Simple and Satisfying – Surprising Substitutes

Healthy Baking: Surprising Butter Substitutes

Baking calms the mind and feeds the soul, but all that buttery goodness can pack on the pounds. If looking to make healthier baked goods, omitting some or all of the butter from your favorite recipes greatly reduce the amount of calories, fat, and cholesterol in your sweet treats. There are countless ways to replace eggs in recipes, and here are healthier alternatives to using butter. These substitutes are great for vegan bakers too.

Applesauce: Often used to replace oil in recipes, applesauce can also be used as butter alternative, and works best in cake-like recipes. Replace half the amount of butter in your recipe with applesauce; if the recipe calls for one cup of butter, use half a cup of butter and half a cup of applesauce. If you don’t mind a denser, more moist bread, replace all the butter with applesauce to cut even more calories and fat.

Avocado: Substitute half the amount of butter in a baking recipe with mashed avocado (it works well with cookies); use the same method as you would when using applesauce. Using avocado not only lowers the calorie content but also creates a softer, chewier baked good, and is perfect if you want to omit the dairy.

Earth Balance: Replace all of the butter with Earth Balance to reduce saturated fat and cholesterol. Using Smart Balance rather than Earth Balance will also save some calories, but note that Original Smart Balance contains whey, so it’s not vegan.

Canola oil: In certain recipes, replacing butter with oil works well, especially if the recipe calls for melted butter. Fiddle with your favorite recipes to figure out when canola works instead of butter; when baking chocolate chip cookies, I’ve had success substituting half a cup of canola oil for half a cup of unsalted butter. Although slightly higher in calories, canola is much lower in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.

Greek yogurt: Replace half the amount of butter in your cookie recipes with half the amount of full-fat plain Greek yogurt. For example, if the recipe calls for one cup of butter, use half a cup of butter and one quarter cup of yogurt. You’ll reduce the calories and the saturated fat. Play around with using more yogurt and less butter to see if you still like the taste and consistency. Here are more ways to use Greek yogurt in baking recipes.

Prune purée: Often used to help little ones stay regular, prune purée also makes a low-calorie and low-fat alternative to butter. Whatever amount of butter the recipe calls for, replace it completely with store-bought baby food prune puree (unless you have time to make your own; just purée prunes in the food processor). This option works well in recipes that involve chocolate and cinnamon.

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FUN

Simple & Satisfying – Salad with Endive, Pear & Crumbled Stilton

Organic Greens, Endive and Pear Salad with Crumbled Stilton

I was recently taken out for dinner to La Cigale French Bistro where a friend ordered a starter of endive salad with walnuts and crumbled blue cheese that tasted divine. Unfortunately for this friend three of us dove into his plate & attacked the salad….then decided to order one for ourselves.

Did not ask for the recipe but I do know that….

Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill has had a very similar salad on the menu since it opened in 1999.

My birthday dinner there a few years back was very memorable and owner/chef Pino Posterero made a visit to our table to check on our meal. He says the secret to the success of this salad is in the vinaigrette which is simple to make, yet has a complex flavour.

Recipe:

120g (4 oz) Organic Salad Greens (including watercress or arugula)

16 leaves of Belgian Endive

1 ripe Bosc pear, skin on, cored and thinly sliced (ideally)

60 ml (2 oz) lemon shallot honey vinaigrette (see recipe blow)

Crumbled Stilton (preferably) or blue cheese (about 2-3 oz) or 80g.

Crumbled walnuts (this is not part of original recipe) but I think it would be a nice addition.

In a mixing bowl, combine salad greens, Belgian endive and pear. Add vinaigrette and toss lightly. To serve, divide the salad among four plates and sprinkle Stilton (& optional walnuts) on top.

Lemon Shallot Honey Vinaigrette

150 ml (1/4 cup) fresh lemon juice

90 ml (5 ½ Tbsp) honey

50 ml (3 Tbsp) white wine vinegar

50 ml (3 Tbsp) Dijon mustard

50 g (2 oz) chopped shallots

80 ml (6 Tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil

pinch of sea salt, pepper

In a mixing bowl, combine lemon juice, honey, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and shallots. Whisk in olive oil gradually until well emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.

It will keep refrigerated in an airtight container or glass jar for up to one week.

Makes 500 ml. Makes 4 servings. This would make a beautiful side to fish, pasta or almost any dish.

Food + Drink

Argentinian Chimichurri

Flavourful Chimmichuri — Flavorful Chimichurri Sauce

This FRESH HERB Chimichurri is what is commonly used for steak sauce in Argentina and there’s a good chance it may make you leave your regular one behind.

