Clara's Cooking | Mango Salsa

This is an EXCELLENT side to baked chicken or fish. There are varieties that have added oil and granulated sugar, but I find neither is necessary! For my baked chicken recipe (using almond flour), see here: http://bit.ly/2ajb4S8


TMI: This is one of my husband's favorite sides, along with my parmesan chicken. I used to make this all the time while we were dating. It is how I "won" his heart, LOL :)


Ingredients:

1 ripe mango, sliced into small cubes
2-3 roma tomatoes, cubed
2 scallions, finely chopped
1/4c apple cider vinegar (can add more if needed, but be sure to taste first)
Salt & black pepper

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together. 
2. Try not to eat all in one sitting. ;)










Tips:

- Use a large empty glass bowl or Pyrex container in which to mix ingredients. Consider placing in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes prior to mixing salsa. This is so the bowl is 'pre-cooled,' allowing your salsa to stay fresh at parties!

- For added color and flavor, consider adding 1 avocado, chopped.


love + light,
Clara

Clara's Cooking | Chicken with Almond Flour (Paleo Chicken)

A bit of a different take than my typical parmesan encrusted baked chicken breasts...

Ingredients:

3/4 cup almond meal/flour (I like the Simple Truth brand at Kroger)
1lb chicken breasts, cut into 1-2 inch slices
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1-2 tsp garlic powder (depends on your preference for garlicky-ness :) )
Sea salt
Black Pepper
Cooking spray (I use olive oil in a Misto sprayer)

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 375F.
2. Mix almond meal/flour, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper on a plate.
3. Lightly coat baking sheet with cooking spray.
4. Dip chicken breast slices into egg and immediately coat with flour mixture. Tap off excess.
5. Place coated chicken slices onto baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Serves 2 people.

Tip: I like to serve this with a mango salsa and a side of broccoli or greens. For my mango salsa recipe, see here: http://bit.ly/2aadlzl

love + light,
Clara

Clara's Cooking | Stuffed Peppers ( Whole30, Paleo )

There are SO many yummy variations of this, but basically the recipe is bell peppers stuffed with ground meat and veggies. Traditionally a lot of recipes also include rice, but I find that with all the veggies and seasonings, I don’t miss it at all.

Ingredients:

6 medium bell peppers

1lb organic ground turkey (I like the Kroger’s Simple Truth brand, 97% fat free)

1/2 butternut squash or 1 large sweet potato (see Tip below), chopped

1 TBSP minced garlic

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 cup spinach, chopped

1 TBSP fresh oregano finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried oregano)

1/2 cup cilantro

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1-2 TBSP lemon juice (to taste)

Olive oil

Cooking spray (I use olive oil in a Misto sprayer)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Brown garlic and onion in olive oil. Add ground turkey and brown. Drain fat is necessary.

3. Add squash or sweet potato and cook. Add water and cover for few minutes if necessary to hasten cooking.

4. Add spinach, cilantro, salt, cumin, chili powder, and red pepper flakes. Allow to simmer 8-10 minutes.

5. Stir in lemon juice. Simmer additional 5 minutes.

6. Slice caps off of bell peppers and set aside. Remove seeds and pulp. Stuff with meat filling and place bell pepper caps on top.

7. Lightly coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Bake bell peppers for 20 minutes.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Tips:

If using butternut squash, bake ahead of time at 350F for 50 minutes (sliced in half long ways with seeds & pulp removed). This makes the squash much easier to peel and chop.

Add parmesan cheese to mixture and on top of finished peppers if you wish.

Enjoy!

love + light,

Clara

OFFICE DEPOT HAUL! 1¢ School Supplies & More Deals!

I LOVE this time of year, don't you? The only thing that makes fresh new school supplies more fun is getting them for insanely low prices! My favorite places to go for school supplies are Staples, Office Depot, Target, and sometimes Walmart. I WISH I had a Staples near me; I would be there all the time!

Video here: http://bit.ly/2aGBKhr
Let me know if you've found any awesome deals on school supplies!

love + light,
Clara

Clara's Cooking | Easy Salmon Cakes

EASY SALMON CAKES RECIPE (makes about 14 patties)

Ingredients:

2 cans salmon (bones removed if you prefer)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1cup cooked sweet potato (canned or fresh), mashed
1 egg
1/3 cup almond flour
2TBSP parsley, minced
1/2 tsp paprika
Salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste
Lemon slices (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat over to 425F.
1. Drain salmon & remove bones (if you prefer).
2. In a large bowl, mash the salmon, onion, sweet potato, and egg together.
3. Add almond flour, parsley, paprika, salt, and pepper throughout and mix.
4. Spread parchment paper on baking sheet and brush with olive oil.
6. Measure out 1/3 cup of salmon mix at a time, form into patties, and place on baking sheet.
7. Bake for 20 minutes.
8. CAREFULLY flip patties, and bake an addition 10-12 minutes until slightly browned.
9. Serve with lemon slices if you wish.

Tip: Use scallions (green onions) in place of yellow onions for a tangy flavor.

Enjoy!

love + light,
Clara

Clara's Cooking | Easy Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe

EASY ZUPPA TOSCANA SOUP (Olive Garden dupe)

Ingredients:

1lb hot Italian sausage

4-5 medium potatoes, chopped into large pieces for soup

1/2 yellow onion

2 bunches kale, chopped horizontally

Two 12 oz cans of chicken broth (I like Aldi's Fit & Active)

1/2 TBSP olive oil

12oz coconut milk

Directions:

1. Remove casings from sausage (if applicable), brown sausage, and drain fat.

2. In a separate soup pot, cook onion until silvery with olive oil. Add potatoes & cook for 8-10 minutes.

3. Add chicken broth & kale; allow kale to soften. (Tip: Add kale 1/2 bunch at a time, otherwise it may be difficult to fit two whole bunches of raw kale all at once, depending on the size of your pot.)

4. Add cooked sausage & coconut milk, bring to low boil, then allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

Tip: To make Whole30 compliant, verify the sausage and chicken broth are without all restricted ingredients, especially sugar and corn.

Enjoy! This makes about 8 servings.

love + light,

Clara

Dollar Tree Haul | 2016 July 15th

Oh yes, it's that time again. I may step away every once and awhile, but something about DT makes me keep coming back....oh yeah, of COURSE it's the great deals! Let me know what goodies you've been finding since I've been away! I'm sure I've been missing out :)

See haul video here: http://bit.ly/29BrQQS

love + light,

Clara