Basics for Recipes

I began to cook a few weeks ago. It takes me at least 3 times longer to make the recipe that what is supposed to and it's always a mess at the end. A mess to clean, but the results of my attempts are often pretty good, while not perfect of course. Anyway, I only do some pretty easy recipes.

I find though that there's always huge quantities of fat and sugar ! Like a full bag of chocolate chips, 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of oil...

That's why I like the Fatfree Vegan Kitchen.
I haven't tried many recipes yet, but I like the fact that we can simply substitute fats like oil or margarine with tofu (firm or silken), or some mashed banana, stuff like that, or no need to subsitute with anything at all.
Also for the sugars, I often replace half of it with some stevia or fruits like dates.

I replace wheat flour with other flours (buckwheat, oat, rice, corn, quinoa, whatever).
I don't like the flavour of flax seeds so when it asks for it in a recipe I just use hemp instead.
I also like to substitute some of the cacao chips or powder for carob. Sometimes I use half chocolate chips and half carob chips which is great because chocolate melts while the carob chips stay as they are.
Replacing soymilk for other alternatives like almond or rice milk.