Nontoxic Replacements for Common Ingredients

As it gets harder to buy simple ingredients at the grocery store without an inflated price tag or suspicious additives, it becomes more imperative to relearn the simple tricks used by our grandmothers to complete a recipe. Eventually, you may be able to rely on a small handful of really reliable, high-quality ingredients to build the necessities in your fridge. I’ve compiled a few of my most-used below. Add your own in the comments!

Bagel Dough
Mix 2 cups warm water with 2¼ tsp yeast & 1 tbsp sugar. Let sit 5-10 minutes, then add 5 cups bread flour, ½ cup of melted butter, & a pinch of salt. Mix 5-10 minutes until dough is soft & pulls away from the edges of the bowl. Cover & let rise 1-2 hours. Once risen, punch it down & divide into 16 balls. Add any fillings, pinch a hole in the middle to shape your bagels, then cover & fill a large pot with water & ¼ cup baking soda. Once water is boiling, preheat your oven to 400º & gently toss bagels in water in small batches, flipping about halfway through & removing after 45 seconds. Sort boiled dough on a cookie sheet with parchment paper, brush with egg wash & any other toppings, then place in the oven for 15 minutes (add approximately 3-5 additional minutes for wet fillings). Let sit after removing from oven. Once cooled, store in plastic bags on the counter & eat within 5 days.

Bread Loaf

Brownie Mix
To prep 4 batches of brownies, mix 4 cups granulated sugar, 4 cups brown sugar, 4 cups flour, 4 cups cocoa powder, & 4 tsp salt & store in a large airtight jar. When ready to use, add 4 eggs, 2 tsp vanilla, & 1 cup softened butter to 4 cups of your dry mix, then bake at 350º for 25-30 minutes.

Cheese Curds/Cream Cheese
Use up your leftover milk! Add it to a pot over low heat. Once nearly boiling, begin to gradually add vinegar & stir until curdled. Pour into a colander or cheesecloth to separate curds from leftover liquid (whey). Stop here for cottage cheese, or blend with a dash of salt & olive oil for cream cheese. Refrigerate.

Hot Honey
Heat up honey in a pot over medium heat, add chili flakes & a dash of hot sauce & simmer 2-3 minutes, stirring, until combined. Remove from heat, add a little apple cider vinegar, & store in the pantry once cooled.

Ketchup
Add 6oz tomato paste, ¼ cup honey, ½ cup white vinegar, ¼ cup water, & a dash each of sugar, salt, onion powder, & garlic powder to a pot over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes, stirring regularly. Remove from heat & refrigerate once cooled.

Ranch
Shake up ½ cup each buttermilk, mayo, & sour cream, & ½ tsp each of paprika, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, & dill, refrigerate overnight, & use within a week.