Roasted Red Pepper Bisque

• Rainy, slightly chilly days just say "it's time for fall foods!" and I definitely listen to those voices when they tell me to make such things as pumpkin mousse with candied pecans (someday I will put that recipe up) and roasted red pepper soup.
• It was the perfect day for such fall treats because I was having a Reading Party. What is a Reading Party? Well, it's when someone like me needs accountability and motivation to read 400 pages about the Cold War, so I invite friends over to sit with me and read while I read. It's really fantastic.
• One of my friends brought over some red peppers that were begging to be used and also mentioned he likes cream scones, so after the soup was done, we put together some scones real quick. Mousse, soup, scones, yay.
• Honestly, the food was the best 3 hour break in a 12 hour day of reading that I could have asked for. It was delicious and I got to be in the kitchen with friends! Perfection =).
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• Roasted Red Pepper Bisque
  Adapted from Cooking Light
• 1 1/2 pounds red bell peppers (3 large), roasted and peeled
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• Dash of ground red pepper
• Pepper to taste
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup cooked long-grain rice
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup cream or milk
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

• Chop bell peppers; set aside. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and carrot; sauté 8 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned. Stir in bell peppers, tomato paste, and next 5 ingredients (tomato paste through garlic); cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in rice, water, and broth, scraping skillet to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Place broth mixture in a food processor or blender (you may have to do this in batches); process until smooth. Return puree to pan, and stir in 1/2 cup. Cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Ladle bisque into bowls; top with cilantro.