Do you have a favorite recipe, but only serve it on special occasions because of pricey ingredients? With a bit of clever substitutions, you can enjoy these meals year round.
I first realized this technique years ago when I swapped out the prosciutto and wild mushrooms for smoked turkey and regular mushrooms in “Angel Hair Pasta with Prosciutto And Wild Mushrooms.” Everyone raved about the recipe. It was an epiphany.
Hmm, thought I . . . what other recipes can I work my magic on?
Hungarian mushroom soup became Hungarian potato soup.
Cranberry-orange scones evolved into orange scones.
You get the gist.
There’s no hard and fast rule here. Just a different mindset. What other ingredient would do?
So next time you’re perusing that ingredient list, consider a substitution solution. You might even substitute in a better recipe.
For a handy list of ingredient substitutions, check out allrecipes.com’s substitution suggestions.
Necessity after all, is the mother of invention.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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This is great – consumerism in our society seems to be largely based on convenience, and convenience stifles creative thought. Figuring out how to use what’s already in the refrigerator instead of running to the store is a great way to stimulate the creative part of the brain. This can apply to every aspect of consumerism – if you’ve decided not to buy new or to buy less in general, you are forced to be more creative and to think more deeply about what you’re doing and how/why you’re doing it.