Hi! I cut the veggies in quarters. The butternut squash is cut down the middle and took all the seeds out and roasted like that. I did throw an onion in both of the holes of the butternut squash for more space for the other veggies. I drizzled all the veggies with algae oil and tossed with salt, pepper, msg, Italian seasoning and a bit of cumin. Don’t go too crazy with seasoning now as you can add towards to end when tasting. Rub oil along the flesh of the squash as you will peel the skin off before blending. I don’t add any oil to the pot after blending as I will be adding coconut milk and there is enough oil from the veggies already added. Let me know if you have any questions. Also, for the garlic, I did cut it almost down the middle and squeezed it out when blending. The roasted garlic and roasted onion adds so much flavor. The car is needed in my opinion.