How do I substitute in recipes for these key ingredients?

Question: How do I substitute in recipes for these key ingredients?

I was tested for food allergies and was told to avoid the following foods: eggs, dairy, and wheat. With the holidays quickly approaching, how do I substitute in recipes for these key ingredients?

Jolie - About.com User

Answer: Eggs, wheat, and dairy are common triggers for food allergies. However, with a little effort, you can replace all of them in most of your recipes.

For eggs, you can use an egg replacer, which can be found online, or at most health food stores.

Dairy products can be replaced fairly easily. Milk or cream can be substituted with soy, rice or almond beverages. The rice and almond beverages have a lighter flavor, however the thicker soy beverage works better as an ingredient in cream sauces and soups.

I think the best substitute for cow's milk is fresh goat's milk. It has to be fresh though -- from a local dairy if possible -- or the flavor gets tangy rather quickly. Some people with allergy to cow’s milk can also react to goat’s milk or sheep’s milk, so be sure to consult with your allergist before making this substitution. Several varieties of goat cheeses, as well as sheep cheeses can work into your holiday recipes too. You can also buy vegetarian cheese substitutes that are quite tasty.

Wheat can be replaced by spelt, which is tasty, or by rice, oat or soy flours. (Important note: Spelt isn't a good choice for people with celiac sprue since it is related to wheat and contains gluten.) Other unique grains include quinoa and kamut. Both have distinctive flavors.

Spelt is the easiest to work with and can be substituted almost equally to wheat in most of your recipes. It has a slightly sweeter, nuttier flavor than regular wheat. Spelt products such as pasta, cookies and bread are also available.