kitchen tips | quick substitutions

prior to having a completely stocked pantry, i would often find myself without a key ingredient needed to complete a dish {more often than i'd like to admit to be fair.}  unfortunately, this usually dawned on me halfway through the cooking/baking process.  oh, how the ocd in me has taken over...

luckily, i've stumbled across some amazing substitutions should you so find yourself in my {old} shoes.

Buttermilk

add 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar to 1 cup fresh milk; let sour for 5 minutes.

Cake Flour

substitute 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour for 2 cups cake flour 

Corn Meal Mix

having trouble finding corn meal mix in your grocery store? you can make your own by combining 1 cup corn meal, 1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt and 4 teaspoons baking powder. you can store it in a tightly covered container for up to 6 months.

Corn Syrup

1 cup of sugar dissolved in ½ cup water equals 1 ½ cups corn syrup

House Seasoning

1 cup salt, ¼ cup black pepper, and ¼ cup garlic powder.

Lemon Juice

½ teaspoon of vinegar can be substituted for each teaspoon of lemon juice.

Liquids

instead of the water your recipe calls for, try juices, bouillon, or water you’ve cooked vegetables in. instead of milk, try buttermilk, yogurt or sour cream. it can add a whole new flavor and improve nutrition.

Self-Rising Flour

to make your own self-rising flour, add 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt to each cup of all-purpose flour.

Sour Cream

Use 1 cup of plain yogurt, OR 1 cup cottage cheese blended until smooth with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/3 cup buttermilk for each cup of sour cream

Sweetened Condensed Milk

mix 6 cups whole milk with 4 ½ cups sugar, 1 stick of butter, and 1 vanilla bean (or 1 tablespoon vanilla). cook over medium heat, reducing liquid, for 1 hour. Stir occasionally. cool. yields 4 ½ cups. this can be stored and covered in the refrigerator for several weeks. cut recipe in half for immediate use.

Tomato Juice

½ cup tomato sauce and ½ cup water equal 1 cup tomato juice


tips courtesy paula deen