Help! Cooking Dairy free!
Finding out your child has a rare genetic disorder changes a lot. But trust me it becomes the norm over time. You have all your family’s wonderful recipes but need dairy replacements. I have some solutions for you!
Learning to look at food labels for galactosemia was a difficult challenge. I love to bake, and cook. Baking with milk and butter create certain chemical reactions to give you certain desired consistencies and flavors. These are some tips of things I have found to help me.
Using coconut milk for a creamy stew or sauce? Not a fan of coconut flavor? A 1/4 tsp of baking soda to neutralize acids help the flavor. However too much gives it a soapy taste. Make sure to start with 1/4tsp
cornstarch is a helping thickener for creamier sauces, I add a tsp or a tbsp to help. I made dairy free gravy tonight, and just used mushrooms, onions, with beef broth and a little corn start to thicken it as it cooked down.
flour can help thicken as well, just get some warm water and mix before placing in sauces. If you don’t, it kinda coagulates into bumpy flour.
whip cream?! Freeze your coconut milk, and place your bowl in the freezer. Then use your kitchen aid and whip away. Or use an electric beater.
I can get creamy textures with blending white beans or chick peas and adding to the stews. I make a white chicken chili and I blend at least a cup of white beans add a little coconut milk. Its so hearty!
gumbo? well, if you are from NOLA you know a roux is essential. I will use light olive oil instead of butter. Just like any other roux you start low and slow and take your time to get that luscious brown color.
cookies? replace with vegetable shortening 1:1. Need dairy free chocolate chips find here. Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Dairy Free Mini Chocolate Chips, Vegan, 10 oz. My two year old loves these just by themselves. Enjoy life has all sort of vegan options.
buttermilk? Coconut milk and a tbsp of vinegar, let sit for 10 minutes, and use with in the week. Or soy milk and a tbsp of vinegar. If you don’t have vinegar fresh lemon juice can be substituted.
butter? replace one cup of butter with 3/4 cup of your dairy free substitute. If too greasy add less the next time. I use “I Can’t Believe it’s not Butter, Vegan.” Or you could use 3/4 cup of oil.
I love Miyoko’s cultured vegan butter, I will also use as a butter sub.
cream cheese? I use Kite Hill ….kite hill’s cheese cake recipe
sour cream? I love Tofutti sour cream.
creamy pasta alfredo? I will use dairy free cream cheese by Kit Hill as the base and its amazing. I will also add Daiya mozzarella shreds.
good tip, some dairy free milks do not have a high heat threshold and the taste will be effected if heat is too high in the pan. So again you might have to go a little slower with your sauces.
Don’t ask me about cheese sauces!! I have tried so many! I am searching for the holy grail of dairy free cheese queso dip and haven’t found it yet. I’ve tried, nuts, beans, and everything in-between and nothing is like cheesy queso. Plus, I have a hard time with the taste of nutritional yeast. When I get it down I will update you!!
