2 Cats and Chloe

Healthy Food, Great Views and Creative Living!

Whole30 Chicken Nuggets: Ready for the Super Bowl!

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You know what is crazy, last year, Super Bowl Sunday was the last “normal-ish” day of my life. It was the last time I went out with my husband and carelessly hung out with friends, despite feeling sluggish, before the storm and mandatory bedrest hit the next day. I still blame that odd “puppy, monkey, baby” commercial…

Food wise, I have two goals in 2017. 1 - Eat out less often. 2 - Make non-paleo foods paleo and/or whole30 compliant. Last week, my mom and I were driving home from yet another doctor appointment for Lorelei, when my mom said “Let’s just stop at Chic-fil-a!” I knew if I stopped, I would be terribly tempted to drink a frozen lemonade and inhale their crazy delicious waffle fries… but this would’ve broken both of my 2017 food rules. And I knew I had a few chicken breasts at home that needed to be cooked. It also, just so happened to be the day that my thrive order was delivered! Hello Chipotle Lime Paleo Mayo and Paleo Ranch! I NEEDED something to dip into these sauces!

Ergo……. Paleo, Whole30 Compliant Chicken Nuggets - in time for Super Bowl Sunday!

2 cats & chloe: Whole30 Paleo Chicken Nuggets

I will be the first to tell you, I really don’t understand football. But I’m an absolute marketing junkie so I love rating the commercials and hidden branding throughout the Super Bowl. I also love the food. It’s the first time after a month and a half of eating clean since the holidays (usually) where you are tested. Decisions have to be made. Do you eat the junk or eat healthy food?

And before the Whole30 Police jump all over me… Technically, unless you have a crazy addition to Chic-fil-a nuggets outside of the whole30, this isn’t SWYPO. If you ate KFC every single day last month before you started the Whole30, yes, this is SWYPO. This is clean, breaded chicken bites and a perfect option for game day!

Whole30 Chicken Tenders Whole30 Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets

Whole30, Paleo Chicken Nuggets
 
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Author:
Serves: Serves 4-5
Ingredients
  • 1 pound of Chicken
  • ¼ cup of Almond Flour
  • ¼ cup of Arrow Root Flour
  • 2.5 tsp of Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp of Salt
  • 1 tsp of Pepper
  • ½ tsp of Smoked Paprika
  • 1 tsp of Onion Powder
  • 1 TBSP of Coconut Cream
  • 1 Egg
  • Coconut Oil
Instructions
  1. Cut your chicken up into small bite sizes (or if you want to make these into tenders, cut them a bit longer/larger) and set aside on a plate.
  2. Mix all of your dry ingredients into a bowl, blending them together.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix your egg and your coconut cream. (Unlike a lot of recipes, I recommend using warm coconut cream. Straight out of the can in the pantry!) Mix these together so that the cream blends in with the egg and is a eggy-creamy mixture.
  4. Dip the chicken pieces into the egg mixture. Make sure it is covered completely.
  5. Using a fork, move the eggy-chicken into the dry ingredient bowl. Roll it around and cover completely. Once covered, set it aside on a separate plate.
  6. Once your chicken is all covered, drop a spoonful of coconut oil into your skillet on a medium heat. Once hot, place your chicken nuggets into the skillet. Let cook for 2-3 minutes on one side, then flip and do 2-3 minutes (or until cooked) on the other side.
  7. ProTip: Don't over crowd the pan. These nugs will burn fast. I cook mine in 3 groups.
  8. Wanna make them spicy nuggets? Add a dash of cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes and/or chili powder! So good!

These Whole30 Chicken Nuggets are legit. If I had kids that ate food by mouth, this would be a go-to in our house. Hell, it’s a go-to now for the adults. My mom thought I was crazy when I told her I was dying for some outstanding paleo nuggets - she then went back for seconds and thirds! This was an easy meal to make and will be perfect for keeping game night healthy!

Whole30 Paleo Chicken Nugget Dipping Sauce

I paired these Gluten Free Bites of Awesomeness with steamed broccoli in my favorite Circulon Momentum Lock and Strain Steamer (you can find it a Kohls, Amazon and Macy’s - you can cook and drain all in one!!) and my husband’s favorite Whole30 Sweet Potato Fries. I didn’t have any whole30 ketchup available, and I desperately wanted an excuse to eat my Paleo Ranch and Paleo Chipotle Mayo. These all paired perfectly with the paleo chicken nuggets.

