kattitudes

Remember that it is possible to purchase both organic and low or no sodium beef bouillon granules. If you cannot find granules, simply purchase cube and crush into granules and then measure.

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups instant nonfat milk powder
3/4 cup flour
3 tablespoons instant beef bouillon granules
1/8 ground thyme
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 ground sage

Combine ingredients and store in airtight container.

Attach a tag with the following instructions:

Beef Gravy Mix

Combine in saucepan:
1/2 cup mix
1 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoon butter

Whisk over medium heat. Heat until smooth and thick, whisking constantly.

2 large navel oranges
1 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries
1 1/2 cups white (granulated) sugar
1 cup orange juice
2 to 4 tablespoons Grand Marnier

Grate two teaspoons of peel from the orange and set aside. One fantastic way to infuse orange into the recipe would be use a zester to remove the peel, then use your food processor to combine the orange peel with the granulated sugar.

Section the oranges, being careful to remove all of the white pith. Set aside.

In a heavy saucepan, combine the cranberries, orange juice and grated orange peel and sugar.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar.

Reduce heat to low and simmer until the sauce is thick and the cranberries have burst (about 10 - 15 minutes).

During the last few minutes, stir in the orange sections. If you prefer smaller orange pieces, you can put the orange slices into your food processor and chop coarsely before adding, then cook them along with the cranberries.

Remove from heat and stir in the Grand Marnier.

Cool completely and serve chilled (or serve at room temperature).

2 pounds fresh string beans, cleaned and ends trimmed
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 fresh clove garlic, finely minced
4 tablespoons chopped, toasted almonds
4 tablespoons Locatelli (Romano) cheese, grated
1 tablespoon finely minced onion
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/6 teaspoon salt
2-4 tablespoons butter
a sprinkling of paprika

In separate bowl combine almonds and cheese. Mix well and set aside.

Steam green beans until just tender. Run under cold water to cool and drain thoroughly and place in a buttered casserole dish.

In a cruet or small jar with a lid, mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, onion and garlic. Shake well. Pour over beans and mix well. Top with almond/cheese mixture. Dot with butter and sprinkle with paprika. Bake uncovered 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat, toss and serve.

This is one of those type of side dishes that is purchased for convenience at the grocery store that just does not need to be purchased. It is full of sodium and artificial ingredients and frankly, is not in any way healthy.

Instead, offer your friends and family a wonderful gift of a healthy alternative with natural ingredients that is still premixed and easy to make. This is a very popular grab-and-make-it gift!

When I make these mixes, I always aim to use unsalted bouillon powder. It was once harder to find, but with the more health conscious food industry, it has become a very popular item. If you cannot find powder, just purchase cubes and crush them into powder in a jar until you reach the desired quantity.

Seasoning package:

1 tablespoon unsalted chicken bouillon powder
1 teaspoon dry chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon dry minced parsley
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt

Rice mixture:

1 cup rice
1/3 cup dry wild rice

Attach a tag with the following instructions:

2 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
rice mixture
seasoning package

Combine all ingredients in saucepan. Bring to boil. Stir to combine. Cover pan with lid (ensure lid has a tight fit). Simmer gently 8 to 10 minutes or until most liquid has been absorbed.