Gluten Free Archives - 2 Cats and Chloe

Paleo, Whole30 Lemon Chicken Dinner

This dinner is absolutely drool worthy and will become a regular on our meal rotations! It started on a whim, through a text message with my dear friend Cait. She is also living in a moment of transition… bunking up with her future in-laws after their move from Florida to North Carolina. Knowing that I can easily relate to conversations with older people, she texted me a debate over frozen chicken verse fresh chicken. Sounds like she is having the same daily chats with her “roommates” that I am having with my 91 year old “roommate!” In the end I asked what chicken recipe she was using and she sent me this Lemon Chicken pin. And of course, since it looked amazing, I used it as inspiration and had to figure out a way to make it paleo, whole30 compliant and gluten free.

With a few easy tweaks, changes and add-ons, I adapted JoCooks’ Lemon Chicken Piccata dinner to be something that my family would love and could eat without intestinal discomfort!

Please note that the original recipe and idea was not my own… but for those of us who have really strict diets - it needed a few tiny tweaks.

Paleo, Whole30 Lemon Chicken Dinner

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

Author: Susan {2 cats & chloe.}

Recipe type: Paleo, Whole30, Gluten Free

Serves: Approx 4-5 Servings

Ingredients

3 Chicken Breasts (cut in half length wise to make them a bit thinner). I used approximately 2.5 pounds of chicken for this recipes.
3 TBSP of Olive Oil
4 TBSP of Real, Grass-fed Butter (or Ghee to make it Whole30 Compliant)
¼ Cup of ArrowRoot Powder (YES! This is Whole30 Compliant and a great option for thickening)
Salt + Pepper to taste
¼ Cup of Fresh Chopped Parsley
⅓ Cup of Fresh Lemon Juice
¾ Cup of Chicken Broth
¼ Cup of Capers
1 TBSP of Minced Shallots
1 TBSP of Minced Garlic

Instructions

Slice the Chicken Breasts length wise, and butterfly if needed. The thinner they are the better for cooking.
Season both sides of Chicken in Salt and Pepper (to your taste) and then cover both sides in Arrowroot Powder.
Add Ghee (or Butter) and Olive Oil to a large skillet over Medium-High heat.
Add Chicken to Skillet when hot. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until chicken is cooked through.
Remove the Chicken and place on a separate plate when it is cooked. Now we will work on the "gravy!"
Remove the skillet from the hot burner. Add your lemon juice, chicken broth, capers, mince shallots and minced garlic. Stir together and with the sauce that was already in the skillet. Return skillet to heat and bring to a light boil. Taste the sauce and add salt or pepper if needed. You can also add a tablespoon of Arrowroot Powder if you want the sauce a bit thicker. (Again, this is still whole30 compliant!)
Add your Chicken back into the skillet, lower heat to Medium-Low, cover and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve in the skillet or on a platter. Garnish with the fresh chopped parsley and lemon slices.
ENJOY!

2 cats & chloe: Paleo Lemon Chicken Piccata

As you have probably noticed, my Whole30, Paleo and Gluten-Free recipes have really been lacking on the blog lately. That is because this whole pregnancy thing has been ROUGH. At 20 Weeks and some change right now, I am finally starting to feel more like myself. I am actually able to eat a few veggies again! Hooray! I have been living on baked potatoes and fries. (I won’t be surprised if #BabyMagotes comes out looking like a potato!!) I sincerely hope to continue playing in the kitchen and creating healthy dinners again while I have the free time!

That being said, when you check out my lemon chicken dinner plate below - don’t be shocked to see real rice rather than Cauli-Rice. My wild rice IS NOT Whole30 compliant. (There is a debate as to whether or not rice is or is not paleo… but we are not here to debate that today! Baby just needs his/her rice and potatoes these days or Mommy will puke!)

I paired this paleo, whole30 compliant Lemon Chicken Dinner with steamed broccoli and wild rice. I also pour the gravy/sauce all over everything! And it was freaking amazing.

