The Crazy World of Substitution!

Hello again!
Today I wanted to do a post on substitutions. Why? Because we all substitute one ingredient for another now and then....or every day.
Me, I never follow a recipe the way it is written.
I substitute for a number of reasons.  The most common and important reason is to make your favourite recipes more healthy so that you can eat that chocolate cake and get something out of it such as fibre and not just guilt!
I also substitute if I do not have an ingredient (or can't afford to buy that ingredient!! or it isn't available in my area). This way I can still make the recipe, it will be slighlty different, not always in a bad way. Sometimes it comes out better!
The last reason I substitute is to make the recipe better.
Sometimes the recipe calls for raspberries but I rather use strawberries in a fruit crisp.
I am changing the recipe to suit my favourite foods and make it tatse better to me.

To make this delicious chocolate cake I used several substitutes not only to make it healthier but to make it taste better and add flavour.

Some of my fave substitutions (baking)

• I liked to sub sour cream in for part of the oil, not all. It makes cakes an muffins more moist and reduce the fat content. I use regular sour cream not low fat but give it a try as well.
• *  I actually do not like using apple sauce for oil, the texture of the cake/muffin is usually not very pleasant, maybe its me. any suggestions?
• sugar, I sometimes sub brown in for white, adds more flavour, I usually also cut down on the amount, I find most recipes are waaaay to sweet for my liking.
• I will sub nuts in for chocolate chips. Nuts have healthy fats, where chocolate chips have bad fats.
• I will sub whole wheat flour for white flour. I will also add a hanful of oats and some bran flakes as well. Usually I use 1/2 whole wheat 1/2 white flour or the texture is all wrong. This way you add fibre and taste! I do not reccomen using whole wheat for cakes, brownies can be made with whole wheat. Oats are good for anything!
• Bananas add moisture! sub in for part of oil or yogourt in a recipe. Careful bananas do add a banana flavour, but you wont taste it in chocolate cakes.
• I sometimes will only use egg whites instead of a full egg. Sometimes it makes a cake less dense and more fluffy, sometimes to cut down on calories in  a creamy pudding, I will use 1 whole egg and one or two egg whites instea of 3 whole eggs. Same in pancakes.
• If a recipe calls for low fat milk I will usually use 2% milk (thats what my parents buy) and add a little water to it. It's not making it low fat but diluting it. You cut down on some fat.
• I have never subbed anything in for butter/margarine in cookies, I strongly reccomend not using apple sauce or sour cream!! any subs that you readers use?

Cooking

• I like to cook my veggies in broth/bouillon instead of oil, it adds flavour and you do not have to add salt to the dish. The veggies keep their flavour this way! You wont burn them as easily either this way.
• Cream Soups-high in sodium and sometimes fat. For casseroles I  usually just use some water with bouillon or use broth and thicken with some flour. Simple and easy! Add cheese to make it creamy and any desire seasonings.
• I use low sodium  versions of sauces or seasonings. Cut down on salt, add spices to kick up the flavour!
• Fried food--> sometimes you can bake it instead. Fried tortillas-bake theyy become nice and cripy. Try oven baked fries or sweet potatoes. Lightly spray a little oil on fries and bake them.

These are only a few, but they are the ones I use a lot!! Most of them are very well known but there are always those who are afraid to try them (including me sometimes). I can honestly say-just try! They really work!

The recipes I post can be changed and altered the way you want and still turn out perfect and delicious that is why I post these recipes :)
We all have different nutritional needs and taste.
The recipes I post are usually based of another recipes using my substitutions and added ingredients.
Experiment, it makes cooking & baking so much more fun and exciting!

Happy Baking...and cooking!

JudyAngel101

Daily Nugetttt
Today is not a sunny day :( at least not at my house. But I will still go out for a short, 30 minute bike ride. Maybe the sun will come out later.

Do you substitute?? What is the main reason you do? What is your fave substitute or what do you sub most common??
Any weird substitutions?  I love to hear what you guys do! :)