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Substitute Cooking

 Every now and then I get out the recipe books (all 237 of them – only joking but I have a few) and look for a different recipe to try. Invariably when I find a recipe that really appeals to me I don't have the ingredients in the house and I have to make a trip to the supermarket, greengrocer or butcher to get something special – or special to us anyway.

It takes all my enthusiasm if I have to do this so I have developed the habit of choosing my recipe and then re-creating it, substituting ingredients that I have on hand and that we all like. Nine times out of ten it works and the finished dish is a success. Occasionally the dog next door gets a treat and rarely does the bokashi bucket get one.

Once you start to think about substitutes it becomes very easy to adapt a recipe to suit you and your family. Thinking of similar ingredients or flavours ensures that your substitutes work.

This is a recipe from The Destitute Gourmet by Sophie Gray that really appealed to me as comfort food during the winter and also as being versatile enough to be a good lunchbox treat and special enough to serve at a grown-up party instead of the usual party pie and without being expensive. 

Without being expensive is the phrase of the day right now. Meals need to be nutritious, delicious and within, preferably under, our budget. If I can get a meal to come in under my budget of $5 per meal for the meat/poultry/seafood component, or $1 per serve for my family of 5, then hopefully it will be within your grocery budget too. With prices on the rise, and a lot of financial uncertainty, under budget puts a smile on my face, and I hope on yours.

In the first recipe you'll find the original ingredients. Listed underneath you'll find my substitutes. Both recipes are delicious; one of them is just cheaper than the other.

Magic Chicken Pies
(Destitute Gourmet recipe)
Ingredients:
1 leek, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
 Handful of mushrooms sliced 190g tin of champignon pieces
 25g butter  
 2 tbsp flour  
 250ml milk half milk, half water
 300g cooked potato cut in small slices leftover mashed potato
 1 tsp dried thyme  
 1 single chicken breast, cooked and shredded leftover BBQ chicken, shredded
 Salt & pepper  
 2-3 sheets pastry (or make your own)  
 1 beaten egg  

Method:
Preheat oven to 200C. Sauté leek and mushrooms in butter till soft. Stir in flour and gradually add milk till thick sauce is formed. Add potato, thyme, salt and pepper and chicken and set to cool. Grease medium muffin tins and line with pastry then spoon in chicken filling. Use leftover strips of pastry to make lattice tops and brush with egg to glaze. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

My Method
I followed roughly the method as above using my ingredients. I made individual pies in my pie maker. Pies were delicious and kids and hubby all loved them, no leftovers. This recipe made 8 individual pies, with plenty of filling in each.

Summary of substitutes:
I used:
1 large onion, sliced, instead of leek
1 410g tin of champignon pieces that I had in the pantry
Used half milk/half water
Leftover mashed potato instead of sliced, cooked potato
Totally forgot the thyme – didn't get it out of the cupboard and it slipped my mind
Leftover BBQ chicken from last night's dinner
Bought pastry sheets (Aldi)

I think I've been making my version for about 10 years - could be a little longer, could be a little less, but it's always a winner and often when I say we're having pies for lunch or tea, they are requested. 
​
You can use substitute cooking for just about any recipe you want to try. Substitute ingredients with what you have on hand as long as it's similar in texture and taste. You can quite easily substitute a green capsicum for a red one (green are half the price) without and change to the texture and flavour of the recipe. Plain, natural yoghurt can be substituted for sour cream and vice versa in most recipes. Coconut cream can be substituted with ½ cup powdered milk in ¾ cup water and ½ teaspoon of coconut essence.

If, like me, you love to look through recipe books and try new things, but don't want to buy one-off or expensive ingredients give substitute cooking a try. You may end up creating a whole lot of brand new family favourites. 

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  • Home
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    • Twenty Reasons to Join the Cheapskates Club
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    • Glossary of Cheapskating Terms
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  • Inspiration
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      • Handmade Christmas 2025 is about to start
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