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sauce - vanilla, cinnamon, vegetable, pasta or meat sauce

t=teaspoon T=tablespoon + -=more or less

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Vanamon Sauce

This intriguing, quick yet sophisticated sauce has a few secrets - a faint hint of vanilla and cinnamon but not enough to give its secrets away. I find many uses for this sauce and often use it in place of Béchamel Sauce. It especially harmonizes with autumn and winter dishes or any dish with a fruity or slightly sweet note. Use with poultry dishes or as a sophisticated touch to a fine beef filet mignon or with most vegetables such as potato, parsnips or brussels sprouts. See note below.

serves 2

125 ml. milk (or unsweetened almond milk)

1/8 t. vanilla essence
1/8 t. cinnamon

pinch of salt

pinch of white pepper

1/4 t. powdered beef or chicken bouillon

1 generous T. of crème fraîche or equivalent of cream or evaporated milk

1 rounded t. corn flour (cornstarch)

Remove the meat you are serving and keep warm.* Add a little water to the pan and use a spatula to deglaze. Allow to reduce somewhat.

Add the milk (or almond milk) vanilla, cinnamon, salt, pepper and bouillon. Allow to bubble for a minute. Add a little cold water to the corn flour to make a paste and add to the sauce. Allow to bubble again to thicken, then stir in the crème fraîche until blended.

Allow to heat through gently before serving as a pool for meat to rest on, or spoon a little over.

When serving with chicken breasts, cook the chicken until half done. Remove and keep warm. Make the sauce without the crème fraîche and the corn flour. Add the chicken and allow to simmer gently another until the chicken breasts are done. Remove the breasts to warmed plates.

Stir the corn flour paste into the sauce. Allow to bubble a minute to thicken before stirring in the crème fraîche. Allow to heat through gently before pouring over the chicken breasts.

*If using without meat, just add a little more powdered bouillon to the milk and continue.

Note: the key to this recipe is the use of powdered or paste bouillon, either chicken or beef. Most likely vegetable would also do nicely, however, I've not gotten around to trying that yet. It is the subtle touch of vanilla and cinnamon blended with the bouillon that makes it unique. It is also wonderful in vegetable lasagna or casseroles as well. If you need it for a sweet dish, then replace the bouillon with sugar or honey with a pinch of salt and the flavour will be entirely different. 1 t. butter may also be used in place of the crème fraîche or cream. This sauce can be made without the crème fraîche or cream for a low fat sauce!

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