Common Ingredients & Substitutions

I recommend that you first try the recipes as written to taste the intended result. But after that, please feel free to experiment with alternative ingredients and flavors. Here are some common items I use in my recipes with a few appropriate substitutes to help you achieve the best results possible.

Almond Butter: When almond butter is called for in a recipe, the only ingredient on the package label should be almonds. Avoid brands that contain additives like sugar or oil because those extras may interfere with your recipe results. You can also make your own almond butter by grinding almonds in a food processor for 15 to 20 minutes until creamy, or you can swap in all-natural peanut butter for slightly different results. (Peanut butter tends to make baked goods drier and less sweet.) To make a nut-free recipe, use sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter, but keep in mind that the sunflower seed butter will change the flavor somewhat and that baked goods that also call for baking soda will turn green, due to a safe chemical reaction. It’s something to keep in mind for St. Patrick’s Day!

Apple Cider Vinegar: I use vinegar to provide an acid flavor in recipes, and this is my favorite type of vinegar to use because it is thought to also help regulate blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol, and boost digestion. Look for raw apple cider vinegar “with the Mother” for the most health benefits, particularly in salad dressing recipes. If you can’t locate this vinegar, freshly squeezed lemon juice is the best alternative.

Arrowroot Starch: This easily digested starch is used to thicken sauces, like in the Korean Chicken Bowls on this page and the Orange Chicken & Vegetables on this page. Because it’s a thickener, it is only added at the end of recipes and needs to be mixed with water to create a “slurry” that is more easily incorporated. Tapioca starch can be used as a substitute with similar results, or you can omit the starch entirely. When omitting the starch, I recommend turning on the Sauté function at the end of the recipe to simmer away any extra liquid and thicken the sauce slightly.

Balsamic Vinegar: Aged balsamic vinegar complements recipes with tomatoes perfectly and has a lower acidity level, making for a more mellow and balanced flavor. Look for balsamic vinegar with 4 percent acidity for the best results. Even though this type of balsamic is more expensive than others, a single bottle could last a year or more. If you can find only the less expensive varieties with 6 percent acidity, add a splash of maple syrup to the recipe to help balance out the extra acidity.

Coconut Milk: I use full-fat canned coconut milk, found in the Asian foods aisle of your grocery store, to replicate the texture of heavy cream. Canned coconut milk tends to separate when stored at a temperature of 76ºF or below, but you can easily fix that by placing the unopened can in a bowl of very hot tap water for 10 minutes. Once warm, shake the can to mix the milk, then open it and measure out the amount needed for your recipe. Though it’s less creamy, you can also use light canned coconut milk, or the coconut milks sold in the refrigerated section, to lower the fat and calorie content in recipes.

Coconut Oil: Coconut oil has antibacterial properties and contains lauric acid, which is thought to help prevent high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Though I tend to use it sparingly, this oil is perfect for dessert recipes like puddings and frostings, which need to thicken when chilled. Choose extra-virgin coconut oil for the most nutrition, but refined coconut oil can be used when you don’t want a hint of coconut flavor. If you don’t care for coconut oil and can tolerate dairy, grass-fed butter or ghee make the best substitutes.

Coconut Sugar: Coconut sugar is a low-glycemic natural sweetener that can be used in place of granulated sugar for a slightly less-sweet result. I use coconut sugar when a dry sweetener is required for texture, like in the case of brownies or cakes. If you can’t find coconut sugar, sucanat or brown sugar are the most similar substitutes.

Maple Syrup: Not to be confused with pancake syrup, which may have several additional ingredients on the label, 100 percent pure maple syrup is a natural sweetener produced from the sap of maple trees. It has a rich maple flavor and is perfect for sweetening vegan recipes. If you’re not vegan, you may also use honey as a substitute for maple syrup. Keep in mind that honey is slightly sweeter than maple syrup so you may want to use slightly less than what is called for in a recipe.

Oat Flour (Gluten-Free): I love using oat flour for my gluten-free baking needs as it is affordable and readily available. If you have rolled oats in your pantry, you can make oat flour at home by simply grinding the oats in a blender, food processor, or coffee grinder. If you need to be gluten-free, be sure that your oats or store-bought oat flour are labeled “certified gluten-free” so you know there hasn’t been any cross-contamination with gluten during processing.

Sea Salt: I use fine Himalayan pink salt in my recipes, as it contains essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, and iron. I like the Real Salt brand, but any fine sea salt would work well.

Sriracha: This is a spicy sauce made from red chile peppers and garlic. You can usually find it in the Asian foods aisle of your grocery store, where coconut milk and soy sauce are sold. If you can’t locate it, use a dash of cayenne pepper in its place.

Tamari: A gluten-free soy sauce, tamari is great for boosting the flavor in a variety of recipes. If you don’t need your food to be gluten-free, regular soy sauce can be used in its place. If you can’t tolerate soy, you may also use coconut aminos as a soy-free substitute, but you’ll have to add extra salt to the recipe to compensate for the difference in flavor. I use full-sodium tamari in my recipes for maximum flavor.

