sage
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp dried marjoram (or more oregano)
Directions
1. Grind rosemary, fennel seed, and bay leaf in a spice grinder. Transfer it to a mixing bowl, followed by the remaining ingredients. Whisk together well.
2. Store in a small airtight jar or spice container.
Garam Masala
Makes about 1/3 cup
Ingredients
• 2 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp ground coriander
• 1 Tbsp ground cardamom
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)
Directions
1. Combine ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
2. Store in a small airtight jar or spice container.
Chinese Five-Spice (see notes)
Makes about 1/3 cup
Ingredients
• 6 whole star anise pods
• 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
• 2 teaspoon whole cloves (or 1 1/2 teaspoon ground)
• 2 tsp Szechuan peppercorns (see notes)
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
Directions
1. Toast any whole spices in a dry pan over low heat until fragrant, 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the toasted whole spices to a spice grinder and process to a fine powder. Add in any powdered spices and blend to combine.
3. Store in a small airtight jar or spice container.
Notes
• No Szechuan peppercorns? Use 1 tsp each whole black peppercorns and coriander seeds. OR use 1/2 tsp each ground pepper and ground coriander.
