Sauces for Pasta and Vegetables

 Alfredo Sauce (Low Fat)

Enough sauce for about 340 g. fettucine or linguine.

• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or basil
• pinch cayenne pepper and/or nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste.

Combine cottage cheese, milk and parmesan in blender or food processor.

Stir into hot pasta, add herbs and seasonings to taste.

Serves 4.

Quick Alfredo Sauce

• 1 cup ricotta cheese or full-fat cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup homogenized milk or half-and-half
• 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• pinch cayenne pepper
• pinch nutmeg (optional)
• salt and pepper

Warm the milk in the microwave.

Combine milk and cheeses in blender or food processor.

Add cayenne, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

Toss with cooked pasta and top with parsley.

Makes enough sauce for 4 servings.

White Sauce (Bechamel)

For holiday dinners, my mom would drizzle a white bechamel sauce over steamed carrots and cauliflower.

Double the recipe and use leftover sauce, cold, to make  ham souffle quiche. 

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup 2% or homogenized milk (or 1-1/2 cups for a thinner sauce)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp white pepper

1. On medium-low heat, melt the butter in a medium saucepan.
2. Whisk in the flour, whisking continuously about 2 minutes until mixture turns into a roux (a paste).
3. Don't let it brown!
4. Whisking constantly, gradually add milk.
5. Increase heat to medium and cook until sauce thickens, 4-5 minutes more.
6. To test the thickness of your sauce, coat the back of a wooden spoon with it and run your finger through the middle. The sauce is ready if a clear path forms.
7. Stir in salt and pepper.
8. Use immediately or pour into a jar, let cool and refrigerate up to 2 days.

Enchilada Sauce

1. Prepare 1 recipe Bechamel sauce as above, but when it thickens add 2 Tbsp chopped cooked chipotle chili peppers (or other hot peppers).
2. Pour over a pan of enchiladas and bake.

Cheese Sauce

Stir this sauce into 2 cups cooked macaroni to make mac & cheese. To make a fancier "Mornay sauce" add 1/8 tsp nutmeg.

1. Make white sauce, when it thickens remove from heat and stir in:

• 1/4 to 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (or try swiss, gruyere, emmanthal)

Italian Thin White Sauce (Besciamella)

If you are short on cheese when making a lasagna, make this cream sauce and stir in grated cheese. 

Makes 1 cup.

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk or light cream
• pinch of white pepper
• In a small saucepan, on low heat, melt 2 Tbsp butter.

Take off heat and whisk in 2 Tbsp flour and salt.

Return pan to low heat. Whisk in milk or cream.

Continue to cook and stir until sauce comes to a boil and thickens to the consistency of heavy cream.

To keep warm and prevent a film from forming on top, cover the pot and place the saucepan in a pan of hot water.

Besciamella #2

Makes more, enough to use as a base for lasagna with ricotta cheese. 

• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1-3/4 cups whole milk, heated
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• tiny pinch of freshly grated nutmeg.

1. In a 2 quart saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat.
2. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, 2-3 minutes, do not let brown.
3. Slowly whisk in hot milk.
4. Bring to a simmer, whisking frequently.
5. Reduce heat to low, cook, whisking often, until thickened, 6-8 minutes.
6. If making a double batch, cook 10-12 minutes.
7. Remove from heat.
8. Whisk in salt, pepper, nutmeg.
9. Use immediately or transfer to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly on the sauce surface to keep a skin from forming.
10. If not used within 30 minutes, sauce may thicken too much, if so warm some milk and stir it into the sauce.

Onion White Sauce (Soubise)

Make this using the White Sauce instructions but cook chopped onion in the butter first.

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped yellow onion
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1-1/4 cups 2% milk
• 1/4 tsp each: salt & pepper

Cook onion in butter till soft.

Whisk in flour to make a roux.

Whisk in milk then when thickened, salt and pepper.

Blender Hollandaise Sauce

Easier than making traditional Hollandaise sauce, this blender method comes from the late Canadian food writer Edna Staebler.

• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp salt
• sprinkle of cayenne pepper
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice

1. Melt the butter to bubbling--not brown.
2. Put the egg yolks, salt, cayenne and lemon juice in an electric blender.
3. Turn the motor on and off, then turn it to low speed and add the hot butter gradually in a steady stream. Blend about 10 seconds, or until the sauce is thickened and smooth. Turn off the blender.
4. Keep the sauce warm in a double boiler or cool it and then refrigerate to reheat when you need it, adding 1-2 Tablespoons of hot water (or more lemon juice) if the reheated sauce seems too thick.

Egg Sauce for Vegetables

A lemony, creamy sauce made without milk, good with cauliflower, broccoli, artichokes or fish. Use as little as 4 Tbsp butter to as much as 1/2 cup, according to taste.

Makes 1 cup.

• 5-1/2 Tbsp softened butter 
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp white pepper
• 2 egg yolks
• juice of 1 lemon

1. Melt 1-1/2 Tbsp butter in small saucepan.
2. Gradually whisk in flour.
3. Add water, salt, pepper, egg yolks.
4. Beat slowly with whisk or beater, or mix with wooden spoon until sauce comes to a boil.
5. Remove from stove and add rest of butter.
6. Add lemon juice to taste, just before serving.

Thin Pink Sauce (Rose Sauce)

Drizzle over cauliflower, asparagus, hard-boiled eggs, pasta.

Make:

• 1 recipe Besciamella (Thin White Sauce)

Blend in:

• 1 Tbsp tomato sauce

Remove from heat and stir in:

• 2 Tbsp butter

Besciamella Densa: Heavy White Sauce 

Makes 1 cup

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pinch of white pepper

Melt butter over low heat in small saucepan.

Add flour, mix thoroughly into a smooth paste.

Add milk, salt and pepper. Whisk continuously over low heat until sauce comes to a boil.

Simmer 1 minute more.

Sauce should have the consistency of very thick cream.

Onion Sauce (a richer Soubise)

Makes 1 cup. Good with lamb roast.

• 1 recipe Heavy White Sauce
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp heavy (whipping) cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Place onion in small saucepan with 1 cup of water and boil 8 minutes.

Drain. Saute onion gently in butter 1 minute.

Add onion to white sauce and put through a sieve, mashing onion with a spoon.

Add heavy cream and return the sauce to the pot to warm.

Peanut Sauce for Vegetable Stir Fry

Use this sauce with any vegetables you want to stir fry (example: 4 medium carrots, chopped, 8 oz trimmed green beans or snow peas, plus 3 cups coarsely chopped cabbage) but make sure vegetables are washed ahead of time and let them dry until they are dry to the touch or they will get soggy in the wok.

Heat 2 Tbsp. vegetable or peanut oil in a wok, then sautee 2 Tbsp minced or grated ginger in the oil.

Add vegetables, cook, and toss in the wok with the peanut sauce.

Mix together:

• 1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/4 cup dry sherry or apple or orange juice

Sesame-Ginger Sauce for Wraps and Stir Fry

Makes 1-1/2 cups. Store in refrigerator up to 1 week.

Whisk together:

• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup sesame oil
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Veggie Roll Dipping Sauce

For rice paper rolls filled with matchstick vegetables.

Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl:

• 1-1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1-1/2 tsp tamari or soy sauce (reduced sodium)
• 1 scallion, green part only, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp water