COMMON INGREDIENTS + SUBSTITUTIONS USED IN COOK WITH MEG

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BEFORE YOU BEGIN, BELOW WE HAVE LINKED TO OUR FAVE SUBSTITUTION BIBLE! 

This book is A GAME CHANGER- get it via Amazon HERE.

The Food Substitutions Bible: More Than 6,500 Substitutions for Ingredients, Equipment and Techniques - David Joachim

 

KOSHER SALT - salts are quite different but you will always see Meg using kosher salt when she cooks and bakes. It’s a coarse salt without any additives. When we say additives, we’re specifically referring to iodine, which is sometimes added to table salt, to prevent it from caking or clumping together. The other difference is the structure of the flakes. Table salt is highly refined, meaning that most of the impurities have been removed. **If you use table salt, please never shake out or pour directly into your dish, move to the sink, pour into your hand then add accordingly.

CRACKED BLACK PEPPER - We use a pepper grinder, to crack the pepper. If you have pepper in a shaker, that’s ok too, you may want to have a tsp or 2 “shaken”, before class into a little bowl so you’ll be ready

SALTED OR UNSALTED BUTTER - the amount of salt in a salted butter is quite small. Small enough that it doesn’t make a big difference, so just use what you have!

SALTED VS UNSALTED BUTTER - It doesn’t really matter in the end, we use what we have. Some people prefer unsalted for baking and salted for cooking, but in the end, the amount of salt in salted butter isn’t so much that it will alter your recipes. Q - can I use coconut oil or margarine in cooking and baking? You can.

CULTURED BUTTER - Some FANCY recipes call for CULTURED butter. It’s so good, a little more expensive and brings your baked goods to the next level. If you did a “taste test”, you’d just taste a little extra tanginess in the cultured vs uncultured butter. When to use: save this for an extra special cake or cookie recipe.

RICE VINEGAR - if a recipe calls for rice vinegar, try to find some, usually in the international or Asian aisle. If you can’t find it, you can use apple cider vinegar, OR a regular distilled white vinegar with 1 tsp sugar added

MASA | MASECA | MASA HARINA - Masa is a maize dough that comes from ground nixtamalized corn. It is used for making corn tortillas, gorditas, tamales, pupusas, and many other Latin American dishes. The flour’s dried and powdered form is called masa harina. The flour is reconstituted with water to make a dough before it is used in cooking.

A very common brand is MASECA.

COMMON INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS

WHAT CAN WE USE INSTEAD OF BUTTER?

* Vegetable Shortening- provides fat
* Coconut Oil- gives nice fat and browning
* Vegetable Oil- adds moisture
* Nut Butters Like Almond Butter Or Sesame Tahini - gives the “buttery” flavour

WE WANT TO CHOOSE NON-DAIRY

* Milk can be replaced 1:1 with most dairy-free milks
* Oat Milk- Best milk for getting baked goods to brown
* Almond Milk- Look for unsweetened so that you have better control over sugar content
* Soy Milk- Soy milk is high in protein and is good for adding structure to cakes
* Coconut Milk- Best milk for keeping baked goods pale. In cooking it works beautifully, but be mindful that it may impart a slight tropical taste to your finished dish

DO WE HAVE TO BUY BUTTERMILK? NO! MAKE YOUR OWN!

Buttermilk is just milk that is slightly acidic. It adds tang to baked goods and is easy to substitute by adding 1 tbsp of lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 cup of milk

WHAT CAN I USE INSTEAD OF WHIPPING CREAM? (also known as heavy cream)

* Coconut Cream- May impart a coconut flavor to your desserts
* Silken Tofu and Dairy-Free Milk- Blend together equal parts tofu and milk. Can be whipped like cream
* Dairy-Free Milk and Oil- Combine 2/3 cup (160g) of dairy free milk and 1/3 cup (80g) of vegetable oil for 1 cup (240g) of heavy cream

HELP! WE CANNOT EAT EGGS...

Eggs help leaven, they help emulsify and add moisture. Here are some OTHER foods you can use to impart similar results **not the SAME, just similar

* Water, Oil, Baking Powder Combo-2 tbsp (28 g) water, 2 tsp (29 g) baking powder and 1 tsp (14g) vegetable oil replace leavening from 1 egg
* Carbonated water- 1/4 cup (70g ) carbonated water replaces leavening from 1 egg
* Applesauce- 1/4 cup (63 g) replaces the binding and moisture from eggs.
* Ground Flaxseeds or Chia Seeds
* Vinegar and Baking Soda
* You can also substitute things like bananas, nut butters, or yogurt- it’s always best to google substitute amounts and have ready to go
* The water from a can of chickpeas- 3 tbsp (40 g) to replace 1 egg white. You can get this from the liquid in a can of unsalted chickpeas
* Soy Lecithin- 1 tbsp (15 g) to replace the emulsification contribution of 1 egg yolk

WHAT ABOUT GLUTEN FREE FLOURS?

Do they all work? Please remember that NOT all non wheat flours will give the same results. It’s best to experiment a little, and when possible, choose the 1-1 baking mix. They’ve come a LONG way! **note that the different flours below will impart different results, slightly different textures, but be OPEN to the adventure!

* Coconut Flour- Use roughly 1/4 – 1/3 cup of coconut flour in place of 1 cup of wheat flour
* Almond Flour- Use roughly 1/4 – 1/3 cup of almond flour in place of 1 cup of wheat flour
* Oat Flour- Can substitute for wheat flour 1:1
* 1-1 Baking Mix - A blend of ingredients that works well as a general 1:1 replacement for flour

WHAT IF I NEED GLUTEN FREE BREAD CRUMBS?

* Kikkoman makes Gluten free PANKO bread crumbs and they’re AMAZING!
* Almond flour has a nutty taste and a coarse texture, which makes it an easy sub for breadcrumbs

GLUTEN FREE SAUCES + STOCKS
* Instead of soy, choose a gluten free TAMARI
* Kikkoman  makes a Gluten Free Hoisin Sauce, 13.2 Ounce
* Lots of the VH sauces are GF
* Broths - check the labels

POPULAR BRANDS WHO HAVE GREAT DAIRY FREE, GLUTEN FREE PRODUCTS
* Amy's Kitchen
* Classico
* VH Sauces
* Bob’s Red Mill
* Daiya
* So Delicious
* Kinnikinnick

WHAT IF THE RECIPE CALLS FOR CHICKEN, CAN WE USE SOMETHING ELSE?

You bet! Please feel free to use any protein or VPS that you prefer! You can also skip the protein and just have veggies, maybe add some nuts and seeds! Experiment and go on a culinary adventure!

ADDITIONAL AWESOME RESOURCES:
 
OVERALL GREAT FOR GF: www.celiac.com
 
GREAT ARTICLE ON NON DAIRY SUBSTITUTES: https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/opinionated-guide-to-best-plant-based-vegan-dairy-article
 
ARTICLE ON EGG SUBSTITUTES:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/egg-substitutes
 
GREAT ARTICLE ON BEST KNIVES FOR KIDS: https://www.cooksillustrated.com/articles/692-testing-chefs-knives-for-kids

SOME INTERESTING READS:

* Vegan For Everybody by America’s Test Kitchen- this is a great resource for egg and dairy substitutions

* Flavor Flours by Alice Medrich- A great resource for baking with non-wheat flours