Allergic to Eggs? These 3 Webpages Provide Info About Egg Substitutions

Vegans and those with egg allergies may think that certain foods are off limits, but thanks to egg substitutes, you can still enjoy things like cakes, breads, and other baked goods. These helpful websites are full of tips for using egg substitutes to help you create egg-free dishes that taste just as good as the originals.

PETA
Though this website is tailored toward vegans, its tips are helpful for anyone who wants to remove eggs from their diet. The Egg Replacements page features information about all of the different types of egg substitutes, including silken tofu, potato starch, ground flax seed, and canned pumpkin. There’s also a list full of tips about egg substitutions.

The Kitchn
The Kitchn’s Vegan Egg Substitutes page helps you to choose the perfect egg substitute for any dish. It offers full descriptions of everything from tofu to applesauce, and it also provides information about the best brands of commercial egg replacers.

About.com
The vegetarian section of About.com is a wonderful resource to learn more about egg substitutes. It answers readers’ most pressing questions about cooking without eggs, and it also describes which egg substitutes work best in different types of recipes.

Savory Meets Sweet in These Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes

If you think that sweet stuffings are too sweet and savory stuffings are too savory, a blend of the two flavors may be just the thing to perfect this Thanksgiving side. Here are a few sweet and savory stuffing recipes that will appeal to even the pickiest dinner guests.

Awesome Sausage, Apple and Cranberry Stuffing [allrecipes.com]
The combination of savory sausage with sweet, seasonal fruits brings out maximum flavor in this tasty stuffing recipe. Best of all, the recipe yields enough stuffing to fill a 10-pound turkey, and it’s very easy to double if you’re expecting more guests.

Dried Fruit and Nut Cornbread Dressing [marthastewart.com]
Few foods feel more like fall than the mixture of dried fruits and nuts, and although these ingredients are normally found in desserts, they offer an unexpectedly sweet crunch in this dressing. By using a hearty cornbread instead of the usual breadcrumbs, this dish also takes on a uniquely rustic taste.

Ciabatta Stuffing with Chestnuts and Raisins [myrecipes.com]
If you prefer your stuffing to be positively filled with flavor, this recipe certainly won’t disappoint. Fresh herbs like parsley, rosemary and sage make it less bland than most, while autumnal chestnuts and sweet raisins add even more unique flavor.

If You’re Running Low on Eggs or Vinegar, Try These Substitutes Instead

When you’re running short on ingredients, you might have to get creative in the kitchen. There are a few well-known replacements for some common ingredients if you don't have everything you need on-hand. Here are four cooking substitutes for when you're in a pinch in the kitchen.

  1. If you're missing eggs: It might seem impossible to replace this unique ingredient, but you can do so with half a banana mashed with 1/2-teaspoon baking powder.
  2. If you're missing mayonnaise: If you’re whipping up a summer salad and find you're short on this condiment, substitute one cup of sour cream, yogurt or cottage cheese pureed in a blender for one cup of mayo.
  3. If you're missing vinegar: Don’t give up if you're running low and the recipe calls for 1/4 cup of white vinegar. You can use 1/4-cup of apple cider vinegar or 1/3-cup freshly squeezed lemon juice instead.
  4. If you're missing soy sauce: You won’t have to stop in the middle of your stir-fry to run out and by more soy sauce. Just use four tablespoons Worcestershire sauce mixed with one tablespoon water.

Top 3 Ingredient Substitutions [All Recipes]
Ingredient Substitutions [University of Nebraska]
Baking Ingredient Substitution Table [Joys of Baking]

Seeking Healthy Dessert Recipes? These Pinterest Boards Are for You!

If you have a major sweet tooth that just can’t be contained, you’re likely always looking for delicious recipes that aren’t too much of an indulgence. Pinterest is a great resource for discovering new, healthy dessert recipes, as the online bulletin board’s thousands of recipes contain quite a few sinfully sweet dishes that you’ll love to try. Browse these Pinterest boards filled with Paleo, gluten-free, or just low-fat dessert recipes and get to pinning your own.

Ripped Recipes
The Ripped Recipes dessert board isn’t just filled with delicious desserts; it’s actually filled with desserts that won’t ruin your diet. Each of these recipes is made with protein-rich ingredients, sugar substitutes, and all natural, nutritious foods combined in such a way that they taste just as decadent as your favorite chocolate cake. Browse single serving chocolate chip cookies, birthday cake protein pancakes, and hundreds of other deceivingly healthy dessert recipes from Ripped Recipes.

Healthy Recipes
If you want to indulge without going overboard, you’ll love the artfully photographed recipes on Healthy Recipes’ dessert board. Many of these recipes adhere to vegan or gluten-free restrictions, but they’re still all downright delicious. Just click on the photos and you’ll be redirected to the simple recipe instructions on the Healthy Recipes website.

You Might Be Surprised That These Common Foods Are High in Sugar

Some foods are obviously high in sugar, such as cakes, sodas, and ice cream. But did you know that there are sneaky high-sugar foods that may be sabotaging your diet without you even knowing it? Here are a few foods that are surprisingly high in sugar.

