Roasted Pepper “Cocktail” Sauce

Roasted Pepper “Cocktail” Sauce

This is one of those “happy accident” recipes. I wanted a sauce for shrimp that was a bit different than a typical cocktail sauce and had planned on making a tomato-horseradish-yogurt sauce. Except I did not have any tomatoes or even tomato-based products in the house. I did have some fresh basil and oregano and some leftover roasted peppers, so I decided to have some fun! The result was a little different (and I strongly do not suggest try mixing horseradish, basil and oregano. Yuk.) but there was potential and with a few changes I ended up with a great, high protein alternative to cocktail sauce. It is great with shrimp, crab (real or artificial), and lots of other cooked fish and seafood – with tilapia and cod being two other favorites. I also really like it on celery, but I have some oddball taste buds and my other taste testers were not big fans of the combo. I have made it with both jarred roasted red peppers in water and freshly roasted peppers with good results. If using commercial peppers, just try to piece together about four peppers from the pieces in your jars – it should be about 1 1/3 jars, but it depends on the brand and how tightly packed they are. Want even more protein? This sauce thoroughly covers the taste of protein powder if you need an extra boost. It is also gentler on some stomachs than traditional cocktail sauce, and you can make it even kinder by reducing the amount of horseradish. If you do not have fresh parsley, just omit it rather than using dried parsley. The sauce will still be tasty – but is tastier with it. The sauce is even better if you can make it at least four hours in advance, and you can make it up to three days ahead of time – just stir it well before serving it.

4 medium roasted red bell peppers (about 2 pounds) or 1-2 12-ounce jars drained roasted red peppers in water (for testing we used fresh peppers) (148 calories, 4.8 grams protein)
1/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt (60 calories, 10.6 grams protein)
2-3 tablespoons prepared horseradish (21 calories, .6 grams protein)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons crushed garlic cloves
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to three days before serving, mixing quickly with a spoon right before serving.

Makes 10 servings.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

229 calories and 16 grams protein total
22.9 calories and 1.6 grams protein per serving