Healthy Substitutions

At That's Vegetarian we are encouraging healthy eating and one way is to incorporate one vegetarian meal a week. Another way is to use substitutions to lower the fat and cholesterol in recipes.

Here is a list of some common that you can substitute with healthier and/or vegan alternatives.

Calls For	Substitution
Beer (1c)	Mushroom stock for heavy beer (1c) Non alcoholic beer (1c) Vegetable stock or ginger ale for lighter beer (1c)
Butter (1c)	Avocado (1c) (In baked goods, substitute 1/2 the amount of butter, plus reduce temperature by 25% and Increase baking time)** Margarine (1c) Vegan butter (1c) Vegetable oil (3/4c)
Buttermilk (1c)	Soymilk (1c) + lemon juice (2T), let sit 5 minutes
Egg (1) Leavening	Apple cider vinegar (1T) + Warm Water (1T) Baking powder (1T) + Oil (1T) + Warm water (1T) Baking powder (1T) Soymilk (1/4c) + Lemon juice (1T)
Egg (1) Binding	Applesauce, pureed banana, squash or pumpkin (1/4c) Avocado (2T – 1/4c) (Good for custards) Ground flax seed (1T) + Water (1/4c), let sit for 5 minutes. Pureed tofu (3T) + Cornstarch (2T) (Good for quiches and custard pies.)
Gelatin – powdered (1T)***	Agar-agar  (2t) (Seaweed)  (See package for instructions) Arrowroot (Tuber)                                       Carrageen (Seaweed) Guar gum (from East Indian seed)             Kudzu (Tuber) Pectin (Plant walls)                                     Xanthan gum (from corn)
Ground Beef (4oz)	Tofu (4oz) – frozen then thawed, squeeze water out and crumble
Heavy Cream (1c)	Evaporated milk (1c)
Mayonnaise (1t)	Avocado (1t)
Milk – Whole (1c)	Fat-free/nonfat/skim milk (1c) + unsaturated oil such as safflower or canola (1T)
Milk (1c)	Soy, almond, or coconut milk (1c)
Oil (1c)	Applesauce/fruit puree (1c)
Ricotta cheese (1c)	Mashed soft or silken tofu (1c) + lemon juice (1/4t)
Sour cream	Avocado                         Fat free sour cream or plain yogurt
Sugar	In most recipes, you can reduce the sugar by 25% with minimal effect. Add fruit – banana, raisins, cranberries, apple sauce, and prunes for a more natural source of sweetness.  Use fruit zest or vanilla for extra flavor. Stevia or Splenda (Follow the instructions on the package) Honey               Molasses             Brown Sugar
Wine (1c)	Fruit juice mixed (1c) + 2 t vinegar                   Non alcoholic wine (1c) Vegetable or mushroom broth (1c)                   Water (1c)

Read more:

**http://www.californiaavocadosdirect.com/13/use-avocado-as-a-healthy-butter-substitute.aspx

***Follow the instructions on the package.  This link helps guide which substitution you should use based upon what you are creating: http://www.wikihow.com/Find-Gelatin-Substitutes-for-Vegetarians

http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2009/05/vegan-g-free-baking-cheat-sheet.html#ixzz1jUEPUtTH

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/resources/ingredient_sub_list/

http://allrecipes.com/howto/common-ingredient-substitutions/

http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-cooking/vegan-baking-substitutions.php

http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blalcohol6.htm

http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/low-sugar-baking-tips.htm

Healthier and Vegetarian Substitutions for Cooking and Baking Printable Sheet

Cheese Stuffed Fakin' Wrapped Dates

First and foremost, thank you for your support.  It's time to be thankful and show our appreciation.  What better way than to one, say it, and two, make some yummy food.  Here is a creative appetizer for the holiday season. I had this at a restaurant, came home and figured out how to make my version of Fakin' Wrapped Cheese Stuffed Dates. It was a simple appetizer to create an ohhhhh sooooo tasty!!!!!!!!!!!!

The easy part is which fakin’ to use. Morningstar Breakfast Strips are my favorite meat substitute. I do try to limit the amount of processed food but I just can’t forgo this one. The strips do contain dairy byproducts and most “veggie” cheeses also contain dairy byproducts. That makes it difficult to make this a vegan dish. You can check out other “fakin’” products but can’t say I like the way they taste.

Then it gets increasingly challenging. Which cheese? I did a taste test with sharp and medium cheddar, Brie, Gorgonzola, pepper jack, and Parmesan. The sharper the better for my taste, but use whichever you prefer. (See note above about “veggie” cheeses.)

Lastly, the dates. An old Arabic legend tells of the Date palm's creation: "After God had finished molding Man from Earth; He took the remaining material and shaped it into a date palm which he placed in the Garden of Paradise". * Dates are full of vitamins and minerals including manganese, potassium and copper. They are a heart healthy food. It is the only naturally dried fruit. There are hundreds if not thousands of types of dates. The most common are Medjool, deglet noor, and honey dates. I have had them all, ahem those three, and they are yummy!!!

Putting all of these ingredients together creates a savory, sweet, salty, creamy, smokey taste of heaven. Visit That's Vegetarian's website, blog , and YouTube channel for more information, videos, and recipes!!  You'll find yourself saying "That's Vegetarian?!"  

Fakin’ Wrapped Cheese Stuffed Dates

10 Dates

10 Strips of Morningstar Breakfast Strips (aka Fakin’)

A few ounces of Cheese of choice (I prefer Gorgonzola or Parmesan)

Preheat oven to 350F.  Cut dates in half lengthwise.  Remove pit if there is one. Stuff with sliver of cheese.  Wrap with 1/2 Morningstar Breakfast Strip.  Stick with toothpick to keep strips in place.  Place on parchment paper or silicon-coated pan. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.  Enjoy hot or room temperature.

Prep time: 15 min 
Cook time:  15 min
Serves 5, 2 each
Difficulty level: Easy
(5pp)
Fakin' Wrapped Cheese Stuffed Dates Printable Recipe