This digital cookbook is a place for me to accumulate, tweak, and share my favorite recipes.
I prefer to eat vegan for humane, environmental, and other reasons, so most of these recipes are vegan or can be easily adjusted to be dairy-free, at the least.
If you use these recipes, please provide feedback, suggestions, and variations! If you're a fan of Git, submit a pull request; else, send me an email. :)
Unless otherwise stated, please assume the following:
- Soymilk is unsweetened and unflavored. Note that labeling can be misleading: "original" is always sweetened unless it says otherwise!
- Butter is salted.
- Olive oil is extra virgin.
Given my dietary preferences, I often find myself looking for dairy substitutes. Here are some of the alternatives I've discovered and enjoyed.
In my experience, soymilk is the best substitute when cooking. Nut milks may develop unexpected flavors/consistencies, and they are less nutritious.
Olive oil works in place of butter for much cooking, but not baking. You'll get a more savory flavor and softer texture since olive oil is liquid at room temperature.
Refined coconut oil (which lacks a coconut flavor) is solid at room temperature and may be more suitable for baking.
Mashed avocado can also be a healthy and tasty substitute when baking--especially in chocolatey treats.
Finally, vegan butters are available in most stores and will do in a pinch. My favorite is Pure Blends' avocado oil plant-based butter.
Coconut cream (or full-fat coconut milk) can often replace heavy cream if you don't mind tasting the coconut in your finished product.
Another substitute that I've used successfully in the past is a 1:2 mixture of butter substitute and soymilk. This mimics the fat content of heavy cream. Melt the butter substitute in the microwave and blend into the soymilk, being careful of steam and frothing that may ensue.
My household has tried a few vegan mayos, and the clear winner for us has been Follow Your Heart brand (definitely avoid Hellmann's).
TODO: I keep chickens and eat their eggs, but it would be good to have some alternatives handy!
It's often helpful to salt eggplant before cooking, especially if oil is involved. This will help to mitigate any bitterness and also cause the eggplant to absorb less oil.
- Spread the sliced eggplant on a towel.
- Sprinkle Kosher salt on both surfaces of the sliced eggplant.
- Allow to rest for 45-60 minutes.
- Pat each surface dry.
- Do not rinse the eggplant.
- Place the eggplant in a large bowl and add water to cover.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, mix well.
- Place a pot lid on top to keep the eggplant under water for 15 minutes.
- Drain and pat dry