Make it in a blender, food processor or with a mortar. But whatever you do don’t do as I once did camping where chopping everything up by hand with a not too sharp knife became very time consuming. You can make this a few hours or even a day ahead so the flavors really start to meld. To be enjoyed on steak, fish, chicken, macaroni even sandwiches.

½ cup chopped cilantro, packed

½ cup parsley, packed

¼ cup of olive oil

1-2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground black pepper

3 tsp. best quality red wine vinegar

½ tsp. dried oregano

¼ tsp. crushed chillies

¼ cup onion, finely chopped

Cut all ingredients as small as humanly possible to make a nice rustic sauce, or better yet pulse in blender or food processor a few times.

Best served with grilled skirt steak. Cut meat across the grain into thin slices and serve with sauce in between slices.

Here is an equally delicious smoky red version of same sauce:

1 small red onion, finely diced

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

¼ cup of aged sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. pureed chipotle in adobo (smoked chillies canned in red sauce)

1 Tbsp. smoked paprika

1 Cup of finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 Tbps. Finely chopped fresh oregano

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Send me your feedback after you make it.

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Food + Drink

Simple & Satisfying – Asian Inspired Marinade

For this recipe we used a Standing Pork Rib Roast. The cut makes a show-stopping centerpiece for an elegant dinner. This marinade can also be used for beef, chicken or fish.

MARINADE for a 5-6 lb. Rack of Ribs. Each rib equals one good serving per person with sides.

First slice but do not cut through the ribs on both sides.

*This part is optional but gives it more flavour. Rub the roast outside & in between each rib first with some sea salt & pepper (I use an “everyday spice” which besides salt & pepper includes coriander, mustard seed & paprika). Then mix together in a bowl the following ingredients:

1/3 cup of Molasses and 1/3 cup of Maple Syrup

½ cup low sodium soy sauce

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)

2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger (about 2 inches of ginger)

4 tsp. minced fresh garlic (about 4 medium size cloves)

4 tsp. Thai red curry paste OR;

**2 tsp. Thai sweet red chilli sauce & 2 tsp. Sambal Oelek (ground fresh chili paste) which is what I used.

2 tsp. grated lemon zest (from about 2 small lemons)

2 tsp. Sesame Oil

½ tsp. ground Coriander

Mix all the ingredients together and in a plastic Ziplock bag let marinate with roast for at least 2 hours.

Remove Pork from marinade. Two ways to bake: To bake as a circular standing rib roast then form a circle with the rib ends up. Tie rib ends together (see photo).

For standing roast just place on a baking sheet lined with foil or a dutch oven with ribs side up (see above photo).

Bake at 400 for a minimum of 25 minutes or until pink in the middle. Internal temperature to the thickest part of the meat should be 145 degrees minimum.

Serve with rosemary potatoes & roasted brussels spouts or broccoli.

Food + Drink

Key Lime Pie

KEY LIME PIE

I don’t know where the term “easy as pie” comes from because as a rule the crusts are never so easy to make (still working on it) – only the fillings. I think you`ll find this one surprisingly simple and one of the best tasting.

I picked up a basic recipe in Key West Florida – the birthplace of “key limes” but made it my own. While key limes are always the best to use they’re a pain to juice and you can’t get the exact same ones here. Substitute using Persian or regular limes. They’re less acidic so the recipe is adjusted for taste. Approx 6 large and a couple more for optional garnish.

Recipe:

Graham Cracker Crust: ¾ cup of graham cracker crumbs, 2 Tbsp. of melted butter and 1 Tbsp. of sugar. Mix together in the bottom of a 9” pyrex pie plate. Pat down and refrigerate. (this is the same crust used for making new york cheesecake).

Filling: 5 oz of lime juice (if you like it less tart then use 4 oz.) 1 can (14 oz.) of sweetened condensed milk 4 egg yolks Grate zest from limes and reserve

With electric mixer combine milk and eggs, then slowly add juice and some of the zest. Mix thoroughly.

Pour over top of the graham cracker crust. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Refrigerate. Usually best made the night before.

Top with meringue (made with the leftover egg whites) while filling is hot or with whipped cream when cold. Top either with grated lime zest and decorate with sliced limes and some fruit for appearance sake.

**TIP: Did you know that you can freeze limes? First zest them and freeze the zest in a separate container so you can use it when you need it.

If you make it let me know how it turns out.