Flavorful Roasted Vegetables

I often use doTERRA essential oils in cooking and baking to give delicious extra flavor as well as nutrition.

When roasting vegetables, arrange various colorful veggies on a large baking sheet (peppers, onion slices, thin strips of carrots, fresh green beans, sugar peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.)  If using white potatoes or sweet potatoes, set them to one side of the pan, so you can bake them longer after removing the rest when they are tender. 

In a custard cup combine 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, a clove of minced garlic, and 4 drops of essential oils.  A little goes a long way. 

These are some oils I use:
Citrus Bliss blend - 2 drops
 (or Wild Orange, Tangerine, Lemon, Grapefruit) - 2 drops total
Basil - 1 drop (substitutes are listed below)
Black Pepper - 1 drop

Other oils to use in place of basil or in combination:
Dill - 1 drop
Marjoram - 1 drop
Cilantro - 1 drop
Spearmint - 1 drop

Toss vegetables until they are coated with this mixture and sprinkle with pink Himalayan salt.

Bake all the vegetables for 15-20 minutes in apreheated 400 degree oven. 

Check tenderness, before removing the veggies that are done, and continue baking the potatoes and possibly the carrots for another 10 minutes or until tender.

Creamy Butternut Squash Bisque

by Heidi St. John ~ The Busy Mom ~ thebusymom.com
Used by permission
http://heidistjohn.com/recipes/creamy-butternut-squash-bisque

Serves 8

Creamy, delicious and a great way to feed a crowd! Perfect for a cold winter night.

Ingredients

• 1 2 1/2 pound butternut squash (or 1 pkg from Costco of cubed winter squash)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large Braeburn or Gala apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups apple juice
• 2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, coarsely chopped
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 6 oz smoked Gouda or smoked cheddar, finely shredded
• {optional} toppings - crumbled bacon, smoked paprika

Instructions

1. Peel, seed and cube butternut squash
2. In 6-qt Dutch oven, melt butter over med-high heat.
3. Add squash, onion, carrot, celery and garlic
4. Cook, stirring frequently, until veggies are tender
5. Add apples, broth, cider and peppers
6. Bring to a boil; reduce heat
7. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until veggies and apples are tender
8. Allow to cool slightly
9. Using an immersion blender, puree while in pot. You can also puree in a blender, in smaller batches.
10. Blend in sour cream
11. Blend in smoked Gouda