I can totally imagine me having a blog, but how I ended up having a food blog is still a mystery to me and many others. I guess it was mainly my husband’s idea.
The smart guy figured out that if I have a food based blog, he will get better food and more varieties everyday. It did succeed to some extend, but it threw him a few surprises as well. There has been times when he had to sniff, touch or bite to believe that the ‘stuff’ on the plate is actually his dinner. But turning a blind eye to the failures, the recipes that turned out good hasn’t been all positive as well.
Imagine his surprise when he comes home hungry and finds that the dinner is great, but he can’t eat it because it has to be dressed, decorated and clicked before its served.
My mom used to serve the first slice of food as an offering to God as a ‘Thank you’ every morning. In my house, that offering is for the camera. The celestial and terrestrial beings just have to wait for me to finish clicking.
Well, that was how it was in the beginning when I started the blog. We have traveled 4 years from there. Still, the pattern is same. Camera checks out the food before everybody else. But the difference is that now, I click before everyone gets home.I get good sunlight this way, the camera gets the clicks, the men get their food. Everyone’s happy this way.
But at times, I still have to make them wait. Like I did for this recipe.
Valli asked us to share our “behind the scenes” set up for our pictures and here is mine : Look at the click and imagine two guys standing a foot away from it with their plates in their hands and a resigned look in their faces. That’s my behind the scenes for many a pictures :D.
Now scroll down for the details about the recipe.
Recipe adapted from : All Recipes
Serves : 3-4 as a side dish
Ingredients:
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 yellow bell peppers, seeded and diced
- 1 red onion, quartered
- handful of broccoli
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 1.5 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper
- chili flakes (optional)
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 450F.
- Peel, wash and cut/dice the veggies into equal sized pieces. Quarter the onions and separate the layers.
- Mix the oil, Italian seasoning, vinegar, salt n pepper and chili flakes in a bowl.
- Coat the vegetables evenly with the dressing.
Spread as a single layer in a tray.
Bake for about 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. I roasted these along with the garlic. Time and energy saved :-).
Bake until the vegetables are cooked through. Take out and let it cool a little before serving.
Note:
- If some of the veggies are too thin (like the onion layers), you can add them after the first 15 minutes or so of baking.
- I used the vegetables I had in my hand.
- Stir every ten minutes, that ensures even browning.
My Kitchen Trials 
I can totally relate to folks standing at a distance waiting for food to be served! That is the story every day in my house :) The roasted vegetables looks marvelous. This would make for a perfect side!
LikeLike
Absolutely love reading your post Rajani. Those roasted veggies look so yum…
LikeLike
That is a scene behind every food blogger’s click, i believe!! Love the way you have clicked with the alu-foil and the pic looks so amazing, i tried my banana bread with alu foil but it turned out not soo good!!!
LikeLike
I did a similar recipe but forgot to take pics and remembered all about it when some of it got converted to soup and the husband asked me / I hope u took some
Pics
So same story here – the first morsel of food is for the camera
LikeLike
The behind the scene is still very fresh in my memory. Now only my older one is the victim. But out of habit my husband asks me if the camera has been served first :)These roasted veggies are our fav too!
LikeLike
LOL — I can’t stop smiling thinking of your family waiting with plates while you take pics. MY daughter would probably just go ahead and eat it up while I take pics.
I love roasted vegetables in just about anything — I can eat them as is too.
LikeLike
I love the flavors. I too add balsamic. great
LikeLike
LOl, can imagine.. it happens sometimes for me especially while baking breads.. Love the flavor of this roasted vegetables, inviting.
LikeLike
Still laughing at that behind the scenes picture. Happens in my house too. This is one of our favorite recipes.
LikeLike
Hahhah..you know what I actually thought you will share a click of your men standing with their plates..hahaha..gosh you husband will kill me if he knows we are teasing them!..lovely click rajani..:)
LikeLike
lol:).. Waiting time happens in my house too but not all the time..
This looks delicious to wait!!! so yummm..
LikeLike
The waiting scene doesn’t happen usually at home since I cook and click in the morning but my husband has learnt to ask anyway whether I need to click anything before serving himself. :)
Those roasted veggies look inviting.
LikeLike
Reading my own comment and so many typos in there :(
LikeLike
Lol! Valli and we all are not expecting to see two men with their plates as the behind scene. Nothing new their, I guess most of us have similar behind the scenes most of the times.. :) Love roasted vegetables and that bowl is tempting me to bake some right now.
LikeLike