It's A Substitute!
Ingredients are really important right now with the Coronavirus (Covid19) keeping a lot of us away from the shops.
Let’s be clear here, there’s enough food and toilet paper out there for everyone , but there seems to be an inordinate amount of toilet paper hoarders out there too! What are you guys doing with it all?
I’m quite lucky, and haven’t had to visit the shops very much over the last couple of days. With a pantry that is probably the envy of my local village shop; which according to the long timers of the place has everything you need , just not when you need it.
If things get too bad financially, i can set up a small stall at the end of my drive
As you can see, my food cupboards, not the tidiest of places. No matter how much time I spend organising, cleaning shelves and bottle tops, it always seems to end up exactly as it looked before I wasted my daylight hours on it, especially the overfilled and often sticky herb and spice cupboard.
Spice cupboard, invaluable.
Herbs and spices are a must in my profession, so i’ve always go my eyes on high alert for that one that will make a difference to a dish. Mostly this means that i re-buy the ones I’ve already got.
Only the 1, 2, 3 pots of whole black peppercorns tucked away in the back of the cupboard. My Mum always told me you can never have too many pairs of knickers or black pepper.
Unless you do what i do, or have a shopping obsession for dried herbs and spices, (probably a dedicated website for that) your store cupboard may not be as topped up as the ones in my pictures. Hence my need to share with you some food ingredient substitutes you can make when your cooking, can’t find what your looking for, or just cant or don’t want to brave the shops right now.
What I’m really trying to help with is getting people back in the habit of cooking from scratch, if not doing it already.
The first tip I’d give when thinking about substituting ingredients is to check out some vegan recipes.
Yes, that’s what I said, vegan recipes!
Vegan recipes are a great way to find substitute’s for dairy ingredients. So, if you’ve no eggs, butter or cheese for your dish, go on line, find a great vegan cook and see what they’re using.
With a son who is vegan, I’m used to finding substitute ingredients. Using apple sauce instead of eggs may seem a little unusual at first, but you’ll get used to how it works very quickly.
Pies are always a great thing to cook when ingredients are in short supply. As long as you’ve a really easy recipe for the pastry you’re good to go (You’ll find a great one if you keep reading).
It’s amazing how much extra flavour you can add to your pastry by just adding some dried herbs or spices to it. I always seem to come right back to those!
Plus, for the filling, you can use anything that you’ve got in your pantry, freezer or fridge. Vegetarian or meat, it doesn’t matter if you’re willing to use your imagination when cooking it.
For a lot of savoury pie fillings, making a roux sauce to bring them all together is a good way to mingle all of flavours and usually gives just the right amount of time to think of other things to use to add flavours.
No Judging me on the state of my Pantry !
No butter? Use vegetable oil.
No milk or stock? Use packet soup to add flavour or an OXO cube mixed with boiling water.
No salt or pepper? Look into your cupboard and choose another form of seasoning to ramp up the flavours. What about a curry flavoured filling?
Or adding horseradish from a jar can make a pie made with leftover vegetables seem like a treat.
I’ve put together a quick guide of substitutes you’ll want to look at when you’re cooking from scratch. Definitely not definitive, but check it out any way.
Download it and attach it to the inside of your pantry cupboard, just in case, and if you get a chance to buy more black pepper or knickers……..
Enjoy Your Sweet Life
Savoury Pastry
What You Need
120g Plain Flour
120g Self Raising flour – See Tip Box
120g Margarine – cut into small pieces
Pinch of salt - See Tip Box
Cold water to bind
How It’s Done
Combine all dry ingredients together
Add margarine and work with fingers to form a breadcrumb consistency.
Work with your hands and bring it all together.
If it’s not combining very well, into a soft pliable ball, add 1 teaspoon of cold water at a time until it does.
Leave aside to rest for 30 minutes before use
Tip Box
Seasoning - Add any spice or seasoning you have into the pastry at the dry stage – this is when you can get creative.
Flour – If you only have one type of flour, use just that.