What Nana Said: Suzie! This meal tastes like it could be found in a French bistro! It is the best dinner I have had in a very long time! You could make this dinner if you ever had your boss over for dinner!

What Michael Said: It’s good, but very lemony. I would definitely eat it again though!

Well yes Michael, it is called Lemon Chicken after all…

So there ya have it! An easy, drool-worthy and delicious Paleo, Whole30 Lemon Chicken dinner! Thank you Cait and Jo for this dinner inspiration! It really isn’t that difficult to turn most meals into healthy, clean dinners. You just have to put your thinking cap on and be creative! Substitutions like Arrowroot Powder and Ghee are easy swaps that you will barely notice! So go for it! Have fun in the kitchen! Compliant, gluten-free dinners are just a few easy substitutions away!

Second Trimester: I’m ready to #FeelGooder

by Susan

This post was sponsored by ZonePerfect - but the thoughts, pictures and love for chocolate treats are all my own!

Y’all, pregnancy is tough. I always thought that I wanted two or three kids, but the thought of having to do this all over again makes me physically ill. And I can say that because I am pretty much nauseous all the time. I was told “Oh, at 12 weeks you will feel better!” Then it was “14 weeks is the magic week - you will definitely feel better this week!”

Hellooooo week 15. Shouldn’t this morning sickness, which I am beginning to know as “mourning sickness” - shouldn’t it be letting off soon?! Yes, I guess, technically, it has gotten a bit better. I have gone from force feeding myself every hour and a half, to now, a full three hours! It may not sound like much to you but THAT’S A REALLY BIG DEAL! (If I go one minute past three hours though - look out world.)

So with such a strict, must-eat-or-else deadline, I have had to seek out something quick, easy, healthy and delicious to carry with me at all times. Please allow me to introduce the ZonePerfect Perfectly Simple nutrition bars. Before I proceed, let me stress that these are not paleo and they are not Whole30 compliant. But they are delicious! (Unfortunately paleo foods, while I am 100% craving and wanting them, baby is not. So I have had to seek alternative, healthy options like these bars!)

Not only are they gluten free, but these healthy treats are loaded with protein and are only 200 calories. While they have a handful of flavors, the two I am most obsessed with are the Almond Toffee Crunch and the Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk. (The other two flavors you can try are Bing Cherry & Almond and Roasted Cashew & Dark Chocolate.)

As I was snapping these pictures, my mom came in and wanted to try both flavors. She tried one bite of the Almond Toffee Crunch and quickly proclaimed “THESE ARE GLUTEN FREE?? These are soooo good!”

Wanna try these for yourself? ZonePerfect is offering my 2 cats & chloe readers a coupon so that they can try these delicious treats and and #FeelGooder too!

Which flavor Perfectly Simple bar do you want to try? What can you recommend to me to me to help with the “mourning sickness?”

Many thanks to ZonePerfect for sponsoring today’s post and inspiring me to try Perfectly Simple nutrition bars!

Hello Fall: Fire Pit, Cider and Award Winning Chicken Chili

by Susan

Today’s post is sponsored by Stanley Brand, but my love for fall, chili, cider and festive celebration essentials is all my own!

You know what I love about this time of year… other than pumpkin spice everything?! I love the cooling temps, festive fire pits, cozy blankets, chili in the crock, hot cider (spiked, unless your pregnant!) and quality time with friends and family… outdoors!

I was thrilled when Stanley wanted to collaborate with 2 cats & chloe again! As a camper and someone who loves food and entertaining - I was excited to have an excuse to light up the fire pit, make my award winning chili and sip some fall spiced cider with my family. Tis the season, right?!

In the end, since everyone’s schedules seem to be so crazy these days, it was only my momma and I enjoying this hangout sesh. We went on what felt like a snipe hunt through the yard, looking for dry branches. (Post-hurricane, fire pits: while sticks are easy to find, wet ones aren’t easy to light!) But two girl scouts are never going to settle for a lame fire! By the end of our meal, as our tumblers were out of cider… the fire began to roar. And it was just plain lovely.