2 cats & chloe: Super Bowl Whole30 Food

Looking for other ideas for a Whole30 (or paleo) Super Bowl Sunday? Your friends will never know my wings are healthy. These Whole30 Deviled Eggs taste great and could easily be thrown at your ex-boyfriend’s car (or the television if your team doesn’t win). And who can say no to Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus?!

2 cats & chloe: Whole30 Chicken Nuggets

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Tuna Salad Cucumber Bites // Whole30 + Paleo

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Fun fact - I used to own a restaurant. “Used to” being the key to my life right now. Anyway, it was super quaint, located in a really small town, in an old historic house. The front of the house held our little gift shoppe. We had one dining room upstairs and one down. I always tell folks, to get a good idea of what it was like, imagine Lorelai Gilmore’s Dragonfly Inn mixed with a Cracker Barrel… Although, due to it’s size, it was more like a Cracker Bucket.

2 cats & chloe: The Carriage House Tea Cafe

While we quickly became well known for our chicken salad recipe (which I will have to feature here another day) the close runner up was my tuna salad. Like most of you know, when I cook or create, I don’t necessarily have a plan - I just throw things together and if it works, hooray. If not, eh… there’s always next time. That’s what happened with this Tuna Salad. Surprisingly people (other than just myself) loved having olives in their tuna! #iheartolives.

2 cats & chloe: Whole30 Paleo Tuna Salad

I’ve been eating clean foods for the past 2-ish years. But it wasn’t until a few months ago that I decided to start making my own ranch and mayo. (Apparently I am a crazy person for waiting this long!) So last week when I had a batch of Whole30 Mayo to use, I thought what better an opportunity that this to make the Carriage House Tuna Salad (Whole30 compliant)?!

2 cats & chloe: Whole30 Approved Tuna Salad

And since I do not eat bread, I paired the tuna salad with little cucumber slices. How cute are these? I cut the cucumbers to all different heights and then, to make them even prettier, I went ahead and cut slices into the outside. These would be a perfect appetizer for a party or a high tea, never mind the fact that they are a great no-bread paleo lunch option!

2 cats & chloe: Tuna Salad Bites for Party

Whole30 Paleo Tuna Salad
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 - 2 TBSP Whole30 Approved Mayo
  • 1 can of tuna
  • ¼ cup of sliced olives
  • ½ small chopped onion
  • ¼ cup of sliced carrots
  • ¼ cup of chopped celery optional
  • Salt + Pepper to taste
  • 1 large english cucumber
Instructions
  1. Cut up your olives, onion, carrots and celery.
  2. In a bowl, mix everything together except the cucumber. (Salt + Pepper to taste)
  3. If you are skipping the bread and want to serve on cucumber - cut your cucumber into bite size pieces. I made mine vary in height. Cut out a bit of the core, making it a little tiny "bowl" for the tuna salad. If you want to make them even prettier, cut slits in the cucumber skin.
  4. Put a spoonful of tuna salad on the cucumber slices. Plate and serve.

2 cats & chloe: Tuna Salad with Cucumber // Whole30 Tuna Salad

So what do you think? Are these party worthy? Maybe worthy of joining the Celebrate Southern Soiree Linkup??

Jenn from What You Make It Blog

This week our co-host is Jenn from What You Make It! I am so excited that she is hosting with us, as she is one of my oldest blog-friends. She is a new mommy who writes about her life, her loves, parties, recipes and travels! So now, when you linkup below, you are not only showing up on my blog and J’s blog, but you will also be present on Jenn’s blog! Haven’t you always wanted to be in three places at one time??

Now grab a button and join the linky party about the party! We want to see your recipes, parties, home decor and DIY posts! Feel free to have fun with this and dust off a couple of your old posts to share!

If you would like to have some fun, gain a little more visibility with your blog and be a party hostess in the future, please fill out this form: http://goo.gl/forms/IHXJ7Nxyxq

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The Soiree: Burger Bar Party + Giveaway

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I really wanted to do a post this week about a super fun spring party. I also wanted to take pictures of my food in manual mode (since I’m rocking my photography class with Heather!) I also had to go out of town to meet with a client for a few days. I also have a dog that still cannot be left alone without supervision. (Dear God, please heal my border collie. I cannot keep up with her, but this forced-slow pace is killing us both!) All of that being said - today we are going to talk about burgers. Because what really screams “shindig” better than burgers? (Well, other than booze of course!)

