The ability to create delicious, healthy dishes depends a great deal on starting with the right ingredients. If you're new to cooking or the dairy-free diet, the following list of kitchen and pantry essentials will guide you through some of the ingredients that are useful to keep on hand.
1. Beans & Legumes
© 2007 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc.Dried beans and legumes are inexpensive, easy to store and nutritious. They also add a creamy and rich texture to dishes when cooked and pureed. Keep on hand red and green lentils, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, and black beans for a variety of colors and flavors.
To make a simple dairy-free creamy soup, puree two boiled potatoes, 1/2 cup sauteed onions, 2 cups cooked beans or legumes, with 1 cup cooked vegetable of choice, 2 cups broth and desired seasonings.
2. Dairy-Free Dark Chocolate
© 2008 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc.Fortunately,
Chocolate is Dairy-Free, provided, of course, that it does not contain dairy-derived additives like milk,
casein, or
whey, as is the case with many chocolate candies, bars and chips. (Label-reading is a must.)
Dairy-free chocolate is something every dairy-free cook should keep in the pantry; it's an easy go-to sweet treat on its own and it is an easy way to make just about any dessert just a little bit richer. Check out these Dairy-Free Chocolate Recipes for some decadent desert ideas.
3. Dried Fruit
© 2007 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc.Dried fruits add depth and moisture to baked dishes, which, when omitting butter or eggs from recipes such as cakes, is important to the texture of the finished product. To replace part of the butter or eggs in a recipe with dried fruits, soak dried fruits in boiling water to cover for about 15 minutes, then drain and puree in a food processor. The paste that is formed can be added in a 1:1 ratio to cake and quick-bread recipes to replace part of the oil, butter or eggs.
Additionally, dried fruits work well in soups, chutneys or salads, adding sweetness, flavor and texture to a variety of dishes. They have a fairly long shelf-life, though they will lose moisture over time and should be rotated about every month.
4. Eggs
© 2009 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc.Contrary to the belief of some,
eggs are not dairy products and persons who have milk allergies or who are lactose intolerant but do not have an allergy to eggs are able to consume eggs as a part of their diet without the negative results associated with dairy intolerances or allergies. In dairy-free cooking, eggs are helpful for many types of recipes, from emulsion sauces and puddings, to baked goods, sweets and breads. While egg-yolks are easy ways to achieve custard-like consistency in sauces and puddings, beaten egg whites are terrific was to give desserts and breads lift.
Here are just a few dairy-free recipes the highlight the mighty egg:
Basic QuicheHomemade Vegetarian MarshmallowsLemon Emulsion SauceMini PavlovasWhite Cupcakes5. Honey
© 2007 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc.There is a reason that so many people have claimed that heaven is a land flowing with honey! Golden and rich with an almost buttery flavor, honey adds a deep yet mild sweetness that mimicks the subtle sweet tones present in cheese and dairy products.
© 2007 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc.Not to be confused with brewer's yeast,
nutritional yeast is packed with B-vitamins and protein, and has a naturally nutty, yeasty flavor that resembles that of cheese. Found in the bulk section of most health food stores, this essential is relatively inexpensive, keeps well in an airtight container in the cabinet and is a delicious addition to sauces,
cheese substitutes and casseroles. It can also be sprinkled as it is on top of salads, pasta and eggs for flavor and color.
7. Nut Meal
Ground nuts can be used for a variety of dishes, from savory "cheese" recipes to rich desserts. When finely ground and then combined with a small amount of liquid, nut meal creates a creamy paste that can then be used to add dimension and texture to recipes. Although you can always grind nuts right before using them, I find it incredibly helpful to keep a small amount in an airtight container in the refrigerator for quick meal preparation. The nuts that I find yield the best meals are almonds, Brazil nuts and cashews.
8. Nuts & Seeds
© 2007, Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc.Nuts and seeds contribute flavor and texture to recipes, and their higher fat and protein content makes them ideal substitutions for cheese and other dairy products. Although they can be a bit pricey, you can buy them in bulk as they have a long shelf-life. Purchase raw (not roasted or salted) nuts and seeds for the most flexibility in your recipes.
9. Soy Margarine
© 2008 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc.Soy margarine, although less healthy than oil, is needed for some dairy-free baking recipes in order to achieve the best results, such as cookies, shortbread and croissants, all which require some sort of semi-solid fat. My preferred soy margarine brand is Willow Run, which, although it contains partially-hydrogenated fats, really produces the best results. Luckily, these recipes tend to be "treats" and aren't things that we eat all of the time, which is all the more reason to make them really tasty when we do!
Here are a few more helpful articles on using Soy Margarine in dairy-free recipes:
Baking without ButterBest Dairy-Free Butter Substitutes10. Soy, Almond or Rice Milk
© 2008 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc.For baking,
desserts,
sauces,
soups and just about anything, soy or rice milk is definitely a dairy-free necessity. For baking, I prefer using unsweetened brands that contain only soybeans and water as these have a rich texture and flavor and seem to yield the best results. For
sauces, and
soups, however, these tend to "separate" in the liquid. For these recipes, I use Silk, Rice Dream or another brand that contains some sort of a stabilizing agent, such as carrageenen. Of course, making
homemade almond milk is easy and so satisfying.
Not sure which brands to buy? Check out my Best Non-Dairy Milk Alternatives to help guide you through the many options.