Tomatoes (Diced): When shopping for canned tomatoes, look for brands that have only one ingredient on the label: tomatoes. (Pomi and DeLallo brands are two good options.) If you can only find tomatoes with added salt or sugar, use less of those ingredients than the recipe calls for to ensure you wind up with the intended flavor.

Tomatoes (Fire-Roasted with Green Chiles): This canned mix of tomatoes and green chiles is used for making dishes with a Mexican-style flare, like tacos and queso dip. It can be found in the canned tomato section of your grocery store. The best substitute is a prepared medium-spicy salsa.

White Whole-Wheat Flour: This flour is made from 100 percent whole wheat, so it has the same nutritional value as traditional whole-wheat flour with a milder flavor and paler color. I prefer to use this type of flour when making healthier cakes and cookies, but you can also use certified gluten-free oat flour for a gluten-free alternative. I’ve included tested gluten-free variations for all of the recipes in this book for easy substitutions.

Best Kitchen Tools

As with my recipes, I like to keep my kitchen equipment as simple as possible. The following tools and cooking accessories are all you need to make every recipe in the book. Although some are specific to the Instant Pot, most of them are not and you may already have them in your kitchen. For easy shopping, I put links to everything here on my website. Check it out at https://detoxinista.com/​instant-pot-accessories.

Bowl (7-inch): If you’d like to try pot-in-pot cooking, which means you cook one thing in the main pot and cook something else in a separate bowl set atop a trivet (see this page), you need a 7-inch oven-safe bowl to fit easily into the Instant Pot. An oven-safe 4-cup bowl works well, or you can use a 7-inch round pan (see this page) instead.

Handled Trivet: This is the trivet that comes with your Instant Pot, so you should already have it stocked in your kitchen. I use this trivet often, and refer to it simply as the “handled trivet” in recipes.

Heat-Resistant Oven Mitts: The main pot and any additional cooking accessories (trivets, pans) get hot under pressure cooking, so you’ll need some heat-resistant mitts to remove hot pans from the device. I recommend choosing a pair made of silicone for extra gripping power and heat protection.

Immersion Blender: To streamline my cooking and reduce the number of dirty dishes in the sink, I use an immersion blender to blend soups, gravies, and even puddings directly in the Instant Pot. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a standard blender for these recipes, but you may have to blend in batches. Always use caution, as the steam pressure from blending hot liquids can blow the lid off your blender.

Microplane Grater/Zester: I use this fine grater to quickly mince fresh garlic and ginger directly into the main pot, and also as a citrus zester.

Parchment Paper: I line my 7-inch round pan (see this page) with parchment paper to guarantee easy removal of my finished baked goods. Don’t bother trying to cut a perfect circle when lining your pans; if you press a square-shaped piece of paper into a round pan, the corners that go up the sides of the pan make easy handles for removing the final product. Lightly grease your pan before lining with parchment paper to help keep the parchment in place.

Plate (7-inch): You most likely already have a 7-inch oven-safe salad or side plate in your home, so there’s no need to buy something special here. This is perfect for covering a 7-inch round pan (see below) during the cooking process to protect your baked goods from unwanted moisture. I prefer covering my food with this nontoxic and reusable option, rather than relying on aluminum foil.

Potato Masher: A potato masher is not only handy for mashing potatoes, but it can also help make cauliflower “rice” and “fried rice” (see this page and this page) in a matter of minutes without using your food processor.

Round Pan (7-inch): To make cakes, brownies, and granola bars, you’ll need a 7-inch pan that fits inside your Instant Pot. I like this size because it fits directly on the Instant Pot’s handled trivet (see this page), so it’s easy to remove from the pot after cooking. An 8-inch pan will fit in the 8-quart Instant Pot, but the recipes in this book were designed for a 7-inch pan. Using a larger pan will give you more shallow results, and using a smaller (6-inch) pan will require a longer cooking time.

Steamer Basket: When you want to prepare steamed vegetables that don’t touch the cooking water and can be easily removed from the pressure cooker, a steamer basket comes in handy. There are several brands specially designed to fit in the Instant Pot, or choose a classic steamer basket with an extendable handle so you can use it on the stove top, too.

Trivet (2.5-inch and 4-inch): If you’d like to try pot-in-pot cooking (see this page), you’ll need a trivet to keep the two dishes separate. I use a 2.5-inch trivet in most cases, but if you’re making a large recipe, like Sneaky Sloppy Joes (this page), or a double batch of any recipe, a 4-inch trivet gives you extra height. (The two are often sold as a two-piece set online.)

Widemouthed Mason Jars (8-ounce): Glass jars are great for recipes that are designed to be portable, like my Take-Along Veggie Frittatas (this page), or for packing a lunch on the go. Four of these jars fit perfectly on the Instant Pot’s handled trivet (see this page) and can be stacked on top of each other to easily double a recipe.