What do you use in your baking?
I get this question ALOT. Since I’m lactose intolerant I can’t have butter. People are always asking me how I bake so much without butter! I try to keep my baking dairy free, but sometimes I can’t avoid it. I do tag all my dairy free recipes in the blog, so you will know.
As you may already know, the easiest way to bake dairy-free is Vegan baking. I’ve had success in most of my vegan baking adventures and also with just subbing dairy-free products in place of dairy products.
I did take a great Vegan cupcake class at the Boston Center for Adult Education. It was a lot of fun and the cupcakes turned out amazing! I was glad to hear that our instructor (a vegan who works in a bakery) uses a lot of the same products I do.
I’ve been using these products interchangeably in my baking since I found out I was lactose intolerant about 9 months ago. I’ve never had anyone say that anything tasted funny. I even convinced my family over the holidays that eating dairy free doesn’t affect the taste of Spinach and Artichoke dip!
Butter: Anyone who is lactose intolerant likely knows about Earth Balance. It’s delicious and tastes just like butter. It can also be used in baking!
Milk: I use soymilk instead of milk. I was having problems with my vegan cupcakes always turning out gummy, like they weren’t done. I found out it was because I was using the lowfat soy milk. It has a higher water content than the regular version. So I use the lowfat soy milk for my cereal and these little guys for my baking. I like them because they can be stored in the pantry and are in 1 cup boxes.
Cream cheese: Hubby absolutely loves cream cheese frosting. He’d eat it with a spoon if I let him. Thank goodness for Tofutti!! (I love their ice cream too!) This stuff really is better than cream cheese. I can’t taste a difference.
Yogurt: You can use soy yogurt in place of regular yogurt, but I like to use silken tofu. Just throw it in the food processor and process away to give it the right texture.
Parmesan or Shredded Cheese: There are quite a few lactose free cheese substitutes available at the grocery store. The Veggie brand cheeses are really good. They also make cheese slices that melt just like real cheese. They also make a sour cream substitute. I don’t eat much sour cream, so I haven’t tried it.
Oil: This isn’t a lactose intolerance thing, but I like to sub applesauce for oil. It cuts the fat in baked goods but still gives the moisture. Don’t try this for brownies though! I like to get the Natural (no sugar added) applesauce in the small individual servings. Since I make homemade applesauce, if I bought a jar, it would go bad. The individual serving packages stay mold-free longer than an open jar. And each package is a 1/2 cup of applesauce.
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
I’m with you–every ingredient in this salad is a winner on it’s own. Together? Forgetaboutit! The colors are beautiful and I can imagine how great it tastes with the balance of bitter, sweet, and tart.
Love the new layout, also. Way to go!
Yum! I am also addicted to kale since doing a CSA here in Boston 🙂
It’s so funny, because as I was scrolling through Tastespotting tonight and saw this post, I had to click because it looked so familiar to my winter couscous bowl… and then, I couldn’t believe it when I saw my blog credited at the bottom! This is a first for me 🙂 Thanks so much for the credit!
So you’ve recently moved back to Cincinnati? Which part? My family and I live in Anderson Township.
beantownbaker — January 13th, 2013 @ 10:02 am
Thanks so much for the recipe!!
We work in West Chester and are living in Oakley right now. Trying to find a house at some point…
I think this sounds amazing, Jen! And I love how colorful it is. I am always looking for new winter salads that are colorful, flavorful, and interesting.
beantownbaker — January 13th, 2013 @ 10:06 pm
This is definitely colorful, flavorful, and interesting. I have seriously been OBSESSED with pomegranates this winter, and this salad totally feeds into that obsession.
I’m on a major quinoa AND kale kick so this salad is right up my alley. So colorful and pretty, too!
beantownbaker — January 14th, 2013 @ 3:47 pm
Pretty food is definitely always tastier than ugly food 🙂
looks a lot like the one i posted last week 🙂 obviously, i’m all over it!!
beantownbaker — January 14th, 2013 @ 3:48 pm
Very similar indeed!
This is perfect for that kale and pomegranate I have in the fridge! I’m always excited to find new things to put together ahead of time for lunches and dinners, thanks! Hope you are settling in nicely 🙂
beantownbaker — January 14th, 2013 @ 3:49 pm
I couldn’t agree more. Making food ahead of time saves the day during the week! I can’t imagine not eating leftovers… Things are going pretty well for us in Ohio so far. Hope things are going well for you and your little bundle on the way!
Sounds great to me! I love the ingredients. And the colors 🙂
This sounds right up my alley! YUM!!
I was thinking about an easy and colorful, flavorful, and power-packed healthy side dish to bring for a potluck lunch after a trail work party this coming weekend. I had these amazing cute pumpkins to harvest from my garden and love both kale and quinoa. I thought to myself, mmmm, what if I made some kind of pumpkin kale quinoa and goat cheese salad to share? One quick internet search and I came across this gem! I modified and concocted a tad, which is normal for me. Thanks so much for the recipe and ingredient confirmations! The honey, olive oil, and smokey / spicy combo was the secret ingredient for me! Happy fooding!
beantownbaker — November 3rd, 2013 @ 12:35 pm
Glad you enjoyed it! I am always tweaking recipes to make them fit what I have on hand and what we like too.