For those of you who are still hoping to see a baby bump… you will have to hold out just a bit longer. I feel like I am just getting wider and wigglier. Not pregnancy-cuter by any means! (PS. Is pregnancy updates something you would want to see around here? I do not intend on going legit mommy-blogger on ya, but I also want to stay true to the lifestyle thing and actually document my life…)

Anyway, it was a great evening spent with my mom and my pets. We turned off our phones, enjoyed a meal, sipped some cider and just watched the fire. Guys, does it get any better than this for a Monday night?!

Now before you freak out and say “She has an award winning chili and she hasn’t share it with us?!” let me preface this with - it’s not paleo and it’s definitely not Whole30 compliant. That being said, proceed with caution. This Chicken Chili will easily become your new favorite thing! (Fine print: I have won three chili cook off awards with this recipe so if you’re going to enter it into a chili cook off - and I run into you there - you better pack up your crock and let me take home the gold. Does that sound fair?!)

White Bean Chicken Chili

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

8 hours

Total time

8 hours 10 mins

Author: Susan {2 cats & chloe.}

Recipe type: Gluten Free, Slow Cooker, Fall/Winter Dinner

Serves: 1 huge pot of chili!

Ingredients

1 Rotisserie Chicken
12 Ounces of Pepper Jack Cheese (cut into cubes)
32 Ounces of Chicken Broth
1 Jar of Mild or Medium Salsa
45 Ounces of Northern White Beans (drained)
1 Dash of Cumin

Instructions

Pull all of the chicken meat off of the already cooked, rotisserie chicken. Cut or tear the chicken into smaller, bite size pieces.
Put all of the ingredients in a slow cooker set to low for 8 hours.
Enjoy!

I personally like mine extra cheesy so I add more cheese and sometimes less broth. If you like it soupier, add more broth (because after marrying all day… it tastes legit!)

A little shout out to the AWESOME Stanley Gear that helped make this evening even more memorable… I speak from experience when I say that Stanley products are built for life. Whether it’s surviving another outdoor adventure or serving as a reliable must-have for tailgating season – Stanley provides top quality outdoor gear. AND you can pop these suckers all in the dishwasher too! #DontMindIfIDo!

Stanley sent me the Adventure Vacuum Crock, the Classic Vacuum Growler, and the Adventure Stacking Steel Tumblers. After playing with and using all of these products, I have to say that while the Crock is off the hook amazing and perfect for tailgating, I am obsessed with the Vacuum Growler and the Tumblers. Our cider stayed hot for hours and the tumblers, with their colorful koozies were the perfect touch!

So there ya have it guys and gals! How did you spend your Monday evening? I highly recommend you pencil this in for next Monday… If you ask me, Award Winning Chicken Chili, Cider, Stanley, a Firepit and family may just be the perfect way to start a week.

Gluten Free, Southern and Delicious: Tupelo Honey Cafe in Virginia Beach

by Susan

While most of you are assuming that I am completely missing in action (because, let’s be real - I am. I’m living in what I call “The Batcave” with little to no sunlight in my grandmother’s attic) I have been trying to force myself out of this funk and back into real life, blog life and work life. Or as close real as my current situation can be.

Y’all know I don’t do change. It mentally drains me and the stress usually causes health flair ups. Last week, unexpectedly, my husband had to leave town with just a few hours notice. So in the midst of packing, moving, unpacking and trying to feel settled - when Michael pulled out of my grandmother’s driveway for a couple of months, I felt completely lost all over again. I just couldn’t sit down and write because all I wanted to do was sleep.

And then the opportunity for a Girls’ Night happened. It was honestly perfect timing. I did my best to get over my social anxieties and went out with Heather and two of her girlfriends to the private, soft opening of Tupelo Honey Cafe in Virginia Beach, VA. Timing could not have been any better. I needed to get out of the house. I needed to be around people. I needed good ole, southern style, comfort food. And that’s exactly what Tupelo Honey had to offer!

