gena,
here's a suggestion that might help you out, especially when it comes to
pizza or pasta. try cooking this up and spooning it over your unbaked
(yet filled) pizza shell or macaroni. it's not quite the same as cheese
(none of the stretch-y quality of cheese), but it's delicious in its own
right, which is more than you can say for many fatfree alternatives!
for my needs, the fat grams contributed by the tahini are worth it, but
that's a judgment call. if you're ag'in it, just don't use it. the
cheesy stuff will still be very yummy.
4 T. cornstarch
2 T. lemon juice
2 t. powdered onion (i used dried minced)
3 T. quick-cooking oatmeal
3 T. instant potatoes (or 1/4 C. cooked, mashed potato)
4 oz. roasted red bell peppers (roughly half to one-third of a 12-oz
jar, or until you have the color/flavor you want)
***1 T. tahini***
2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
1/4 t. dry mustard
1 t. salt
put all ingredients in a blender and blend until completely smooth.
pour into a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring, until
thickened. (note that sauce will thicken considerably as it cools!)
use immediately or refrigerate for later use.
***the tahini is obviously a high-fat ingredient, but it also adds
considerably to the "cheesy" flavor of the finished product here and,
once distibuted (sorry, i don't have the means of figuring this
nutritionally!), is negligible to the final fat count. i let the oil
separate from my tahini and spoon it off, leaving a very thick sesame
paste, which is what i use in this recipe. for me, this small amount of
fat distributed throughout the entire recipe is acceptable. if not for
you, simply omit the tahini. you will still have a nice batch of
delicious cheesy-tasting stuff to use as you will.
best,
jane