Eggs: Love 'Em or Leave 'Em

Eggs are one of the most amazing ingredients. For one thing, they are an emulsifier, which means they make it possible for oil and water to combine. This may not sound like a big deal, but it's the difference between mayonnaise and vinaigrette dressing. I once found a recipe for a vegan cake (no eggs) and it was really good, but because of the lack of eggs, it had a greasy feel and taste, and it left grease spots on the paper towels I placed it on.

Eggs also have the interesting property of solidifying when hot. That may sound normal, but stop and think about how many recipes you have made that are liquid or semi-liquid before being heated and are solid or even dry when cooked: pancakes, muffins, banana bread, custard. How many of them use eggs to accomplish this?

Eggs also add protein to many dishes that would otherwise be primarily carbohydrate. This makes them more filling and satisfying. It also slows down the rise in blood sugar after eating them.

With all the amazing things that eggs do in recipes, what do you do if you have to cut them out of your diet? The answer to that lies is why you're cutting them out.

If you are trying to cut down on cholesterol or fat, it's really quite easy. Egg whites have all the baking properties of whole eggs. Just use 2 egg whites for every egg called for in a recipe. The only exception to this rule is in recipes that depend on the fat in egg yolks, such as soft cookies and brownies. It will still work, but the finished product will be more dry. You can even make low-fat scrambled eggs by combining 3 egg whites and 1 whole egg. Add a little mozzarella and some mushrooms and onions and serve with toast and jam for a delicious, healthful breakfast.

If you find eggs are hard to digest, try just the yolks. The yolks have a higher fat concentration, but they are also easier to digest. In any recipe you can use 2 egg yolks for 1 whole egg. I've never seen this fail in any recipe.

If you want to (or have to) eliminate them completely, you have a much more difficult struggle. There are other ingredients that can act as an emulsifier, but there is nothing that has quite the solidifying power of an egg. Here are a few suggestions though. For more information or more options, I've found this website to be very useful. http://www.egglesscooking.com/egg-replacements/

Before trying any major cooking change, make sure you are fed well from the foods you can eat. Cooking with new ingredients and making modifications to recipes always comes with a bit of trial and a lot of error. Make sure when you go to make a new recipe that it's not something you are craving and you are not hungry. That way if it doesn't turn out it won't an emotional disaster, just a failed experiment.

The first option I tried was Ener-G egg replacer. I hated it. I seldom had any recipe turn out like I wanted. I later found out my mistakes and have had moderate success with it since. Keep in mind that package directions call for measuring it packed. I usually use just a bit more than what's actually called for just to be on the safe side. Also, it's very important to mix the powder with water BEFORE adding it to your recipe. Whisk it with a whisk or fork until it begins to thicken and froth up like egg whites. When you keep these things in mind it works pretty good almost all the time.

I didn't like the egg replacer very much at first so I went on a search for other options. The two that I like the most are mashed banana and applesauce. These work great in muffins and sweet breads, two of the things I was missing the most. You need 1/4 to 1/3 cup of either to replace one egg. Keep in mind that if you use banana, your final product will taste like banana. Applesauce has a more neutral flavor and is great in anything sweet, but you may need to decrease the other liquids to get the right consistency.

Eggs are just so fascinating. They have been the most difficult of my own allergies to deal with. Milk is so easy, because rice milk and MimiCreme work so well, and once I cut out most processed food, soy just kind of dropped out. But eggs were in everything I wanted to make. I still struggle with cooking without them sometimes, and create some of the most spectacular flops. :) But since I always learn from my mistakes, I still enjoy the creative process and enjoy your food.