Category: Cooking

allspice, 1 teaspoon ground
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon each, nutmeg and ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon cloves

amaretto, 2 tablespoons
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

arrowroot, 1 1/2 teaspoons
1 tablespoon flour

baking powder, 1 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda and 5/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

baking powder, 2 tablespoons
1 teaspoon cream of tartar and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar

bamboo shoots
asparagus in fried recipes

bergamot
mint

bouquet garni, 1 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon each dried parsley flakes, dried thyme leaves, and 1 bay leaf (crushed)

butter, 1 cup
7/8 cup vegetable shortening

buttermilk, 1 cup
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar or lemon juice stirred into 1 cup soy milk and allowed to stand for 5 minutes

cake yeast, 5/8-ounce cake
1 packet active dry yeast

champagne
ginger ale

chayotes
yellow summer squash

chervil, 1 teaspoon
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes plus 1/8 teaspoon rubbed, dried sage

chili sauce
ketchup with prepared horseradish and lemon juice to taste

chinese black vinegar
balsamic vinegar

chocolate, semi-sweet, 1 ounce
3 tablespoons chocolate chips or 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate plus 1 tablespoon sugar

cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice or 1 teaspoon ground cardamom

cocoa, unsweetened
Dutch-processed cocoa

coconut milk, 2 cups
combine 2 1/2 cups water and 2 cups shredded, unsweetened coconut and bring to a boil. remove from heat; cool. mix in a blender for 2 minutes; strain.

cognac
peach, apricot, or pear juice

cornstarch for thickening, 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or 1 tablespoon potato, rice, or arrowroot starch

creme de menth
spearmint extract or oil of spearmint diluted with a little water or grapefruit juice for white; for green add a drop of green food coloring

delicata squash
butternut squash or sweet potatoes

dry bread crumbs, 1/4 cup
1 sandwich-size slice crisp bread, crushed

dry red wine
red grape juice, cranberry juice, vegetable broth

eggs, 1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons powder Ener-G Egg Replacer plus 2 tablespoons water for baking and binding

five-spice powder
equal parts cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns

flour, 1 cup
1 1/2 cups fine bread crumbs

flour, all-purpose, 1 cup
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour

flour, cake, 1 cup
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

flour, self-rising, 1 cup
1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt

fresh herbs, 1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon dried herbs

garlic, 1 clove
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

ginger, 1/2 teaspoon grated
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

ginger, 1 teaspoon ground
1/2 teaspoon ground mace plus 1/2 teaspoon grated Lemon peel

grand marnier or orange flavored liqueur, 2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons unsweetened orange juice and 1/2 teaspoon orange extract

green mangoes
sour, green cooking apples

green or red bell pepper, 2 tablespoons chopped
1 tablespoon sweet pepper flakes (let stand in liquid as directed)

habanero peppers
5 jalapeno peppers or serrano peppers

italian herb seasoning
mixture of oregano, marjoram, thyme, basil, rosemary and sage

kahlua or coffee or chocolate flavored liqueur, 2 tablespoons
1/2 to 1 teaspoon chocolate extract or 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon instant coffee in 2 tablespoons water

ketchup or tomato-based chili sauce, 1 cup
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce plus 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar kirsch
cherry, rasberry, or currant syrup

lemon grass, 1 tablespoon minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

lemon juice, 1 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar or cider vinegar

lemon juice, 1 lemon
3 tablespoons
bottled lemon juice

lemon peel, 1 teaspoon minced or zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon dry lemon peel light brown sugar, 1 cup 1/2 cup dark brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar

mint chocolate chips
in an airtight container add 1/8 teaspoon of peppermint extract to a 12 oz. bag of dark chocolate chips. let sit for 24 hours.

