the week of the iPhone | margarita salad

I know what you’re thinking.

Margherita salad toppings.

Mozzarella, basil, tomatoes…

Nope!

I’m talking about margaritas, like the ones you drink!

While you won’t be getting drunk off of this salad it still holds that refreshing, limey, sweet + salty flavor you are familiar with.

In hopes of taking images that were sharper today, I downloaded a new-to-me camera app called Camera+.  It has an image stabilization feature plus loads of other effects + editing tools.  It can basically take the place of the camera app that comes automatically on your iPhone.  You can even shoot in burst mode to capture quick movement.  This app cost $.99 and is definitely worth checking out.  The 2 lime photos above were sharper than most of my close-ups have been the past few days.

The trickiest part of editing the photos is that I can never seem to get the coloring just right.  Even playing with the white balance, it sometimes turns out a bit off.  In the next two photos below my surface is quite blue when it should be a bit grayer, but all of the other colors look accurate.

This summer salad will put all other summer salads to shame.  While loading veggies on a salad is my typical setup, fruit is such a refreshing change of pace.  Topped with a slightly creamy lime vinaigrette, almonds for crunch, and a little lime infused salt + sugar.

Behind the scenes photo setup.

Print this!

Margarita Salad 

vegan, gluten-free // yields approximately 3/4 cup dressing

• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons limeade juice
• 5 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons honey/agave
• 1/2 teaspoon lime zest
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon avocado
• 1/4 teaspoon salt + 1/4 tsp pure cane sugar + 1T lime zest
• lettuce/strawberries/peaches/raspberries/almonds

1. Rinse + pat dry your lettuce + fruit.  Slice fruit into bite sized pieces and chop the lettuce.
2. Add the olive oil, limeade, fresh lime juice, honey or agave, lime zest, 1/4 tsp salt, and avocado in a blender and blend until smooth.
3. Taste and add more salt if desired.
4. In a small bowl mix the 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp cane sugar, and 1 Tbsp lime zest with your fingers.
5. Assemble salad, pour desired amount of dressing on, and top with a few sprinkles of the zest mixture.

notes: Lemonade would be fine to sub in if you don’t have limeade, but make sure to still use limes for the fresh juice. 

Chickpeas + avocado would be great toppings to make this a full meal.

One nice thing about editing on the iPhone is that I can do it outside [in a shaded area].  We had an usual thunderstorm around 6pm, so instead of working in my office I took the dogs outside and we sat on the porch.  It was a nice little cool down for all of us.  The house is h.o.t.!

I’ve actually noticed that it takes me longer to edit photos on my phone in comparison to editing my dSLR photos in Lightroom. 

Watch out for a recipe featuring roasted red pepper sauce next week!

Hope you all have a fabulous + relaxing weekend.

Ashley

the week of the iPhone | beans + light

If you missed yesterday’s post, I’m doing a little study this week on using my iPhone camera instead of my dSLR.  My goal is to try and use the iPhone to its fullest potential, by taking just a little more time to think about the shot before clicking away.  Point + shoot cameras are great for capturing a moment in an instant, but what happens if we take a few extra minutes to compose the shot + edit the photo?  Can such a small + simple tool actually create art? 

Today’s recipe + post focus on two things.  Beans + Light.  Maybe you already guessed that, though.

I have an undying love for beans.  Most of the time however, beans seem like a cold weather food.  Chilled beans anyone?

I’ve put leftover cold beans on salads before, but I think this is my first cold-bean recipe.  The basil lemon dressing really lightens + livens things up.  The creamy beans and crunchy radish provide a lovely contrast to one another and allow the creamy dressing to shine.

In the photo below, I was standing at my little photo table with light coming in from one window directly to the left.  [called: sidelight]

The light was a bit harsh at this time.  The white of the radish was catching more light than I like.  I took a few more shots and then thought, “what if I just turn the bowl and myself 90 degrees to the right?”

I’m now standing facing the window with the light hitting the back of the bowl.  [called: backlight] 

Such a small change really made a noticeable difference.  The colors aren’t as washed out, the radishes aren’t overexposed, and the shadows add a little more drama to the photo. 

This is a small lesson to note no matter what camera you’re using and it’s one I often forget.  If you’re not liking the way the light is hitting your subject, just move!  I didn’t move across the house.  I didn’t even move the table.  I simple turned the bowl and took a few steps to the right.

Print this!

Lemon Basil Bean Salad

vegan, gluten-free // serves 6-8 as a side

• 4.5 cups mixed beans [= 1 can of each garbanzo, kidney, white]
• 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 3/4-1 cup radishes, sliced
• 1/3 cup basil, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup sunflower oil
• 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons avocado
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon brown mustard
• 1.5 teaspoons honey*
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• pepitas

1. In a large pan over medium heat add 1/2 Tbsp oil and once hot add the chopped onion.  Cook for 6-8min until it starts to soften, stirring frequently.
2. Add the drained + rinsed beans, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper to the pan and cook for 3-4min, stirring frequently.
3. Place in a large bowl and chill in the fridge.
4. In a high speed blender or magic bullet add the oil, lemon juice, basil, avocado, minced garlic, mustard, honey, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Blend until fully combined. 
5. Taste and add more salt/pepper/honey if desired.
6. Toss about 2/3 of the dressing with the bean mixture and radishes until well coated.  Add more dressing if desired.
7. Top with pepitas and serve chilled. 
8. Store the extra dressing in a sealed jar for up to 1 week in the fridge.

notes:  Feel free to use sliced carrots instead of radishes if desired.  *Use agave or maple syrup to make vegan.

This is a fabulous + super simple side dish for the 4th of July or anytime at all.  If you don’t feel like a big bowl of beans, I encourage you to at least make the dressing.  I’m absolutely addicted to making my own salad dressings and have been for the past few years.  No bottled dressing comes close in comparison.  Enjoy!

Has anyone given their point + shoot or iPhone camera a little extra time yet this week?  Let me know!

Ashley