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Roasted Red Pepper, Garlic, and Butternut Squash Soup

Do not underestimate the simplicity of this soup. Three ingredients I had waiting to be used in my kitchen, blended with vegetable broth became the ultimate autumnal soup.

  • 1 red pepper, roasted (about 1 1/4 cup sliced) *
  • 1 butternut squash, roasted **
  • 1 entire head garlic, roasted *
  • 3 cups (or more) vegetable broth

Blend all ingredients in blender until very smooth. Salt to taste if desired. I used salted broth so I didn’t need to add any.

Garnish with cashew cream and fresh thyme.

*For an easy tute on how to roast red peppers and garlic,  see here.

**To roast a squash: preheat oven to 350 °F.  Slice squash in half, remove seeds, rub insides with a touch of salt and/or minced garlic, place face down in a baking pan with about 1/4 cup water and allow to bake about 40 minutes, or until knife easily pokes through skin.

Basil Grilled Tofu with Okra, Red Peppers and Portabellas

Basil Grilled Tofu

I was recently cleaning out my cabinets and discovered a treasure buried deep down underneath my twenty (and a half) cake pans…. my electric George Foreman grill!  I rescued it from my sister last summer when she was holding a garage sale. I don’t think it is actually made by George Foreman.. err, his brand name, but it works mighty nice.  Its extra big with a temperature control. Very fancy.

These types of grills are cheap and  easy to come by (I bought  our previous model at the drugstore for 7 dollars).  They also make the best tofu ever. Seriously, I could eat my weight in tofu grilled on one of these things.  Prior to seeing the magic these humble grills could perform on well drained tofu, I wasn’t a big fan of cooking it myself.  Mostly a scramble here and there.  But with the grill… anything is possible.

I have been happily serving my family various versions of grilled tofu almost every night since the grill’s re-discovery.  This recipe is my favorite so far.  Basil infused olive oil lends a spectacular flavor to this crispy and chewy tofu.  Served along a melange of red peppers, mushrooms, and okra this tofu becomes part of a wonderfully fragrant and tasty meal.

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