Cooking with diabetes

Take grilled asparagus to the next level with Romesco sauce

Grilled Asparagus with Romesco Sauce Photo by Elizabeth Karmel via AP
Grilled Asparagus with Romesco Sauce Photo by Elizabeth Karmel via AP

Grilled vegetables are good all on their own, but they are even better with a great Romesco sauce to drizzle over them or dip them into. Romesco sauce is a red pepper, almond and tomato sauce that hails from the Catalonia region of Spain where it was originally served with seafood and charred onions.

It is my favorite summer condiment and I use it to dress up grilled shrimp, fish, poultry, meat and all manner of vegetables. My version calls for fire-roasted tomatoes and one large roasted red pepper, so it is more tomato-y than pepper-y which is my preference. If you prefer the taste of red peppers to tomatoes, switch the ratios and use half the amount of tomato that I call for and double the red peppers. I don't use the bread which is in the classic recipe to thicken the sauce because I don't want to muddle the pure vegetable and roasted garlic flavor, and I like a looser texture.

Grilled asparagus is my favorite, but don't stop there. Charred whole scallions, zucchini, yellow squash, roasted cauliflower, potatoes and mushrooms are all better for a bit of Romesco sauce. It's all good. Throw in some grilled bread and it's great!

Grilled Asparagus With Fire-Roasted Romesco Sauce

1 pound fresh asparagus

Olive oil

Kosher salt, about 1 teaspoon

Romesco Sauce (recipe below)

Rinse asparagus and snap or cut off tough ends. Place asparagus in 9-by-13-inch pan and drizzle just enough oil to coat all the spears. Roll spears to coat evenly with oil. Sprinkle with salt and roll again to evenly distribute the salt.

Place asparagus horizontally across the cooking grate over direct heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until marked and caramelized. Turn spears occasionally to grill each side. Asparagus should begin to brown in spots (this indicates that the natural sugars are caramelizing) but should not char.

Remove from grill and serve immediately with Romesco sauce.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 52 calories, 1 g protein, 4 g fat, 3 g carbohydrate (1 g sugar), no cholesterol, 122 mg sodium and 1 g fiber.

Carbohydrate choices: 0.

Fire-Roasted Romesco Sauce

2 pounds of ripe plum tomatoes OR 2 (15- or 16 ounce) cans fire-roasted tomatoes

1 roasted red bell pepper (see notes)

1 head garlic, roasted (see notes)

3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar, more if needed

½ cup blanched or Marcona almonds

1 tablespoon ground ancho chile

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt or sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

If using fresh tomatoes, wash and dry tomatoes. Cut out the core and drizzle the center of each tomato with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in a disposable aluminum tray and place in the center of the cooking grate. Grill-roast for 30 to 45 minutes or until tomatoes are caramelized and soft. (Note, this is also a good time to roast the pepper and the garlic. The pepper will take about 15 minutes and the garlic will take about 45 minutes.) Remove from grill and let cool in the pan, making sure to keep any of the juices that escaped.

Peel and seed peppers and clean garlic.

Using a food processor or a blender, place tomatoes, their juice, roasted pepper and roasted garlic together and puree. Add vinegar and almonds and puree until smooth and uniformly chunky. Add ancho chile and smoked paprika and pulse to combine. Slowly add olive oil until you like the consistency of the sauce. Add salt and pepper and pulse to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary with salt and pepper. Use immediately or store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. (I store the sauce in glass mason jars — this recipe fills 2 pint jars, you can keep one and give one away!)

Makes about 4 cups.

Notes:

Roasted Red Pepper: Rinse and dry pepper. Grill over high direct heat, turning until skin blackens and blisters all over. Remove from grill and immediately put in a paper bag or sealed plastic container until cool. Skin and seed the pepper (the skin will slip off easily).

Roasted garlic: Remove first layer of papery skin from garlic. Slice off top ½-inch from pointy top. Drizzle with a couple of teaspoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap in foil and cook on grill over medium-high indirect heat for 40 minutes or until cloves are golden-brown and soft. Alternatively, place in a 350 degree oven. Remove from grill or oven and let cool. Squeeze cloves from skins to use.

Food on 04/10/2019

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