Food substitution guide

Ever get into cooking a recipe, only to discover that you're missing an ingredient? (I think we've all been there.) A good substitution can really save the day and your mood.

Here are 10 easy fill ins to help out when you're in a pinch:

Buttermilk To replace 1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk, pour 1 tbsp (15 mL) vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice into a measuring cup. Then, fill with milk until it reaches 1 cup (250 mL). Stir until evenly mixed.

Chocolate Instead of 1 oz (28 g) semisweet chocolate , use 1 oz (28 g) bittersweet or use 1 oz (28 g) unsweetened chocolate and 4 tsp (20 mL) granulated sugar.

Coconut milk For every 1 cup (250 mL) coconut milk, use 1 cup (250 mL) table or whipping cream and 1/2 tsp (2 mL) coconut extract

Jalapeno Use 1 tsp (5 mL) chili flakes or 1/4 tsp (1 mL) cayenne pepper for every jalapeno pepper.

Hot chili garlic sauce Use 1 tsp (5 mL) chili flakes and 1 minced clove of garlic for every 2 tsp (10 mL) of chili garlic sauce.

Lemongrass For every 2 lemon grass stalks , use 1 tbsp (15 mL) finely grated lemon peel and 1 tsp (5 mL) finely grated fresh ginger.

Pancetta Replace pancetta by using an equal amount of bacon or proscuitto. Just make sure to cook your bacon first.

Self-rising flour Instead of 1 cup (250 mL) self-rising flour, measure out 1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour just before using. Then, remove and discard 2 tsp (10 mL) from flour. Place remaining flour in a medium bowl. Add 11/2 tsp (7 mL) baking powder and 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt. Using a fork, stir until evenly mixed.

Wine When cooking you can often replace 1 cup (250 mL) red wine with 1 cup (250 mL) chicken or beef broth. To add a little red wine flavour, add 1 tbsp (15 mL) red wine vinegar. Or for white wine, use 1 cup (250 mL) apple juice and stir in 2 tsp (10 mL) white wine vinegar.

Chinese 5-spice Make your own 5-spice mix by stirring 1 tsp (5 mL) fennel seeds with 1 tsp (5 mL) ground ginger, 3/4 tsp (4 mL) ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground cloves.