Let’s face it, we’ve all run out of an ingredient mid-recipe. Or better yet we’re half way through a recipe and realize we don’t have an ingredient it calls for. So then what? Do you stop what you’re doing and head back to the store or perhaps beg your better half to do it. Or better yet, do you omit it completely? Should you though? What if that 1/2 teaspoon is what truly makes the dish? Yeah this has happened to me several times. The worst was probably when I was in the middle of a complicated recipe and I needed star anise. I couldn’t leave the house because the other stuff would burn so I begged Mr. Fantabulous to go to the store to get me some. Now normally it wouldn’t be a big deal IF we didn’t live in the middle of countrybumpkinville where the grocery store was 30 minutes away. But he loves me and made the trek to get it. 45 minutes later he called me furious. The store didn’t carry it better yet they never even heard of it. Yeah, he was NOT happy at all. Let’s just say I spent that evening in the dog house. He wasn’t so much mad at me but more so of where we live. So that’s when I started making lists of ingredient substitutions. On this week’s edition of Tuesday’s Tip with The Kitchen Whisperer I’m sharing with you even more Recipe Substitutions
Anise Seed – fennel seed or a few drops of anise extract
Baking powder – For 1 teaspoon baking powder, mix together 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar plus 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Bread Flour – Learn how to make your own!
Brown Sugar – Learn how to make your own!!!
Buttermilk – Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to 1 cup of milk and let sit for 5 minutes.
Cake Flour – Learn how to make your own!
Cilantro – I get asked this a lot as either you love cilantro or you hate it. You can use taragon or parsley in its place however it’s not the same taste.
Cornstarch – use 2 tablespoon AP Flour when you need cornstarch for thickening
Cream Cheese – For full fat cream cheese use strained full fat ricotta then whip it to a creamy consistency.
Egg – For a daily free vegetarian/vegan method combine 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoon water to replace 1 egg
Evaporated Milk – To make 1 cup evaporated milk place 2 1/4 cups whole milk in a small pot and simmer until it’s reduced to 1 cup
Gluten Free All Purpose Flour – Learn how to make your own!
Milk – To make 1 cup of milk mix together 1/2 cup evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup water or 1 cup water plus 1/3 cup nonfat dry milk powder
Red Wine – For 1 cup red wine, substitute 1 cup beef or chicken broth or cranberry juice in savory recipes or 1 cup cranberry juice in desserts.
Self-Rising Flour – Learn how to make your own!
Soy sauce – For 1/2 cup soy sauce, substitute 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce mixed with 1 tablespoon water
Thai seasoning – For 1 tablespoon of Thai seasoning, mix together 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon onion powder.
Tomato Sauce – For 2 cups of tomato sauce mix together 3/4 cup tomato paste plus 1 cup water
White Wine – For 1 cup white wine, substitute 1 cup chicken broth in savory recipes or 1 cup apple juice or white grape juice in desserts.
Yeast – For 1.06-ounce compressed cake, substitute 1/4-ounce envelope active dry yeast.
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