  1. Fat-free yogurts. Sure, fat-free yogurts don’t contain fat, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re low in sugar, too! In fact, the majority of low-fat and fat-free yogurts overcompensate by adding quite a bit of sugar to sweeten up the taste. Be sure to check the label on your favorite sweet side, because some 0% yogurts can contain as many as 20 grams of sugar.
  2. Marinara sauce. Marinara sauce is often viewed as a healthy alternative to creamy Alfredo sauces, but this savory pasta topping can be packed full of sugars. Beware of store bought cans and jars especially, as they’re the most common culprits.
  3. Bread. Even supposedly healthy breads, like whole grain and wheat, can contain about three grams of sugar per slice. Processed breads are usually much higher in sugars than freshly baked options, so opt for a loaf from the bakery or a sprouted wheat bread from the health food store.

6 Surprising Sources of Sugar [Eating Well]
6 Hidden Sugar Mines in Your Diet [Next Avenue]
Sugar: Five Foods Surprisingly High in Sugar [BBC]

Culinary Terms for Gourmet Recipes

It’s fun to try new recipes in the kitchen, but that fancy new dish may involve a few cooking techniques that make you scratch your head. Here are a few helpful definitions of some kitchen terms that you might encounter in a gourmet-style recipe.

  1. Crème Fraiche. Crème fraiche is a sort of sauce with a tangy, sharp flavor. You can purchase it in most high end grocery stores, or you can make your own using 1/2 cup of whipping cream and 1/2 cup of sour cream. Cover the mixture and let it sit for at least two hours to thicken.
  2. Fillet. If the word is used as a verb, fillet means to remove the bones from meats like steak or fish. As a noun, this is the piece of meat after the bones have already been removed.
  3. Glaze. A glaze is a thin coat of sugar syrup that’s applied before cooking. After cooking, the glaze turns to a hard finish that’s almost to the point of cracking.
  4. Gratin. Gratin is literally the French word for “crust.” This is usually used for oven-baked savory dishes, which are prepared in a shallow, oval-shaped gratin dish and covered with a browned crust of breadcrumbs or cheese.

Glossary of Basic Cooking Terms [Les Petites Gourmettes]
Cooking Terms [Recipe Goldmine]
Glossary of Cooking Terms [UMN]
Glossary of Cooking Terms [Better Homes & Gardens]
Culinary Terms [About.com]

Cooking, Decoded: Memorize These Common Recipe Terms

No matter how experienced you are in the kitchen, there will come a day when you find yourself stumped by the terminology in a recipe. Memorize these three terms so that your next cooking session goes off without a hitch.

Al Dente
We've all come across this term when cooking pasta, but what does it mean? In Italian, al dente translates to "to the tooth." Pasta cooked al dente should retain a slight resistance when chewed, as opposed to being soft.

Simple Syrup
Any mixologist worth his salt is familiar with this one. Commonly used to sweeten cocktails, simple syrup is a homogenous mixture of equal parts water and white sugar. The process for making simple syrup is, well, simple: Combine the two ingredients in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil to create a syrup.

Clarified Butter
A common accompaniment to fresh seafood, clarified butter is the liquid that remains when milk solids are removed from butter. To make clarified butter, melt unsalted butter in a saucepan over low heat. Once melted, remove the butter from the heat and allow it to sit for five minutes. Skim any foam from the top of the butter, then slowly pour the liquid butter into a container, leaving the white milk solids behind in the saucepan.

Cooking Terms [Recipe Goldmine]
The Basic Kitchen: Glossary of Cooking Terms [Les Petites Gourmettes]
Glossary of Cooking Terms [BHG]
Glossary of Cooking Terms [Cookery]

Public Domain/Photos-Public-Domain

Healthy Brunch Recipes to Try this Weekend

On the weekend, you have more time to cook a big breakfast — or brunch! If you and your friends or family enjoy having a late, leisurely brunch, these healthy recipes make delightful options:

Baked French Toast Fritters With Apples and Bananas
The addition of fruit makes this recipe the perfect combination of nutritious and decadent. Using whole-wheat bread instead of carb-heavy white helps you stay on track with your diet, while peanut butter and fruits are sweet substitutes for the usual maple syrup.

Pita Pizzas
For those who enjoy a more savory taste for brunch, these pita pizzas are fast, simple to make, and incredibly tasty. Using grilled chicken, whole-wheat pitas and a few other common ingredients, you can create a filling meal that guests of all ages will love.

Tuna and Avocado Cobb Salad
Avocado is a nice addition to just about any brunch dish, and this Cobb salad combines it with protein-rich tuna for a fresh, healthy meal.  The usual heavy Cobb dressing gets a makeover with lemon, lime, honey and olive oil, and the whole thing equals just 224 calories.

To browse even more healthy brunch recipes, visit the NIH website here.

Satisfying Sips: Homemade Sangria

If you're looking for a fun beverage for your next dinner party or celebration, there's no better sip than a glass of chilled Sangria. This easy-to-make recipe makes one large pitcher of tasty, refreshing Sangria, certain to please everyone's palate.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1 bottle of red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Rioja reds, Zinfandel, Shiraz all work well)
1 lemon cut into wedges
1 orange cut into wedges
1 peach cut into wedges
2 tbsp sugar
1 shot brandy
2 cups ginger ale or club soda

Preparation:

Pour wine in the pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the lemon and orange into the wine. Add in all the citrus and peach wedges (leaving out seeds if possible), and mix in the sugar and brandy. If possible, chill overnight to allow the flavors to meld.

Add in the ginger ale or club soda just before serving to add some extra fizz. (If you'd like to serve right away, use chilled red wine and serve over lots of ice.)

Cheers!

Recipe courtesy of About.com

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