Southwest Rub

Good for red meat, pork, poultry, seafood, and vegetables.

Adapted from Weber's On the Grill.

Yield: about 1/4 cup

2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. granulated garlic or 1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Steak Rub / Marinade

Yield: 3 1/4 tsp. (dry)

1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. dry minced onion

3 tsp. lime juice
3 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbs. orange juice

For dry rub, mix dry ingredients together and rub all over steak.

For marinade, mix dry ingredients with lime, lemon, and orange juice and add to a Ziplock bag.  Add steak and marinate at least 1 hour.

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix

Adapted from Healthy Cooking (April/May 2010), page 46.

Yield: about 1 cup

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chili powder
3 Tbs. dried minced onion
1 Tbs. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. ground coriander

Combine all ingredients.  Use in place of packaged taco seasoning.  Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 1 year.

To prepare taco meat:
Cook ground meat (beef, turkey, etc.) over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.  Add 1/4 cup taco seasoning mix and 3/4 cup water.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes.

Nutrition Facts:
1 Tbs. dry mix = 14 calories, 0.07 g fat (0.01 g saturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 191.5 mg sodium, 2.5 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g dietary fiber, 0.4 g sugar, 0.3 g protein

Notes:
- The original recipe called for 2 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper.  Do what you want, but I thought it turned out great the way I made it!  It was just spicy enough for my taste, but if you like things a little milder consider cutting the cayenne to 1/2 or 3/4 tsp.
- You will save money and cut out a CRAZY amount of sodium from your diet if you use this recipe instead of the stuff you buy at the store.  I compared this to my bottle of Tone's taco seasoning; 2 tsp. (yes, 2 tsp.) of the Tone's contains 470 mg sodium!