Culinary Adventures with Camilla

NOTE: This is not the Whole30 compliant plate. I swore I would never make two dinners when the boys were younger, meaning I was not going to make dinner for me and Jake and, then, feed the boys chicken tenders. They ate what we were eating. Period. But, as I continue on my Whole30 Adventure , I find myself making two dinners. Sort of. This is the Whole30 compliant plate! I set a pot of beef braising while we hiked to Snively's Ridge. I knew that after that grueling climb, we would all be starving!   As soon as we got home, I served it over gluten-free pasta for my three and spooned it on top of sweet potato ribbons for my Whole30 compliant version. Oh, and since I usually use red wine, I skipped that and tried it with 100% cranberry juice - no sugar added. I think it worked well. Ingredients   1 T  olive oil 2 to 2-1/2 pounds beef, cubed (I used chuck...you can use really any cut of meat because it braises so long that it will be...

Last week, I participated in the Wine Pairing Weekend event 'New Year, New Wine." I paired Crni Rižoto with Dingac Vinarija’s Pelješac...and you can read my post: here . I was pouring a Croatian wine and decided to make a traditional Croatian dish. Every seafood restaurant in Croatia has a  Crni Rižoto  (black risotto) on its menu.  Crni Rižoto  is risotto dyed black with squid ink; I used cuttlefish ink for the same effect. However, since arborio rice is not Whole30 compliant, I made a version for myself that used caulibits instead of rice. Ingredients 1 C fish stock (or a combination of fish stock and vegetable stock) 1 T olive oil 1 medium shallots, peeled and minced 1 cloves garlic, crushed and minced 1/4 lb shrimp 1/4 lb squid tubes, cleaned and sliced into rings 1/4 lb scallops 1/4 lb clams, scrubbed 1/4 lb mussels, scrubbed 4 C caulibits, or chopped cauliflower 1 T fresh parsley, minced juice and zest from 1 organic lemon 1 t cuttle...

When I was flipping through The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig*, I came across one word that made this brunch-lovin' gal's heart sing: "Hollandaise."  I love hollandaise sauce and thought that this month would be without eggs benedict. Boo. But, the Hartwigs'recipe assured me that, yes, you can make hollandaise with ghee or clarified butter and be Whole30 complaint. Woohoo.  I didn't use their recipe, so I'll give you mine. And, on that note, I've mentioned ghee and clarified butter quite a bit since I launched into this Whole30 Adventure ; I should probably post a recipe or tutorial for that. Soon... Ingredients 2 egg yolks 3 T lemon juice 8 T ghee or clarified, melted pinch of fleur de sel or other fake salt freshly ground pepper hot water, if needed Procedure In the top of the double boiler, whisk together egg yolks and lemon juice. Add the melted ghee o...

Since grains are verboten on my Whole30 adventure , I was looking for a starchy-feeling side dish.  I found it in these simple sweet potatoes. Ingredients makes 6 servings 3 C organic sweet potato, cubed water 1 T olive oil 1 T clarified butter (ghee is allowed on Whole30) freshly ground salt freshly ground pepper Procedure Place sweet potato cubes in a large saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook until easily pierced with a fork, approximately 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and scoop into a mixing bowl. Add in olive oil and clarified butter. Toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

As I embark on my Whole30 Adventure , I have been asked to share some of my recipes. Happily. Whether you're on your own Whole30 journey, or just looking for some new whole foods recipes, I hope you'll follow along. This recipe is so easy and it's just as good freshly made as it is for lunch the next day. Ingredients makes 6 servings Salad 5 C shredded green cabbage 1/2 C julienned carrots 1/2 C shredded purple cabbage Dressing 3 T olive oil 1 T mustard (Annie's Organics doesn't have any added sugar - read your labels to ensure yours is Whole30 compliant) 1 T white balsamic vinegar (feel free to substitute any vinegar you wish) freshly ground salt freshly ground pepper 1 T fresh herbs, optional Also needed: mason jar with a lid Procedure Place the green cabbage, julienned carrots, and purple cabbage in a large mixing bowl. Place dressing ingredients, to the vinegar, in a mason jar. cover with a lid and shake to emulsify. Shake, s...