Upon discovering that I'm a food photographer, many many poor souls remark "your kids must love that! They are so lucky!"
My kids don't think so.
They come home from school on the regular, ignore stacks of dishes piled high from a days worth of shooting. Steer clear of the cakes-with-a-single-slice out of them. Or the plates-of-peanut-butter-stuffed-cookies-topped-with-salted-caramel-and-chocolate-and-pretzels-and-Oreos. And go straight to the freezer for a $3 pizza, instead.
It's like the ultimate food desensitization. Surrounded by somanyalltheeats, the kiddos are fully uninterested in anything but the bare basics. I totally understand. Last night, after shooting 8 different recipes, from dessert to dinner, all I wanted was a blender full of mango and greens, kissed with a smidge of honey. A green smoothie. Sipped, like a glass of gold, somewhere around 9pm--right about the time all those dishes were finally done.
So when the teens arrive home and start plowing through something I've made that day (as they did today) it's sort of a shock.
I mean: a food photographer's kids actually wanting to taste-test the food photographer's art? #weird
Apparently, the bridge between generations looks an awful lot like a plate of Baked Steak Nachos.
Lanky junior high humans, stood in the kitchen, took three bites, then piled the remains on two plates, so they good microwave for extra cheesy goodness.
Which sounds pretty much like kids reheating leftovers.
But for this food photographer mama, it felt like a strange and glorious form of success.
Recipe: tested. Conclusion: It's a goodie.
Baked Steak Street Fajita Nachos
6 servings | 20 minutes
- 2 (5.5 oz) bags chips (I used Paqui Roasted Jalapeno)
- 1 lb grassfed beef sirloin, grilled or pan-fried to medium-rare*, chopped
- 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar
- 2 Tbsp melted coconut oil
- 1 red pepper, seeded and sliced very thin
- 1/2 purple onion, chopped
- 1 cup bicolor fresh, canned or frozen corn
- 4-6 oz queso fresco cheese
- 1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 bunch green onions, diced
- 1/4 purple cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 bunch radish, sliced thin
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- strawberry or cherry tomatoes
Heat oven to 425ºF.
Arrange chips on a large baking sheet. In a large bowl, stir together sirloin, cheddar, oil, red pepper, onion and corn. Salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle over chips. Top with half of the queso fresco. Bake for 15-17 minutes, until cheese melts and begins to bubble. Top with cilantro, onions, cabbage, radish, dollops of sour cream and a sprinkling of radish. If desired, garnish with strawberry or cherry tomatoes
*I super shortcutted the cooking time and used the ready-cooked Grassfed Beef Sirloin from Trader Joe's. Love that stuff.