We bought the corn muffin mix at the store for 2 boxes per dollar, and each box will make plenty for the 2 of us. We keep a few on hand just in case we crave corn pancakes. The meal is quick, the dishes are light, and it will only cost a buck or two per person for the meal. This is the kind of food I like to cook. 

p.s. for a picture representation of the process, continue below Jazmine’s article. 

Southwestern Corn Pancakes

by Jazmine

Budget meals can quickly become tired and bland, especially when pasta and canned goods are typical budget fare. However, shopping for common ingredients and using them in uncommon ways can add new flavors and textures to everyday dishes.  Look forcorn muffin mix to make corncakes for breakfast or buy sweet potatoes, instead of Idaho, to make mashed sweet potatoes.

This meal takes a typical breakfast food and turns it upside down. In addition to being cheap, Southwestern Corn Cakes are quick, simple, and can double as a breakfast or brunch. Jiffy corn muffin mix can easily be converted to pancakes using the instructions on the side. Add a fried egg on top for protein and substance, giving you energy for class or work.  Replacing syrup with salsa fresca wakes you up in the morning and has the added benefit of fewer calories and keeps away the dreaded sugar crash.

Recipe serves two:

1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

¾ Cups water

1 egg

3-4 Eggs for frying

Salsa Fresca (can be replaced with store bought salsa or hot sauce)

1 Tomato

1 Onion

1 Clove of garlic

1 bunch of cilantro

Roughly chop tomatoes, onion, garlic, and cilantro and combine in a Tupperware container. Shake ingredients for a bit so flavors combine.

Preheat large frying pan or skillet on medium heat. Stir muffin mix, water, and one egg in large bowl until combined.  Grease bottom of skillet and pour about ½ cup of batter for each cake. Cook until sides are barely crisp and top is bubbly, then flip. One package will make about 6-8 medium sized pancakes. Fry eggs sunny side up or over easy and then lay over corn cakes. Add salsa over the top of everything to taste and enjoy!

Picture Representation

by Clay

Started with the mix in a small bowl. 

Then added the ingredients.

 
Dropped some batter onto the skillet and waited until it was a little browned around the edges and there’s a couple of bubbles (what it says on the box).  

Then a flipped …. It was a little burnt. 

It’s really good with some salsa (as though it was syrup for non-corn pancakes). 

And it’s really good with a fried egg.

The white was still a bit runny. Flipped it over for a sec, but I still wanted the yellow to be runny. That makes every egg-on-top dish good. 

Added the egg. 

I like it with some green salsa. 

It has everything a mountain made of pancakes requires trees, boulders, a river of butter, King Kong … oh yea … King Kong. There’s a story about it on the threadcakes entry: 

My girlfriend’s birthday was coming up and I came across Threadcakes. I’ve been wanting to try decorative cakes for a while and thought this would be the best opportunity to jump right into it. I feel that it was a success. Everyone was thoroughly impressed and delighted by the sweetness of the cake. 

I only bought 1 cake pan, which made baking 4 layers a bit long. We spent all Sunday on the cake, and then I finished it with the gum paste trees, boulders, and King Kong on Monday night. Did I say King Kong? Yes … I added in King Kong just for kicks … a little extra surprise on the cake. 

First my girlfriend and I made the fondant and let it sit. Then I baked the cakes with a yellow cake batter, recipe thanks to my KitchenAid cook book. I layered them as I went, using a store-bought white whipped frosting. Then my girlfriend and I placed the fondant on top. I painted the pancake’s griddle marks to make it more delicious looking. I added frosting to make the waterfalls look splashy :). The next day, I painstakingly cut out little trees and boulders from store-bought gum paste. I added the trees and boulders with frosting. Then I said to myself … something’s missing … King Kong! So I made him … gave him a grin, and placed him on the side of the mountain-strosity. 

Everyone said the cake was delicious, so I might make another one soon. 

Here’s how I made pancakes mountain:

I made the gelatin-corn syrup mixed with the food coloring. Then we poured it into the powder sugar, stirred it, and kneaded it. 

I kneaded it some too. 

I wrapped it in plastic and put in tupperware containers so that it wouldn’t harden. This had to sit for 8 hours (hence why we made it first). Later I started on the cake. 

The frosting was store bought, whipped white frosting. It worked well enough, and turned out to be a delicious choice. 

It now ready for the fondant. 

Now it’s ready to eat … but it needs more decoration. I started painting the griddle marks as my assistant rolled and cut out the yellow fondant (butter river). 

After putting on the yellow fondant, I finished painting the griddle marks:

I added some frosting for the waterfall splashiness. 

On Monday, I added some food coloring to gum paste (store-bought). 

After some kneading I got this: 

This wasn’t dark enough, so I added a bunch more:

And some more kneading: 

I’m kneading it to death and it’s not dark enough. 

This made it close enough to the color I wanted. I rolled it out and then cut out a bunch of trees. Then I rolled some scraps into balls. The gum pasta was already hardening as I worked, but I was working on it for about an hour. 

I added some coloring to some frosting in order to paste the trees to the cake. 

 
And Voila! 

I added a small King Kong to it:

Doesn’t he look happy as he scales the mountain of pancakes with its golden rivers of butter? ;p

Add some candles … it’s a birthday cake afterall. 

Delicious!

I got the Yellow Cake recipe from my KitchenAid’s cookbook. I bought Duncan Hines Whipped Vanilla Frosting. I made the fondant from this website.

I still need to add the trees and the rocks, but I’m getting excited about how it’ll turn out.

btw, … it’s tasty too :) can’t wait to dig in.