How to turn any Recipe into a Real Food recipe - Homemade Mommy (2024)
by Lindsey Gremont
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This is the question I get most often. How do I turn my old favorite recipes into Real Food recipes? With a few simple purchasing changes and a little elbow grease on some homemade items, you can make your favorite recipes and I guarantee they will taste even better!
There are of course exceptions to this rule. If the recipe included anything from a box mix (like cake mix, etc.), toss it and find an alternative “from scratch” recipe that will be easier to adjust.
Hopefully my tips will help you get started.
If a recipe calls for vegetable oil, substitute with…
For sautéing or frying, coconut oil (raw or Expeller-Pressed), Palm Oil or Ghee (clarified butter) – where to find quality oils
For baking, Raw Virgin Coconut Oil or grass-fed butter – where to find coconut oil
For cold dishes, Cold-Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil (test to ensure it is real olive oil by putting some in your refrigerator, if it solidifies then it is real EVOO)
Or experiment with animal fats like beef tallow, lard or chicken schmaltz
If a recipe calls for margarine or vegetable shortening, substitute with…
Grass-fed Butter or Ghee
Raw Virgin Coconut Oil – where to buy coconut oil
If a recipe calls for sugar or brown sugar, substitute with…
Raw honey, in equal measure
Grade B maple syrup, cut in half
Coconut sugar or Whole Cane Sugar (Rapadura) or Sucanat – I personally have not been able to tolerate these sweeteners so use them cautiously if you are trying to wean yourself off refined sugar
Note – if the recipe is for candy then this swap will most likely not work so find a recipe with the real food sweetener you want to use and try that instead
where to find quality sweeteners
If a recipe calls for salt (iodized or sea salt) substitute with…why?
Himalayan pink salt or Celtic sea salt or other whole mineral salts – where to buy salt
If a recipe calls for boxed chicken or beef broth, substitute with…
Traveling bone broth (dehydrated and ground chicken stock)
Choosing flours can be tricky. Whether you are gluten-free or grain-free or eat whatever flour you like then be sure you know your flours and how they will impact your system. To keep this simple:
If the recipe is calling for a couple of tablespoons of white flour as a thickener for sauces, substitute with…
If grain free, 1 tbsp of coconut flour or arrowroot powder mixed with water to make a slurry
If you can tolerate some grains, then just use the white flour – it is more easily digestible than substituting a whole grain flour and a couple of tablespoons never hurt anyone – where to find flours
If the recipe is calling for white flour for baking, substitute with…
If you can tolerate some grains, experiment with sprouted spelt – it is lighter than whole wheat flour and also more easily digestible – where to find sprouted flour
If grain free – sadly – you cannot do a measure for measure swap to coconut or almond flour – try to find a new recipe for what you are trying to make to experiment with these new flours – where to find coconut products
If a recipe calls for store bought mayonnaise, substitute with…
Homemade mayonnaise which is very easy to make and will make your recipe that much more delicious. You can cut down on the salt content in your recipe as your homemade mayo will add a lot of flavor. Store bought mayo, even if labeled as olive oil mayo, contains soy and other vegetable oils (read the ingredients).
If a recipe calls for ketchup, substitute with…
Homemade ketchup or just tomato paste in a pinch
If a recipe calls for pasta, depending on the recipe, substitute with…
Rice or quinoa – where to buy grains
Buckwheat noodles – did you know buckwheat isn’t a grain?
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A recipe can usually be considered “original” if you have changed three or more major ingredients, or three or more steps in the recipe process, and have written everything in your own words. Your readers come to your blog because they enjoy making your delicious recipes, but also in part because they like YOU.
Here in the food writing world, many of us follow an informal standard that you need to make at least three changes before you can claim credit for a recipe. Those changes need to be more substantial than changing 1/2 teaspoon salt to 1/4 teaspoon, although the changes don't have to just be in the ingredients.
Recipe writing can be daunting to some, but if you have a good knowledge of cooking, I promise it is possible! It will take practice, which builds experience, but everyone has to start somewhere.
Similar to ideas, facts and history, there isn't copyright protection in recipes as mere lists of ingredients. This is clearly stated by the U.S. Copyright Office.
For those who want a quick and easy answer: It's generally cheaper to cook food at home than eat out. The reason so many people can get stuck on the question is the human psychology variable. People don't always spend wisely, and it isn't as if prices are always the same at a supermarket or a fast food restaurant.
Determine the required yield of the recipe by multiplying the new number of portions and the new size of each portion. Find the conversion factor by dividing the required yield (Step 2) by the recipe yield (Step 1). That is, conversion factor = (required yield)/(recipe yield).
A general rule of thumb is: if you change three or more ingredients in the recipe, and rewrite the recipe instructions in your own voice, you can consider it your own. Even so, stating that the recipe was “adapted from” or “inspired by” the original recipe is a good idea.
Every chef has their own creative process and preferred method for documenting their ideas — ideas which eventually morph into recipes. This can range from notebooks, scrap paper and post-it notes, to note apps like Evernote and Apple Note, Google Docs and countless other ways.
2. It's proven to be healthier. Some studies suggest that people who cook more often, rather than get take-out, have an overall healthier diet. These studies also show that restaurant meals typically contain higher amounts of sodium, saturated fat, total fat, and overall calories than home-cooked meals.
Baking isn't necessarily harder than cooking. It really comes down to your preferences in the kitchen. If you enjoy precision and consistency, then you may find baking to be easier for you. But if you enjoy flexibility and creative freedom in your dishes, you might find that cooking comes more naturally to you.
In the culinary context, it's used the same way. Authentic food has an undisputed origin, and is made of real ingredients that come from designated places. So, when dishes or recipes are described as “authentic,” it means that they are close to what is unanimously accepted as “traditional” in their country of origin.
Determine the required yield of the recipe by multiplying the new number of portions and the new size of each portion. Find the conversion factor by dividing the required yield (Step 2) by the recipe yield (Step 1). That is, conversion factor = (required yield)/(recipe yield)
And the truth is, while many authors use a cookbook recipe that is their own, many books feature recipes that have been adapted from or inspired by other cooks and bakers as well as some recipes that are a reimagined take on a previously created recipe.
The cookbook writers should not copy the cooking method or illustrations used as part of the cooking procedure to avoid copyright infringement. They need to use their image, which helps them avoid copyright-related issues, and it even offers protection to their works from getting copied or plagiarized.
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