Food - Drink
Ingredient Substitutes Every Vegan Should Know
By ZIBA REDIF
Eggs with Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds and chia seeds make excellent substitutes for eggs as a binder, emulsifier, and leavening agent in baked goods. Simply grind your seeds into a flour-like powder, then simmer them with water for about five minutes until they develop a thick, gel-like consistency.
Cream With Silken Tofu
Pureed silken tofu has a rich and smooth texture, and makes a great substitute for cream in sauces, dressing, dips, and desserts. Simply swap one cup of cream for one cup of pureed tofu, and if you need to thin out the tofu's texture, add liquid such as water, olive oil, or lemon juice.
Eggs With Firm Tofu
Firm tofu can be swapped in for eggs in dishes such as quiches, frittatas, casseroles, and tofu scramble (AKA vegan scrambled eggs). When properly prepared, firm tofu can even stand in for eggs in desserts such as brownies, cakes, pies, and cookies.
Eggs With Bananas
Swapping out eggs for ripe, mashed bananas can give vegan baked goods a softer texture, but experiment with your recipe in test batches first, to avoid giving your treats a rubbery texture. Also, your final result will taste a bit like banana, so only use this trick for sweet dishes.
Honey With Agave Syrup
Agave syrup's appearance, taste, and texture is similar to honey; plus, it’s diabetic-friendly, all-natural, and dissolves easily. Coconut nectar also has a honey-like consistency and a mild, not very coconutty flavor, and is high in vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids.