Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce

Spring is around the corner and with that comes a whole new way of eating. We will start to drift away from the heavier, stewish meals we have been noshing on for several months and start opting for lighter meals.

Below is my Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce. What I love about this recipe is that it can be used as a sauce over pasta, replace a sauce in lasagna, used as a dipping sauce, and so many other ways.

I have encluded the healthier option, but remember, if you are in need of a more decatant meal, just up the fat and calories by using whipping or heavy cream.

Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce: Serves 6-8, Maggie McKelvey Ottenwess

3 large red bell peppers
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
½ onion, any kind, diced
2 cups chicken/veggie broth
1 cup fat free ½ and ½
½ cup white wine (optional) *you can substitute additional broth or dairy
½ cup parmesan cheese (optional)
2 tbs. butter
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 425F. In an oven proof pan, line with foil. Put peppers on the foil. Heat in the oven 1 hour, turning every 20 minutes, until skins are lightly blackened and peppers have appeared to slightly concave. Remove the skins from the peppers. This can be done by attempting to pull out the seeds/core from the top, running cool water into the center of the peppers, and then using a light stream of water to cool the pepper while you remove the skins. Sometimes, the skins are difficult to get off. If all skin is not removed, it is OK. It is also recommended that you place the steaming peppers in a dish and cover with saran wrap. Wait 10 minutes, and then remove the skins. This step has not worked for me but a lot of people do it.

Meanwhile, mince the garlic and dice the onion. Sauté over medium in olive oil or PAM. After the peppers have been skinned, lightly chop and add to the garlic and onion. Season the vegetable mixture with salt and pepper. I usually use 1 ½ tsp. salt or more and ¼ tsp. pepper. Sauté for several minutes over medium heat. Transfer to a deeper pan (sauté pan, soup pan, it will need to be 4 inches or deeper). Add the broth and wine. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 15 minutes. Using a hand blender, puree the mixture. NO HAND BLENDER: in 2-4 small to medium batches, transfer some of the soup mixture into a blender. Ensure that the top, middle, circle thing in the lid is taken out. Place a dish towel on top and hold. Blend. If you do not do this, the heat from the soup will have an issue with the lid. Do not put too much in the blender at once, as it will expand as it is being blended. Continue this until entire sauce is blended.

Return to the 4-inch deep pan. Continue to simmer. Add the ½ and ½, butter, and ½ of the cheese. Continue to simmer the mixture until it becomes sauce-like. If this is taking too long, whisk in Wondra. Stir in the last of the cheese if you so wish near the end.

Use this sauce for the following:
- Over pasta, with or without meatballs or sausage
- Substitute your red sauce in lasagna. Mix it up and do lasagna roll-ups with shrimp and the red pepper sauce. Add veggies such as spinach.
- Dipping sauce for breaded veggies
- Use as a substitute for red sauce – pizza, stuffed shells, eggplant, chicken, or veal parmesan

Awesome Leftover Recipe

Growing up, we didn't have a lot of family, friends, or people at our home during the holidays. There were never more then 10 present. Even though the number of people present was low, we cooked like we were cooking for a 20 person crowd. This means that we ALWAYS had leftover turkey...and why is this? Because we insisted at a 20 pound turkey minimal!!

Things like my family's Turkey Tetrazzini is a great favorite. We combine different leftovers of turkey, such as the small pieces no one likes to eat, a flavored rue, sherry, and whipping cream, mix it in with cooked pasta and top it with Parmesan cheese. It is something that my sister and I would never let get to the freezer. My mother always use to try to make two - one to freeze and one to eat...well, it was so good that none reached the freezer. Great alterations to this include adding sauteed mushrooms, spinach, or peppers. See my family recipe below!

2 cups of leftover shredded turkey (chicken will work as well)
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup butter (light butter will work as well)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 tbs. sherry (you can leave this out if you want)
3 oz. cup of mushrooms - **I use sliced mushrooms, about 8
1 cup whipping cream
7 oz or approx. 1/2 oz. of cooked pasta of your choice
Parmesan cheese to top

-Cook pasta in a pasta pan. Drain. Set back into the same pan. Add the turkey/chicken (add mushrooms or other veggies as you wish). Wait for the sauce.
-Heat a large saute pan to med-med-high heat. Melt butter.
-Add flour. This creates a rue. Let simmer for 30-60 seconds to cook the flour.
-Add salt and pepper. Stir and turn off heat.
-Slowly add chicken broth, whisking it into the rue.
-After broth is added, slowly add the cream.
-Turn on heat and bring to a simmer for one minute.
-Pour into the same pan with the pasta, turkey/chicken, and veggies. Toss generously.
-Pour into a low cooking dish (2 quart would be ideal).
-Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

**If cooking now, cook at 350 degrees F for approximately 20 minutes.
**If putting in the fridge, bring to room temperature and follow directions above.
**If freezing, cover appropriately and then follow directions above.

-Alterations: use more pasta and no meat; use all meat and no pasta; use risotto or rice instead of pasta; use chunked chicken or shrimp.

**PLEASE see the "About Me" section of my blog to ensure the ownership of recipes posted. Thank you and GOOD EATS!!!