Cooking for a family with variety

In my family, I have 2 plant-based eaters, 3 gluten-free eaters, 1 sugar-free + 4 low sugar eaters, and 1 semi-picky eater. And some of us are a combo.

Feeding us is an adventure.

Can you relate? Can I give you some advice?

Mexican food.

Use this homemade taco seasoning to keep it gluten-free (and gross ingredient free!) and sprinkle it generously over ground beef or chicken or a tray full of veggies to roast, or add it to a pot full of black beans, and it will all taste delicious. You could even toss it in a homemade salad dressing for a southwest kick or to boost your guac up a notch. This recipe is enough to cover 1 main recipe, so if you're going to cook for a crowd, make a bigger batch so you have enough to flavor all the goodies below.

You'll notice a couple of things about this recipe.

1. There is no garlic powder, granulated garlic, or garlic salt. I just do not think there is any legitimate replacement for fresh garlic. So be sure you're using garlic in your dish--measure with your heart.

2. There is no onion powder. Because I am one of the plant-based eaters in my house, I like to have the texture of onion and the sweetness that onion takes on when it's caramelized just right, so I want fresh onion in my food, rather than the dry, stale flavor I associate with onion powder.

To cook for a crowd, I usually brown up the ground beef, drain, then add onions, garlic, seasoning, and a veggie broth or a can of tomatoes, and let it simmer. Then I'll make the beans separately, using a can of fire-roasted tomatoes for every 2 cans of drained, rinsed black beans plus this seasoning and garlic/onions. I will roast whatever veggies are hanging around in my pantry or fridge-- cauliflower, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, peppers, onions, carrots, zucchini, tomatoes--with a little bit of avocado oil and seasoning. I'll steam a giant cooker of jasmine or brown rice seasoned with salt, pepper, and a little parsley or cilantro.

To serve, keep all the ingredients separate, and offer a variety of tortillas and taco shells and chips and salad ingredients, cheese or dressing options, guac and salsa, and let everyone build their own version of perfection.

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