What not to do...

Someone asked me if I could post some pictures of the recipes I have on the blog, so today when I was making the Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup again, I decided to do just that.

Here are the peppers, ready to cut up.



And here they are again, seeded, cut in half, rubber with olive oil, and spread out on a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. There is half a head of garlic inside the piece of tin foil.



Here are the peppers after 45 minutes in a 400 degree oven.



Here are the cooked, peeled peppers, tomatoes, and roasted garlic in a large pot. Just add 1 litre of chicken stock and simmer on low for about 30 minutes.



Here is the pot, sitting in the sink, after I forgot to turn down the stove to low, and left to go work on my report cards for awhile.



So sad.... I managed to salvage most of the red peppers but they smell so gross and smoky, I guess I'll have to throw them out. I am afraid my pot is ruined as well...

On a brighter not, the smoke alarm works well.... ;)

Creamy Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup

* Measurements are approximate. You can always tweak it to suit your own taste.

6 large red peppers – cut in half, seeded (thick flesh is best)
Olive oil rubbed over peppers
Salt and pepper
5-6 garlic cloves
Parchment paper on a cookie sheet makes cleanup easier

½ large onion, diced
1-2 Tbsp butter
1 litre (4 cups) chicken stock
1 large can diced tomatoes (798 ml – 26 oz?)

1 tsp thyme
1 tsp Herbs de Provence or any herbs you want
Several good shakes of cayenne

3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
2 – 2 1/2 cups milk

Set oven to 400 degrees. Put peppers skin side up on cookie sheet. S&P.

Sprinkle garlic with a little oil and wrap in piece of tin foil. Put in oven with peppers.

Cook 45-60 minutes, or until skins are black and peppers are soft. Let cool and then peel off the outer skin. Squeeze the cooked garlic from its skin as well.

Saute onions in butter until soft. Add some of the chicken stock and cook a few minutes to soften further.

Add red peppers, tomatoes, and rest of chicken stock to the sauteed onions. Add thyme, S&P, cayenne, any other herbs/spices to taste and cook for a little while.

Puree with hand blender right in the pot. (At this point, it tastes pretty good and could be eaten as it is if you didn't want to add the calories/fat of the white sauce.)

Make white sauce – melt butter, add flour, whisk in milk and stir until thickened. Stir into pepper/tomato mixture. Heat thru. Check seasonings. Makes about 7 cups or so?

I put it in 1 cup containers and freeze it for work. Yum.

Runner Bob's Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups milk

1 ½ cups pumpkin puree

1 egg

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons vinegar

In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt, stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle 350 degrees or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.