When you cook...
Substitutes
Do you have a food allergy? Or perhaps you don’t have a certain ingredient for a recipe that you really want to make? Here are some ideas on how to substitute.
Egg replacer
It is not necessary to go out and buy a box of leavening labeled: ‘Egg replacer.’ Here are a few tips to replacing egg in your recipes:
~1 tablespoon of baking powder and 1 teaspoon xanthan gum, guar gum or cornstarch (binding agent) must always go into your egg-free recipe
~1 tablespoon of applesauce per egg (this is a good substitute for the white of the egg) (unless you are fixing muffins or cake; then you’ll want a little more; maybe 2 tablespoons per egg)
~To go with the applesauce and the baking powder, use 1 tablespoon of oil per egg. This is a good replacement for the yolk.
~If you are fixing a no-bake, no-cook recipe, stir in Cool Whip or whipped cream with the applesauce and oil and omit the baking powder, unless the recipe calls for baking powder.
Example:
A muffin recipe calls for 2 eggs; but it also calls for 2 tsp. baking powder and 1/4 cup of oil.
What you’d need to do is instead of 2 tsp. baking powder, put in 1 tablespoon as well as the 1 teaspoon binding agent. For the eggs, put in 1/4 cup applesauce, and 2 tablespoons oil. Mix the baking powder, applesauce and oil together BEFORE adding to the rest of the ingredients. This will make your muffins turn out fluffy but not crumbly.
Milk replacer
Let’s say you are lactose intolerant or you just don’t use milk...does that mean you cannot get the consistency you want? NO!
Here are some tips to fixing recipes without milk:
~If you are making a white sauce or gravy, just replace the milk with water! It will be creamy and good, just as long as you don’t add too much.
~If you are fixing a baked good that calls for milk, use another kind of milk or juice. Replace milk with any of these:
Almond milk (Caution: if you are sensitive or allergic to seeds, check the ingredients first. Many almond milk brands add sunflower lecithin to their milks.)
Coconut milk
Rice milk
Apple juice
Water
I would not recommend any soy product unless you have no other choice. Even though soy is alright if used in small amounts, it is not safe for constant use. It has been proven that it is very high in estrogen and also hurts the thyroid gland. So, if possible, use other kinds of vegetable and nut milk.
~If you are fixing a pudding, use water—but use half the amount you would use for milk. Add a little bit at a time.
Flour replacer
If you have an allergy to wheat, or celiac disease, or just prefer to eat gluten free, here are some recommended flours to use:
~rice flour
~millet flour
~tapioca dextrine (small amount mixed with other flours)
~corn starch (medium amount used with other flours)
~potato starch (small amount used with other flours)
~sorghum (this is a heavy flour, so be sure to sift it thoroughly. It is a good replacement for graham flour.)
~Corn meal is excellent for fill-in. Mamaliga (corn mush), corn pone, corn cakes, corn muffins...yum!
Spice substitute
What spice would you like to use?
Sometimes I really would like to use a certain spice, but I do not have it, so here’s what I do:
If you have a recipe that calls for cinnamon, but you only have pie spice, use the pie spice. It may taste slightly different, but since pie spice contains cinnamon, it will be fairly similar.
If a recipe calls for garlic powder and you have none, here are some other options:
~all-purpose seasoning with garlic as a base.
~crushed fresh garlic
~onion powder
These are only a few ideas. But the main key is to imagine how the entire recipe will taste, and know exactly how it will taste and smell before you cook it.
For ideas on spices of different countries, look up on your search engine “spices used in ___.”
Gluten-Free Flour Blends
You may wonder: “If I can’t use wheat, will my recipes work?”
I have a possible solution for you. Each flour blend will work in different climates and altitudes (for more information, see pg. 8 ). Experiment until you find the right consistency for your baked goods. Don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t turn out the first time! Use determination (with the Lord’s guidance) and you will succeed in your cooking! Use this section as a guide when you are converting wheat recipes into gluten free until you are confident in your gluten free cooking. Then, just have fun!
Increase or decrease to meet your needs.
Cake flour
2 3/4 cups sifted white rice flour
1/4 cup potato starch
Cookie flour:
(For oat cookies, always use rice flour for the flour part)
2 cups white rice flour (un-sifted) + ¼ cup potato starch
Bread flour:
Option 1:
Sift all of these together until flour mixture is very light:
3 cups white rice flour (non-glutinous, since glutinous rice flour makes things gummy)
1 cup corn starch
1/8 to 1/4 cup tapioca dextrin
1/8 cup potato starch
1/8 to 1/4 cup rice extract
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
Option 2:
Sift all together (this is for something that would be along the lines of whole grain bread):
3 cups sifted white rice flour
1 cup sifted brown rice flour
½ cup sifted sorghum flour
1 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup potato starch
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
If you need to, combine ideas. Be sure to have a good consistency and as easy to work with as possible. Gluten free bread is very tricky to make, so do not expect for it to turn out for the first time.
Quick Bread:
For Quick Bread, you will want the batter to be similar to muffin batter. Make sure you have plenty of leavening and balance. Don’t make it too light or too heavy.
