Kumquats

So we had a tree that had a small orange fruit that we knew was edible and i think we made jam once or twice but people are always getting them mixed up with another fruit. Loquat is the fruit we had and they are small like a grape tomato bit they are fuzzy like a peach. They are often grown ornamentaly. People like to call them kumquats which is another fruit entirely. They look like an orange only shaped like a grape tomato. They can be eaten whole. I found some nice looking ones at the grocery store and wanted to take some pictures.

I read that back-lighting is great for brightening up the citrus slices and the one in the middle really does get a glow from the light coming in the window.

Skillet Enchiladas

So still not the best photo of skillet enchiladas. The day was rainy and cool and left blueish tones to the light. Better than the crazy orange light from the kitchens on earlier attempts. I can do better and I will next time they come up for dinner again. Very yummy though. All the flavor and texture of enchiladas without all the dishes and effort of rolling each individual enchilada.

Skillet Enchiladas

10 fresh corn tortillas, sliced 1 inch thick
Vegetable oil
1 Onion, diced
1/2 Bell pepper, diced
1 Clove Garlic
12 Tbsp Flour
1 Cup Chicken broth
1 Can Enchilada sauce
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 Cups Shredded chicken
4 Green onions, sliced
1 4 Oz Can diced green chilies
3 Cups Shredded mexican cheese
Cilantro

1. Heat 3tbs oil in a cast iron skillet and fry the tortilla strips until beginning to crisp. Remove.
2. Add the onion and bell pepper to the skillet, sauté until tender. Stir in the garlic, sauté until fragrant.
3. Whisk flour into the vegetables and oil, cook out the rawness to make a roux. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth.
4. Pour in the enchilada sauce, chicken and diced green onions, 1/2 of the tortilla strips and 1 cup of the cheese. Stir well then cover with remaining tortillas and cheese. Place under the broiler until golden and bubbly. Top with cilantro and serve.

White Chicken Chili

I really had fun. I went shopping for props and found the best looking poblano I could. This was the same shopping trip that I get the radishes but I had to get motivated to put the effort to get the recipe up with the photos. I think the portrait one is the best.

The recipe was from americas test kitchen and although it is a little work it is a very yummy chicken chili.

White Chicken Chili

3 lb Bone in chicken breasts or theighs

Salt and pepper

1 Tbsp Vegetable oil

3 Jalapeno

3 Poblano, seeded and diced

3 Anaheim, seded ans diced

2 Onions, cut in large pieces

1 Tbsp Cumin

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tsp Coriander

2 16 oz cans Canellini beans, drained and rinsed

3 Cups Chicken Broth

3 Tbsp Lime juice, 2-3 limes

1/4 Cup Minced cilanrto

4 Scallions, sliced thin white and green

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven. Add chicken skin side down until golden, brown the other side. Remove and discard the skin.

2. Remove seeds from 2 jalapeños, mince. In food processor pulse the peppers and onion in batches to the consistence of chunky salsa.

3. Pour off all but 1 Tb fat from the Dutch oven, and reduce the heat to medium. Add the jalapeños, chili mixture, cumin, garlic, coriander and 1/4 tsp salt. Cover and cook stirring occasionally until softened. Remove pot from heat.

4. Transfer 1 cup of the cooked vegetable mixture to an empty food processor. Add 1 cup of the beans and 1 cup of the broth and process until smooth. Add the vegetable bean mixture, the remaining 2 cups broth and the chicken to the dutch oven. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until the chicken is cooked through.

5. Using tongs, remove the chicken to a plate. Stir in remaining beans and continue to simmer uncovered until heated through and thickened.

6. Mince the remaining jalapeno. Shred the chicken and throw away the bones. Stir in the shredded chicken, lime juice, cilantro, scallions and the jalapeno and return to a simmer. Serve.

Radishes

So we went to feed the police horses. They have a barn and all you have to do is sign in that you were there. Hazel loves it. She is crazy about them, although she calls them neighs.  Anyway there is a mexican grocery store right next to where I get back onto 59. I went in looking for something I could take pictures of and experiment with the exposure on the camera so I can keep learning how everything works on in and get a feel for it. I found these radishes and they were just so bright red and unblemished. I took about 40 pictures these 3 were tops. Which one appeals to the most eyes? Which is the most interesting? I'm still undecided.
I am also not a huge radish fan any interesting Ideas for eating them?

Grissini

So I teach a bunch of teenage girls at church and by the time I teach them it is the third hour and they are hungry. I keep the good will by bringing nibbles. Today I brought some grissini. They are thin super crispy Italian bread sticks.
I never want to miss an opportunity to practice my photography so I whipped out my camera. I am always scouring my apartment for props and on top of our kitchen cabinet was a set of salt and pepper shakers as well as two jars with spouts all on a white tray. I decided to add it to my props since it was not really practical and having been married 8 years we have never used it. Sorry wedding gift bomb. I will give you new life.
It was also a pretty rainy day, not a lot of light but it did have a nice soft feeling.

 I have a favorite. (the top one)
Here is the recipe

Grissini
3/4 c warm water
1 T Extra virgin olive oil
2 c (10oz) flour
1 tsp instant yeast
3/4 tsp salt
vegetable oil spray
kosher salt
coarsely ground black pepper

1. Combine the water and the oil. Set aside. Process the flour, yeast and salt in a food processor. With the processor running slowly, add the water slowly until a dough ball forms. You may not use all the water. Just add enough to get the dough together. Continue to process until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl and let rise until doubled 1 1/2-2 hours.
2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Deflate the dough and divide in half. Roll each half in to a 12x8 inch rectangle. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 15 pieces. Fold each piece in half lengthwise and gently roll into a 4 inch log. Let rest 5 minutes covered in plastic wrap while you do the same to the other half of the dough.
4. On a damp counter, roll each log into a 20 inch long rope. transfer to the baking sheet. Lightly spray with the oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown 25-30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway.
*recipe based on americas test kitchen

When life gives you lemons...take a pic

I have been cooking and am getting into the world of food photography as a natural offshoot of that. My first pictures were not all that great. Indoor lighting is not kind to photography. I got a book, read things on pintrest and experimented. I had a fancy point and shoot that you could somewhat control the aperture but just recently my dad got a really fancy new dSLR and he decided to give me his older but still great dSLR.
Now I can really get creative. I have decided to use this blog to post mt photos as well as the recipes to go with them. Tracking both the food and the photos.
These lemons were just something that I could take a picture of. I wanted to try out the camera but not take the time to cook something. Which composition do you like the best?