Egg Replacer

I would like to share with you a healthy substitution for eggs in baked goods. Understand though that I see nothing inherently wrong with eggs. In fact, I think they are a remarkable food, possessing a combination of nutritive properties not found in other sources.

However, I understand also that we need a suitable egg replacer when there is an egg allergy, when eggs are unavailable or when one is following a physician prescribed, egg-free diet.

What do I mean by suitable replacer? One that is real food AND that does the work of holding baked goods together as real eggs do. I do not consider Eggbeaters real food. Neither do the scientists who performed an interesting study on rats.

The picture below shows two rats from the same litter 6 weeks after birth. The one on the left was raised exclusively on real eggs from birth, while the one on the right was raised exclusively on Eggbeaters. Do you remember that Eggbeaters were advertised as having the same taste and nutrition as farm fresh eggs? Synthetic foods are just not the same!

MK Navidi and FA Kummerow, Pediatrics 53: 565-566, 1974. Thanks to Dr. Stephen Chaney.

So what is my suitable replacer? Well, you certainly couldn't fry this up in a pan, but it works for baking! It is ground flax seed mixed with water. Simple, right? (Stick with me here and I'll show you how it works.) The flax seed has a gelatinous property that will work to hold your baked goods together. And, flax seed is a rich source of fiber and important Omega 3 Fatty Acids. It's good stuff.

A long time ago, I read in Sue Gregg's cookbooks that flax seed could be substituted for eggs. I didn't try it because she gave a recipe for mixing up a whole batch and keeping it in the fridge for your baking needs. I never really had a need to keep the stuff around. However, the other week, I mixed up the first part of muffins only to discover that I didn't have any eggs. Instead of waste the already mixed ingredients, I decided to give the substitution a try. I only wanted enough to replace two eggs, so I had to make some alterations to Sue Gregg's method... later I found out that many people use the same "altered" method.

For every egg you want to replace, use 1 Tbsp of flax seeds, freshly ground...

(I used my coffee bean grinder to mill the seeds into meal.)

Then add 3 Tbsp of water for each Tbsp of flax seed. (I thought that it had to be hot water, but I've done it both ways and it doesn't seem to matter.)

Let the mixture sit for about five minutes, or the time that it takes to mix the other ingredients. Add it as you would the egg.

These are the Blueberry Muffins I made using this Flax Seed substitution. The first time around I made some Orange Almond Muffins. Both turned out very nicely.

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On Tweaking Recipes

It's tough to find good, whole foods recipes. Every once in a while I will find a really useful cookbook. But, it seems like most of the recipes I run across contain ingredients that I am trying to avoid... ingredients that are fractionated, over-processed or man-made.

My overarching principle in selecting and preparing food for my family is to "eat what God made as close to how He made it as possible." In doing so, I serve my family foods that are specially designed with rich nutrients in exact combination with other supporting nutritive factors that are exactly how our bodies need to be fueled. (For more on this topic, read the book What The Bible Says About Healthy Living: Three Biblical Principles that Will Change Your Diet and Improve Your Health by Dr. Rex Russell M.D.)

So what happens on a birthday celebration when my son wants a Coonskin Cap Cake? There is no whole foods recipe out there for that! But, with a little kitchen ingenuity, any basic recipe can be tweaked to fit my health principles. For this one, I started with a Basic Chocolate Cake recipe from a Southern Living cookbook, one that you can tell from the photo is well-worn.

When tweaking a recipe, I take a look at the ingredient list and see what needs to be substituted... things like whole grains for white flour, natural sweeteners for white sugar. Or, for a meal recipe, I will often have to make a from-scratch sauce to substitute for a canned product. If these things seem daunting to you, I recommend just taking an adventurous leap. You may be surprised how quick you learn. And, if you are just starting out, you may want to use 1/2 white flour, 1/2 whole grain as a transition step.

I often substitute applesauce for 1/2 of the butter or oil in a recipe, or I substitute plain yogurt for all sorts of creamy ingredients. I even make yogurt cheese to substitute for cream cheese. I hope to post about a surprisingly healthy and tasty egg substitute very soon. I like to use unsweetened cocoa or unsweetened baking squares instead of melted chocolate chips so that I can add my own choice of sweetener.

So, back to the cake... I melted 4 squares of unsweetened chocolate in a saucepan and set it aside... just like the recipe said. I creamed the 1/2 cup of butter with 2 cups of sucanat instead of sugar, then added the 2 eggs one at a time just like the recipe said. I mixed the melted chocolate into the creamed mixture... just like the recipe said.

