Clean Eats Archives - Page 3 of 12

When in Switzerland: Eat Swiss Raclette Cheese

Okay so I’m not a complete month behind schedule yet, so it’s all good right? I wish I could say that I’ve just been sitting around, busy eating Swiss chocolate. Instead I’ve been so slammed playing catch-up on life that I have not had five minutes to even reminisce over the pictures from my Swiss trip, never mind editing and posting them! But I’m finally getting there guys!

While Swiss fondu is awesome, in my personal opinion, the country should be know for a very different, cheesy dinner. To ease you into my love of all-things-Swiss, I decided to start with my favorite meal: Swiss Raclette.

2 cats & chloe: Swiss Holiday Vacation Dinner

A couple days into our trip, my mom and I were invite to dinner at my cousin’s house. Chris and his wife Mari, along with their little one, were beyond hospitable. I love how a simple dinner in Europe is always an event. Here in America, I think we often get so wrapped up in our schedules and chores that we miss the “event” that a simple meal can become.

Swiss Raclette Cheese Dinner

Now before you click away from this post, based on the picture above, let me assure you - while it looks like the craziest dish you would ever eat - this meal is ranked in my Top 5. Some of you may be thinking “eh, no biggie…” but as a foodie, to be ranked in the top 5 of my all time favorite dishes - this is HUGE.

So first off, what exactly is Raclette? Swiss Raclette is one of the many amazing cheeses that Switzerland shared with the world. It is a magical cheese that doesn’t taste very good UNTIL it is melted. I’ve been begging my family for this dish for every visit since I was a kid. It’s a cheese that is traditionally eaten during the colder months, however, if given the opportunity, I would eat it every single day. Too bad it’s not so magical that it won’t make you fat…

Now like I said, eating Raclette is more of an event than just a simple dinner. Everyone gets their own little dish for melting cheese. The griddle sits in the middle of the table so everyone can reach it. You put some cheese on your own personal “cheese pan” and then let the magic happen on the griddle.

2 cats & chloe: Swiss Raclette Server

While the Raclette Cheese is busy melting into the full delicious potential it truly has… you are busy prepping your plate with the most random goodies that pair with this meal: New Potatoes, Pineapple, “Eyeball” Pearl Onions, Pickles, Baby Corn and Sun Dried Tomatoes. I’m sure this sounds like a meal only a pregnant woman would love, but I swear to you, it is absolutely amazing.

Oh, and don’t forget about the bacon and sausage that are cooking on the top of the griddle! NOM!

Swiss Raclette griddle

Once your cheese is melted, you simply pour it over all of your “toppings,” sprinkle it with some seasoning, and enjoy! I love using paprika and an orange pepper on my dinner.

Just typing this post makes me want to go eat Raclette! Unfortunately this Swiss cheese can be difficult to find sometime in the US. I’m sure it’s much easier in larger cities… but where I live, when I see it, I buy it all up. Trader Joes sells Raclette during the winter months. And I’ve found that Sam’s Club has been having it in stock more and more frequently.

If you are interested in giving this a Swiss dinner a shot, it is not necessary, but it’s best to have a Raclette Griddle. Target actually sells three different Raclette Griddles that are all decently priced: The classic Swissmar Griddle (I have this one), A Raclette Griddle with a Granite Top (perfect for meats and veggies on top!) and then a Hamilton Beach option that is half the price but only feeds only 6.

I would LOVE to trade mine in for the griddle with the granite top… If only I could justify it!

Don’t have the griddle but want to give this cheese a shot? Put everything on a plate, lay your slices of Raclette on top, pop that plate in the microwave and let the magic happen in a mere minute! (But I promise you, once you try it, you will be dreaming of adding this guy to your kitchen.)

Oh, one more fun fact that I learned about Raclette on my vacation: It is a naturally lactose free cheese! Um HELLO… is this not the perfect cheese?! So basically, this dish is paleo. You’ve got lactose free cheese, potatoes, pineapple, veggies and meat. This meal plus a couple glasses of red wine is basically my happy place.

Have you ever had Raclette Cheese before? What other crazy food combinations have surprised you?