mushrooms
diced celery

mustard, dry, 1 teaspoon
1 tablespoon prepared mustard

mustard, prepared, 1 teaspoon
1 teaspoon dry mustard mixed with 2 teaspoons wine vinegar, white wine or water

nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground
1 teaspoon ground allspice or 1 teaspoon ground cloves or 1 teaspoon ground mace

oats, old fashioned rolled
quick cooking oats

onion, 1/4 cup minced
1 tablespoon instant minced onion (let stand in liquid as directed)

onion, 1 medium onion
2 teaspoons onion powder

orange juice, 1 medium orange
1/4 cup reconstituted frozen orange juice

orange peel, 1 teaspoon grated
1 teaspoon dry orange peel

palm sugar
light brown sugar

parsley, 2 tablespoons minced
1 tablespoon parsley flakes

pine nuts
walnuts or almonds

port wine
red grape juice

poultry seasoning, 1 teaspoon 1/4 teaspoon
ground thyme plus 3/4 teaspoon ground sage

pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon mixed with 1/8 teaspoon each: ground ginger, nutmeg, mace, cloves

raisins, dark
golden raisins or currants

rum (light or dark)
water, white grape juice, pineapple juice, apple juice, apple cider, syrup flavored with almond extract

saffron
turmeric, for color

sake or rice wine
dry sherry or dry vermouth

seasoned rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon rice vinegar or white vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt

self-rising flour, 1 cup
1 cup all purpose flour plus 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/8 teaspoon salt

shallots
red onions or spanish onions

sherry
orange juice, pineapple juice, peach syrup

shortening, 1 cup
1 cup margarine

sifted cake flour, 1 cup
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour or all-purpose flour sifted 3 times, then measured to make 1 cup

sour cream, 1 cup
1 cup plain soy yogurt

sugar, granulated, 1 cup
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar, flavor will be affected 1/2 cup corn syrup or molasses and reduce liquid in recipe by 1/2 cup

sugar, powdered, 1 cup
1 cup granulated sugar plus 1/8 teaspoon cornstarch processed in a food processor fitted with a metal blade

sweet white wine
White grape juice plus 1 tablespoon white Karo syrup

tamarind juice
5 parts ketchup to 1 part vinegar

tamarind paste, 1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon each, date, prunes, dried apricots, lemon juice

tomatoes, 1 can (1 lb.)
2 1/2 cups chopped, peeled fresh tomatoes, simmered for about 10 minutes

tomato juice, 1 cup
1/2 cup tomato sauce plus 1/2 cup water

tomato paste
ketchup

tomato sauce, 1 cup
3/8 cup tomato paste and 1/2 cup water

vanilla bean, 1
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

whipped cream, 1 cup
puree a banana, then whip with the equivalent of an egg white. add vanilla and sugar to taste

whipping cream (40% fat), 1 cup
1/3 cup margarine plus 3/4 cup soy milk

white wine, for cooking
dry vermouth, water, vegetable broth, liquid drained from canned vegetables, ginger ale, white grape juice

wine, 1/2 cup
1/2 cup fruit juice for desserts and 1 /2 cup vegetable broth for savory recipes

Mayonnaise
Mustard

Sour cream
Plain nonfat or low-fat yogurt or nonfat sour cream

Whole milk, nondairy creamers, half-and-half
Skim (nonfat) or low-fat (1 percent) milk

Cheeses like cheddar, Swiss, American, Jack
Lower-fat cheeses like part-skim ricotta, low-fat and cream cheese, Jarlsberg, cottage cheese, and Neufchatel

Ice cream
Nonfat or low-fat frozen yogurt, ice milk, fruit ices, or sherbet

A whole egg
Two egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute

1 ounce baking chocolate
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Fat in baking recipes
Equal amounts fruit puree like prune, or applesauce

Whipping or heavy cream
Evaporated skim milk or one part skim milk and one part cream

Frying
Bake or roast on a rack, broil, grill, steam, or microwave

Here is a list of healthy meat choices that I use when preparing meals:

