My Lightened Up Version Romesco Sauce

My favorite restaurant we went to in the Pacific Northwest was Toro Bravo in Portland.  We had a Tortilla Española with Romesco sauce.  Calling the Tortilla a Spanish potato omelet does not do it justice.  My favorite part was the Romesco Sauce that was served with it, so I have recreated it with a lot less oil, nuts or bread to cut down on calories.  I served it here on grilled salmon.

1 cup of canned fire roasted tomatoes

2 fire roasted red peppers (I used jarred ones)

1 head of garlic

1 slice of sour dough bread

1/3 c. almonds

5 Mexican red chilies (I used dried and rehydrated them in warm water)

2.T. sherry vinegar

1 T. olive oil

½ Smoked paprika

Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 350º

Cut the top off the head of garlic to just reveal the cloves.  Place the garlic in a piece of foil and drizzle the top of it with three drops of oil.  Close the foil up around the garlic and place in the oven for 30 minutes.  Place the piece of sour dough bread in the oven, placing it on the rack to toast for about 8 minutes.  Spread the almonds on a cookie sheet and place in the oven just long enough for them to toast, about 4 minutes.

After the garlic is cooked, squish all the garlic cloves out of the head.  Put all the ingredients in a cuisineart and pulse it on and off until it is well chopped, but stop before it turns into a complete paste.

This sauce is good on chicken, fish as pasta sauce on a frittata or as a dip.