Substitutions

So, what do you do when you want to make a meal, but don't have certain ingredients on hand? Sometimes, it is impossible to make the meal without one or more ingredients. Other times, you can substitute an ingredient by making it from scratch.

Below are two substitutions I recently made. Maybe they will come in handy for you too!

The first is a substitution for Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix. The second is a substitution for pizza crust (you know, if you don't happen to have any frozen dough thawed and risen, or you didn't make any homemade dough and your kids are asking for pizza, and you don't have any bagels, English muffins, pita bread, or tortillas to make mini pizzas with).

Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix Substitute

Ingredients:

2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil
1 egg (if making into muffins)
1/3 cup milk (if making into muffins)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix well with whisk.

Whisk in vegetable oil and mix until dry mixture is smooth and lumps are gone.

At this point, you can use the mixture as a substitute in any recipe that calls for Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix.

Or, if making muffins, combine mixture with egg and milk, and mix well. Batter will be slightly lumpy. For best rise, let batter rest for 3 or 4 minutes. Stir once or twice after rest.

Fill muffin tins 1/2 full. Bake for 16-20 minutes. Makes 6 muffins.

Recipe notes: You can substitute the flour of your choice, whether it is a whole wheat or gluten-free option such as rice, soy, or potato. This also allows you to control the type of fat used, subbing in a healthier olive oil for lard, for example.

Source: I found this by doing a Google search. You can find the recipe here.

Notes: I used this Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix substitute in one of my favorite recipes for chicken tamale casserole (Originally posted here). Not only did I substitute that, but I made the tamale casserole with a green enchilada sauce instead of red, and it was delicious. It's great both ways! (Below is a picture of the casserole made with the substitute mix in place of the pre-made boxed mix)

Chicken Tamale Casserole

Ingredients:

1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Martha White)
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
Cooking spray
1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork. Top with chicken and pour enchilada sauce over top; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

Yield: 8 servings

CALORIES 354 (36% from fat); FAT 14.1g (sat 7.1g,mono 3.3g,poly 1.2g); IRON 1.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 58mg; CALCIUM 179mg; CARBOHYDRATE 36.3g; SODIUM 620mg; PROTEIN 18.9g; FIBER 2.5g

Source: Cooking Light, http://www.myrecipes.com/

Notes: This dish is freezer friendly. Make the casserole in a freezer friendly casserole dish or aluminum casserole dish. After baking the cornbread mixture until it is set, top with chicken, enchilada sauce, and cheese as noted in the recipe. Allow to cool. Cover with foil and label and date it. When ready to use, defrost in fridge overnight or place frozen casserole in the oven and bake (covered) for 25-30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and nicely browned. Adjust the cooking times accordingly depending on whether you cook it from frozen or defrosted.

 Extra-Easy Pizza

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Original Bisquick mix
1/3 cup very hot water
Pizza sauce, cheese, and favorite toppings

Directions:

Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Grease 12-inch pizza pan. Stir together Bisquick mix and very hot water; beat 20 strokes until soft dough forms.

Press dough in pizza pan. Spread sauce over dough. Top with remaining ingredients.

Bake 12-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.

Recipe notes: For a light, tender crust, use very hot water and stir only 20 times. Stirring the dough too much will make the crust tough.

Source: Betty Crocker. Recipe found here.

Notes: This was so easy! What a nice discovery, and a great change of pace. Pretty tasty stuff too.