Roasted Red Pepper Walnut Spread

It's not what one would call a beautiful sandwich, but I didn't have any fancy greens to put in my sandwich today but wanted to share a new recipe for a great sandwich spread. You can use the spread as a dip for vegetable sticks or with crackers and cheese, but it really adds a pop of tangy, sweet flavor and some extra protein and vitamins to a ho hum sandwich.

RECIPE (makes enough for 3-4 sandwiches, depending how generous you are with it)

• 1 red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted
• 1-2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 slice whole wheat toast, crusts removed
• 1/4 cup olive oil (you might not use all)
  
• salt and pepper to taste

Slice the bell pepper in half, spray with cooking spray or brush with olive oil, and broil for five minutes on each side or until the skin is blackened and peeling off in places. Remove the bell pepper and put it in a tightly sealed container until it cools. The steam will cook it completely and make the skin easy to remove. When the bell pepper is cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and remove the stem, seeds, and white pith inside.

Place the bell pepper in the bowl of a food processor with the rest of the ingredients, minus the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Process until grainy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. When you have large even crumbs, drizzle the olive oil into the food processor until you have the desired consistency. The spread should be thick but spreadable, like an olive tapenade or thick tartar sauce.

This was a really tasty first run, but in the future I'd experiment with a few different herbs, olives, and/or anchovies.