Just a side note: I find that darker cakes are more adaptable than light cakes. Carrot cake, Apple Cake, Chocolate Cake, Spice Cakes... they are generally a bit more dense and there are more flavors to cover the more noticeable flavors of honey, maple syrup or sucanat. There is even a Hummingbird Cake in this same cookbook that is a perfect tweaking recipe... it contains carrots, apples, pineapple and nuts.

Next, the recipe called for mixing together 2 cups of flour (I used my freshly ground winter white wheat berries), 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. baking soda and 3/4 tsp.salt. I use aluminum-free baking powder, found in the health food section of my grocery store, and sea salt. Also, if you are using honey instead of sucanat, you will want to increase the baking soda by 1/4 tsp. for every cup of honey.

In a separate bowl, the recipe called for 3/4 cup of buttermilk, 1 tsp. of real vanilla, and 3/4 cup of water. I prefer not to buy the buttermilk from the store because of the added ingredients, so I used homemade plain yogurt (my dependable standby). Also, it is worth the extra expense to buy real vanilla rather than a chemical tasting like vanilla... did you know that it is one of the same chemicals used in antifreeze for your car? Interesting, huh!

Just like the recipe said, I alternately added in the flour mixture and the liquid mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Then I poured the batter into a big Pyrex bowl. Because I was baking in an nontraditional container, I had to keep my eye out for when it was done. Actually, I pulled it out and thought it was done, only to put it back in again for a while. Rule of thumb, be flexible while you're recipe tweaking, especially with a first time recipe.

So, while the cake was baking, I made the icing. I used a recipe from Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions which was already healthy, but needed to be adjusted for my use. Her recipe for Cream Cheese Icing called for 2 cups of cream cheese, 1/2 cup of butter, 1 Tablespoon of vanilla and 1/2 - 3/4 cup of honey.

I creamed the softened cream cheese until it had no lumps, added the softened butter, the vanilla and the full amount of honey (because I planned to add unsweetened chocolate). Then, I added 1/2 a jar of fruit sweetened marmalade (for the orange kick). It was totally yummy! For each of the shades of brown, I added a different amount of melted chocolate to achieve the right color.

So then I had to put the cake together. I trimmed the upside down hemisphere so that it was the cylindrical shape of a coonskin cap. I cut the cylinder in 1/2 horizontally and spread a layer of icing in between the layers. Then, I used the two trimmed parts, each a semicircle, staggered to make the shape of the tail. Make sense?

I spread the shades of brown in a mottled pattern all over the cap, making sure to leave distinct dark rings on the tail. Then, I made an uneven toothpick comb and tousled up "hair." My husband snapped this shot of my concentration face.

For a final picture of the cake, check out yesterday's post. And, here is what my kids were doing on the other side of the counter... it's blurry, but isn't it a fun picture?

I'll post more about tweaking recipes, but I hope this gives you an idea of where to start. And, I hope it gives you a confidence that you can do it too! The mistakes are part of the adventure, remember?

Simple Changes -- Substituting with Plain Yogurt

I am continually amazed at how useful Plain Yogurt has proven itself to be in our family. Really, we go through quarts of it! (It is really simple to make at home.)

Did you know that you can use Plain Yogurt as a healthy substitution for Sour Cream? You should try it! It can be used in dips, in Mexican dishes, dolloped on soups or chili. Where else do you use Sour Cream? In most cases, I bet you could make a switch.

You can also substitute Plain Yogurt for Mayonnaise at times. I do when I make Potato Salad. I just mix some fresh herbs, salt, fresh garlic and Plain Yogurt in with cooked potatoes... sometimes I mix in a little brown mustard as well... throw in some green onion, diced bell pepper and black olives... or whatever veggies strike your fancy... and Voila! You've got some healthy potato salad. I get rave reviews on my potato salad at picnics. No one even knows it's loaded with probiotics ;-)

So what do you use Plain Yogurt for? I'd like to know...

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Your Questions Answered... Sucanat, etc.

Good Morning!

Thanks for the comments and questions yesterday. I hope to post some thoughts on beverages later today, but I wanted to go ahead and answer the Sucanat questions.

First, Sucanat looks like very tiny brown pebbles. They are not crystals and are not uniform in size. You can find Sucanat at any health food store in the baking aisle in pound and two-pound bags, and in the bulk section for a bit cheaper (around $2-2.50/pound). Some grocery stores carry it in their Natural Foods Section. You'll have to check your local store. You can also buy it in bulk from Amazon or from Country Life Natural Foods. At Amazon, it is 3.32/pound, with free shipping. At CLNF, it is 1.75/pound plus shipping. I buy from CNLF, but I also purchase nuts, seeds, pasta and other items at the same time so the shipping is worth it to me.

Would I use Sucanat to sweeten tea. Nope. It has a brown sugary taste which works fine in Banana Bread and Granola but would be way to obvious in tea. I use honey in my tea. But honestly, I have found no natural sweetener that doesn't have a strong taste. Even stevia has a distinctive flavor.

