Month: March 2012

Substitutions:  This is a common category, chapter or appendix for a cookbook, isn’t it?  I figure I had better add this in too since I’m compiling a cookbook of sorts on this blog. I’m not going to add the typical list, but a modified version.Oftentimes I feel like I’m running out of something needed for a recipe or am looking for a natural substitutions in a traditional recipe.  I know there are TONS out there, but these are my favorite or most commonly used:

1. Baking Power = 1 part baking soda, 1 part cream of tarter and 2 parts arrowroot. I JUST found this at Deliciously Organic and I’ll never be purchasing Baking Powder again!  There is also the aluminum and possibilities of grains in baking power that can be easily avoided this way!  How simple and easy!  All ingredients are things that I usually have on hand!
2. Bread Crumbs = unsweetened coconut
3. 15oz can of beans = ⅔ cups dried beans soaked and cooked
4. 1 Egg = 1 TBSP powdered flax seeds soaked in 3 TBSP water OR 2 TBS arrowroot powder OR ½  banana and ½ tsp baking powder.  All work equally well for me!
5. Heavy Cream (for baking) = ¾ cup milk and ⅓ cup butter
6. 1 Clove Fresh Garlic  = ⅛ tsp garlic powder
7. 1 Tsp Chopped Fresh Ginger  = ½ dried ground ginger
8. 1 Cup Butter Milk = 1 TBSP lemon juice with enough milk to make 1 cup:  Then let sit about 5 minutes until thick and clumpy

Sugar substitutions are a little harder.  Here are the basics that I usually stick to.  They are in regards to sweetness.  If baking something it’s a little harder to figure out.  Make sure the liquid/dry ingredient ratio still stays about the same or is compensated in another way.

1. 1 cup white sugar = ½ cup honey (if using in baking, remove 8 TBSP of liquid for each ½ cup of honey used in the recipe)
2. 1 cup xylitol = 1 cup white sugar (approximately the same sweetness and volume – it’s an easy substitute!)
3. Stevia – Here is a great conversion chart I found.  It has all the different forms of stevia.  I don’t use much stevia because I don’t like the bitter aftertaste.  Although… I just found a recommendation that the brand Stevita doesn’t have the bitterness because it is 95% pure instead of most brands which have fillers and are only 50-85% pure.  I plan on giving it a try and will offer a full report!

Also, just a little note on Honey.  Hubby is not supposed to be eating any processed/cane/white sugar.  Mainly because of the glycemic index, but also for the other negative effects of sugar in general.  Occasionally I do find the need to have a little something sweet and typically use either stevia or honey.  Someone recently told me “Honey does NOT have a low glycemic index, what are you thinking?!?!”  So I did a little research, and we are both right!  The glycemic index of stevia is 0 and white table sugar is 80 just as a reference range.  We get raw honey from a local honey farm and the average index is 40, however, for pasteurized honey it sky rockets to 75, just slightly better than regular sugar!  Just wanted to put that out there for those interested.

I also stumbled across a fabulous post about different sugars and a short summary of each.  There is also a great table for listing the glycemic index of each.  This was posted on Organic Lifestyle Magazine’s blog .  Take a look if you are interested!

PLEASE let me know if you have any equivalencies or substitutions to add!  I’d LOVE to hear!