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Monday, October 1, 2012

[Healthy_Recipes_For_Diabetic_Friends] Catalonian Romesco Sauce - 13g Carbs,3g Fiber

Catalonian Romesco Sauce - 13g Carbs,3g Fiber

Recipe By:
Servings: 12
Preparation Time: 0:00
Categories: Condiment LowCal (Less than 300 cals) LowerCarbs Vegan Amount

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil -- plus more if necessary
1 slice thick country bread -- Italian or French, crust removed 3/4 cup blanched whole almonds -- roasted in 350F oven until they turn color
4 medium onions -- finely chopped
2 heads garlic
9 plum tomatoes -- cut in half, seeds squeezed out, grated against the largest holes of a grater, and skins discarded
2 guindilla (finger) chiles -- mirasol, guajillo, or poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, and seeded
4 large red bell peppers -- roasted, peeled, seeded
3/4 cup good quality wine vinegar -- red and white, mixed

In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat, then cook the bread until golden on both sides. Place in a food processor along with the almonds and process until fine. Set aside in a bowl.

Put the cut-up onions in the food processor. Pull 6 cloves off one of the heads of garlic, peel, and place in the processor with the onions. Process both until very finely chopped.

In an earthenware casserole set over a heat diffuser, heat about 6 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat, the cook the sofregit of onions, garlic, and tomatoes until quite dense, about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. (If you are not cooking with earthenware and a diffuser, cook over medium heat and check for doneness sooner.)Place the chiles and peppers in a medium-size saucepan or skillet with the vinegar and reduce by three-quarters over high heat. Pour into the casserole, add the ground almonds and bread, stir, and cook over medium-high heat until thick, about another 30 minutes.Transfer the Romesco back to the food processor, in batches if necessary, and process as you drizzle in 4 to 6 Tablespoons of the remaining olive oil, making sure you do not process or more than 20 seconds.Romesco sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 3 cups (12 one-quarter cup servings)

AuthorNote: Rosmescu (in Catalan) sauce is said to originate in Tarragona in Catalonia. In Tarragona this preparation is as typical of the region as paella in Valencia. Anton Gelabert, a painter from Barcelona, even wrote a tribute to romesco sauce, called "Llibres dels romescos". It is not important as a dish on its own, but it is the sauce that goes with 'suquet', a famous fish stew. Suquet is actually a class of fish sauces and means, quite literally, culinary preparation. Romesco is a vinegary-almondy sauce that begins with a 'sofregit', a mixture of finely chopped onion, garlic, and tomatoes. I learned how to make this sauce at a demonstration held by the chef and owner of the Florian restaurant in Barcelona (Bertrand i Serra 20), Rosa Grau and her sous-chef, Enrique Martin. They used a capsicum called a 'guindilla' (finger) chile, which I've replaced with the mirasol or guajillo chile, which should be more widely available here. If it is not, then use a poblano (ancho) chile.

Cuisine: "Spanish/Iberian"
Source: "Little Foods of the Mediterranean by Clifford Wright, 2003"
S(Formatted by Chupa Babi): "Sept 2012"
Yield: "3 cups"
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 222 Calories; 19g Fat (71.7% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 26mg Sodium

Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 3 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates