Vegan Iron Chef Cookoff- Meal #2

So S and I didn’t replicate the success of the first meal two weeks ago, getting only one vote for best dish earlier this evening. But those gathered around the table at my friend C’s house did seem to like the romesca sauce an awful lot, with that nice balance of taste and nuttiness with the sauteed onions and red chilis, crushed tomatoes, a few cloves of garlic and a handful and a half of sliced almonds.

Here’s that sauce recipe in case you’re interested (especially if you’re thinking of pairing it with, oh say, a good hunk of kielbasa or something really tasty.)

Sauce Ingredients (to serve 4):

1 yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons of olive oli
1 small red chili, seeded and minced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can of crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
1/2 cup of slivered almonds
Salt

Chop a small amount of the onion to yield 2 tablespoons and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chili, the 2 tablespoons of onion, and 2 of the chopped garlic cloves. Cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and vinegar and cook 10 minutes longer. Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender, add the almonds and salt to taste, and process until smooth. Add a little water if the mixture is too thick, and set aside. [to add to the vegan suggested roasted vegetable bed, grains or pasta, or otherwise, a good hunk of meat]

Give it a try!

[From the recipe book Vegan Fire & Spice (though the added wistful meat references are entirely my own).]