SENSATIONAL SUBSTITUTIONS

For Baking

Instead of Try

½ cup Butter or margarine - ¼ cup applesauce(or prune puree) + ¼ cup canola oil, butter or margarine

1 egg - 2 egg whites. ¼ cup liquid egg substitute.

Sweetened condensed milk - Lowfat/nonfat sweetened condensed milk Evaporated milk - Evaporated skim milk

1 cup all-purpose flour - 1 cup finely milled whole wheat flour. 1cup “white” whole wheat flour. 7/8 cup all-purpose flour + 2 tbsp. soy flour.

Pastry pie crust - Phyllo crust (use nonstick cooking spray between layers). Graham cracker crust.

1 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate - 3-4 tbsp. cocoa powder + 1 tbsp. oil + 1 tbsp. sugar (for frosting or sauces). ¼ cup cocoa (for cakes or cookies)

1 cup chocolate chips - ½ cup mini chocolate chips. Chopped nuts. Chopped dried fruits such as cranberries, raisins, apricots, cherries (for quick breads and muffins).

Fudge sauce - Chocolate Syrup

Frosting - Sliced fresh fruit. Pureed fruit. Light dusting of powdered sugar

source AICR

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BLUEBERRY

Blueberries, in season now, get a lot of press for nutrition (antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fiber), but we're going to spotlight their wonderful flavor and versatility. Sprinkled over cereal, added to pancakes, tossed into salads or turned into salsas, cold soups or dessert, they're one of summer's delights.
Here are tips for choosing and using:
* Once picked, blueberries do not ripen further. Look for firm, plump berries with smooth skins and a silvery sheen. Size doesn't matter, but color does. Reddish berries are not ripe and won't taste good.
* Refrigerate fresh berries, but wait to wash them until just before using. They can be refrigerated up to 10 days but are better used sooner.
* After rinsing the berries, let them dry on paper towels so that extra water doesn't get into the recipe.
* When buying frozen berries, make sure they are loose inside their bag. If they're lumped together, it means they've partially thawed and refrozen, compromising quality.
* Frozen berries can be used unthawed in pancakes, waffles and other recipes.
* Blueberries generally can be added to a recipe with no need to adjust the amount of other ingredients. They add bulk but no liquid.
* When baking muffins or cakes, dust the berries with some of the recipe's flour so they won't sink to the bottom.
* Instead of folding berries into pancake batter, sprinkle them onto each pancake before flipping. That keeps the berries from getting crushed and the batter from turning blue.More sweet news
* Blueberries contain disease-fighting phytochemicals, and their fiber helps reduce LDL cholesterol. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, blueberries ranked highest in antioxidants compared with 40 other fruits and vegetables. Blueberries also contain proanthocyanidins, which help fight urinary-tract infections.* A cup of blueberries has just 80 calories.
* To freeze blueberries, rinse them in a colander. Line a baking sheet with several layers of paper towels. Place the blueberries on the paper towels, cover with more paper towels and pat dry. Let the berries dry for several hours. Pack the berries in 1- or 2-cup portions in individual freezer bags, squeeze all the air out and freeze. They will keep 9 to 12 months.
* Add blueberries to yogurt, cereal and pancakes; toss them into a smoothie; pair with cheese and wine; use in salads or dressings; puree and add to barbecue sauce; or freeze and use as ice cubes in margaritas or martinis.

by Carole Kotkin - Aug. 6, 2008 McClatchy Newspapers

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