Is Sucanat just sugar with vitamins? Good question. It is a sugar and will effect the body's blood sugar levels. They key is moderation. It is different than white sugar since it is a food which the body recognizes and can use. White sugar in its crystallized form is no longer a food but rather a toxin to the body. I call this an anti-nutrient because not only is it void of any benefit, it also robs the body of other nutrients in efforts to rid itself of the toxin. While Sucanat and other Natural Sweeteners are of little benefit to the body besides satisfying a sweet tooth, they are not toxins or anti-nutrients.

Hope this helps clarify!

Also, by way of note for subscribers who read my RSS feed, I post our dinner plans in a sidebar box each weekday. I have yet to figure out how to include this content in my feed. If you are interested in knowing what we eat from day to day, please check out my actual blog. Thanks!

Natural Sweeteners 102

On this installment of Natural Sweeteners (see my previous post for the first thoughts), I will discuss a few of the choices available at local markets and health food stores. Of course, I won't be able to cover them all. If I overlook one that you have a particular question about, please comment or email me so I can address your specific question. To refresh your memory on why we want to limit white sugar consumption, refer to my post on Sugar Fasting.

Local Raw Honey: I use honey often. I specify "raw" because honey includes several enzymes, plant nutrients, and antimicrobial factors that are destroyed in pasteurization. I specify "local" because honey imported from Argentina and other Central and South American countries contains traces of DDT. Honey can be used in a variety of recipes, but should not be given to infants under one year of age.

Sucanat/Rapadura: You'll notice that most of my sweet recipes include Sucanat. I find it very easy to substitute for white sugar since it is a granulated sweetener (as opposed to liquid honey) and can be replaced cup for cup. Sucanat is basically evaporated cane juice. It is very minimally processed and still contains the trace minerals and other nutrients present in cane juice. Rapadura is similar to Sucanat, yet it contains an even higher amount of nutrients because it is sun-dried. It is a bit pricier and so I only purchase it when I find a really good deal on it.

Other Organic Sugar Products: There are several other organic sugars on the market. It is difficult to keep up with them all! Here is a rule of thumb: if it is white, light or crystallized, it has been dramatically processed. After the processing, the known (and unknown) nutrient factors will not remain intact. Look for options that are dark and granulated in asymmetrical "blobs" rather than crystals. Date sugar is an example of this, but Turbinado or Sugar in the Raw are crystallized.

Maple Syrup: Maple syrup is a good option for pancakes! It is infinitely better than "syrups" made from high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavorings. But, pure maple syrup is expensive. We do keep maple syrup in the house and use it very sparingly.

Molasses: Molasses is another good option for sweetening things. It contains a great deal of minerals since it is actually the "waste product" of white sugar manufacturing. Molasses is the good stuff that's been taken out! Yet, it has a very strong flavor which limits its usefulness.

Stevia: Stevia is actually an herb and not related to the sugar family at all. All of the previous sweeteners I've listed must be used in moderation because they effect our body's blood sugar levels. We don't want to cause our pancreas to strike, so we limit all forms of sugar (especially white sugar because it is an anti-nutrient too). Stevia has very little effect on our blood sugar levels. However, it is an herb that should be used with caution as should all herbs. In the past it has been considered medicinal and has not been tested for safety as a part of a daily diet. We do use stevia in our Power Bar recipe since it is low-glycemic. But, I don't consider it an "eat often" food. By the way, people who are allergic to certain weeds may react to stevia as well.

Splenda: I don't believe this one has a place with Natural Sweeteners, but I would like to give my thoughts about splenda. Yes, as the advertisements state, it started out as sugar from a sugar cane plant. However, in order to process away the calories, all other nutrients have been processed away as well. Even more important, the actual chemical structure is altered. This should send up all sorts of red flags. It is not a food. It is not close to a food. It is closer to a plastic or other man-made derivative. I expect to read about devastating health effects of this artificial sweetener in years to come. It just hasn't been on the market long enough for the evidence to mount.

Yikes, this post got long! And I feel like I've only touched the subject. There will be another post to follow in the near future. I would like to mention more about High Fructose Corn Syrup and artificial sweeteners as well. If you would like further information about any of the sweeteners I listed above, please let me know and I will address them in greater depth.

Believe it or not, I am a very slow writer. Actually, I am a slow talker as well... which makes me really thankful for my patient husband who is willing to listen long enough for me to formulate the words for what I'm trying to say. As I was saying, I am a slow writer. And I REALLY appreciate your patience as I mull over a topic like this for the weeks it takes me to finish all my thoughts. Thanks for coming back for the rest of the story. I sincerely appreciate it.