Poor Woman’s Wonton Soup

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Since becoming quarantined nearly a month ago I have not ordered takeout or had prepared food delivered once. One night in a moment of weakness I bought fried chicken from my local grocery store, and I broke out in hives. I think I have an underlying allergy to certain fry oils, but in our current corona-culture, it was enough to spook my very non-germophic heart.

My next few posts are going to get interesting, as I have not grocery shopped a single item since March 29. I’m craving certain foods, but I am determined to make them on my own, including Chinese takeout.

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This is by far a “semi-homemade” Wonton Soup with pantry and freezer ingredients. Store bought wontons, frozen scallions (chopped and frozen by me), frozen ginger (didn’t photograph well, so subbed powdered ginger in the pic), chicken bouillon packet, and rice vinegar.

POOR WOMAN’S WONTON SOUP

  • 1 packet Chicken Bouillon (or cube, or chicken stock or other broth)
  • 2 cups water (if not using prepared stock/broth)
  • However many wontons you want to eat
  • 1 teaspoon Rice Vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Ginger
  • 2 tablespoons chopped Scallions

Simmer all ingredients together until wontons are cooked through. I wish it was more complicated than that. For extra zing, you can saute and lightly the wontons in a bit of sesame oil before adding broth.

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Looks like takeout to me

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Served with a scallion pancake, another one of the few convenience items in my freezer

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The Jiffy Chronicles – Spicy Cheddar Cornbread

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A couple of weeks ago I took stock of my pantry and pointed out several boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix and their amazing versatility. Today I did my first quick recipe for Saturday morning brunch. The package directions for cornbread are fine, but it’s kind of boring. It’s so easy to doctor this mix up to something more interesting and even more delicious.

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The main ingredients in the cornbread – mix, cheese, chilis in adobo, and corn

SPICY CHEDDAR CORNBREAD

  • 1 package Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
  • 1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • 1 cup frozen or canned Corn
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce*
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10 inch cast iron skillet or 8×8 baking pan, set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, add muffin mix, cheese, corn, egg, and milk and mix thoroughly. Chop chipotle pepper and create a paste with a little bit of salt and pepper. Stir paste into batter. Pour batter into pan, bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick placed into center comes out clean. Allow to cool about an hour before serving.

*If you have never worked with Chipotle in Adobo- these are VERY spicy and a little goes a long way. Even if you’re into spice, I would not recommended more than one for this whole recipe – when you overdo it, the heat takes over and you lose flavor in the dish.

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Finished Cornbread

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Serving suggestion – great brunch accompaniment

 

 

Chipotle Bacon Cheddar Cornbread

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Today is International Bacon Day! In honor of the festivities, I decided it was an excuse to add bacon to one of my faves – Chipotle Cheddar Cornbread. Super easy recipe, semi-homemade style.

CHIPOTLE CHEDDAR CORNBREAD
5 strips thick-cut bacon
2 packages Jiffy Cornbread Mix
2/3 cup milk
2 eggs
1 cup grated onion cheddar
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped fine

PREPARATION

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Cook the bacon to crispy but still chewy. Reserve some bacon grease (about two tablespoons) drain remainder and diced into small pieces. Set aside.
  3. Mix cornbread mix, milk and eggs until well incorporated.
  4. Mix in onion cheddar, chipotle peppers, and bacon.
  5. Take bacon grease and use to grease a 4″x8″ loaf pan.
  6. Pour bread batter into pan, and transfer to oven. Bake about 1 hour, until top is golden brown and you can insert a toothpick to the bread and it comes out clean.
  7. Let cool about one hour, remove from pan. Serve plain, or with butter and honey.

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Semi Homemade Turnovers

I’m headed to a dinner party this evening and I want to bring an appetizer. I am a little pressed for time, so I want it to be tasty but time efficient. I will go to my standard mixture and also channel a bit of my inner Sandra Lee to create these turnovers:

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