Journey Into Deliciousness

Steak Skewers in the Oven

Grade: A (for the steak) C (for the veggies - but a remedy below!)

Time it takes: 40 minutes, plus overnight marinating (10 minutes easy prep, 20-30 minutes baking)

Yield: Enough steak for 5 skewers

Source: Marinade from The Life of Spice - a food blog (steak marinade and steak kabobs); oven baking technique from foodnetwork.com - courtesy of Emeril Lagasse (Ka-Bam Kabobs)

To go along with the chicken fettuccine alfredo, and to satisfy Chris' tastes, I made steak skewers for Christmas Eve dinner. Since I don't really enjoy steak I didn't try any, but Chris said the he loved the steak marinade and they were cooked perfectly. The only thing was that the veggies weren't done enough for him. I was planning on skewering potatoes with the kabobs and then realized they would definitely not have enough time to cook at 10 minutes. Instead I oiled and seasoned the chopped potatoes and put them on a baking sheet in the oven for 45 minutes at 450 and they came out perfectly. Next time I think I will do a baking sheet of all the veggies I would put on the skewers (mushrooms, onion, and bell peppers) and roast them for about 20-30 minutes by themselves, and keep the steak on the skewers exactly the same. A little more juggling in the end, but everything will be done how it should be that way.

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Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Grade: A

Time it takes: 1 hour and 15 minutes (30 minutes prep, 45 minutes bake)

Yield: 13x9 casserole dish

Source: My grandma

My family always has this dish for Thanksgiving. If we weren't hosting then we would be asked to bring it as our contribution to the feast. My grandmother would be the one to make it until I moved out to Colorado where I realized I had to actually cook things. The first time I made this for Thanksgiving I read 2 tablespoons of grated onion as 2 cups of grated onion - it was a bit on the onion-y side that year. I've since gotten the recipe down pat.

It is a great side dish for your Thanksgiving spread. It has vegetables in there, but covered in cheese to fool the children - like me when I was a little one, I always hated vegetables but I loved this casserole. The prep isn't too involved, but if you don't feel like tackling it on Thanksgiving day you can make it the day before and stick it in the refrigerator. I pop mine in the oven right when the turkey gets out, and then I have 45 minutes to finish up everything else and get the table ready.

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Mini Twice Baked Potatoes

Grade: A

Time it takes: 1 hour and 25 minutes (45 minutes prep, 40 minutes cooking)

Yield: About 35

Source: Pennies on a Platter - a food blog (Mini Twice Baked Potatoes)

I actually made these to go along with my BBQ pulled chicken sandwiches. They were seriously good! Whenever I ask what kind of potato side Chris wants for dinner, he usually says twice baked potatoes. And, I am pretty sure I've only made them a few times because I am a bad wife. Before I started this blog I didn't really research recipes, if I didn't know how to make it then it was a pretty good assumption that I wasn't going to make it. Twice baked potatoes were something I only sort of knew the idea behind, but I didn't really know how to make them super yummy. When I saw this recipe while I was reading through Pennies on a Platter's archives, I was like I better save this one for Chris! It didn't stay too long in the favourites folder either when I realized I usually have all the ingredients on hand.

When I read through the directions, I had absolutely no idea what a steam insert was. Actually I think the image in my head was a pasta strainer when I first read it. And, no it  is nothing like that. It is this little flowered metal thing on legs with holes in it! Put a little water in the bottom of a pot, plop the flowered metal thing in the bottom, get some boiling action, and then plop potatoes on top! Easy, no problems. I am so pro at this cooking thing now...

These were not at all hard to make. And, they have such a cute presentation you could bring them with you to a party for an appetizer or a fun side at a cook out. Also, delicious. They were a big hit around these parts. Hot, pototoe-y, cheesy, and bite-sized ... how could you go wrong?

