There are often occasions in the kitchen when a particular
ingredient is not available, and for most of us, this usually happens right in the middle
of cooking a particular dish - unless of course you are one of those people who prepare
everything before embarking on the cooking!!!
This need not be a catastrophe as there is often something else that
can be used as a substitute, such as -
Saffron
Use a small amount of Turmeric instead.
Breadcrumbs
Crushed water biscuits or cornflakes.
Cornflour/Cornstarch (1tbsp. as a thickener)
Use 2 level tbsp. plain flour.
Single Cream (1/2 pint/285ml)
Use 8fl. oz./225ml milk plus 2fl. oz/60ml melted unsalted
butter.
Honey (8fl. oz/225ml)
8 oz./225g sugar plus 4 tbsp. water or golden syrup.
Dark Brown/Muscovado
Sugar
White sugar and a
teaspoon/5ml of treacle or molasses per 100g.
Lemon juice (1 tsp)
1/2 tsp. vinegar or lime juice.
Ice Cream
Frozen yoghurt.
Whole milk (1/2 pint/285ml)
1/2 pint/285 ml. skimmed milk plus 3 tsp. melted butter.
Noodles
Spaghetti
Tartare sauce (4 fl. oz/115 ml)
7 tbsp. mayonnaise plus 2 tbsp. chopped sweet mixed
pickles.
Tomato Sauce
Condensed tomato soup or a packet of tomato soup made up with
half quantity of water.
Seafood/Thousand Island
sauce
Use 2:1 mix of salad cream and tomato ketchup. You
can alter the quantities of each to taste.
Gravy
Condensed tinned soup or packet soup made up with half the
usual quantity of water.
Need sour milk or cream
Just add a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar
to each half pint of fresh milk or cream and stand at room temperature for
about 30 minutes.
Or use natural yoghurt or smetana.
Run out of baking chocolate and you really
must have that gooey desert!
For every ounce (oz) of unsweetened baking chocolate required, mix a
quarter of a tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder.
Recipe requires self raising flour and you
only have plain.
Plain flour can be used with the addition of baking powder.
The amount to add varies depending upon what is being cooked, however, a usual
amount would be 1 level teaspoon of baking powder to 4oz. flour.
No baking powder.
This can be substituted with two parts Cream of Tartar to one
part Bicarbonate of Soda/Baking Soda.
No fresh yeast.
Two teaspoons of dried yeast can be used for 1/2 oz. of fresh
yeast. Follow instructions on the dried yeast packed.
Short of an egg.
If you need an extra egg for a cake recipe that uses a raising agent
such as baking powder or self raising flour, replace the missing egg with 15ml (1
tablespoon) of vinegar. This will not affect the result.
