Healthy Substitutions

 Below is a few dry recipes to substitute for the processed mixes you usually buy at the grocery store,

cream of mushroom/chicken soup

Dry Italian dressing mix

Vanilla pudding mix

Taco Seasoning is in this post

 1. Cream of mushroom/chicken soup (dry mix)

Instead of cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken soup in those quick and easy recipes, I use a homemade powdered version consisting of nonfat dry milk, cornstarch and some other spices.


Ingredients:
2 cups powdered nonfat milk
3/4 cups cornstarch
1/4 cup or less instant chicken  (or vegetable bullion)- I try to use the kind with NO MSG
2 TBS dried onion flakes
1 tsp basil leaves
1 tsp thyme leaves
1/2 tsp pepper

directions:
combine all ingredients, mixing well.  Store in an airtight container until ready to use.  To substitute for one can of condensed soup: combine 1/3 cup of dry mix with 1 1/4 cups of cold water in saucepan.  Cook and stir until thickened.  Add to casserole as you would the canned product.

variations:
mushroom soup: add 1/2 cup finely chopped mushrooms
celery soup: add 1/2 cup minced celery
potato soup: add 1 cup diced potatoes, cooked
chicken soup: add 1/2 cup diced chicken, cooked

2. Dry Italian dressing mix

 Some recipes call for the dry packet of Italian dressing mix.  You can make your own!

• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons oregano, ground or 2 tablespoons oregano leaves
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons salt or 2 tablespoons salt substitute
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground basil or 1 teaspoon basil leaves
• ¼ teaspoon ground thyme or ¼ teaspoon thyme leaves
• ½ teaspoon dried celery leaves or ½ teaspoon dried celery flakes

      Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together and store in air-tight container.
2. ITALIAN SALAD DRESSING: Mix 2 tbs of this mix with 1/4 cup vinegar, 2 tbs water, and 1/2 to 2/3 cup olive oil or canola oil.    
3. Shake before using

3.  Vanilla pudding mix (the first 4 ingredients are meant to be a dry mix to be stored for when you need a box of pudding mix.)

  
  4 c. dry milk

  4 c. sugar

  1 1/3 c. cornstarch

  1/2 tsp salt

  2 c milk

  1 Tbs butter

  1/2 tsp vanilla 

mix first 4 ingredients in the food processor until fine.  

when you need a box of vanilla pudding for a recipe, use 1 cup of the dry mix and add milk.  Stir 15 minutes.  remove.  add vanilla and butter.