I really like using vegetable-and-nut sauces. Things like this and the Sorites Paradox Pesto add tons of color and nutrition to a plate, and variety to a vegetarian diet. Plus, because there’s little chopping and prep work, they’re usually manageable for me to assemble and contribute to dinner unless my energy is really, really poor.
This can be used to top fresh vegetables (it’s especially nice on green ones, as it’s a bit like a shortcut romesco sauce, except with red peppers instead of tomatoes), liven up a salad dressing or toss with pasta.
1 jar roasted red peppers, drained and rinsed – about a 12 oz. jar, usually (Rinse them to reduce the briny flavor. Yes, freshly roasted peppers would be better, but I don’t have a gas stove right now, and roasting peppers with electric appliances is a misery.)
1 c. blanched almonds (walnuts also work well here)
1 c. fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic
1 T. olive oil
1 jalepeno, seeds and ribs removed
juice of one lemon
salt and pepper to taste
Put it all in the food processor. Blitz! Makes about 3 cups.
Gorgeous photo!
Thank you! There’s so much great food photography on the web – it’s not hard to find inspiration.
Okay, so I’ve been reading your site all day and this looks utterly amazing! I’m not so keen on almonds or walnuts, so could you make this recipe without those ingredients? Would it be just as wonderful, or are they absolutely necessary?
Glad you like it! The nuts provide a thickening quality. You could perfectly well prepare it without them, but you’ll end up with a thinner sauce without the rich body that the nuts give it. It would basically be a pepper puree. You might try making most of it without and a small amount with the nuts and see what you think. At any rate, the flavor of the peppers and other ingredients is very strong, and the flavor of the nuts is definitely in the background. You could use other nuts if you prefer them – I’ve chosen almonds and walnuts here because they have fairly neutral flavors.