romesco - my new favorite thing.

[lorin]

I was watching Anthony Bourdain and he was in northern Spain. He was eating these roasted onion that looked more like leeks dipped in the romesco.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMLUbaHkJ9U

I was overloaded on peppers and tomatoes from my garden. I made it with roasted peppers, garlic, olive oil, almonds and a few roasted tomatoes. It is so good and goes with so many things.

[Menolly]

That sounds awesome, lorin. Do you have a recipe for assembling it you can share? What is the quantity of the ingredients you used?

[lorin]

That sounds awesome, lorin. Do you have a recipe for assembling it you can share? What is the quantity of the ingredients you used?

It's pretty arbitrary. I'm sure I am not sticking to the classic recipe. The classic puts a spicy roast pepper, sherry and hazelnuts, but I am on a budget. I did it this way

in a blender I put 4 large red roasted peppers, 2 roasted green peppers. They were smaller than the red so I would estimate 2 :1 more red. One cup of almonds, 2 roasted tomatoes, roasted down really well, 1 bulb roasted garlic and probably 1/2 olive oil. Some people add parsley. I roasted all the veggies outside on charcoal. I pureed it really well and put 1/2 in the freezer. It is very very good for you. I use it instead of mayo in wraps and on rice cakes. I did add a few cloves of raw garlic because I am freak for garlic. I kept it thick with extra almonds but some people people add stale bread.

spanishfood.about.com/od/sidedishes/r/romescosauce.htm

[Menolly]

That sounds really good.

I saw that episode of No Reservations, but my curiosity wasn't piqued to try romesco then. Your description did it instead.

[peter]

Sounds seriously good and very mediteranian! I love these sauces cum dips; as you say they are massively adaptable and do well from 'tapas' size dishes right up to full on pasta sauces. I think we can get pre-prepared romesco - but it's never going to match yours Lorin! Alas my 'barbie' skills/equipment won't stand up to the outside roasting bit, and I don't have a blender - apart from that I should be fine .

[lorin]

Sounds seriously good and very mediteranian! I love these sauces cum dips; as you say they are massively adaptable and do well from 'tapas' size dishes right up to full on pasta sauces. I think we can get pre-prepared romesco - but it's never going to match yours Lorin! Alas my 'barbie' skills/equipment won't stand up to the outside roasting bit, and I don't have a blender - apart from that I should be fine .

My barbie skills consist of making a pretty pyramid with the charcoal, gassing the crap out of it , waiting for the nasty lighter fluid to burn off and then burning EVERYTHING. Luckily burned is good with romesco (not so good with chicken)


Do you have a food mill? Or mortar and pestle? I mean, I don't think they had blenders back in the day that they came up with the idea. Probably the sheep herders in the mountains of northern Spain don't use a vitamixer.

[peter]

Yes - mortar and pestle was my idea. I don't use a blender by choice [even though I don't actually have one ] because I prefer the less homogenous effect of doing things by hand. If something ever needs to be really 'pasted' I can always push it through a seive. Yes why is it that even burned on a barbie tasts pretty damn good!

[lorin]

Yes - mortar and pestle was my idea. I don't use a blender by choice [even though I don't actually have one ] because I prefer the less homogenous effect of doing things by hand. If something ever needs to be really 'pasted' I can always push it through a seive. Yes why is it that even burned on a barbie tasts pretty damn good!

I received a vitamixer for my birthday and it changed my life. (I'm sooooo dramatic) but it is really incredible. There is no comparison with a regular mixer. I have taken to blending everything. I actually make ice coffee and it is different. It froths up the black coffee so much it looks like it has milk in it. And I make a kale, parsley, celery, green apple kind of thing every day.

[Menolly]

I received a vitamixer for my birthday and it changed my life. (I'm sooooo dramatic) but it is really incredible. There is no comparison with a regular mixer. I have taken to blending everything. I actually make ice coffee and it is different. It froths up the black coffee so much it looks like it has milk in it. And I make a kale, parsley, celery, green apple kind of thing every day.

I have a Blend-tec, which is a similar high powered mixer used by Starbucks and other establishments. Makes the best almond milk, and I'm occasionally attempting to get the hang of good old-fashioned milkshakes. It takes a lot of ice cream and very little milk to get a nice thick shake.

