Heavy cream makes pretty much anything taste amazing - rosee sauce, gravy, soups, risotto, curries, pan sauces- but it adds 50 calories and 5 grams of fat per tablespoon, according to FatSecret - meaning that if you add a third of a cup of cream to a dish, you've added 250 calories and 25 grams of fat. What's a gourmand to do?
Chefsteps has the answer: roasted onion puree. Sounds crazy, no? Just watch the video below. Grant Crilly explains:
This amazing substitution is, of course, mostly usable in savory preparations. Onion puree-chocolate ganache doesn't sound very appealing, so for sweets, stick to good-old dairy cream and keep your portions reasonable. What makes this trick so fantastic is that it's perfect for moderation. It's the perfect tool to cut calories without reducing flavor in savory dishes, but because it's not for sweets, you can sub it in when going salty but treat yourself when craving sweet.
It's also completely vegan, so you can add creaminess to dishes that you make to feed your vegan, lactose-intolerant, or dieting friends.
Here are some ideas to try out this amazing swap!
Mushroom Risotto from The Pioneer Woman.
Tomato-Cream Sauce from Life is Better Red.
Pan Sauce for Steak from The Kitchn.
Creamy Asparagus Soup (drizzle the onion puree on top!) from Jamie Oliver.
