Roasted Red Pepper and Almond Dip
As we've discussed a few times--and is discussed much more thoroughly in REAL FOOD HAS CURVES, available here--convenience shouldn't be discounted, just questioned. There are fine convenience products out there. Did you know Bruce buys roasted garlic cloves off the salad bar at the supermarket? Sometimes, when we wants a clove or two, he doesn't go to the trouble of roasting them himself but just picks them up off the salad bar.
And yes, I'll admit it: I've been known to buy the sliced celery and carrots off the salad bar at the supermarket. Are they more expensive? Yep. But sometimes, I don't want to pay for a whole head of celery. And sometimes, I just want to grab a big spoonful of the sliced carrots, celery, and onions and use them as the base of a soup. Hey, I can be lazy. Once in a while.
Anyway, I think jarred roasted red peppers are a real time-saver--and put to good use in dips and such where their extra moisture isn't unwanted. I actually don't like them in salads--too squishy. But in a dip like this? Perfect. (By the way, it's a recipe from THE ULTIMATE COOK BOOK, found here.)
So let's get to it. So very easy.
Put all of this in a food processor fitted with the chopping blade: 2 large, jarred, whole roasted red peppers or pimientos, 1 cup whole raw almonds, 1 slivered garlic clove, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon. You can also add 1/8 teaspoon cayenne if you want a kick to the thing.
Give it a whir until it's a grainy paste. One note: those almonds will take a while. You'll need to keep stopping the machine, opening it, scraping down the sides, and processing some more. Soon enough, they'll break down and start to make almond butter. But don't go too far. I like a little coarse texture in this dip.
Ta da! You're done. Scrape it into a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and store it in the fridge for up to 10 days. I used it the other night as a dip on toasted baguette rounds, a little starter with cocktails before a dinner party we had here. You can also use it as a spread in wraps or on sandwiches. (I like it paired with mayo--yes, you can take the boy out of the South but not the South out of the boy.) I also like it with cut-up carrots and celery. And I just had a little smeared on a toasty cracker with some tabbouleh for lunch. Wow. That's my kind of real food--always ready when I am!
almonds, roasted red peppers
Reader Comments (3)
That sounds tasty -- similar to Romesco sauce.
Just got turned on to you guys a couple of months ago. Have your "Real food has Curves" book - which is truly inspirational. And I just bought The Ultimate Cookbook - LOVE the Summer Lasagna (which I made last weekend to RAVE reviews - using the last of summer's plum tomatoes) . Also, the Roasted Vegetable Ratatouille - so many wonderful ways to enjoy this (over the lasagna leftovers is one way we tried it - another layer of lushiousness.)
You two are my foodie muses. Thanks so much for sharing your talents - it is such a gift!
Barbara: Thanks so much for being so sweet! I'm glad you loved that lasagna. If you make it again, drop me a picture. Everybody would love to see it on the blog!
M.