tasty eats

It had been a while since I had my friend Erica over for some healthy food. I decided to make a roasted red pepper puree, with roasted veggies, whole wheat pasta, crusty bread and Two buck chuck. For those of you who do not know about two buck chuck, it is a $3 bottle of wine (Charles Shaw) from Trader Joes. I recommend it highly and I'm afraid $3 buck chuck wine has made it extremely difficult for me to purchase a $7 glass of wine while I'm out for a meal! Enough about the wine though......

The meal:

(I have to confess that while cooking I was watching online episodes of gossip girl on my computer. I love internet TV! Who needs to pay for cable anymore?)

I was inspired to make the roasted red pepper puree after my boss brought it into work last week. It is a recipe that has been posted on low-fat recipe websites. I made it a couple of years ago and was obsessed with it. I used the puree sauce on sandwiches, eggs, steamed vegetables, pasta, pretty much anything that needed some flavor and saucey goodness.

You start by roasting 6 red peppers on the top rack of the oven. After they have blackened, take them out and put them in a paper bag and seal it for about 15 minutes. Take them out, remove the black skins, the seeds and the stem. Throw them in the blender. While you are preparing those, sautee 6 minced garlic and 2 Tbl of fresh thyme in about 3 Tbl of olive oil. Once they are brown, add them to the peppers in the blender. Puree all that and Joila- you have the sauce. I also add salt and pepper to taste, which is probably more salt than I should, but it tastes oh so good!

The veggies are oh so easy! Cut up one eggplant, butternut squash, Onion quarters, zuchini and cherry tomatoes in equal sized peices. Spread them out on a cookie sheet and drizzle with Olive oil, balsamic Vinegar and salt & pepper. Put them in the oven until tender. After they are done you can add more balsamic vinegar for taste.

Boil whole wheat pasta and assemble the pasta, veggies, puree and parmesan cheese. Add some crusty bread and wine and you have a meal!
Yummalicious!!!