Paleo Banana Pancakes

by Susan

I have a very recent obsession with bananas… You see, for many years I struggled with EXTREME vertigo issues. Like, sometimes it was so bad that I would feel like someone pushed me across the room. When I’d hit the floor it felt like I was fighting gravity (does anyone remember that band?!) to get up. One of the homeopathic remedies that I tried was bananas. Lots and lots of bananas. I hated them before I started eating them. I continued to passionately despise them during and after my daily forced banana or two. My college roommate took great care of me though, making sure that we were always stocked with bananas in our Belgian flat.

Fast forward to a couple of years ago and all of a sudden I could handle the taste of a bananas again!

Fast forward to this last month, and I’ve been LOVING bananas. Frozen and turned into “ice cream.” As a snack with some almond butter. Frozen as my famous paleo sweet treats. And as of this past Sunday morning, turned into paleo pancakes!

These babies are gluten free, nut free, soy free, (processed) sugar free and even dairy free! Despite all of that, I need to disclose that they NOT Whole30 compliant. The Whole30 world considers these #SWYPO because it’s still feeding the emotion attached to pancakes. (And FYI, I’m not currently doing a Whole30.)

2 cats & chloe: Paleo, Grain Free, Banana Pancakes

Paleo Banana Pancake

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

Author: Susan {2 cats & chloe.}

Recipe type: Paleo, Grain-Free, Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Dairy Free

Serves: 15-ish small pancakes

Ingredients

3 Eggs
2 (Ripe) Bananas
½ tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
¼ tsp Cinnamon
⅛ tsp Nutmeg
2 TBSP of Coconut Milk
Whipped Heavy Coconut Cream (OPTIONAL)
100% Pure Maple Syrup (OPTIONAL)

Instructions

Peel the bananas and place them in a bowl.
Mush up the bananas with a spoon or fork.
In a separate bowl: Crack the eggs and mix with the other ingredients.
Now add the egg blend to your bananas and stir them all together.
Heat up your skillet to a Medium heat, and put a spoonful of coconut oil on it to prevent sticking.
Pour about 2 tablespoons of batter on the skillet for each pancake. Keep these small. I had a really hard time with larger banana pancakes. Allow each pancake to cook for about a minute or until you see bubbling - then flip and cook for another minute.
Optional: Top with Whipped Heavy Coconut Cream and drizzle with 100% Pure Maple Syrup.
Stack 'em up on your plate and enjoy!

Like I stated in the recipe above, these Paleo Banana Pancakes don’t need much BUT… if you wanted to add something to them like I did, go with the heavy whipped coconut cream and lightly drizzle them with 100% pure maple syrup. (Stay away from that Aunt Jemima crap, please!) However, give these paleo pancakes without syrup first: I will say that I was delightfully surprised at how the bananas really brought their A-game and helped sweeten this breakfast all by their lonesomes.

2 cats & chloe: Gluten free, paleo, dairy free pancakes

This paleo breakfast is:

Gluten Free // Dairy Free // Processed Sugar Free // Soy Free

So what do you think? Will you give them a try? Pair them with fruit and bacon, then surprise your sweetie with brekkie in bed… I’d say you would probably win brownie points!

Don’t forget! You have one last night to get yourself entered to win a Blog Branding Consult with me! Get on that…

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CELEBRATE SOUTHERN: Whole 30 + Paleo Sweet Potato Fries

by Susan

Oh em gee y’all. OMG. I am back from europe and boy to I have tales to tell. HOWEVER - I’m exhausted, so these tales will come another day. Jetlag is wonderful and the first day back to work + having my rib and back re-aligned got the best of me today.

So how about a Whole30 + Paleo Recipe post for this lovely Monday evening?

This is by far one of my all-time favorite Whole30 complaint recipes! It’s one that my husband and I could probably eat every.single.day. It’s the quickest way (outside of the gross microwave method) to cook and enjoy sweet potatoes! Y’all, it’s SWEET POTATO FRIES!

Quick story: On the first group Whole30 that I lead, several people reached out to me saying how much they hated sweet potatoes. They were all so upset that I had sweet potatoes on the menu so many times (because at the time, white potatoes were not compliant.) I told them to please, just please try my sweet potato fry recipe before they completely write-off this weird, orange potato. The next day, each of them emailed or texted me, saying how SHOCKED they were that they actually LOVED these sweet potato fries! #itoldyouso.

