Getting Saucey - The Low Fat Way

I learned to thicken gravy and sauces by making a roux, stirring flour into drippings, oil or melted butter and cooking a minute or so before stirring in the liquid. In an effort to reduce the fat in my recipes, I have been using cornstarch to thicken gravies and sauces; I just dissolve the cornstarch in a little water and whisk it in. Because my husband is diabetic, I started to worry about the carb content of the cornstarch so I did some research and found that a tablespoon of cornstarch contains 7 grams of carbohydrates. By my calculations, if one cup of liquid is thickened with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, a 1/4 cup serving of the resulting sauce or gravy would have 1.75 grams of carbs from the cornstarch-really not much.

An alternative is Wondra® flour which is a bit lower in carb content and will dissolve if sifted into the liquid, but it takes more flour than cornstarch to thicken a sauce. Another is arrowroot powder which has about the same carb content as cornstarch but you can use less–1/2 to 1/3 less. A drawback to arrowroot is that the sauce must be served immediately or it will thin so reheating leftovers would not work well. Reducing a sauce is another way to thicken it, but remember that reduction will concentrate any salt you may have added. I also checked the reviews on carb-free, non-starch thickeners. One reviewer said the thickener gave the sauce such a horrible flavor she had to throw it away. I decided not to try it.

I am sticking with cornstarch; it is easy to find and easy to use. I frequently serve my husband sauces and gravies thickened with cornstarch and have noticed no effect on his glucose readings.

Chicken Paprika
This was a specialty of mine. I have revised it for healthy eating.

cooking spray
8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 large bone-in chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil, approximately
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup fat-free sour cream
Brown rice or wholewheat noodles

Spray a skillet with cooking spray and toss the mushrooms with the lemon juice. Cook the mushrooms over medium low, stirring occasionally until soft. Set aside.
Remove the skin and any visible fat from the chicken breasts. Cut them in half with a cleaver. Spray a heavy skillet with cooking spray. Brown the chicken (about 1/2 at a time) slowly on medium heat. Add a bit of olive oil if it begins to stick. Remove the browned chicken and pour off any fat. Return the chicken to the skillet and add the onion, chicken stock, paprika and pepper. Cover and simmer 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken to a platter and keep warm.

Dissolve the cornstarch in a bit of water and whisk into the liquid in the skillet. Stir constantly over medium heat until it is thickened. Stir in the mushrooms and sour cream. Gently, heat through and pour over the chicken. Serve with brown rice or whole-wheat noodles. Sprinkle with additional paprika if desired.

Pot Roast
I like to make sure all the fat is removed from this recipe so I cook the meat in the morning or the day before and put the whole thing in the refrigerator until time to prepare dinner. That way, any fat solidifies and can be lifted off. (Alternatively, you can pour the liquid into a fat separating cup or skim the fat off. However, lifting off the solidified fat is the most effective method.)

3 tablespoons olive oil
4-5 lb. beef rump roast or bottom round roast
1 medium onion sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed and minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 bay leaf, crumbled
2 teaspoons black pepper
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 1/2 cups water
6 baby onions
10 baby carrots
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or heavy kettle. Over medium heat, brown the roast along with the sliced onion. Keep turning the roast until it is browned on all sides. Discard the sliced onion. To the drippings, add the garlic, herbs, and peppercorns; stir 1/2 minute or so. Add the wine and water. Bring the kettle to a boil; then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat should be very tender. Refrigerate until the fat has solidified.

Lift the fat off the liquid with a skimmer. Return the liquid and roast to the stove. Add the onions and carrots and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 30 minutes or until the vegetables are done.

Gravy: Remove the meat and vegetables to a platter and keep warm. Stir the cornstarch into a small amount of water and add to the kettle, stirring until mixed. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until thickened. Pass the gravy with the meat and vegetables. Serve with brown rice.

Turkey Cutlets with Gravy
I saw these in the grocery store one busy afternoon. Knowing that turkey breast is probably the lowest in fat of any meat you can find, I bought them having no idea what I would do with them. This is what I came up with. It somewhat duplicates the taste of turkey cooked with stuffing.

Cooking spray
4 thinly sliced turkey cutlets
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 tablespoon minced celery
1/2 teaspoon sage
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Spray a heavy skillet with cooking spray. Quickly brown the cutlets over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, sage and chicken broth. Simmer about 15 minutes or until the turkey is done and tender. Remove the turkey to a platter and keep warm.
Stir the cornstarch into a bit of water and whisk into the liquid in the pan. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Serve the gravy over the turkey cutlets.

Mushroom Sauce

1/2 ounce dried mushrooms
1 cup boiling water
cooking spray
8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
pepper
pinch of nutmeg
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup fat-free half and half

Put the dried mushrooms in a heat-proof bowl and add the boiling water. Let them sit about 1/2 an hour to soften. Meanwhile, spray a heavy skillet with cooking spray and cook the fresh mushrooms over low heat until softened.

Drain the dried mushrooms reserving the broth. Chop the dried mushrooms. Add them along with the broth, pepper and nutmeg to the sauteed mushrooms. Simmer about 5 minutes. Mix the cornstarch with a bit of water and stir into the mushroom mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir in the half and half and heat through.

Serve over almost anything.