Hi all
I’m back from my travels and trying to wean myself off eating too much generally and also too much carbohydrate. Yesterday evening I cooked this cauliflower and broccoli cheese.
I’ve tried a few low carb cheese sauce recipes, especially a few months ago when lots of people on the weight loss forum were making moussaka. IMO the one I made yesterday evening is the best, in that it very closely resembles a cheese sauce made with a classic wheat flour roux. It’s a great consistency and doesn’t seem at all in danger of splitting.
I used a guar gum to thicken it - it’s a new one on me…. It’s excellent though and you need very very little compared to flour or even corn flour.
I made the roux following the traditional recipe only instead of the usual flour, I used about a teaspoon of guar gum (quantity required depends how much sauce you make though - I made a large amount, it doesn't show in the photo but it's a very deep dish, it's two cauliflowers and one broccoli head worth)
So melt butter, add a small amount of guar gum, whisk, and then whisk in cream/milk. Unlike a traditional roux it thickens almost immediately rather than gradually as you heat it (I think that means you could also use it to thicken cold sauces and salad dressings with guar gum). Then add whatever combo of cheeses you fancy and your seasoning; nutmeg, black pepper…..
I think it tastes a lot like a wheat flour cheese sauce.
Wikipedia also says Guar gum has the following health benefits;
It has been shown to be beneficial to health. It has been shown to reduce serum cholesterol and lower blood glucose levels.
Additional benefits have been seen in one's efforts to lose weight where, when ingested, its water-absorbing properties cause it to swell in the stomach causing a 'full' sensation sooner.
Guar gum is economical as well. Because it has almost eight times the water-thickening ability of other agents (e.g.cornstarch), only a small quantity is needed for producing sufficient viscosity.
Now I’m wondering what else I can thicken using my magic new Guar Gum - any ideas?