Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Can this really be the first time I'm posting with this group?? It might be. I love the idea behind the Crazy Ingredient Challenge, hosted by Dawn of Spatulas on Parade ; it's akin to the Improv Cooking Challenge that I joined a couple of months ago. We are assigned two ingredients to cook and create. So, here goes... April's Crazy Ingredient Challenge = cardamom and parsnips I wanted to experiment with some almond flour I need to review and opted to make a Spiced Parsnip Cake with Cardamom-Cashew Butter instead of frosting. And this cake uses no sugar and no butter; it's sweetened with honey and moistened with coconut oil. This was a hit! Ingredients Spiced Parsnip Cake 2 C almond flour (I used Morning Pep * ) 1 t baking soda 1 t ground cardamom 1 C grated parsnip 2 eggs 1/2 C coconut oil, softened 1/2 C local honey 1 t pure vanilla extract Cardamon-Cashew Butter 1 C raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 4 hours 1/4 C local ...

April 22nd is Earth Day and April 23rd is National Picnic Day so, today, the #SundaySupper crew is sharing recipes to enjoy while picnicking in the great outdoors. T.R. of Gluten Free Crumbly is hosting. What a timely theme! We have a lot of picnic dinners during the Spring and Summer. I wanted to share a rich chocolate treat that is so rich that you just need a tiny piece. Small servings means less to carry in your picnic basket! Ingredients 1/2 C raw pecan pieces, roughly chopped 1/2 lb bacon (I use an applewood smoked, thick-cut, no nitrite bacon), cooked crisp 1-1/2 C bittersweet chocolate chunks or chips 1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder 10 T butter 3/4 C organic granulated sugar 1/2 C organic dark brown sugar, lightly packed 3 T Bulleit rye whiskey (use whatever bourbon or whiskey you have in your cabinet) 4 large eggs 1 t freshly ground sea salt (I used a smoked sea salt for added flavor) 1-1/2 C flour Procedure Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inc...

Calling all garlic lovers!   Do you know what today is?!? Welcome to National Garlic Day 2015, hosted by Heather from  girlichef . April 19th is a day for garlic lovers far and wide to come together and celebrate the wonder of "the stinking rose". Whether it's the ability to ward off vampires (and bugs), its numerous health benefits, or the way it lends flavor to a dish, there are so many reasons for singing the praises of garlic. Okay, so if you've been following me for awhile, you'll know that I typcially go with a savory recipe for any cooking challenge. Almost. Every. Single. Time. So, for this post - #NationalGarlicDay hosted by Heather at girlichef - you might be wondering why am I sharing a dessert? It's garlic...that automatically means savory, doesn't it? Well, that's how I roll. I'm a maverick that way; I love the unexpected. I wanted to use black garlic (click to read about it ) because it has a softer, less pronoun...

I wanted a quick dinner that was largely hands-off. Oven-roasted fish is usually my go-to. Tonight the fish monger had some beautiful rockfish filets. Dinner! Ingredients serves 4 4 rockfish filets 1 thinly sliced organic Meyer lemon cleaned, trimmed ramps freshly ground salt freshly ground pepper olive oil freshly squeezed lemon juice   Also needed: 4 piece of parchment paper and Caramelized Ramps. Procedure Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lay one filet on a piece of parchment paper, approximately 12" square - or enough that you can completely envelop your filet and create a parchment packet. Cover the filet with lemon slices and lay the ramps on top. Drizzle the filet with lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with freshly ground salt and freshly ground pepper. Bring the sides of the parchment up around the filet and fold the edges together, rolling it down to the fish. Crimp the ends together, folding them in till fish is enclosed...

Earlier this week a friend of mine posted a challenge: "Dinner for 4 to 6 people for $15. What do you make?" I thought: $15 for a homemade dinner of 4 is pretty generous. $10 gets a little skimpy, but $15 is reasonable. I suggested... Pasta. Onions $1.00; ground beef $8.00 if you go organic + grassfed or as low as $5 if you don't; pasta $2.50, fresh tomatoes $4.00, olive oil (pantry); salad greens $2.00; dressing (fridge); parmesan cheese (fridge). $14.50 is you don't go organic, grassfed beef. Over budget if you do! Roasted chicken thighs are always easy. Chicken thighs (bone in, skin on) 2 pounds $8.00; soy sauce, olive oil, spices (pantry/fridge); rice $2.00; $5 for veggies - zucchini, broccoli, etc. Roasted pork tenderloin: pork $10.00; olive oil, spices (pantry); potatoes $3.00; salad greens $2.00; dressing (fridge). Then I decided to put the theory to a test. For dinner that night, I made... Leftover pork, $5.00 (1/3 of roast that cost me $15); quin...

Here we are at April's  Improv Cooking Challenge  hosted by Lesa of  Edesia's Notebook . The idea: we are assigned two ingredients and are challenged to create a recipe with those two things. April's assigned ingredients: Asparagus and Eggs. I thought about different way to incorporate these two and mainly came up with breakfast foods. I, first, planned to make an asparagus eggs benedict. Then I started to get creative; I considered a savory cheesecake with roasted asparagus. Finally, I ended up having my Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf help me make Ricotta Gnocchi with Asparagus Pesto. Che squisito! Ingredients 2 C whole-milk ricotta (1 pound) 2 large eggs 1-1/2 C grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided into 1 C + 1/2 C portions 1/2 t freshly grated nutmeg 1-1/4  to 1-1/2 C flour 4 C asparagus, cut into 1-1/2" lengths zest from 1 organic lemon juice from 1 organic lemon  olive oil canola oil for pan-frying fresh dill for garnish ...

When  BenBella Books  invited me to join the first anniversary book tour for  It's All Greek to Me -- Transform Your Health the Mediterranean Way with my Family's Century-Old Recipes  from Debbie Matenopoulos, I was excited. First, I love Greek food. Second, I loved the cookbook when I reviewed it back in November (click to read my post  Souvlaki from Debbie Matenopoulos' "It's All Greek toMe" {#sponsor Book Review & Giveaway} ). Five months have gone by and that cookbook is still near the top of my cookbook stack. Now that's saying something. I have a lot of cookbooks. And, after I review a cookbook for a publisher, it often gets shelved and not pulled out until I remember something I wanted to try. But this one excels in inspiring me with its vibrant photography and easy-to-follow recipes. So, it has stayed in my to-read, or to-cook, stack right next to the couch where I read and plan my recipes. Today, I'm sharing Debbie's recipe for ...