Thursday, March 30, 2017

Dollar Tree Succulent Decorations!

Combining obsessions is always fun. Dollar Tree? Good. Succulents? YES. Milk glass? Even better! See how I decorated with Dollar Tree succulents and a few pieces of my milk glass collection here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QaH1wdSOvs&feature=youtu.be


See video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QaH1wdSOvs&feature=youtu.be

Enjoy!

love + light,
Clara

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Clara's Cooking | Whole30 Chili

I think a nice thing about a lot of soups and chilis is that you can have flexibility with the vegetables. You can change them up depending on the sales in your grocery store, you can add several varieties or just a few. For me, it seems like as long as the general flavors and spices are added, a "chili" is still a "chili", and a "minestrone" is still a "minestrone."


WHOLE30 'CHILI'


Ingredients:

1lb ground beef, turkey, or chicken
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
1 large can (29oz) crushed tomatoes
2-3 zucchini, cut into half rounds or quarter rounds, depending on size
2 carrots, finely diced
1/2 TBSP crushed red pepper
1/2 TBSP chili powder
1/2 TBSP cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
Garlic powder (to taste)
Salt & pepper
Olive oil


Directions:

Tips:
- Top with avocado slices or cilantro for a nice presentation!
- If too thick, add water in 1/2 cup increments until you achieve desired consistency.
- These are Whole30 friendly, but if you wish to add some non-Whole30 ingredients, consider adding kidney beans for more bulk, plus it adds protein and fiber. You could also add corn.

Enjoy!

love + light,
Clara

Saturday, March 4, 2017

Clara's Cooking | Coconut Chicken Vegetable Soup

This is a great recipe for any time of the year! I have modified this recipe to include items I ordinarily have in the pantry, but you can also add lime leaves, ginger, and lemongrass to deepen the flavor further!

Coconut Chicken Vegetable Soup


Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, boiled and cubed
1/4 onion, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 broccoli head, with stalk finely diced and floret separated into small florets
1 cup sliced white button mushrooms
1 can (approx 12-14oz) coconut milk
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tsp red curry paste
1 TBSP lime juice
1 TBSP lemon juice
4 TBSP fish sauce
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1-2 cups water


Directions:

1. In a medium soup pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. Cook onion until silvery.
2. Add carrot and broccoli and cook until slightly softened. Add mushrooms and cook for 5-10 minutes.
3. Add chicken, coconut milk, cilantro, red curry paste, lime juice, lemon juice, and fish sauce. Stir.
4. Add garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir. 
5. Reduce heat slightly, and add 1 cup of water or more to achieve desired soup consistency.
6. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Tips:
- Save 1-2 TBSP cilantro for when you serve the soup; it looks great as a little topper.
- Add chopped serranos (or your favorite spicy pepper) to make more spicy.
- As stated above, add lime leaves, ginger, and lemongrass to deepen the flavor further!


Enjoy!

love + light,
Clara