Partnerships & Substitutions
The backbone of creativity in food preparation comes from bringing science into play with the understanding of how to effectively choose partnerships with flavors and textures, that will complement each other and create a delicious meal.
Learning substitution solutions go a long way in making time in the kitchen pleasurable, rather than discouraging.
As much as I love to cook and bake, I do not want to spend the majority of my day in the kitchen. I greatly appreciate the valuable tips and shortcuts I have learned over the years, that help me be more efficient with my time and resources.
There are times that I almost feel guilty for receiving high praise over a delicious meal, that only took 20 - 30 minutes of my time to put together - almost.
As my daughter, Sasha, knows all too well about me, I do not want to endure feeling like I am competing in the Great British Bake Off show with all the fussing and intricacies involved. I just want to enjoy a smooth rhythm process with a tasty finale.
So, I thought I would share with you the partnerships that will make food preparation more enjoyable and enable you to produce a finer quality meal, as well as, the substitutions that will make it easier for you.
My nose actually leads the way in my endeavors, even though a cook will obviously rely on sight and taste as well, to accomplish their goal.
For example, to make a delicious meatloaf -which by the way, is a meal that one can really bump up the nutrition level on (unbeknownst to the diners) - requires being able to achieve the flavor, by smelling, rather than tasting, because it's raw and you wouldn't want to taste it raw, nor would that have the correct flavor that will result when it is completely baked.
So, smell is the key to tell if all the ingredients and their proper proportions have come together correctly.
And since we are on the subject of meatloaf, here are some substitutions to use instead of bread crumbs, as well as, adding more flavor and boosting the nutrition level: ground flax, chia seeds, soaked or cooked oats, cooked lentils, cooked quinoa, cooked rice, cooked millet, corn bread crumbles, biscuit or muffin crumbles, mashed beans, and parmesan cheese (asiago and romano also). Combine several together :)
If you need to, add an extra egg, but not with the oats or beans.
If you want to add a little extra flair of flavor, then place half of the meatloaf into the pan and add a layer of cheese (goat or feta), and then add the rest of the meatloaf on top, making sure to seal it down around the cheese to the bottom layer of meatloaf.
* NO KETCHUP *
Use seasoned tomato paste or blended fire-roasted tomatoes on top.
The first partnership that I use in the majority of my cooking is onions and bell peppers. I use them as a kind of base, as their flavors work well together.
Sauces/Dressings/Marianades:
These need a balance between sweet and sour, so a vinegar of
choice and a sweetener of choice need to be used for the base and
then work from there with the seasonings and textures.
Choosing according to whether the recipe will be cooked or not also
needs to be considered, such as using raw honey for dressings that
won't be cooked, so one acquires the health benefits and using
coconut sugar or maple syrup for something cooked or baked.
Keep the texture in mind, such as in a sauce, coconut sugar will
create a thicker result, compared to maple syrup or agave.
No Ketchup:
I'm not too friendly towards ketchup for two reasons. One, is that
the majority available is very unhealthy and two, is that it is used in
such a way to cover and dominate over all the other flavors of the
food.
It's only allowed to hit our table when we have burgers and morning
hash browns. Sometimes we use it with baked fries, but even with
those, I would much rather have the seasoned flavors of garlic,
smoked paprika, and salt come through, than ketchup.
Simply using tomato paste with the usual assortment of seasonings,
vinegar and sweetener will give a great bbq or similar sauce with
no ketchup needed. Use a reduction method of letting it simmer
to become thicker and deepen the flavor.
Roux or Cornstarch (or Arrowroot):
A roux is usually used in the beginning process for creamed gravies
or stews, but if you find that you have made a stew that is not thick
enough, then using a fork, mash together some butter and flour on
a plate and then stir this into the stew. It will thicken up without
any lumps.
There are times, that using this method will change the flavor too
much and may produce a floured taste, such as in a stock gravy, so
in that case, use a cornstarch or arrowroot slurry.
Sour options:
Most of the time in a recipe, sour cream and yogurt can be
interchangeable. Even ricotta can be substituted at times for
these in recipes for muffins, biscuits, breads, and even cakes.
You can also use these in place of buttermilk by just adding some
additional water.
Substitute milk with a dollop of vinegar for buttermilk.
Leavenings:
Baking soda needs an acid to activate a reaction. This occurs
immediately on contact.
Baking powder does contain about one-third baking soda and
several other ingredients. Double-acting baking powder creates
the first leavening when it becomes wet and the second leavening
when heated.
Baking powder can be substituted for baking soda, although more
would be needed and thus, it would affect the flavor.
Baking soda cannot be substituted for baking powder because
if you were to try to do this where no acidic ingredient is present,
there will be no release of gas and there will be no rise.
But you can make your own baking powder by combining two parts
of creme of tartar with one part baking soda. Use immediately.
Note: you cannot prepare batters ahead of time to bake later,
because the baking powder has already been activated.
Tip for biscuits: Use buttermilk or milk with vinegar and make a
wetter dough to get taller biscuits. Use both, baking soda - needed
to react with the acid, and baking powder - to create the right
amount of lift.
Seasonings/Spices basics:
Cucumbers/Slaws - caraway, coriander, celery seed
Fish - dill, chives, lemon pepper, white pepper, coriander, ginger,
garlic
Chicken - sage, thyme, rosemary, lemon pepper, garlic
Beef - Smoked paprika, lemon pepper, allspice, garlic
Lamb - rosemary, thyme, sage, mint, lemon pepper, garlic
Italian theme - basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, garlic,
lemon pepper
Mexican theme - cumin, coriander, garlic, chili peppers, cilantro,
lime
Indian theme - garam masala, curry, turmeric, garlic, ginger, black
pepper
Asian theme - ginger, garlic, lemon pepper, coriander, cilantro
Coconut milk:
Coconut milk can be used as a dairy substitute in most recipes.
I make gravies, soups, stews, pies, and even quiche with coconut
milk and there is no difference in flavor - it is undetectable.
Not that I dislike the flavor of coconut milk, for I actually love it,
but I have experimented to see how much versatility I have in using
it. My biggest surprise was the quiche - no one could tell.
This & That:
1. 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate = 3 tbsp. cacao + 1 tbsp. butter
or coconut oil
2. When baking a chocolate cake, use cacao to dust the pans,
instead of flour.
3. Lemon zest = lemon extract
4. Cherries go well with almond extract
5. Jelly will work many times, in place of going to the effort of
making fruit compote. It also adds good flavor to sauces paired
with meat.
6. Instead of buying various sauces (that have so much
questionable ingredients) for fish or poultry patties or sandwiches,
use this simple tasty one: mayonnaise + mustard + dollop of raw
honey.
7. Don't use steak sauce. Rely on the seasonings - smoked paprika,
garlic powder, lemon pepper, and allspice are some good options.
8. Frosting - instead of powdered sugar, use either a cream cheese
or Ermine frosting with healthier sweetener choices, like honey
and coconut sugar.
9. Bread doughs - use potato water or even mashed potatoes for
a softer texture. Soaked or cooked oats also helps with this.
10. Cheesecake - sugary cookie crumbs or graham cracker crumbs
can be replaced with a basic streusel recipe made with coconut
sugar and is much healthier for you.
I hope this was beneficial to you. My goal is to help provide the
information that you need to make wise lifestyle choices.
Ramona