I would love to do green smoothies and carrot juice, but as a low carber, they don't really fit in to my WOE. There are some fantastic recipes out there though. Check out Scott Brick's love, The Blender Girl's, website for lots of ideas. Her almond milk gets me through when I have to go dairy and (mostly) salt free when I am put on the low iodine diet.

Hmm...
Maybe we should start a blender thread.

[lorin]

I heard good things about the blend-tec. It actually has one distinct benefit the vitamix doesn't. It FITS on the counter under the overhead cabinets. With the vitamix you have to buy the smaller container.

But my vitamix has one thing over the blend-tec. It was FREE.

[Menolly]

But my vitamix has one thing over the blend-tec. It was FREE.

Definitely can't beat that. A very generous gift, indeed.

[peter]

Give me the juice on this 'almond milk' - never heard of it, but love anything with almonds in it.

You see - I've got a problem here; smoothies and super blended stuff just don't hit it for me. Fruit for example I like as fruit, and drink as drink. A blitzed peice if fruit to me, neither quenches your thirst, or satisfies your hunger. Similarly I like milk-shakes to be sweet and milky and with a froth on top - but it has to be a drink not just a 'sloppy' ice-cream. I'm in the minority on these things I know because smoothies are a big seller in my shop and the people that come in LOVE the MacFlurries etc they buy over the road in Mc D's. I think it's an age thing - it's what I'm used to.

[Menolly]

This is written for my Blend-tec, and to fit in to my low carb and diabetic diet, but if you have a high power blender, it should do the trick. I would run it for a good minute on full power, I think.

Almond Milk

1 cup raw whole almonds
Water for soaking
2 cups water (preferably filtered, distilled, or spring)
1 vanilla bean, seeds and pod or 1 tsp vanilla extract (I use the bean)
4 packets Splenda
Pinch kosher salt (no iodine)
1 TBS Ceylon cinnamon

Soak almonds with enough water to cover. Allow to soak for 12 hours. Pick out any floaters. Drain and rinse well.
Place in blender with rest of ingredients. Press “Whole Juice” button and run full cycle.

Here is the original recipe from Tess' website. She has suggestions for other sweetners which sound yummy.

I prefer the thicker, non-strained texture. But the strained version made with the addition of unrefined coconut butter or raw almond butter is closer to dairy, IMO.

[lorin]

I am going to try this. I like the Blue Diamond unsweetened vanilla, only 30 calories. Should you be eating splenda, Menolly? I use Nectresse made from monk fruit.

[Savor Dam]

What is your concern about Splenda, lorin? Menolly goes through two packets a day, minimum, just for her coffee. Is it bad for her?

[lorin]

What is your concern about Splenda, lorin? Menolly goes through two packets a day, minimum, just for her coffee. Is it bad for her?

I know that Splenda causes false signal in your blood sugar that can cause a diabetic reaction. My endocrinologist told me not to touch it.
now.msn.com/diabetes-splenda-study-suggests-a-link-between-sweetener-disease

I also know there are carcinogen warnings.
news.yahoo.com/splenda-may-not-splendid-194239789.html

articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/01/10/splenda-questions.aspx

www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/R ... sweeteners

I doubt 2 packets a day are a concern. I'd be more worried if she or anyone were drinking a lot of diet soda.

[Menolly]

I haven't had any problems with Splenda, nor been warned off it. I tried a sample of Nectresse, but didn't care for it.

I like the home made almond milk much better than the premade stuff, lorin. But you will definitely want to strain it if you want a similar consistency.

[peter]

In my shop we sell a few milk substitutes usefull for people with lactose intolerance and other dietary problems. Does almond milk come into this catagory of 'food'? [In my nievity I expected it to be almonds blitzed into milk with sugar and condensed milk added to taste - which sounds pretty good to me ]

[lorin]

I LOVE almond milk. I think it is much tastier than lowfat cows milk. I like it much more than soy, which I think tastes awful. I have only had the store bought. I use it in smoothies and on cereal. I make hot oatmeal with it. Very low in calories if you drink the plain.

[Menolly]

In my shop we sell a few milk substitutes usefull for people with lactose intolerance and other dietary problems. Does almond milk come into this catagory of 'food'?

Precisely.