Roasted Tomato And Carrot Soup

Last week, one of my friends gave me a bag full of tomatoes from her friends garden. I was adding them to my salads but the bag still remained full of tomatoes . Not wanting them to go bad, I decided I would make soup. The weather has been cooling down so it was a good day for soup. I looked on foodgawker for inspiration. Recipes always intimidate me so I took bits and pieces and just kinda went with it. The result came out very well for my first attempt. Now all I need is some bread and cheese. Grilled cheese and tomato soup is the absolute best combination!

Roasted Tomato And Carrot Soup

(This is not a formal recipe. I was experimenting with this but the result turned out great! )

Ingredients:

2-3 pounds tomatoes. (I'm estimating how much I had on hand)

3 medium carrots, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

fresh basil leaves/dried basil (I used both. Our little basil plant isn't doing so hot right now.)

salt and pepper to taste

cayenne, more or less depending on how spicy you want your soup. 

I roasted the tomatoes with olive oil and a little salt at 400 degrees for about 12-15 minutes. 

In a small pan I sauteed the garlic. 

It wasn't until the last minute I decided to add carrots. I steamed them. I'll be roasting them the next time I make this soup. 

I added tomatoes, garlic and carrots to the blender along with salt, pepper, cayenne, and basil.

Puree until thick and creamy. My mom and I then enjoyed a cup of yummy tomato soup with a dollop of Greek yogurt on top.

Gluten Free Banana Cranberry Peanut Butter Granola

It's been quite awhile since I've done anything with this blog but today I have a recipe worth sharing.  Banana Cranberry Peanut Butter Granola. Lately I've been making my own granola. It's so great. I always need something yummy and quick for breakfast or a snack. I must say, I did enjoy a bowl for dinner one night when I was too lazy to cook for myself. The last couple batches I've made have been free of gluten and sugar. In this batch, I'm using a flavored peanut butter which contains some sugar. To omit the sugar, use plain pb and add a little cinnamon. 

I just discovered this local peanut butter last week at the farmers market. They are based out of Ventura, CA and have some interesting flavors.

Gluten Free Banana Cranberry Peanut Butter Granola

Ingredients:

3 cups gluten free oats

2 tablespoons ground flax seed

1/4 cup peanut butter (I used Handsome Carver's cinnamon & honey. This stuff is yummy!)

2 medium bananas mashed

1/4 cup sugar free maple syrup

1 packet of stevia or more to make sweeter

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. 

Grease a large baking sheet or use a silpat mat.

In a large bowl combine oats and flax seed.

In a medium bowl mash the two bananas and add in the maple syrup, peanut butter, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, and stevia. 

Mix well to remove any lumps. Add mixture to oats and gently stir to combine.

Evenly spread mixture on baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Gently stir and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.

After granola has been removed from oven, wait about 5 minutes or so to add cranberries. 

It tastes like banana bread. Enjoy :)