Lunchmeat
Lean cuts of beef, such as: Sirloin (including ground)
Tenderloin
Top round
Cornish hen
Turkey bacon (2 slices per day)
Turkey
Chicken breast
All fish and shellfish
Boiled ham
Canadian bacon
Pork tenderloin
Chopped veal
Veal leg cutlet
Veal top round

Vegetable Choices” width=”300″ height=”184″ />Here is a list of healthy vegetable choices that I use when preparing meals:

Artichokes
Asparagus
Beans, Green
Beans, Italian
Beans, Wax
Beans or Legumes:
Black Beans
Butter Beans
Lentils
Lima Pigeon Peas
Soy Beans
Split Peas
Broccoli
Bok Choy
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Capers
Cauliflower
Celery
Collard Greens
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Hearts of palm
Kale
Leeks
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Mustard Greens
Okra
Onions
Parsley
Peppers
Pickles (Dill)
Raddicchio
Radishes
Rhubarb
Sauerkraut
Scallions
Sea Vegetables
Snow peas
Spinach
Alfalfa Sprouts
Squash
Squash
Zucchini
Swiss Chard
Tomato
Turnip Greens
Turnips
Water Chestnuts

Here is a list of healthy cheeses that I use when preparing meals:

(low fat or fat free)
String
American
Cheddar
Cottage Cheese
Cream Cheese Substitute
Mozzarella
Parmesan
Provolone
Ricotta

The Healthy Potato – Baked: This is the worst way of eating a potato, from the glycemic-index perspective. The process of baking it renders the starches most easily accessible to your digestive system.

Believe it or not, that baked potato will be less fattening topped with a dollop of low-fat cheese or sour cream. The calorie count will be slightly higher, but the fat contained in the cheese or sour cream will slow down the digestive process, thereby lessening the amount of insulin that you’ll need.

Mashed Or Broiled: This is better than baked, due to the difference in the cooking process, but also because you’d probably eat them with a little butter or sour cream, and the fat slows the digestive process.

Fried: Even French fries are better than baked, believe it or not, because of the fat in which they’re cooked in. I would stick with the mashed.

Type Of Potato: The type of potato you eat is also a big factor in all of this. Red-skinned potatoes are highest in carbs. White-skinned are better. New potatoes, better yet-in every vegetable or fruit, the younger when picked, the lower the carb count. If you must indulge, do so sparingly.

Using A Diabetic Cookbook: Those who have been diagnosed with diabetes, whether recently or who have been living with diabetes for a while, often have trouble coming up with good meal items which not only are healthy but taste good as well. An easy way to solve your menu issues is to use a diabetic-friendly cookbook to prepare meals. As the number of individuals living with diabetes continues to increase, more and more cookbooks of this type are being published which provides quite a bit of options from which individuals can choose the best meal planner.

Reasons To Use A Diabetic Cookbook
There are quite a few good reasons to use a diabetic cookbook when preparing meals. First, doing so will allow you to prepare meals which keep you within your dietary guidelines. As these meal planners are often prepared by diabetics themselves or dieticians, you can rest assured that the items listed within will be in keeping with the proper diabetic meal guidelines and restrictions.

Another reason to use a diabetic cookbook in your cooking endeavors is that it will provide wonderful menu options. This is beneficial for those who know what they can and cannot eat yet are stumped when it comes to different meal ideas. Diabetic or not, there is nothing worse than boring meals week after week. Using a cookbook of this type will add flair and flavor to your daily dining.

Lastly, diabetic cookbooks provide meal options which are good for the entire family. Since diabetic recipes often focus on low fat, low salt menu items, the whole family will benefit in that they will be eating better. This does not mean that they have to sacrifice taste as many recipes will provide flavorful meal options which add various seasonings and spices allowed to be consumed by diabetics.