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Less Mayonnaise-y Potato Salad

 
Grade: A

Time it takes: 4 hours (1 hour prep, 3 hours to chill)

Yield: Serves 8

Source: recipe from Brown Eyed Baker - a food blog

I highly enjoy potato salad. However, I had never made it myself. Sadly I did not enjoy this recipe much at all. But, Chris loved it. So, I figured I would put it on here. I would recommend it if you, like Chris, are not a fan of heavy on the mayonnaise potato salad. It did have great flavour and I loved all the ingredients together, but the dressing just wasn't what I was looking for.

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Potatoes Au Gratin

 

Grade: A

Time it takes: 2 hours (30 minute prep, 1 hour and 30 minutes cooking)

Yield: Serves 6

Source: adapted from this here recipe I found over at allrecipes.com

I've sort of made potatoes au gratin before. And by sort of, I mean tossed potatoes and cheese plus random other things into a dish and baked it with the outcome of something not really that good and definitely not resembling potatoes au gratin. This time I decided to go the smart-person route of finding a recipe, especially after repeated failures. Sometimes the toss random things together and call it a meal works, and other times not so much.

Man, what was I thinking not using a recipe - this was fantastic! Had just the right amount of crispy and tasted mmm mmm good. I mean it is hard to go really wrong with cheese and potatoes, but this one went so right! And, bonus tasted like potatoes au gratin.

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Oven Baked Potato Wedges

Grade: A

Time it takes: 1 hour and 20 minutes (15 minutes prep, 30 minute soaking, 35 minutes cooking)

Yield: Serves 2-4 (Depends on how many potato wedges you want - I make this amount for just Chris and me)

Source: adapted from Annie's Eats - a food blog (recipe)

I love french fries. They are little magical golden carbs of deliciousness. Whenever I make potato wedges in the oven they turn out okay - pretty good, but not nearly as magical as the sinfully yummy fast food fries. I saw this technique while browing through Annie's Eats, and knew I wanted to see how they turned out. I even made them the same day that I saw the recipe because I was so excited for them.

Ooooh they were so good. They were crispy while still being soft inside - my potato wedges are never crispy. And, they were done in a lot less time. So, quicker and better equals my new go to potato wedge recipe. They are a smidge more work, as in you have to take off some foil and flip em, but I think I can handle that. And, they aren't fried in all that oil!

But, don't forget to soak them in water beforehand.

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Garlic Ginger Glazed Carrots

 

Grade: A+

Times it takes: 40 minutes (10 minutes prep, 30 minutes cooking)

Yield: Serves 4 (unless of course you find it incredibly delicious and want thirds...then it may serve less people)

Source: Stephanie Cooks - a food blog (recipe)

I like to bookmark any veggie recipe that looks remotely good. I'm not great at my vegetable side dishes - they are usually something with potatoes or steamed broccoli...can you say boring! I am so glad I decided to make this one because it was heavenly. It tasted just sweet enough and deliciously ginger-y. Chris, not the biggest carrot fan, said that they were pretty good...better than your average steamed carrots. He will just have to grow into a carrot fan because anytime I have leftover ginger on hand I am making these! Or, maybe I will just eat them all and make him some steamed broccoli...mwahaha.

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Parmesan Potato Balls

Grade: B

Times it takes: 1 hour and 3 minutes (30 minutes prep plus 15 minutes to form the balls, 18 minutes cooking)

Yield: 2 dozen balls

Source: A recipe on food.com I found via ...and a cookie for dessert - a food blog

When my brother-in-law and his fiance came down for our wedding we all went out to a local Irish pub one night. For an appetizer we got a sampler that included potato balls, and they were out of this world. I'd never had them before - or heard of them, I wasn't even sure what they were when they got to the table. I'd nearly forgotten about them until I found this recipe for potato balls while perusing food blogs, so I bookmarked it to try.

They turned out decently well, I liked the flavour the onion soup mix brought to the table. They just weren't as fantastic as the ones we had at the Irish pub. Chris thought they needed to be a little crispier; for one thing these were baked and the ones at the pub were fried. Forming the mashed potatoes into balls was rather messy - you know, its soft and gets all over your hands. But, they are such a fun side dish and it has the advantage of being baked instead of fried, which is a little healthier and easier.

Click below to expand for the recipe!