Roasted Carrot and Tomato Soup

2 red bell peppers

2 tomatoes

3 small carrots

½ onions

1 potato (opcional)

1 garlic clove

1 tbsp olive oil (any oil)

Basil leave for garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

Arrange peppers and tomatoes and garlic clove on a baking sheet. Roast until brown and tender, turn to get all sides. Let it rest for about 15 minutes, then peel and remove the seeds. Chop peppers and tomatoes, set aside.

Peel and slice the carrots. Place them into a small pot. Cover with water and let it cook until soft. Set it aside.

Saute the onions until translucent, about five minutes. Transfer to a saute pan. Add the roasted vegetables and carrots. Mix well. Add the potatoes, cover. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender. Blend and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve and garnish with the basil leaves.

Sugar Alternatives

→For every cup of Agave, reduce the added liquid in the recipe by 3 to 4 tbs.

→When using liquid sweetener the final product will be moister and softer

→Increase the flour by about 3 to 4 tabs when the recipe contains no added liquid

→For 1 cup of sugar, use ¾ cup of honey

    (Do not used honey in recipes that need to be baked at over 350°F; it scorches)

→For 1 cup if sugar, use 1 cup of maple syrup

→Maple syrup or Molasses = amount of sugar

    (Make sure to keep maple syrup at room temperature)

→For every cup of white sugar, use 2/3 cup of Agave Syrup and reduce liquid by 1/4 cup

    (Agave syrup cause baked items to brown faster; you may reduce the heat by 25°)

→For every cup of brown sugar, use 2/3 cup agave and reduce the liquid by 2 tbs

→When using agave in baking products, mix with liquid or fat first and set the oven 25° lower

La Rioja

La Rioja is located in northern Spain on both sides of the River Ebro. Logroño it’s the capital. La Rioja was the first Spanish wine region to obtain DO status in 1925, and in 1991, it became the first Spanish DOCa (Qualified Designation of Origin). The DOCa is divided in to three subdivisions: La Rioja Alta in the southwest, La Rioja Alavesa in the northwest, and La Rioja Baja in the east.

The grapes varieties by the Regulations of the DOCa are:

Reds →Tempranillo, Graciano, Garnacha, Muzuela, and Maturana

Whites → Garnacha, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Malvasía, Viura, Tempranillo Blanco, Verdejo

→By law all the barrels used in La Rioja must be 225 liters oak casks

→The primary red grape use is Tempranillo also Garnacha Tinta, Mazuelo, and Graciano are permitted in the blend.

→ White wines are made from Macabeo, Garnacha Blanca and Malvasía grapes

La Rioja wines are labeled according to age like all Spanish DO and DOCa

● Vin Joven (tinto joven): Rarely aged in oak and must be consumed right away.

● Crianza: The red wines must age at least 1 year in oak barrels.

● Reserva: The wines must age at least 1 year in oak barrels and two years in the bottle.

● Gran Reserva: The wines must age for more than 2 years in oak barrels and more than 3 in the bottle.

● Rose (pink): Requires 2 years, at least 6 months in oak barrels