Since we were there to check out the place and sample some entrees, we were given smaller menus and instructions to pick different dinners for each person at the table. Easier said than done when you’re dining with a gluten intolerant guest. I had noticed on the large menu posted outside of the restaurant that Tupelo Honey Cafe offered quite a few “GF” options, all marked on the main menu. When our abbreviated menu didn’t have any Gluten Free Options, the waiter and manager went above and beyond to make sure I had tons of amazing options.

Because of my gluten intolerance, the manager said we could order off of all four abbreviated menus for that night. He then proceeded to explain how Tupelo Honey Cafe handles food allergies. When you tell your waiter that you have an allergy, it’s their policy to report it to a manager and the kitchen. My dinner, while normally grilled, was pan seared to ensure there was zero cross contamination. I was also THRILLED to hear that they have gluten free bread available. For no extra cost, they gave us gluten free bread with our pimento cheese spread for our apps. It really meant a lot to me to know that the staff at Tupelo Honey was well educated and took my food allergies very seriously.

I was told that Tupelo “invented” pimento as an appetizer… While my southern grandmothers would probably disagree, I have to say that this was one of the most delicious versions of pimento cheese I have ever had. (Paired with my GF toast, for the win.)

For my entree I picked their pork chop with a fig glaze, over sweet potato mash with a side of asparagus… and let me just say it was absolutely delicious. The pork chop was cooked perfectly!

I then stole a couple bites of Heather’s dinner, my second choice, sea scallops with risotto. While I highly recommend either of these entrees, I think the scallops were my favorite.

No dinner is complete without dessert, and we got two to share. I did learn that while they have a ton of gluten free options on the menu, they do not have any gluten free desserts. That being said, the gals at the table were so enamored with the southern style banana pudding, I just had to taste the tiniest little spoonful of it. It was totally worth the intestinal discomfort! This has to be some of the best banana pudding I’ve ever had in my life. 2 cats & chloe: Southern Style Dining // Virginia Beach, VA // Tupelo Honey

I had such a great time and enjoyed this dinner so much that I didn’t even realize the time. We shut Tupelo Honey Cafe down! The place was completely empty as we rolled out of there with happy hearts and full bellies.

Tupelo Honey Cafe in Virginia Beach officially opened their doors yesterday, July 13. My sister, who works across the street from them said that it has been packed. We are actually going back tomorrow, for my sister’s 27th birthday (when did that happen?!) with reservations for lunch.

Good food just makes me happy. Tupelo Honey Cafe and a girls night out was exactly what I needed last week. Their food was amazing, the drinks were wonderful (definitely try the lavender lemonade drink!) and the atmosphere was full of southern flair. Go check them out and let me know what you think!

Please note: Tupelo Honey Cafe did give me a complimentary dinner but these opinions were all my own. You will love this place. And if you need a dinner friend, let me know. I will be more than happy to join you!

Tuna Salad Cucumber Bites // Whole30 + Paleo

by Susan

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.

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.

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)?!

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!

Whole30 Paleo Tuna Salad

Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

Author: Suz from www.2catsandchloe.com

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

Cut up your olives, onion, carrots and celery.
In a bowl, mix everything together except the cucumber. (Salt + Pepper to taste)
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.
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??

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!

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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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Paleo, Whole30 Lemon Chicken Dinner

Second Trimester: I’m ready to #FeelGooder

This post was sponsored by ZonePerfect - but the thoughts, pictures and love for chocolate treats are all my own!

Hello Fall: Fire Pit, Cider and Award Winning Chicken Chili

Today’s post is sponsored by Stanley Brand, but my love for fall, chili, cider and festive celebration essentials is all my own!

Gluten Free, Southern and Delicious: Tupelo Honey Cafe in Virginia Beach

Tuna Salad Cucumber Bites // Whole30 + Paleo

Connect

inst-happening!

This post was sponsored by ZonePerfect - but the thoughts, pictures and love for chocolate treats are all my own!

*Today’s post is sponsored by Stanley Brand, but my love for fall, chili, cider and festive celebration essentials is all my own!*

Connect

inst-happening!

Today’s post is sponsored by Stanley Brand, but my love for fall, chili, cider and festive celebration essentials is all my own!