Where To Find Diabetic Cookbooks
As the supply is being increased to meet the demand of diabetics, you are sure to find a wide array of options with regard to diabetic cookbooks. There are a few places to locate cookbooks of this type. The first is in the cooking section of your local bookstore. Many bookstores have specialty cooking sections where not only diabetics but those with heart conditions, the cholesterol-wary individuals and vegetarians can read up on specialty menus to suit their specific diets.

Another place to look for diabetic cookbooks is online. The Internet provides a convenient way to not only locate diabetic cookbooks but to order them as well and have them delivered directly to your front door. By using a search engine and typing in phrases such as “diabetic cookbook” or “meal planning for diabetics”, you will find a wealth of results right at your fingertips.

If you wish to peruse a variety of cookbooks with meal plans that directly target diabetics, visiting the local library is another option. The larger libraries may offer more options with regard to this specialty type of cookbook as opposed to smaller book venues so if you have a local library with a wide array of books and sections this might be the place to start when searching for cookbooks of this type.

Some Diabetic Cookbooks To Try
Since there are so many options with regard to diabetic cookbooks these days, it may help to narrow down the items and the following will list some of the favorite cookbooks which diabetics are sweeping off the shelves:

Betty Crocker’s Diabetes Cookbook: Everyday Meals, Easy as 1-2-3 is a great starter diabetes cookbook. For those who want a cookbook with easy to prepare meals catered towards their special diet, this is a wonderful one to try. Recipes ranging anywhere from simple fish dishes to tasty chicken fare fill this 256-page cookbook.

Another popular diabetes cookbook is The Diabetes & Heart Healthy Cookbook produced by the American Diabetes Association. Since this organization is well versed in the area of diabetes, it is no wonder that this is a popular choice with diabetics who are hoping to find new, delicious recipes to make on a daily basis.

Cooking For Diabetics: When you are diabetic, or when you have a friend or family member that is, your cooking style is going to have to change in a few ways. The diabetic lifestyle doesn’t have to be that different from other lifestyles, as long as you can make the right accommodations in your cooking. It is often easy to make sure that you provide your friends or family members with great food, as long as you follow a few steps.

First of all, don’t just assume that all diabetics are the same. If you are cooking for yourself, talk to your doctor about your sugar intake and what it should be. Depending on the type of diabetes that you have and the severity of it, you might be managing it with only insulin, or with a combination of diet and insulin. Some diabetics manage it only with diet, so it is important to talk to your doctor about what your sugar intake should be. If you are cooking for someone else, talk to them about it. Don’t’ just assume they can’t have any sugar, and don’t’ assume they can have sugar at all. Talk to them about what they need to eat and drink and then be sure that you stick to their recommendations when cooking.

Secondly, if you think carefully about the way that you cook, and then you  make some changes, you can easily slip into a habit of cooking for diabetics. Often, this can end up being a much healthier way to cook overall, so you  might want to stick to these habits even when there isn’t’ going to be a diabetic at the table.

A good way to start is making a variety of foods. Diabetics do need a variety of foods, just like everyone else. Get some cook books for foods that are naturally low in sugars, and for foods that can be cooked using a sugar substitute. You will find that no matter what type of meal you would like to make, or no matter what type of food you want to eat, there are ways to eat them without sugar or with less sugar.

First, you can cook meals using alternative ingredients. Foods that are naturally low in sugar but taste similar to other foods can be used in place of the foods that are high in sugar. Sugar substitutes can be used in place of sugar. Just about everything comes in sugar free varieties – sugar free candy, sugar free cake and brownie mixes, sugar free drinks and drink mixes. If you cook for diabetics often ,you can simply change what you do to include these sugar free options.

Another thing that you can do while you are cooking for diabetics is to make several choices. If you have a large family or group that you are cooking for, you can make two different bowls of Jello – one with sugar and one without. You can make two pies – one with sugar and one without sugar. Having a couple of choices can be good for everyone, not only for those with diabetics.

