Grilled shrimp with chile-almond sauce

Serves 3

1 pound (26 to 30 per pound) shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 dried New Mexico or California chile, stemmed and seeded

1 Roma tomato (4 ounces), rinsed and cored

1½ teaspoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons sliced garlic

¾ cup drained canned roasted red peppers

2 tablespoons toasted almonds (see notes)

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Soak the chile in 1 cup boiling water until soft, about 20 minutes, and drain.

2. Meanwhile, slice the tomato in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Drizzle about ½ teaspoon olive oil over the cut side and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place the tomato halves on a baking sheet, cut side up, and bake until browned and soft, about 20 minutes.

3. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in an 8- to 10-inch frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir often until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. In a food processor or blender, process the chile, tomato, garlic, red peppers, almonds, vinegar and parsley until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce into a bowl and set aside.

4. Prepare a grill for cooking heated to medium-high. First,

oil the grill rack. If using a charcoal grill, prepare a solid bed of medium-hot coals. If using a gas grill, preheat to high and close the lid, then open the lid and lower the heat to medium-high.

5. Rinse the peeled and deveined shrimp and pat dry. Thread the shrimp onto four 10- to 14-inch metal skewers. Brush with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lay the shrimp on the grill rack. If using a gas grill, close the lid. Cook the shrimp, turning once, until opaque but still moist-looking in the center of the thickest part (cut to test), 3 to 6 minutes total. Serve immediately with the Chile-Almond Sauce.

Notes from the Sunset Editors: To roast the almonds, place in a baking pan and bake at 350 degrees, shaking the pan occasionally, until golden under the skins, about 12 minutes. You can make the Chile-Almond Sauce up to 2 days ahead, then cover and chill until ready to use.

— Recipe from "The Sunset Grill."

Per serving: 420 calories, 36 g protein, 23 g carbohydrates, 21 g total fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 230 mg cholesterol, 840 mg sodium, 2 g fiber. Calories from fat: 180.

— Staff analysis