edpaffjr.comTrying to get back into the swing of things, I’ve been doing a bunch of cooking so far this week. On Monday I made some pasta that I’ve done before and loved. This recipe is the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. The first taste is sweet, but after it sits in your mouth and you begin to chew, the spiciness comes out. The only thing I’ve changed on the recipe is the addition of a chopped onion which I sauté before adding the garlic and crushed red pepper.
Last night I grilled some asparagus, which I blanched the night before and then let sit over night in Italian dressing. I also grilled up some marinated chicken to go along with it. But the highlight of the night, at least for me, were the mashed potatoes. It was my first time mashing potatoes, so I had to pick up a masher at the store, but I must say that it was really pretty easy. I didn’t boil the potatoes for the full 45 minutes, more like 35 minutes, but I was only using four pounds. I also added garlic in the last 10 minutes of cooking to seal in the taste. Other than that, I pretty much followed the recipe, and I would have to agree with their four and a half star rating. They are an excellent side dish. The asparagus was pretty good as well.