Meatless Luscious Fun: Piquillo Pepper Dip!

It’s been two weeks of fun and friends during the July 4^th break. WooHoo – almost everyone seems to have taken some time off. I love parties when I get to take a dish – its my chance to show others how good food can taste, and surprise them with how good it is for them!

Just like you, I never seem to have enough time before the get together to prepare. Visions of elaborate dishes dissolve quickly when reality hits, and its almost time to hop in the car. Here’s one of my favorite go-tos, an appetizer that friends request often. Super fast using the food processor, versatile and full of flavor, this dressing can be served with raw veggies, (like the picture above), as a dressing on a big green salad, or as a dipping sauce for grilled mushrooms, potatoes, shrimp or chicken.

Piquillo peppers are from Spain, and in Spanish the word means “little birds beak”. When the small red beauties are out of their jar, you can see the distinctive shape. Sometimes I have a hard time finding them in the regular grocery store, but I can always find them at the international market. (If you can’t find them, you can use a jar of roasted red peppers.) Piquillos are sold in jars, and you may notice the price is significantly higher than other red peppers. Why? After roasting, each pepper is peeled by hand and packed in the jars. More labor equals more cost. Ooooh, but when you taste the piquant, not spicy flavor, you’ll agree that they are worth it!

Piquillo Pepper Dressing and Dip

6 Roasted Piquillo Peppers

1 Garlic Clove

1 TB Chopped Parsley

2 TB Sherry Vinegar

½ Tsp Smoked Paprika

½ Cup Light Mayonnaise (I like Kraft Reduced Fat Olive Oil Mayo)

1 TB+ White Wine

Sea Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper to Taste

Drain the Piquillo peppers. Place the peppers, garlic, parsley, vinegar and paprika and purée the mixture until smooth. Add in the mayonnaise and pulse until smooth. Add the white wine until desired consistency and season to taste with salt and pepper.