Look into a sugar-free lifestyle for yourself, even if you aren’t dealing with diabetes. If you can change the way that you cook for your friends and family members, you might find that it is actually a great benefit to you as well.

Every Day Deserts For Diabetics: Cooking for diabetics might seem daunting because of the decisions that need to be made regarding what diabetics can eat and what they can’t eat. If you want to be able to make cooking decisions for yourself or the diabetic in your family – or even for any of your friends that might be diabetic, there are a few things to think about. Desert is a great meal for the day. Many times, people love to have deserts with each meal, but it is important to think about the implications of this for diabetic people. People with diabetes have different dietary needs, but most of the time, eating sugared foods just isn’t great for them. Diabetics either need to adjust their levels of insulin if they do eat sugared foods, or they need to stay away from these types of foods all together. Therefore, finding every day deserts for diabetics can be one of the best ways to help yourself as a cook. If you have someone with diabetes in your family, or in your circle of friends, finding great ways to have desert shouldn’t be something that takes up your entire day or takes up your cooking time. There are several things that you can do to make sure that the diabetics in your life have great deserts that aren’t going to harm their diets.

Try Fruit
First and foremost, there are plenty of great deserts that you can eat each day with natural sugars and without sugar. Fruits are these kinds of foods, because they are foods with  natural sugars. There are lots of deserts that you can make with fruit. Just having peaches or pears on the table with the cakes and cookies will make a great substitute for the people who don’t want to have sugar, as well as the diabetics who shouldn’t be eating sugared foods. Making fruit salad is easy, and doesn’t take up much time, but even easier still is opening up a can of fruit or getting some fresh at the grocery store. Fruit is a good desert for everyone – diabetics included.

Nuts and Raisins
Instead of having an elaborate cake or pudding for your desert, trying passing around a bowl of nuts and raisins. You can add some sugar-free chocolate chips into the mixture as well. Often desert time is the time when people enjoy having coffee and chatting, and bowls of finger snacks like nuts or raisins can make a great desert idea. They are healthy too, not just sugar free alternatives to cake or cookies or ice cream. You can make sure that your whole family is enjoying a small snack after dinner that can work as a great desert.

Go Sugar Free
Of course, you can also go sugar free when it comes to fast and easy deserts. It isn’t hard any longer to make your regular deserts with sugar substitutes. There are plenty of them out there on the market today, and if you aren’t sure what is the best for the diabetic in your life, just ask them and they can let you know.

Remember that each person with diabetes has a different sugar-level that they are comfortable with and that is best for them medically speaking. Not all diabetics avoid all sugar, but some of them cannot have any type of sugar at all. Therefore, before you make great and easy deserts, just talk a little bit about it with our family so you know what is going to be best.

Dealing With Holiday Desserts For Diabetics: Every year, when the holidays roll around, it seems that many diabetics simply miss out on some of the most delicious meals and treats of the year!  It doesn’t have to be like that.  Today, there are many ways for diabetics to enjoy eating during the holidays, especially desserts.  Before anyone can fully understand how to make holiday desserts for diabetics, they need to understand what the disease is all about.

Diabetes mellitus, more commonly referred simply as diabetes, is a metabolic disorder that is characterized by high levels of blood sugar, or glucose.  These elevated levels occur when the body produces very little or no insulin but can also happen when the body doesn’t respond correctly to the insulin that is produced.  Diabetes is usually an incurable disease and can result in blindness, amputation, kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, or even death when neglected or mismanaged.

Maintaining a healthy diet conducive to the diabetic condition is essential to treating the disease.  Depending on what type of diabetes you have (Type I or II), you will need to manage your diet accordingly.  With Type I diabetes, you will need to understand just how different foods will affect your blood sugar levels.  With Type II, you will need to cut calories, as it is often a result of overeating.  Regardless of which type you have, you will always need to eat the proper balance of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates to maintain healthy and safe blood sugar levels.

