Clara's Cooking | Cinnamon Citrus Chicken

A lovely dinner, especially in the Fall! 

Cinnamon Citrus Chicken

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breast, sliced into thin fillets

For the marinade:

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 oranges, juice & pulp

1 TBSP light agave nectar (I use the one from Aldi’s Simply Nature brand) or you can use 1 TBSP honey instead

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp cloves

Salt & pepper

1-2 TBSP olive oil

Directions:

1. Add garlic, oranges with juice, agave nectar, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and pepper into a gallon size Ziplock bag.

2. Add chicken and seal bag tightly. Toss chicken in bag, massaging spices into the meat.

3. For best results, allow to marinade at least overnight (I let the meat soak for 24 hours).

4. Heat oil to medium high in skillet. Brown chicken on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. Watch the heat level to make sure your chicken doesn’t burn.

5. Serve with anything!!! We like it paired with acorn squash - yum!

Tips:

It is totally worth it to marinade a day in advance! The flavors really get absorbed well into the chicken this way.

Enjoy!

love + light,

Clara Slate

Grow Bean Sprouts at Home using Dollar Tree Items!

I love bean sprouts! They are a great food in salads, omelets, stir fry dishes, sandwiches, and so much more. Unfortunately, the grocery stores where I typically shop do not sell them. So, I decided to grow them at home!

After a bit of research, mung beans seemed to be the safest to use. These are sold at nearly every Asian market I could find, so perhaps someday soon grocery stores chains will start to sell them in their "International" or "Asian" section.

I have seen people grow bean sprouts at home using strainers or a "pressure" method, but basically the common necessities to grow sprouts included 3 things:

1. Keep the beans damp but not soaked
2. Keep the beans rinsed (to prevent growth of mold, etc.)
3. Keep the beans in a dark place

I found two simple items at the Dollar Tree to help me in this indoor gardening adventure; their cheesecloth and large mason jar!

Step 1: After removing the center part of the mason jar lid, cut a small square of cheesecloth that is large enough to cover the opening.

Step 2: Measure about 1/2 cup of beans, or enough beans to fill 1/5 to 1/6 of the jar. Rinse beans well and remove any that appear dry or discolored.

Step 3: Soak the beans in water about 8-10 hours.

Step 4: Drain the beans and store in a dark space with some airflow, like a pantry.

Step 5: Rinse, swirl, and drain the beans twice a day. You should start to see growth in about 3 days.

MUNG BEAN SPROUTS DAY 3

Step 6: Harvest between 7-14 days.

MUNG BEAN SPROUTS DAY 14
( waited a bit too long, but still yummy )

Ways to enjoy bean sprouts:

Omelets
Stir Fry dishes
Salads
Soups (e.g. Tom Yum)
Egg Foo Young
Noodle dishes (e.g. Pad Thai)
Sandwiches & Wraps
...and MORE!!!





How do you like to enjoy bean sprouts?

love + light,
Clara Slate

Clara's Cooking | Chicken Piccata with Capers & Artichokes

Chicken Piccata with Capers & Artichokes

Hubby LOVES this recipe! One of his favorites!

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breasts, sliced into thin fillets

1/2 cup almond flour/meal

3 TBSP capers, drained

1 can artichoke hearts (14 oz)

1 tsp lemon zest

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

1-2 TBSP olive oil

1/2 cup white wine (I used pinot grigio, but chardonnay should work well too)

Juice of a small lemon (about 1/4 cup)

1/2 cup chicken broth

Salt & black pepper

Directions:

1. Add chicken breasts, almond flour/meal, lemon zest, garlic powder, paprika, to plastic zip top bag. Add enough salt and pepper to season the chicken breasts (I used a few pinches). Toss chicken in seasoning.

2. Heat oil on medium high. Shaking off excess seasoning, add chicken to oil. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.

3. Add white wine, lemon juice, and chicken broth. Simmer 6-10 minutes, allowing sauce to thicken.

4. Add capers and artichoke hearts and simmer for 2 minutes. Serve with brown rice or pasta.

TIP: Use 3/4 to 1 cup of water instead of the wine and broth to make this Whole30 compliant (unless you find a Whole30 compliant chicken broth or make your own). To stay within the Whole30, serve with potatoes instead of pasta or rice.

Enjoy!

love + light,

Clara Slate