Romesco sauce

Happy Tuesday everyone!! Getting through the week one day at a time....

Last night I made something new so I thought I'd share with you. I made romesco sauce, or at least something similar. I broiled up a bunch of veggies (eggplant, zucchini, red peppers) and cooked some shrimp and poured the sauce on top.Have you had Catalonian romesco sauce before? I was craving something with a bit of fat and good flavor so I figured I'd try making this sauce.

I looked up recipes online and then made up my own variation. Following is an approximation of my "recipe" which would make about two servings:

1/2 red bell pepper, broiled until softened
1/2 tomato, broiled until softened
1/4 cup mixed nuts - marcona almonds and hazelnuts
2 gloves roasted garlic
1 clove fresh garlic
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
generous pinch (handful-haha) red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil

Throw the garlic cloves, tomato and red pepper under the broiler until softened. Then toss all ingredients in the food processor and blend up to a paste. That's my lazy girl "recipe". If you want the perfect emulsified sauce, add the olive oil in a stream while you blend. I didn't and it came out fine. The only problem is I had to use my mini-processor and it just does not grind things up properly. But it still tasted awesome!!

Many romesco recipes say to add bread, of course I didn't. Most recipes also are much more involved, removing the skins from the tomato, etc. Forget that! I like the fiber! :) OK, OK - I'm just lazy.

The sauce was satisfying and garlic-y. I originally had used just the roasted garlic but it lacked a punch. The one clove of fresh garlic kicked it up. You can make the sauce with a wide variety of ingredients - different peppers etc. I think I'll try that next time! I'm excited for the leftovers tonight!!