• 1 roasted red sweet pepper, peeled and seeded
• 1/2 c. lightly packed fresh basil leaves (from your garden, produce section of your grocery store, or the local farmer's market)
• 10 black olives
• 1 large clove garlic
• 1 T. soy parmesan cheese or low-fat parmesan cheese
• 1 T. pine nuts or walnuts
• 4-5 fresh Roma tomatoes

To roast a whole pepper, place whole washed pepper under the broiler and rotate every 3-4 minutes until evenly charred with skin blistered.  Seal in paper bag until cool.  Peel and seed over a bowl to catch the juices.  To save time and fuss, whole roasted red peppers may also be bought in many specialty grocery stores, packed in jars.

Directions:  Put all ingredients in blender, and blend until smooth.  Serve heated, with spaghetti squash, cooked pasta, poached salmon, or stir-fried veggies. Or, add to soups for a real flavor boost.