Source: Benton Sister’s Cookbook #3
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. dried basil
Whiz in blender, water, cornstarch, and salt. Pour into saucepan; stir in basil. Heat to a boil. Cool. Will have the shine and consistency of oil to use in place of oil for those certain recipes or add your own favorite exotic flavor to this no-oil oil to add that special touch to that certain recipe.
Hi,
I appreciate the recipes but I’m skeptical of the cast iron advice.
In the U.S. it’s generally estimated that 6-7% of population is iron deficient and less than 1% gets too much iron. That means 92% of people get acceptable amounts of iron. Keep in mind that about 97% of population are meat eaters and also probably consume large quantities of iron-supplemented processed foods
The human body reduces iron absorption when it’s iron stores are full except for those few people who have hemochromatosis.
It’s true an unseasoned cast iron pan releases larger amounts of iron into food but a *seasoned* cast iron pan only releases a fraction more iron than a stainless steel pan does. America’s Test Kitchen tested this with tomato sauce (one of the worst offenders of iron absorbing foods) and had the results tested by an independent lab.
Now if you’re worried about tendinosis from lifting the pan, that’s another story;-)
Thank you so much for your timely response! 🙂
Personally, I wouldn’t use it in hummus; it will just make it starchy. Just leave any oil out, or better yet, try one of the oil-free versions on this site.
Can this recipe be used to substitute the oil when making hummus?
I’m not totally vegan, and am wondering how this would whip up with egg whites for a fat free mayo?
This means I can eat more, right?! hahaa thanks for sharing
How much xanthan gum could replace the cornstarch?
Jude, I would think it would keep for at least 2 weeks. Throw it out if the color, odor, or flavor change.
How long will before this spoils. I only need a couple tbsps for a dressing but would like to refigerate what’s left over…
Thank you for the information and link! I have often wondered whether it might be a problem given how much I use them, but my iron has been fine on my blood work. I’ll definitely check with my doctor to be sure I’m getting the correct iron tests.
Too much iron is harmful to the heart and brain, according to Dr. Neal Barnard. Iron gets into the food from the pan. Here’s a video where he explains: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98dh6sX0Ub0
I’m curious why you say not to use cast iron pans? I use them for everything and never use oil. What am I missing?
November 17th, 2016 at 12:38 pm
Could you add herbs to this and coat bread in it before grilling? What herbs would best evoke the flavours of olive oil?
To Nicole, you do not need oil for stainless steel. Get a good quality stainless. I haven’t used oil for 11 years on my stainless pans. Avoid aluminum, coated aluminum, and avoid cast iron.
Wow! Had no idea about this! How cool!
What kind of (safe) nonstick pan do you use? I’m torn on whether to use stainless steel (but I know oil needs to be used) or get another nonstick. Would be curious to learn of your recommendations. Thanks!
How long to boil for?
December 24th, 2015 at 10:09 pm
I’m curious as to if this would work in a pesto recipe? It’s not quite a salad dressing, but it’s not cooked either…
December 1st, 2015 at 11:16 am
No, I would just leave out the basil if it conflicted with the other flavors you’d be using it in.
December 1st, 2015 at 10:51 am
Is the basil necessary ?
November 30th, 2015 at 3:37 am
Thank you so much for these amazing recipe. I love fat and have always do, but with this recipe (which can be varied endlessly), my life as fat-junkie is finally over!! 🙂
November 17th, 2015 at 2:45 am
I just tried this on popcorn tonight and it worked great! It took slightly longer to start popping in the microwave, but the spices stuck as well as with oil!
November 16th, 2015 at 5:57 am
Can arrowroot be used instead of cornstarch?
September 1st, 2015 at 9:02 pm
I used this as a ‘dip’ for eggplant (round) slices, then dipped them in panko crumbs and baked in the oven. Very crunchy and yummy. (I used the jalapeno panko crumbs but I bet they’d be good with the Italian panko crumbs. Oh, I first salted the eggplant slices, let them sit, then washed them and patted them dry …..THEN I dipped & dredged & baked. They’d be good too with some Daiya mozzarella melted on top and then some nice marinara sauce.
Has anyone used this in a mayo recipe?
just tried this recipe with FRESH basil (didn’t have any dried)…it looks wonderful! I put about 4 large basil leaves in the blender and blended all ingredients together..then poured in saucepan for the rest of the process.
I’m so excited to be able to make salad dressings that are fat free !!!
@DiTrying: This has no real oil in it and thus no anti-sticking properties, so I don’t believe it would be effective for stir fry or eggs. This no-oil substitute seems to be only for adding an oily texture to food without imparting many of the other negative properties of oil…like all those calories. 🙂
But you know, a lot of Chinese dishes use a starchy sauce in the stir-fry, but this added late in the cooking process to thicken the sauce, not to enhance the frying or prevent sticking.
I wouldn’t recommend this on popcorn as it is water based. It’s just going to soak into the popcorn and make it mushy. I would recommend a butter-flavored seasoning salt instead.
I wonder how far this would work as an oil substitute in baking? However, I think the old applesauce trick would be preferable in things like muffins and cakes.
