There are two types of people - those who like peppers and those who hate them. I am definitely a pepper lover and enjoy them in every shape, color and form - raw as a snack, stuffed and baked (my favorite filling is lentils with seasonal veggies), and in salads and wok dishes. In today's recipe, red peppers are used as one of the sauce components, and the result is simply fascinating.
The sauce is reminiscent of romesco, but since my version is whipped up to taste, using the ingredients I had at home (which means that half of the ingredients used for authentic romesco sauce are replaced) I don't dare call it fancy names. I believe calling it roasted pepper and almond sauce paints a good picture of this sauce.
There is nothing complicated about making the sauce to start with. Still, if you want to simplify the process further, you can use store-bought roasted peppers - in this case, choose a jar with as few additives as possible and preferably in an oil-based marinade. However, if you are planning to grill anyway, or have a gas stove, then freshly roasted peppers are the best option. I don't have a grill or a gas stove, so I baked the peppers in the oven and still got a lovely result. So in other words, the lack of inventory should not be an obstacle
Roasted Red Pepper and Almond Sauce
Cooking time: 15 min
Ingredients:
5 large roasted and cleaned red peppers
2 ripe tomatoes
4 oz toasted almonds
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
The juice of ½ lemon
Salt and pepper
A tiny bit of maple syrup
Instructions:
Chop up the capsicum, tomatoes, and almonds roughly, throw them in a blender or food processor.
Whizz up to a sauce. It doesn’t need to be ultra-smooth, some chunky bits are okay.
Mix in half of the balsamic vinegar and lemon juice, mix well, and have a taste. Add more lemon or vinegar, if needed, season with salt and pepper, and if you feel that the sauce needs a little extra sweetness, add a tiny bit of maple syrup too.
Keep in a sealed jar in the fridge. It will be good for up to a week.
For roasting the peppers, you can use one of these options or just use store-bought ones:
Place the whole peppers on the grill or over an open flame on the gas stove. Roast on all sides until the skin is slightly charred and the flesh slightly softened. Place the peppers in a bowl, cover and let them sit for 10 minutes. Then remove the skin and seeds from the peppers, but be careful – they are still hot.
If you don’t have a grill or gas stove, roast the peppers in the oven using the grill mode if you have it. Place the peppers on a baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes on 480F. Proceed the same way as in the previous method.
By Kadri Raig
Kadri is a food blogger and yoga teacher from Estonia. She does love to spend time in the kitchen, but most of her recipes are simple and don’t take more than 20 minutes of active cooking time. She thinks that everybody can find time to cook healthy food at home, it is just a question of planning. "I work in an office full time, teach yoga 7-8 hours a week and write a blog. So if I manage to cook most of my meals, then so do you!" Connect with Kadri and enjoy many more of her delicious healthy recipes on her website here: www.kahvliga.ee.
Try this free meditation class before your delicious sauce!
Meditation: Release Reactivity with Geenie Celento