1 cup whole hazelnuts
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2 red bell peppers (about 2 cups chopped)
3 cups undrained canned tomatoes (28-ounce can), or
4 medium fresh tomatoes
4 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar pinch of cayenne
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2 small slices Italian or French bread, or 1/2 cake tofu (6 ounces)
salt to taste
Preheat the oven to 325°. A toaster oven will work fine.
Spread the hazelnuts on an unoiled baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. While the nuts are baking, chop the bell peppers, tomatoes, and garlic. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, then add the peppers, tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, and cayenne. Cook on high heat for 5 minutes and remove from the heat. The peppers should still be crunchy.
Cool the baked hazelnuts for several minutes, and then rub them briskly with a towel to remove most of the skins. Finely grind the hazelnuts in a food processor or nut grinder, or in several batches in a spice mill. If you are using bread rather than tofu, submerge it in water for a moment, then gently squeeze out the excess water. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and purée until smooth.
Reheat the sauce if necessary, and add salt to taste.
PER 2-OZ SERVING: 55 CALORIES, 1.1 G PROTEIN, 2.3 G FAT, 7.9 G CARBOHYDRATE, 71 MG SODIUM, 0 MG CHOLESTEROL.
TOTAL TIME
25 minutes
SERVINGS
about 6 cups
Use this fragrant sweet sauce with pasta or steamed vegetables (or a combination of both), or over a simple baked, broiled, or grilled fish. If you like, reserve a few of the roasted whole hazelnuts and coarsely chop them for a garnish just before serving.