It should keep in the fridge for at least a couple of weeks.
How long will this keep and how should it be stored?
This stuff is fantastic as “oil” in a salad dressing! I made spinach and strawberry salad. I made this with just water and cornstarch and after that mixed it with balsamic vinegar and honey. It was delicious and stuck to the ingredients very well. I didn’t miss the oil at all and saved up on about 20g of fat! Thank you.
February 26th, 2015 at 3:50 pm
That’s interesting to know about basil. The dried basil that I used was green. My no-oil oil is quite dark green. It IS slithery and glistening though. When I put in on the cod, it seemed almost clear with lot of little green specs. Fun trying something new!
February 26th, 2015 at 3:44 pm
@ Eboni – my husband wants you to know that he wouldn’t recommend this on popcorn – he doesn’t think it would taste right. I’m inclined to agree with him, the more I think about it! 🙂
February 26th, 2015 at 3:42 pm
@jem2 – the basil has naturally occurring oils in it that are released and impart the sheen. I imagine whomever came up with the recipe chose basil for the oils as well as for its more neutral taste (compared to an herb like cilantro or oregano). But I’m just guessing. The thick liquid portion of the no-oil oil we have in our fridge is a sort of creamy color, with all the dark green basil leaves floating in it. But when brushed bread or potatoes, etc, it appears clear – except for the basil leaves, of course.
February 26th, 2015 at 2:54 pm
I just made this. Strange. It’s just dark green although there is a slight sheen. I’m going to use it to coat cod and then dip in panko crumbs. My question is this: is there a particular culinary science reason to use basil. Would this work with some other dried herb. Perhaps cilantro? or NO herb at all?
February 25th, 2015 at 10:50 am
@ Eboni – I’ve never tried it on popcorn (we use tamari, and/or lemon juice for that), but but see no reason it wouldn’t work for helping the seasonings stick. I’m just not sure how it would taste. If you try it, I hope you’ll let us know!
@ carol – I don’t use it on salads or in dressings, but imagine it would simply be used in lieu of any oil in a dressing recipe, or simply combine it with vinegar and your choice of seasonings.
February 21st, 2015 at 7:20 am
What would you add to it in a salad dsg
February 20th, 2015 at 3:49 pm
Would this work to help seasoning stick too popcorn?
Hi, everyone! We’ve used this no-oil oil in (or rather, on) several recipes for years, so I thought I’d share our tips and links to some of those recipes.
The no-oil oil works great in lieu of regular oil or margarine as a coating to help seasonings stick to anything savory you’re going to bake or roast. Here are some of our favorite examples:
Roasted Delicata Squash w/Rosemary
http://www.veganricha.com/2011/11/roasted-delicata-squash-with-rosemary.html
Roasted Spiced Sweet Potatoes:
http://laloofah.blogspot.com/2013/02/roasted-spiced-sweet-potatoes.html
Crispy No-Fat Potato Wedges:
http://potatostrong.com/crispy-fat-potato-fries/
The last recipe actually calls for no coating at all, but using the no-oil oil really helps make the salt and/or spices stick better and the wedges/fries get crispy.
You could probably use it in some of these recipes of Susan’s, in addition to or instead of some of the other liquids:
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2008/08/healthy-crunchy-three-guilt-free-snacks.html
I’ve been planning to use it on recipes like roasted cauliflower, beet chips, and chickpeas but you know – so many great vegan recipes, so little time! 🙂 (We don’t use it on kale chips – we prefer tamari instead – but you could).
The other thing we use it for all the time is to coat yeast breads before baking. Not only does it again help the salt and/or herbs stick to the bread, it also adds a lovely gloss to the crusts. This is my husband’s Basic Boule recipe (we also enjoy it on focaccia), which we halve to make bread sticks (again, brushing with the no-oil oil):
BW’s Basic Boule:
http://laloofah.blogspot.com/2011/01/chilly-out-chili-in.html
I’ve never used the no-oil oil for sautéing (we use water, veggie broth, or simply a dry non-stick pan instead), so can’t speak to how it might work in a stir fry. And since we’ve grown to love simple fresh lemon juice & tamari on our tossed salads, we don’t use the no-oil oil for salad dressing, either.
We keep leftovers in a covered glass container in our fridge for up to 2 weeks – it may keep longer, but with all the great recipes to use it on, we rarely have a reason to test that theory!) 🙂
Hope this helps – bon appetít!
Yes, I’m interested in that same question please.
Some uses?
Susan, have you used it in any of your recipes?
Everything I viewed is scrumptious
Would you use this for stir fry or to make eggs and the like? Give me some for instances, please.
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March 28th, 2018 at 3:38 pm
Has anyone attempted to flavor this with butter extract? There’s no fat in it, it’s just [artificial]flavorings dissolved in an alcohol base. I’m trying to create haluski, a Polish dish that’s basically noodles, cabbage and butter, kielbasa or bacon for non vegetarians. Fat free noodles, no prob. I love cabbage, but I need a liquid for flavoring and moisture. I’m wondering if this might do the trick. Thoughts? Thank you!