The problem with burgers + shindigs? My family. 2/5 of us eat beef. 1/5 of us will not eat ANY meat. And the remaining 1/5 will only eat meat that comes from animals that walk on two feet or less. Weird right? The solution? A burger bar! Give everyone options! Serve up beef patties, chicken patties and as much as it breaks my heart and all my soy-hating rules, Boca Burgers. Then chase your beef options with tons of toppings! I used this burger bar idea a few years ago as an impromptu birthday party and it was a hit!

Now, to combine all things I love into this one post (party ideas, photography, whole30 food and grilled pineapples) I give you these burger inspiration images for the Soiree Linkup this week! Don’t they just make you drool?!


Junk-Free Burgers!
 
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If you are looking for an easy, go-to burger that is Whole30 compliant and still have flavor - you will love this recipe!
Author:
Recipe type: Whole30, Paleo, Gluten Free, Soy Free, Dairy Free, Junk Free
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 pound of grass-fed ground beef
  • ½ TBSP of minced garlic
  • 1 TBSP of coconut aminos
  • ½ TBSP of onion powder
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Lettuce for the wrap
  • Toppings that you love
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, mix your beef, garlic, coconut aminos, onion powder, salt and pepper. Use your hands and be sure the seasoning is blended well.
  2. Form patties with the meat. One pound should make 3 or 4 patties.
  3. Cook on the grill for 10-ish minutes or until burgers have reached desired level of doneness.
  4. Use the lettuce as a wrap and add any and all toppings that you love. The more the merrier!

2 cats & chloe: Paleo Burger Bar for a Party

Lifehack: When I was complaining once about how tough it is to know how much seasoning is too much seasoning for burgers (since the meat is raw until it comes off the grill!) one of my friends told me that she takes a small spoonful of seasoned burger meat and pops it in the microwave for a minute or two, obviously until its cooked, to sample it! If you think it needs more seasoning or flavor - go for it! (This also works for meatloaf!)

Some of my favorite burger bar toppings include, but are definitely not limited to: fresh grilled pineapple, sugar free bacon, sautéed onions, pickles, guac, tomato, jalapeno peppers, lettuce and mushrooms!

If you want to mix it up a bit, while staying gluten free - consider using a roasted portobello mushroom cap as a “bun!” This is beyond easy and the flavor is excellent! You simply scrape the gills out of the mushroom (they totally freak me out anyway!), cover both sides with your fat or oil of choice (I use coconut oil, olive oil or bacon grease) then season with your favorite herbs. Last week I used Jane’s Krazy Seasoning and it was awesome! Roast the mushroom caps for 10 minutes at 400*F on one side. Flip them over for another 10, and then you’re done! Easy peasy right??

2 cats & chloe: portobello mushroom bun

We paired our burger bar with (Whole30 Compliant) Sweet Potato Fries and grilled zucchini with this steak seasoning on it! Man, it’s so, so, sooooo good y’all!

So tell me, what are your favorite burger toppings? Do you use anything special to replace a traditional bun?

Before you scoot out of here today, don’t forget about the Celebrate Southern Soiree Linkup! It’s a linky party about the party! Share a recipe, DIY, home decor or any entertainment post with us below! If you are interested in being a party hostess and having the linkup on your blog one week, please fill out this form! It’s a first come, first serve thing! So hop to it!

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PS! As a “party favor” this week… don’t forget to enter this Kate Spade giveaway:

Your workspace should always inspire and these dreamy, rose gold supplies and notepad definitely do the trick. Enjoy the stapler and tape dispenser (with fun idioms) to dress up any desk place. And use your cute pad for any kind of note.deskThese ladies joined me to giveaway these great Kate Spade items!Amanda | Suz | Liz | Brooke | Kerri
Kristyn| Kasey | Daisy | Faith | Nina

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Full Disclosure: All content and pictures on this blog belong to Susan Geoghegan and the 2 cats & chloe site, unless otherwise stated. If you pin a picture, please give credit. Some links on this site may contain affiliate links. Clicking on these links helps support this blog. A "c/o" in front of a product represents that that product was either gifted to me in exchange for the post or I was compensated by said company for my time. However, all posts are my own thoughts, opinions and reviews! Thanks for your support!