Ever since going gluten free I have had to read labels, lots of label. Well, reading labels has made aware of how much junk is in salad dressing, so I am trying to make it from scratch more often.

As much as a like the idea of making my own salad dressings, in reality it hasn’t worked out so well. It’s hard enough to get dinner and a salad on the table at a reasonable time most weeknights, let alone whipping together a nice salad dressing the entire family will eat.

So, I am sure you can imagine my excitement when I recently came across a recipe for an Italian Salad dressing mix recipe on allrecipes.com, you just mix together the spices and store in an air tight container. When you need some Italian dressing you take out a couple tablespoons and mix it with some vinegar and oil. Sounded easy enough, so I gave it a try.

Of course, like most recipes I try, I made some modifications, particularly omitting 2 tablespoons of salt; seriously, it is plenty salty from the garlic salt and celery salt. I was quite pleased with the results and plan on keeping this dressing mix on hand. Not only is it great for a green salad or pasta salad, but I think it would make a nice rub or marinade for meat. And it would be a nice addition to a gift basket.

And one of the benefits of making food from scratch, you can seriously adjust the recipe to suit your dietary restrictions or tastes. Although it tastes great as is, I think red pepper flakes or canned Parmesan would be great additions.

Italian Drssing on a pasta salad.

Italian Dressing Mix

• 1/2 TB garlic powder
• 1/2 TB garlic salt
• 1 TB onion powder
• 1 TB sugar
• 2 TB dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground black pepper (you might want to reduce this if you use a spicy, freshly ground pepper. I use about 1/2 tsp)
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1TB dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp celery salt

1. In a small jar or bowl, mix together all ingredients and store tightly sealed.
2. To prepare dressing, whisk together 2 TB of the dry mix with 1/4 cup white vinegar and 1/2 cup oil (you could use up to 2/3 cups oil, but I don’t care for really oily dressing). Shake or stir to combine. * I think almost any vinegar could be used here and canola or vegetable oil in place of the olive oil if desired.

Make ahead, Sauces & Dressings, quick and easy homemade dressing mix

I am becoming a huge fan of the flank steak. Seriously, they cook up in virtually no time and when cut thinly against the grain they are very tender and juicy.

I typically do a lime juice and cumin type marinade for beef fajitas but I am a little bored with that version, so I adapted an allrecipes marinated flank steak recipe. It had great flavor and although we loved it with some onions and bell peppers, served fajita style, I think it would be equally good on a salad or with some rice and vegetables.

Since it is a marinade you do have to plan ahead. But the flank steak cooks so fast, you’ll have dinner on the table in no time. And it’s perfect this time of year when you don’t want to heat the oven. Enjoy!

Marinated Flank Steak in a fajita.

Marinated Flank Steak

Although I used lemon juice, I think lime juice would be a great alternative.

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup soy sauce (SanJ makes a gf one)
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• juice of 1 lemon (about 2 TB)
• 1 1/2 TB Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrin’s is gf)
• 1 TB Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• dash cumin, optional
• 1- 1 1/2 lbs flank steak

1. In a glass 9×13 pan mix all ingredients except steak. Place meat in the pan and turn to coat. Cover and allow to marinate at room temperature for about an hour or refrigerate 4-6 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
3. Remove steak from pan and discard marinade (or bring marinade to a boil and serve with meat if desired).
4. Grill steak for approximately 5 minutes per side, or until desired doneness. Allow steak to rest five minutes before slicing against the grain.

BBQ, Main Dishes, quick and easy gluten free beef fajita, marinated beef for fajitas

If you have read my blog much you know I am not a fan of mixes. I know they are convenient, but they are typically overpriced and unimpressive.

However, one mix I do buy is Chebe Pizza. I must admit I have never even tried to make pizza out of this. What we like to do is make up the dough and make bread sticks.

Chebe actually makes a mix specifically for breads ticks, but we have found that the spices in their pizza mix make it a better choice.

If you aren’t familiar with Chebe let me tell you a few things. First they are a gluten free, yeast free, peanut and tree nut free company; and five of their mixes, including the pizza one, is lactose/casein free as well. Crazy huh?

So what is in these mixes you ask? Tapioca and some spices. You add some oil, eggs, and milk or milk substitute. With no yeast it doesn’t have to rise, so you have bread baking in no time.

Chebe products are based on Brazilian “pao de queijo” (Brazilian cheese bread). I posted a recipe for Brazilian Cheese Buns a while ago and it’s true, there is no yeast and no wheat, yet they puff up and are very flavorful. My kids just love these Brazilian treats whether I use a Chebe mix or make them from scratch.

Chebe mixes aren’t hard for me to find locally, they seem to be with other gluten free products in well-stocked grocery stores. They come in small bags and cost around $3-4 a package.

I find these mixes great to keep on hand, with a pasta dish or a salad and you have a quick meal in no time. They are also great for traveling since they are in small bags and require few ingredients; making them the perfect gluten free item to take and bake if your kids are going to a friend or relatives house.

Chebe dough all mixed

Baked Bread Sticks

Easy Chebe Bread Sticks

The texture of this dough is gritty (the final product is not). The first time I made it I thought I had dumped a bunch of eggshell in it, but I really hadn’t.

• I bag Chebe Pizza Mix
• 2 Tb oil
• 2 eggs
• 4 Tb milk or substitute

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. In a large bowl mix blend Chebe mix, oil and eggs with a fork. Add milk while continuing to blend, add more liquid, 1 tsp at a time, if needed to form a dough.
3. Use hands to blend ingredients. Roll into bread sticks ( I make about 12) and place on a cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until puffed and lightly browned.

Breads, quick and easy chebe breadsticks