Creamy, Spicy Tomato Sauce

Just as this recipe is linked to the recipe for Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower and Brown Rice recipe in Garlic Sauce, so my stories are linked.

We basically lost our Comcast TV signal on a Saturday and the soonest they could send someone out to get up back up and running was Monday.

Now this is where everyone in the family becomes an expert at how to get the TV back up and running:

Everyone: did you unplug the TV?

Me: Yes

Everyone: Did you unplug the modem?

Me: Yes.

Everyone: Did you unplug the router?

Me: Yes

Everyone: Did you check the circuit breaker?

Me: Yes.

Everyone: Then it should work.  You must be doing something wrong.

Me: (inside the head voice) I agree, and what I am doing wrong is TALKING TO YOU!  Not helping…….

Finally though,  Monday came, and the real expert showed up.  And by real expert, I mean a guy who had apparently been hired an hour before he knocked on my door and learned everything he knew about cable repair from watching home improvement shows. On cable TV that I’m pretty sure he didn’t install himself.

Three hours later, he was still talking to the mother ship, getting step by step directions on how to replace the modem, router, and basically every piece of equipment that we had from Comcast, along with our coffee maker, toaster, waffle iron and microwave.

At one point, I almost told him to forget the whole thing; I’d make a hat out of tin foil and sit up on the roof, holding a metal cooking spoon, waiting for lightening.  At least we might get basic cable that way.

I have to give him credit though, he eventually got things up and running…for five minutes.  Then all the TVs stopped again.  Another call to the helpline, forty-five minutes and a nervous breakdown later, he learned he had to restart every TV and reprogram them in order to complete the process.  I was ready to offer him the bottle of wine with the straw.

On the bright side, I did get to spend a lot of time in the kitchen and come up with some really good (I think) recipes.

This sauce is a different take on my creamy tomato soup, but with a a bit of extra spice, and some different seasonings. I love when learning one recipe means I then have two!

Ingredients:

• 2 packages (4 cups) grape tomatoes or 8 plum tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 head of garlic
• 1/2 red pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 medium onion, roughly cut into chunks
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 -1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup silken tofu

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Toss the pepper, onion, tomatoes, salt, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper with the olive oil.  Put on a baking pan and roast for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
3. Cut the top off of the garlic head and drizzle with a little olive oil.  Wrap tightly in foil and place in oven to roast along with the veggies.  It is done when it can be squeezed and it is soft but not mushy (about 30 minutes).
4. Remove veggies and garlic from the oven and allow to cool a little before putting it into a high speed blender with the tofu.  Process till smooth and creamy, then put in a pot to gently reheat.  Serve over pasta.

Enjoy!