1 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup brown rice flour
Biscuit flour:
Option 1:
1 1/4 cups white rice flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1/2 cup cornstarch
Option 2:
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup potato starch
Muffin flour:
Sweet muffin:
1 1/2 cup sifted white rice flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup potato starch
Oat muffin:
1 cup gluten free quick or regular oats
1 cup sifted white rice flour
Corn muffin:
1 cup cornmeal (preferably fine ground cornmeal)
1 cup white rice flour
Altitude Affects
Here are the basic things to look out for:
~In higher altitudes, 1,000+ feet, water will boil sooner, batters will generally be lighter and baked goods and stove cooked foods cook faster.
~In lower altitudes, -1,000 feet, it will take longer for things to cook and heat, and consistency of food will be heavier. More leavening will be needed (as well as patience).
Shopping and Meal Planning
There are two things to keep in mind when you go shopping:
Budget and Nutrition
If you are dealing with a tight budget, it is best to buy the healthy foods first—-at a discount store if possible.
The day before going shopping, write out a list of meals you would like to make over the next week or month. Then write your list based on the ingredients of your meals.
Shopping List:
Meats and other Proteins:
2-5 pound roast beef (lean for chopping)
2 pounds ground beef
2 pounds ground Italian sausage
3-4 pounds breakfast sausage
1 pound Salami
1 pound Pastrami
1 pound lunch meat ham
1 package Pepperoni
2 pounds beef stew meat
2 pounds bacon
3 pounds pork chops
1 small chicken for ciorba
Chicken pieces for 2 meals
1-2 pounds block cheese
4 pounds shredded cheese
2 dozen eggs
yogurt
Condiments, spreads and toppings:
Italian dressing
Garlic Ranch dressing
Mayonnaise
Mustard
Butter
Margarine
Jams
Peanut butter
Cinnamon
Dried rosemary
Dried basil
Dried oregano
Dried parsley
All-purpose seasoning
Paprika
Garlic powder
Salt
pepper
Baking stuff:
Flour OR
Gluten Free Oats
Rice flour
Potato Starch
Corn Starch
Krusteaz or Domata Gluten Free Flour
Yeast
Olive Oil
Corn or Vegetable Oil
Baking powder
Corn meal & flour
Sugar (white, brown and confectioners)
Produce:
Apples
Oranges
Bananas
Strawberries
Blueberries
Blackberries
Raspberries
Pineapple
Mango
Oranges
Grapes
Lemons
Potatoes
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Onions
Garlic
Bell peppers
Radishes
Cucumber
Olives
Carrots
Celery
Cabbage
Fresh basil, rosemary & parsley
Frozen spinach
Frozen green beans
Frozen broccoli
Frozen mixed vegetables
Frozen peas
Frozen strawberries, blueberries, peaches, mango
Starches:
Bakery fresh bread or gluten free bread
Oats
Elbow pasta
Penne(Pasta d’Oro makes excellent gluten free corn pasta—from Italy!)
Rice
Beverages:
Milk
Concord Grape juice
Soda pop
Coffee
Looking ahead:
If you hit a financial crunch, or even if you are going to have to be home longer than usual, it is always good to have canned goods and other basic foods on hand. So when you go shopping, buy some canned goods and basic foods if you can afford it. Here are some things to look for:
`Canned meat
`Canned beans
`Canned vegetables (tomatoes, mixed vegetables, etc.)
`Extra flour (this is not canned, but it’s good to have on hand; you will want to put it in an air-tight canister when you get home)
`Powdered milk or evaporated milk
`Protein drink
`Canned potatoes
`Extra uncooked rice (air-tight canisters)
`Canned stew
`Baking mixes (biscuit, pancake, muffin, etc.)[air-tight canisters]
`Powdered eggs (not entirely necessary, but it would be good for if you had no eggs)
`Oil
`Oatmeal (store in air-tight canister)
`Sugar (air-tight canister)
`Salt (air-tight canister)
`Bottled water
In your “shopping ahead,” be sure of these things:
That you are within your budget
That you have room for extra
That all the foods are not over the “best by” date (it is best to buy products that have several months to a year still on them if it is food you are putting aside.)
That you have airtight containers to store the non-canned goods in.
No matter if you are shopping ahead, or even if you are only shopping for the week or month, estimate how much money you will spend on the items on your list and compare it with your budget. Make sure that it does not exceed or dramatically deplete your money flow (you have to pay bills and taxes, too!).
Food Preservation
In America alone, over 60 million metric tons of food is wasted in one year.
(Read: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/26/us/food-waste-is-becoming-serious-economic-and-environmental-issue-report-says.html) Instead of freezing food or heating up the leftovers, hundreds of thousands of people throw the food into the trash can. Where does that food go after that? Landfills. To learn more about food waste, type into your search engine: 2015 statistics American food waste, and you will get a score of results. Also talking about this sinful food waste are these websites: http://blog.leanpath.com/st-norbert-college and http://www.sustainableamerica.org/blog/4-new-restaurants-rethink-food-waste/.
What can you do to contribute to preventing food waste?
Refrigerate/ Freeze your leftovers instead of dumping them into the trash
Eat your leftovers within one to two weeks after first cooking so that it does not become freezer burnt and unfit to eat.
Put your food away right away so it doesn’t collect bacteria that causes food poisoning
Go to your local grocery stores and restaurants and see how you can take their extra food that would be thrown away. (for ideas on how to do this, look at websites such as: http://www.stlfoodrescue.org/green-vision/)
Find the needy and the elderly and bless them with your extra food.