Traditionally, many diabetics have struggled during the holiday season maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.  It seems that once the holiday season rolls around there is a candy cane on every corner, batches of freshly baked cookies, and plenty of pumpkin pie!  Inevitably, every holiday meal has a great big sweet finale, no matter which holiday you are celebrating.  This can be quite a dilemma for diabetics.

With modern medical knowledge, we have learned that it is all about balance rather than cutting sugar and desserts out of a diet completely.  So, if you want that piece of apple pie after the big turkey dinner, just remember to skip the mashed potatoes and stuffing at dinner.  Remember, you can have dessert, just think about what you choose during the meal.

You can also modify many dessert recipes without making them taste like they are sugar- or fat-free.  A simple way to do this is to cut the sugar by one-third (or even up to one-half) while increasing the amount of cinnamon, vanilla, or nutmeg so often found in holiday desserts.  By boosting the sweet spices and cutting the sugar, you are improving the recipe for a diabetic diet.

Cutting the fat out of holiday desserts is also a good way to play it safe.  Replace the fat (butter or shortening) with pureed fruit like applesauce or baby-food prunes in cakes, cookies, and chocolate brownies.  When you add fruit, you also can easily reduce the sugar since the fruit is naturally sweet!  And there are always sugar substitutes.  Many on the market taste just like real sugar.

The guide to having a happy and healthy holiday season is to think ahead.  Just because you are a diabetic does not mean that you cannot look forward to all the fun that this festive season has to offer.  Advanced planning, daily exercise, and emphasizing healthy choices when it comes to each meal are key elements to being able to have your cake and eating it, too.

Incorporating Sugar Free Food Into Every Meal: It is often a daunting task when you are faced with cooking for diabetics or dealing with the needs of diabetics. You might think that you need to change everything about the way that you cook or about the way that you eat food. However, things don’t always need to change when it comes to the way that things taste. You can easily incorporate sugar free foods into each meal that you have, making it easy for you to continue to enjoy the same foods, whether you’re cooking for yourself or a family member, or even for friends.

Sugar free foods can be great for you even if you aren’t a diabetic. Too much sugar leads to tooth decay and all sorts of other problems, and can even lead to diabetes in the future for yourself. So, incorporating sugar free foods into each meal that you eat can actually make you healthier.

First of all, you want to look into natural sugar substitutes and sugar that is found naturally in the world. Depending on what your doctor tells you about the type of diabetes, some of this sugar might still be off limits to you. However, there are plenty of sweet foods that don’t have sugar, and these foods can be used in all sorts of recipes to insure that you can have a sugar free lifestyle without losing the taste.

Secondly, you can use sugar substitutes, or sugar free versions of the same types of foods. These are versions that taste the same and even smell the same, but simply don’t have the sugar in them that causes problems with diabetics. Therefore, you can easily deal with the same tasting and smelling foods, without the same level of sugar. Everything comes in sugar free varieties now a days. You can get sugar free chocolate chips to put into the cookies, or sugar free sweeteners to make your cakes or pies. You can get fruit that comes with no extra sugar added, and you can get drinks that have artificial sweeteners in them. No matter what it is that you would like to cook, you can do so with sugar free substitutes.

The first thing to think about when you are going to make the shift to incorporating sugar free foods into every meal is where your sugar is coming from currently. What are the things that you eat in your diet that have sugar. Start by making a list. If you have sugary cereal and juices high in sugar in the morning, and then have cookies or cakes for desert, you need to add these things to your list. Go through a list where you find all of the sugars in your daily meals. Then, you can systematically begin to cut them out. Find the cereals that don’t have sugar, and find sugar-free substitutes to put on the cereals. Buy the juices that have no sugar added, and do the same for the cookies or cakes that you eat later on in the day. Find a good sugar substitute and swap your actual sugar at home for it. Sugar shouldn’t be something that accidentally falls into your diet. It is a choice that you make, and if you think things through and plan accordingly, you can make your diet completely sugar free each and every day.