A few people asked me to post the Red Bell Pepper Sauce Recipe in Dean Ornish's book that
I mentioned yesterday. Here it is. Serve over polenta (grilled or "fried")
Red Bell Pepper Sauce and Shitake Mushrooms
(by Hubert Keller in Dean Ornish's Eat More Weigh Less)
3 red bell peppers
vegetable spray
1 small onion, diced
2 small garlic cloves, chopped
3 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
pinch of chopped thyme
5 fresh basil leaves
1 tsp honey
freshly ground black pepper
8-10 shitake mushrooms - I used twice this amount
a little salt or lemon juice- I added
Preheat the broiler. Coat the peppers very lightly with the vegetable oil spray. Place under the broiler and roast, turning frequently until the skin is blackened on all sides. When the peppers are completely charred, cool them until they can be handled comfortably and peel off the skin. Remove the stems, core and seeds. Chop the peppers and set them aside.
Lightly spray the bottem of a saucepan with the vegetable spray. Add the diced onion and simmer over medium heat stirring until translucent, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes, bell peppers, thyme, basil, honey and black ground pepper. Cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes until the bell pepper and tomato mixture starts to thicken; if the mixture seems to be reducing too fast add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water. Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree until completely smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan and keep warm.
Trim the shitake mushrooms and slice. (book says to mince) Saute in a pan and add freshly ground pepper.
Top the polenta with the bell pepper sauce and a few of the mushrooms.
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