Cutting fat in recipes.....

[Beanie]

I love the creamy recipes and olive oil, but now the food seems to be too heavy/fatty. I have been cutting the nuts and oils in recipes in half, sometimes less. Any ideas to get the creamy, thick, flavorful taste without loads of fat?

[Rawkinlocs]

Not sure of the fat content in them, but what about adding seeds like sesame?

Also, from the Boutenko's book...thickeners can include: grond flax seeds, psylium husks, nutritional yeast flakes, dill weed, or dried parsley, onion, or garlic. I guess it depends on what the recipe is as to what you would use.

[rawpriestess]

You could cut the oil and add some almonds, or cashews to make it creamy.

But like Rawkie says, it depends on the recipe, why not post a recipe or two, and let us have a go at them.

To help you find substitutions.

I love a challenge.

[Beanie]

And you are so good at it too! ;)

My favorite recipe of the week (I get into food obsessions, LOL!) is this kale-avocado salad.

1 Bunch Kale
1 Avocado, diced
2 TBS Liquid Aminos or Nama Shoyu
¼ C Nutritional Yeast
1 TBS fresh Lemon Juice
¼ X-V Olive Oil
4 Garlic Cloves

I also add sometimes I TBSP cider vinegar, maybe touch of mustard and some red pepper or other seasonings.

I managed to use as little as 2TBSP of olive oil, but less than that the flavor doesn't carry through....and I'm addicted to this recipe so I want to eat it by the bucketloads, LOL...oh Yum yum YUMMY!! But if I eat a big portion of it, at night I'm still stuffed with the sluggish-too much fat feeling. And my weight has been fairly steady, so I don't need lots of fats. Its mostly dressings that have lots of fat in them. For ones with tomato sauces, etc. I find I can leave most or all of it out and not lose much of the taste.

The other recipes I like are those high in nuts and seeds, the creamy types and dehydrated dishes. My fav this week was a mock salmon salad! Um-mmm!!!! I cut the nuts in half and that was fine. I also love the lasagnas and curries etc. ANd I would love to do a lot of the faux meat type of things that are almost all nuts.

I guess I'm just being a piggy and want to eat more...and more....muncha muncha muncha muncha, LOL.......
:D

[rawpriestess]

Well 1/4 cup of olive oil on all of that isn't that much, since you say you can cut it down to 2 T, then I would do that, you also have an avocado in there, that to me would be the "heavy feeling" but if you still want to cut the fat, then I would say, add some cashews (soaked) and smash up with the olive oil, avocado etc, into the dressing.

[Rawma]

Beanie,
I cut the nuts to one cup in the rawvioli recipe and added in portabella mushrooms and spinach and it still tastes really great just not as heavy. I have come to realize over this past month that I really need to keep an eye on how much fat I am consumming. I actually found an avocado with half the fat and calories...not that I am counting. It isn't as good as the regular but I made a guac with one of each and it wasn't bad at all!
Lisa