An Edible Mosaic™

Everyday Fare With Extraordinary Flair

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Home » Ingredient Substitutions

Ingredient Substitutions

May 25, 2010 by Faith 35 Comments

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve been inspired to try a new recipe only to realize that I’m missing a key ingredient (or worse yet, when I’ve already started cooking and mid-meal I realize I don’t have everything I need).  Of course, a trip to the market would fix that, but if you can utilize other ingredients that you already have on hand, it’s even better.  Some substitutions that I make are to use what I have on hand, but I make other substitutions to healthy things up a little.  Next time you’re in the kitchen and you realize you don’t have an ingredient, check to see if there’s a substitution before you had off to the grocery. 

(I don’t discuss spices in this post; for information on spices blends and spice substitutions, see here.) 

  • Salt (on finished dishes):  Fresh squeezed lime juice or fresh minced parsley
  • Dried Bread Crumbs:  Crushed potato chips, pretzels, tortilla chips, crackers, or cereal; coarsely ground oatmeal

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  • Mayo:  Sour cream or plain Greek-style yogurt
  • Ricotta Cheese:  Pureed dry cottage cheese
  • Mascarpone Cheese:  Neufchatel cheese or cream cheese

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  • Half and Half:  Equal parts heavy cream and whole milk
  • Cream:  3/4 c whole milk + 1/4 c butter = 1 c cream
  • Buttermilk:  1 c milk (low fat is fine) left to sit with either 2 tsp lemon juice or 1 tsp vinegar = 1 c buttermilk; or plain yogurt (1:1, buttermilk to yogurt)
  • Beer or Wine (in soups, stews, and braised dishes):  Broth or water

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  • Broth:  1 bouillon cube + 1 c boiling water = 1 c broth
  • Dried Lemon Zest:  Pinch nutmeg
  • Leek:  Scallion or chive

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  • Shallot:  1 clove garlic, 1 small onion
  • Egg:  1 TB ground flax seed soaked in 3 TB water = 1 egg
  • Cornstarch:  Arrowroot (1:1, cornstarch to arrowroot) or flour (2:1, cornstarch to flour)
  • Baking Powder:  1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp cream of tartar = 1 tsp baking powder
  • Self-Rising Flour:  1 c all-purpose flour + 1 1/2 tsp baking powder + 1/2 tsp salt = 1 c self-rising flour
  • Brown Sugar:  1 c white sugar + 1-2 TB molasses = 1 c brown sugar

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  • Powdered (Confectioners) Sugar:  1 c white sugar processed with 2 TB cornstarch until it becomes powdery
  • Honey:  Maple syrup or agave nectar

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  • Corn Syrup:  Honey or golden syrup
  • Unsweetened Baking Chocolate:  3 TB unsweetened cocoa powder + 1 TB vegetable oil or shortening = 1 oz unsweetened chocolate

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  • Oil (in baked goods):  Applesauce, apple butter, mashed banana, pureed avocado, pureed pumpkin, or yogurt
Hello and welcome to An Edible Mosaic! This is my recipe collection of international favorites and updated American classics with an emphasis on seasonal dishes. Here you’ll find a focus on real foods that sustain body and mind, bring people together, and make a house a home.

 

Affiliate Disclosure

An Edible Mosaic is monetized in part though affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you click on an affiliate link and/or purchase an item after clicking on an affiliate link, I may receive a percentage of the sales price. I only recommend products that I love and use. To learn more, please read my Privacy Policy.

meet faith

I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to email me with questions or comments.

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affiliate disclosure

An Edible Mosaic is monetized in part though affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you click on an affiliate link and/or purchase an item after clicking on an affiliate link, I may receive a percentage of the sales price. I only recommend products that I love and use. To learn more, please read my Privacy Policy.

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