Egg Free Baking and Cooking Suggestions

Yesterday my "Guest Dietitian" talked about "Egg Allergies" and baking/cooking without eggs.  Be sure to go back to yesterday's blog if you missed it and see what Jessica had to say on the subject.

Here are a few suggestions from Jessica to get you started:

1. Soft fruits with high pectin content such as bananas, applesauce, canned peaches and pumpkin puree are great for replacing egg in sweet baked items such as pancakes, waffles, muffins and quick breads.  Generally, a 1/4 cup of mashed or pureed fruit will replace 1 egg in a recipe.  Try using pureed baby food fruits or prunes for an easy egg replacer - they come in small jars and so you'll have very little waste, if any.  Fruit will provide the necessary moisture but will not give baked goods a light and fluffy rise so be sure that when using them there is also baking powder or baking soda in the recipe for added leavening power.
2. Silken Tofu is a great stand in for eggs as it will take on the flavor of whatever you're cooking.  Whipped or blended tofu works great in lasagna and meat balls and can also be used in sweet baked goods like those mentioned above.  Be sure to buy silken tofu since firmer varieties will not blend well.  Use 1/4 cup blended tofu to replace 1 whole egg. 
3. Ground Flax Seeds can be whisked together with warm water and allowed to thicken before adding to a recipe.  To use, grind 1 tablespoon of whole flax-seeds in a coffee or spice grinder (or use 2 1/2 tablespoons of pre-ground flax-seed which is often referred to as "flax meal") and whisk together with 3 tablespoons of warm water.  Allow a few minutes for the mixture to thicken or gel before using.  Ground Chia seeds can also be used in this manner.
4. Plain Yogurt can also be used as an egg replacement.  If you're vegan, consider using soy or coconut milk yogurts instead.  1/4 cup yogurt will replace 1 egg in a recipe.
5. Commercial Egg Replacers such as Ener-G (Energ link) are easy to use and versatile.  They can be found at most health food stores, larger well stocked grocers and on-line.  Egg replacers such as these are flavorless and work best in baked goods such as cookies, pancakes, waffles and muffins but can also be used as a binder in savory dishes or casseroles or meatloaf.

See?  You really can have your cake and eat it too.  Happy Baking!  Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins tomorrow on Friday's blog.  I hope this has helped you some on "Egg Allergies" and "Egg Free Baking/Cooking."  If you have more questions about this subject, you can e-mail Jessica with them.  her e-mail address is jessica_beacom@me.com.