What the hell is a Bechamel (besh-a-mel). Hah, that rhymes! Wow, i think the new brand of coffee I switched to may have a higher caffeine content than my last..whoo! Anyway, Bechamel is just a fancy name for white sauce. I decided I wasn't too sure about using Almond milk in some of my recipes. The last few times I used it I noticed a sweet "off" flavor. I decided to try a few of the other milk alternatives out there and see how they stand up taste wise.
Soy, Rice, and Hemp made it into the running for "best milk alternative". Soy is 90 Calories per cup with 40 of those coming from fat. It is low in carbs, a mere 5 per cup serving. The flavor in the sauce was fairly neutral but I found it harder to get a smooth sauce out of it. The Rice Milk is 120 Calories with only 20 of those coming from fat. 23 Carbs per serving and this particular brand is enriched with Vitamins A, D, B and Calcium. I would prefer to get those things naturally and not added. With the low fat content its no surprised that this made a fairly translucent sauce. There was a slight sweet flavor that I was trying to avoid. The Hemp Milk was the winner in my book. It is Highest in calories and fat, big surprise. 140 Calories with 45 of those from fat. It is naturally high in Omega 3 & 6. The sauce this made was pretty damn good. Super smooth with a really nice Nutty flavor. At the end of my super Scientific Sauce Experiment this is the one I added a few things to and added to some Whole Wheat elbow pasta and made Hella Vegan Mac & Cheese.
This simple white sauce is one of the first things I remember learning how to make. My mom used this to thicken soups and sauces all the time. Using oil in place of butter is new to me, but with some spices in there, the butter is not missed. I started with 3 pans all with 2 TBS. of Canola Oil. Heated them up and added 2 Tbs. flour to each pan. Stirred them together and at this point we have an oil Rue. Let this "toast" till it turns a slight golden brown. Add 2 Cups warmed "milk" to each pan. Add salt and pepper to each and stir till thickened. Like I said, the Hemp won on flavor and texture.
Vegan Mac & Cheese
Take the above recipe for Hemp White Sauce and add the following.
3 Tbs Nutritional Yeast
1/2 Tbs. Granulated Garlic
Salt and pepper to taste.
Some Whole Wheat Elbow Mac in there and BAM Lunch! You could also add all kindsa extras in this. Steamed Broccoli, Fresh chopped Tomato and Basil, Some Vegan Chili for Chili Mac! Woo Hoo. I think I will go for Hemp milk for most of my soups and sauces from now on. For Baking of sweet things I might use Rice, with the slight sweetness and low fat content I think it would work well. The soy, I don't know, I'm not a huge fan. I will keep an Almond milk in the pantry, I like the Almondy flavor in some places. So there it is, One girls Opinion. I'm off to the Farmers Market for some Goat Eggs! ;) Happy Saturday all.
Have you tried making homemade cashew cream to use in place of the milk? If it's rich and creamy you are looking for, try it out. I find that it doesn't usually get that sweet aftertaste you get with Almond and Rice milk. The best part is that you know it's super fresh and there isn't any weird crap added to it since you make it from scratch.
ReplyDeleteSoak 2 cups raw/unsalted cashews in water overnight. Drain and rinse under cold water. Put the cashews into a blender and cover with water (1 inch above top of cashews). Blend on high until smooth (a few minutes). Add more water if you want a thinner cream.
Variation: Add some roasted bell peppers and lemon juice and sea salt for a fun creamy pepper cream.
I have used Soaked Cashews in other recipes, but find the soaking process required makes them not so convenient on the fly. I do use them for some things, as the flavor and texture are pretty awesome. I would like to say that all of my meals are well thought out in advance, but sometimes they are actually thrown together last minute. Thanks for reading!
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