Make your own mixes
From http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/01/29/make-your-own-mixes/#ixzz1HMCQovQW
When you need to get dinner on the table fast, there's no denying that mixes are convenient. But they're also loaded with sodium and preservatives, they're pricey...and they just don't taste that good. The solution? Make the mix. The recipes below can be prepared at your convenience; then store them and they'll wait for you. When hunger strikes, you'll be prepared, and ready to whip up a dish from a mix that tastes just like homemade -- because it is!
Better-Than-Bisquick
Yes, it's one of the all-time most versatile mixes: Pancakes, biscuits, you name it. My homemade version incorporates vegetable shortening. I know-you may look at the shortening and think "Ugh, Crisco." But to be able to store this baking mix the way you'd store Bisquick, it must contain a shelf-stable fat. And all-vegetable shortening isn't scary. You can buy it in sticks, and it contains no trans fats (Bisquick does).
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup all-vegetable shortening
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Using a pastry blender or food processor, cut in the shortening until the mixture consists of fine crumbs.
Store baking mix in an airtight container or Ziploc bag in a cool, dry place for up to one year. For maximum freshness, keep it in the freezer and thaw before using. Or use it right now in a Basic Cornbread recipe or Basic Biscuits recipe.
Instant Oatmeal
Why pay for packaging and preservatives when you can make your own containers of instant oatmeal by combining instant oats, sugar, and salt? You can even add your own flavorings. You may have noticed that the instant oatmeal in the supermarket comes in flavors like "strawberries and cream" and "peaches and cream." That fruit is artificially flavored and the "cream" is actually non-dairy creamer, the stuff set out with the coffee at the bank. Non-dairy creamer contains a lot of gross ingredients (hydrogenated oils, an ingredient found in fertilizer, corn syrup) and is flammable. Not exactly what you want to eat for breakfast.
1 (18-ounce) container quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Combine ingredients in large Tupperware container. Store in a cool, dry place up to one year. If you use one of the flavorings below, they can be stirred directly into the Tupperware container with the oats, sugar, and salt and stored; if you use nuts, the oatmeal should be stored in the freezer until you're ready to use it.
To prepare: Give the oatmeal/sugar/salt mixture a quick stir, then measure 1/2 cup serving into a microwave-save bowl. Add 1 cup water or milk, then microwave 2 to 3 minutes. Stir and serve.
For Cinnamon-Raisin Oatmeal
1 cup raisins
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Substitute 1/4 cup brown sugar for granulated sugar.
For Cranberry-Almond Oatmeal
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup slivered almonds
For Walnut-Flax Oatmeal
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 teaspoon flax seeds
Substitute 1/4 cup brown sugar for granulated sugar.
Superior-to-Shake n' Bake Chicken
Shake n' Bake is a great idea, but the stuff that comes in the box looks and tastes like dust, is bogged down with salt, and is supposed to adhere to the chicken with water, which sounds so non-succulent. And it's not crunchy enough. Making your own takes just a couple minutes in the food processor and it's fun to think of your own flavors (for inspiration, see below); plus, using Melba toast in place of bread crumbs gives the chicken a true crunch even after 20 minutes in the oven.
1 (5-ounce) box whole-grain Melba toast (you can use plain, but I like whole-grain for its flavor and its golden brown color)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Pinch of sugar
In a food processor, combine the Melba toast, vegetable oil, salt, paprika, and sugar and process until the mixture is mostly medium-fine crumbs (it's okay if a couple bigger pieces remain). Pour the mixture into a Ziploc bag. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Makes about 2 cups, enough to coat 1 pound of chicken breast. Now use it with this Superior to Shake n' Bake chicken recipe.
Chocolate-Chip Cookie Mix
These cookies are chewy and delicious! Keeping the sugars separate from the flour mixture, and stirring the sugars into the melted butter when you make the cookies, is an added step you won't find on a box of cookie mix. But it only takes a couple extra minutes, and the cookies are worth it! Makes 4 dozen cookies
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup chocolate chips
1 large Ziploc bag and two smaller Ziploc bags
In large Ziploc bag, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Place the sugars in one of the smaller bags and the chocolate chips in the other small bag. You can store the smaller bags in the larger bag with the flour, sealed, in a cool, dry place for up to a year. Or use it now in the Chocolate Chip cookie recipe.
Yellow Cake Mix
Moist, tender, delicious, easy-weird store-bought cake mix aftertaste not included. Makes a 13 x 9-inch cake, two 9-inch round cakes, or 24 cupcakes
2 1/2 cups (10 1/4 ounces) cake flour (do not substitute all-purpose flour -- cake flour will provide your cake with that delicious cake mix texture, and leftover cake flour can be stored in the freezer.)
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into eight pieces
In the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt at low speed until well-combined, about 30 seconds. Turn off the mixer. Add the vanilla and butter, then mix at medium speed until the butter is completely incorporated into the flour. The mixture will look like fine crumbs-in fact, it will look like a cake mix from a box.
Store the cake mix in an air-tight container in the freezer for up to three months. Or use it now in this Basic Yellow Cake recipe.
homemade yellow cake mix* (see below)
3 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/3 cups milk
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour the pan(s) you are using (see recipe description). In a bowl, using an electric mixer, add the eggs, oil, and milk to the homemade yellow cake mix and beat until well combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s) and bake until the cake is golden brown and springs back lightly when pressed in the center, 18 to 2 minutes for cupcakes, 28 to 31 minutes for 9-inch cakes, or 32 to 34 minutes for a 13- by 9-inch cake. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack, then frost with your favorite frosting (I like the buttercream on the back of the confectioners’ sugar box).
Read more: http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/01/29/make-your-own-mixes/#ixzz1HMCQovQW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Make-Ahead-Cookie-Mix/Detail.aspx
Prep Time: 15 Min
Ready In: 15 Min
Servings: 24
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups butter
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 cups all-purpose flour
Directions
In a large bowl, mix together the butter, salt and baking powder. Gradually stir in flour. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.
Use cookie mix to make:
Make Ahead Almond Butter Sticks http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Make-Ahead-Almond-Butter-Sticks/Detail.aspx
Make Ahead Toffee Bars http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Make-Ahead-Toffee-Bars/Detail.aspx
Make Ahead Butter Balls http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Make-Ahead-Butter-Balls/Detail.aspx
Make Ahead Cherry Winks http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Make-Ahead-Cherry-Winks/Detail.aspx
Make Ahead Jam Thumbs http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Make-Ahead-Jam-Thumbs/Detail.aspx
Make Ahead Peanut Butter Cookies http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Make-Ahead-Peanut-Butter-Cookies/Detail.aspx
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lots More Make Ahead Mixes
and many more there just look in the right column
posted by Bluesbaby @ 2:09 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home