A Little Lemon Sauce

Although we love the richness of Christmas foods and sweets, Sweetie has been giving away the things that are left and asking me to take a break from baking. With the coming of January I start thinking of healthier options. Not a diet exactly, but more soups, salads and things like grilled salmon. Grilled chicken or shrimp would also work well with the lemon sauce we had with our New Years Eve fish.

We are fortunate because fresh wild salmon is available in the regular market for a somewhat reasonable price at this time of the year. When fresh salmon is $17-20 a pound, as it often is, I turn to less expensive fish like rock cod. Last week it was $12 a pound, still a lot more expensive that most meat choices and much more expensive than veggie choices, but I tell myself that it is the best kind of fish oil and good for the heart. Sweetie grills the fillets after giving them a thin coat of olive oil and a sprinkle of herbs and pepper.

Because it is also lemon season and I wanted to see if I could make a non-dairy, creamy lemon sauce for our New Year's Eve salmon feast, I played around with one. It turned out to be sweeter than I wanted it to be, but Sweetie loved it, especially with his Ponapean rice, which has steamed white rice mixed with ripe banana. I think I'll try almond milk or a combination of almond milk and broth the next time I make it to see if it turns out more savory. There is some inherent sweetness in the soy milk that didn't appeal to me when it was part of the sauce. If you like your sauce thinner, just add more liquid.

Creamy Non-Dairy Lemon Sauce

4 tablespoons non-dairy margarine
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
zest from half a lemon
juice from a full lemon
1 cup soy creamer
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan melt the margarine. Whisk in the flour and cook over medium heat for a few minutes. Add the lemon zest and stir for a few seconds. Mix the lemon juice and soy creamer, then add all at once to the saucepan, stirring constantly. Continue to stir and cook over medium-high heat until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.

If holding the sauce for a short while, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the sauce to keep a film from forming. Remove to reheat or to serve is sauce is still hot enough.

Serve hot.