Tuesday, 01-10-19

Good morning.

Yesterday, I had a good go at a butter free cheese sauce that works with SW and still tastes good and cheesy.
What I ended up with was quite nice, definitely more of a cheese sauce than the SW one with its egg, cottage cheese, quark, whatever (I think) but it does 'cost' more.  You pays your money and takes your choice, as the saying goes.
Apologies for no photos - you'd think I would remember by now!

I used cornflour rather than plain flour at half the syns.  I used skimmed milk that I synned because I used both my healthy extras on strong cheese, 50g for the sauce and 10g finely grated for sprinkling over the top of the dish I was making.
This is what I did (using my Thermomix).
Into the bowl I put 50g strong cheddar, cubed and one and a half level tbsp cornflour for one and a half syns.  I used the pulse for 2 x 1 second to finely chop the cheese and mix the flour well with the cheesy bits.  Then I added 125mls semi skimmed milk for three syns, a good pinch of mustard powder and some black pepper (use white if you don't want the black specks).  No salt as the cheese is salty.   I forgot about nutmeg and next time I will add some of that too
I set the thermomix for eight minutes at 90C speed 2 and off we went.  You can hear when the sauce thickens; the sound changes.
Then I tasted to see if any salt was needed (it wasn't) and added a dollop of ricotta (SW free) and gave it another minute at the same temp.

It's a bit more onerous without a Thermione!
Grate all the cheese and take off 10g's worth if you are using it in a dish and need some cheese over the top.  If not, use the lot for the sauce.
Mix the cornflour with the grated cheese until all the 'grates' are coated and the flour is well distributed.
Pop it into a saucepan (non stick would be great if you have one), add the other ingredients apart from the salt and ricotta, and heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens.  Try not to let it actually boil.  Then taste and season if needed, pop in the ricotta and stir/whisk until is it well distributed and back up to just under boiling.

What I did with it was I pre-cooked some broccoli and some sprouts (not enough broccoli and sprouts to use up, you see), popped them in an ovenproof dish, poured over the sauce, added the grated cheese and baked it at 180C until the top started browning.

I'm sure it would be lovely made with some cream and some butter too, but this worked for me really well.  It's not SW free, one portion is two healthy extra As and four and a half syns, but for the occasional cheesy sauce, well worth it.  I think so, anyway!
I'll post it separately as a proper written out recipe at some point.

Today's plans:
B:  fruit and natural yogurt
SW free

L:  A girls' lunch but at mine so I have the power (mwah, ha, ha)
We're having macaroni cheese sauce (which is why I was trying that cheese sauce), actifry chips and a salad, followed by a fruit platter.
A bit high on the carbs, I know, but it is an inclusive menu, working for everyone including a SWer and a vegetarian.  I'll have salad dressing on the table but will give it a miss myself.
SW:  both my healthy As and four and a half syns.  Worth every penny!

D:  well, who knows?  If there are leftovers of chips and salad, I might have them with the one lonely slice of ham I have in the fridge (I'll give Beth any leftover macaroni cheese) and, if no,t I do have my healthy extra B lefty so I might make a ham salad wrap, pitta or roll with a finger salad.
SW:  depends on what I have really but I'm hoping it won't be more than the B

Ss:  I might have a Mullerlight for supper

Body Magic:  that's a bit trickier to fit in but I hope to do an inside session of C-5K later on today, trying out the new running shoes I bought yesterday and with the bone conduction earphones I also bought (a bit ouch but the bank manager will get over it)

Fingers crossed that it all works out!