Gelatin (made from animal bone marrow)
Milk
In baking use 1 cup soy milk or reconstituted from soy powder
On cereals use liquid soy, almond, or rice milk
To thicken soups use 1/2 cup rolled oats for every 3 cups of vegetables added in the last 15 minutes of cooking.
For custards and puddings use rice milk.
Yogurt
Use soft or silken tofu. Try the oriental varieties also.
Dairy cheese
Use soy cheese or almond cheese
Cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
Use tofu mashed up with a fork. Try adding veggie parmesan for a little added flavor
Eggs
Use Ener-G* Egg Replacer. Follow directions on package.
Use Egg Beaters* (contains egg whites.) Follow directions on package.
Use 1 heaping Tablespoon of soy flour or cornstarch plus 2 tablespoons of water to replace each egg in a baked product.
Use 1 ounce of mashed tofu in place of 1 egg.
For vegetarian loaves and burgers try adding tomato paste, mashed potatoes, or rolled oats to bind together ingredients.
In pancakes, cookies, cakes, vegetarian loaves, and burgers mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water, let set 1 or 2 minutes and add to your ingredients.
Sautéing in Oil or Butter
Use a non-stick pan for sautéing and/or steam frying
Place pan over medium high heat. Add liquid, bring to sizzle. Add vegetables and stir quickly. "Brown" food by allowing all the food to cook down until food begins to brown. Deglaze pan by adding a small amount of liquid after food is sufficiently cooked.
Use a small amount of good vegetable stock, plain water, red or white wine, apple juice, or sherry in a non-stick pan.
Greasing a baking sheet
Use cooking oil sprays-those with propellant added have less oil than those with simple pump bottles. "Lite" sprays offer less oil.
Use non-stick pans so you don't need to use as much oil.
Use cupcake papers to line muffin tins.
Use waxed paper or parchment paper to line baking sheets. Remember to peel wax paper off immediately after baking to keep it from sticking.
Hints for Low Fat Bakery Products
Replace fat in baked goods with unsweetened applesauce, pumpkin, squash, apricot, banana, prune purée (Baby food prunes are convenient. If recipe calls for 1/2 cup butter, use 1/4 cup purée instead), plum sauce, or cooked grated beets.
Instead of using a high-fat pie crust, try the Low Fat Pie Crust recipe. p 180
When baking without fat or less fat, its better to undercook rather than overcook. Fat makes foods moist. Also do not over mix muffins or cakes. Without the tenderizing effect of fat, muffins and cakes can be tough.
Oil laden Salad Dressings
Try one of the many commercially prepared fat free salad dressings available at any grocery store.
Try seasoned rice vinegar (milder than other vinegar), balsamic, raspberry, or tarragon vinegar.
Try reduced bean broth seasoned with herbs, tomato puree and prepared mustards.
Pureed bananas are good with fruit salads.
Try 'creamy like' salad dressings made from soft tofu.
Vegetables Cooked with Added Fat or Salt
For extra flavor add wine, lemon juice or flavored vinegars instead of fat or salt. Try adding sliced ginger, onions, peppercorns, bay leaves, fresh or dried herbs to steaming water.
Instead of adding oil to freshly cooked pasta to keep the strands from sticking together reserve 1/2 cup of cooking liquid from the pasta to moisten.
Instead of using processed salt use ground rock salt, salt free seasonings like 'Spike' or herb blends, sea vegetables like powdered kelp, dulse, miso, or tamari.
Instead of high sodium soy sauces try low sodium tamari or liquid aminos.
Instead of Worcestershire sauce use tamari sauce. It has a similar flavor et without the anchovies (fish). Or use vegan Worcestershire sauce or make your own. *********
1 cup brown or white sugar equals:
3/4 cup maple syrup, reduce liquid in recipe by 2 tablespoons for every 1 cup of sweetener.
3/4 cup honey, reduce liquid in recipe by 1/2 cup for every 1 cup of sweetener and set oven 25 degrees lower.
1/2 cup date sugar or molasses.
1 cup Sucanat
1 cup honey equals:
1-1/4 cup fruit sauce or brown rice syrup.
1 cup barley malt syrup or sorghum molasses.
3/4 cup maple syrup.
Stevia is a very sweet natural herb requiring very small amounts to sweeten foods or drinks. If you add too much it will add a bitter taste and may also have an unpleasant after taste. Use the chart below for stevia equivalents:
| Sugar | Powdered Stevia | Liquid Stevia |
| 1 cup= | 1 tsp powdered= | 1/2 tsp |
| 1 Tbs= | 1/8 tsp powdered= | 2-3 drops |
| 1 tsp= | 1/16 tsp= | 1-2 drops |
Try substituting honey sweet (dried honey), Herba-Sweet (a natural sweetener made from Low Han Fruit, considered a low glycemic fruit), or Wax Orchards Fruit Sweet ( a rich, highly concentrated natural blend of peach, pear and pineapple juices; sweeter than sugar or honey that keeps baked goods fresher longer. It has 30% fewer calories than sugar and is not associated with a rise in blood sugar.)
Instead of using Gelatin (made form animal bone marrow) try agar-agar, a dried seaweed derivative available granulated or flaked. It can be used to thicken sauces as well as a gelatin substitute in aspices or molded salads.
Snack Foods (high fat content)
Instead of high fat snack foods use non-fat tortilla chips, rice cakes, rice puffs, rye crisps, pretzels, or air blown popcorn. Try freezing your own grapes or making your own frozen juice bars.
email: info@vimlife.org
Vegetarians in Motion
Rockford, Illinois