Help! Ideas for sauces without flour and butter ...

MimiJane

katia wrote:

hello
still new at this so bear with me . I was watching masterchef goes large (oh the life of a student:rotfl:) the other day, and someone made a thick soup out of chickpeas, and it was veryyy thick. Don't know if thats any use as a base for a sauce as they have quite a neutral flavour?!

Again, to repeat some of the other posts you cant beat a thick veg pasta sauce, but be careful even with shop bought tins of tomatoes as they add lots of sugar to the sauce, same with baked beans and alcohol also contains sugar. A lot of the healthier pre-prepared sauces hav added sugar to make them taste more appealing.

Another idea :idea:, this is off the top of my head so might be awful, but if you cook potatoes, carrots and other similar veg to a very soft texture and then blend down, u could get some 'interesting' sauces:think:!! Hmmm, maybe ignore that last suggestion? :wall:

But hope the rest has been some use.

K x :wave:

I read all food labels very careful these days ... yes, sugar or sugar substitutes are in the vast majority of foods and alcohol is right off limits! It really annoys me how much sugar is in everything ... it's so unnecessary. Holland & Barrett have quite a few "healthier" versions of foods like baked beans, but they're not cheap. Like the idea of the chick peas, which we both like, so might try mixing a puree of these with say tomatoes. As eggs are allowed, may also try a carbonara type sauce and thickening flours such as soy, maize and potato.

Thanks to all for the great suggestions ... plenty of ideas to try and keep me very busy in the kitchen!

linzibean

I am on a similar doet fo health reasons and have found a few alternatives

Instead of creamy curry sauces I make yummy coconutty ones - pure coconut milk is great and cheap tinned too! It thickens up lovely with some spices for curry and doesnt have a strong taste.

For pastas i tend to make a "creamy" sauce with purees mushrooms and other veg stirred into a nice mix of tomatoes and herbs, lovely over pasta with some big veg like aubergines! mmmm!

good luck with the diet, I have founf it a nightmare trying to avoid egg / milk products and sugars in most foods! It drives me nuts as toast is a big part of my snack food and about all I cna eat on it is peanut butter or marmite!! I miss jam so much.....

Trow

wishingonastar wrote:

we have a tin of beans whizzed in the blender for over pasta, my dd likes this lots.

Be careful with this one though, as most baked beans (if not all) have added sugar in them.

vanoonoo

can you use cornflour? thats a good thickener for sauces

also potato flakes are good (not sure if this constitutes as OS or not though!!) but as already suggested check ingredients of packs incase of hidden sugars and flours.

thinkgs like chick peas, lentils and most other pulses when blended are good thickeners too if thats any help.

seraphina

Coconut milk is yummy but it is extremely high in saturated fats so possibly one to watch from a health point of view.

Can you do yoghurt or half fat creme fraiche? We do a pasta sauce by frying off some mushrooms gently and then stirring in some creme fraiche and paprika.

I've heard of chicken and lamb cooked in yoghurt but I've never made anything like that so you may have to google for a recipe.

If you're making stew type dishes you can attack it with a potato masher before serving - this pulps some of the veg to get a thicker stew. Butternut squash is particularly good for this.