Roasted Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato and Maple Soup
I was not really a big fan of butternut squash until last winter. Not that there is anything wrong with it, but I had only ever had it baked or steamed with some butter. BORING! So, I decided to try adding butternut squash into different recipes. I figured out pretty early on I liked butternut squash best in creamy applications, and that is when I discovered a whole universe of butternut squash soups. Many of the soups called...
Creamy Parmesan, Mushroom and Chicken Pasta
Before we get to the food, and we shall, I have some exciting news! Evil Shenanigans has been nominated for the first annual Foodbuzz Awards for Best Recipe Blog! You can see the other nominees, and vote if you like, here. Voting is open until October 29th. I want to thank everyone who nominated me. You have no idea what a surprise this was and how much I appreciate it! Ok, back to the food. This time of year is, for me,...
Crunchy Baked Chicken with Orzo in White Wine Sauce
I love easy meals that look and taste like a million bucks. I can make this meal in thirty minutes or less, it tastes great, and it is nice enough for weeknight guests. Bonus! During the week I refuse to fry, so when I want something super crunchy I turn to my oven and panko bread crumbs. The Japanese deserve an award for creating these super-versatile crumbs. Not only do they add terrific crunch, they brown beautifully and make the...
Baked Sopes with Skirt Steak and Black Beans
Living so close to the Mexican border you would think you would get more authentic Mexican food, but we really don’t. We get a lot of really yummy Tex-Mex, the fusion of Mexican flavors with Southwestern ingredients and traditional cowboy cooking methods. There are times, however, when I crave the food of Mexico. In particular the fried corn cakes called sopes. The traditional method for making these involves, as I understand...
Fresh Pasta – Mushroom Ricotta Ravioli
I had often wondered how hard fresh, homemade, pasta would be to prepare. In my mind I imagined that it would be an all day process. I was wrong. That said, I did use a pasta roller to roll the pasta into sheets. That made the process SO easy. If you have to roll out by hand then I would prepare for extra work and a longer prep time. If you can afford a pasta roller, or the pasta roller attachment for the Kitchen-Aid mixer,...
Bolognese Sauce
I am not a very patient person. When I want something, I kind of want it now. That can be a problem when what I want is bolognese sauce. The trick to good bolognese is to take your time with each step, letting things get brown or simmer completely before moving on to the next step. Remember, whenever you add something to your pan you are developing flavor. Don’t let that flavor pass you by, cook it to its full potential....