Whole 30 + Paleo Sweet Potato Fries

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

25 mins

Author: Susan {2 cats & chloe.}

Recipe type: Whole 30 compliant, Paleo, Gluten Free, Sugar Free

Ingredients

Sweet Potatoes
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Basil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400*F
Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper (for easy clean up)
Cut your sweet potatoes into "fry shapes" and lay them on your baking sheet. (Be sure to use a good knife because sweet potatoes can be tough!)
Drizzle your sweet potato fries with olive oil, then move them all around (I use my hands) to make sure they all have a bit of olive oil on them. You want them to all be covered but not soaked by any means.
Sprinkle the fries with generous amounts of salt and basil.
Bake for 10 minutes. Take them out and shuffle and flip them.
Return to oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
HINT: If you want to crisp them up a bit, flip the oven to broil for the last 1-2 minutes. I personally do not do this because we like them not-super-crispy.
Enjoy!

2 cats & chloe: Whole30 Approved Fries // Baked Fries

So there ya have it guys. A staple to our family menu, but also a staple to the Whole30. Please remember, these “fries” are Whole30 compliant because they are baked at home and you are not frying them in a “mystery oil.”

Now be honest: What do you think of sweet potatoes? Are they a staple in your Whole30 diet?

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Celebrate Southern: Whole60 Results

by Susan

Okay so I am well aware that this post has nothing to do with anything southern and it may or may not fit the extremely loose guidelines we have in place for this linkup - HOWEVER!!! It’s day 61 of my Whole 60! I did it guys! I DID IT! And I have to share my Whole60 results with you. (I’m so excited I am throwing off my entire blog schedule just to get this post live. It is what it is!)

My mind // Is extremely clear. While I have TONS of things to do (with vacation this week) my mind is feeling pretty sharp these days. I will say, just like I said on almost all of the other quarterly check-ins (Day 15, Day 30, Day 45) I’ve found that my entire body, but especially my mind, is at it’s best when I’ve had A LOT of water. I’m not quite as bad as my mom about drinking water, but I struggle to drink 2+ liters of water a day. I’ve learned that I feel best with 3 liters daily.

My skin // Considering “Aunt Flo” is coming to town this week, my skin is extremely clear. There is not one single zit or blemish on my face!

My weight // I weighed in today! I didn’t lose as much as I was hoping but I did lose a decent amount! The first 30 I lost 8 pounds. For the second half of this adventure I lost 6 more. So my total weight loss in 60 days was 14 pounds. Not bad for two months. (I was secretly hoping for 20.)

My sleep // I’ve found that I can work on less sleep. I can stay up a bit later with my husband and get up early with the pup. Maybe because the sleep I’m getting is better quality??

My cravings // I think I am going to have to do a post on “cravings and struggles” one day. I can honestly tell you I am not craving anything “bad” like I have with past whole30s. I find it amazing. Yesterday (Day 60) I went to a birthday party… they were oh so thoughtful and even bought me gluten-free brownies to enjoy while everyone else was chowing down on cake. I felt horrible saying “No Thanks” to them - but it was day 60. I wasn’t done. And I really didn’t want them.

So cravings? None. Will I partake in anything today that is not-whole30? Wine. I do worry that I haven’t done this long enough because I’m still mentally pulled towards red wine. I realize that no, I’m not craving it at all. I just want it.

My struggles // ~~Still exercising.~~ My husband has created a workout schedule for us. While it gets overwhelming (and my anxiety flairs up quite a bit more learning new gym things) I’m enjoying this Suz+Mike time, despite the fact that my legs are always hurting or feeling like spaghetti.

My loves // This is going to sound so vain, but I love my results. Yes, I could’ve done better (by adding exercise earlier on) but my body is changing for the best. Yesterday, my grandmother (who doesn’t follow this blog or know anything about my Whole60) pulled me aside and said “Suzy, have you lost weight?”

What I’ve learned // I’ve learned that there are certain things (like wine) that I just “want.” I’m not craving it, I don’t NEED it. I just want it. While I was really hoping this would break during the 60 days, I now realize how emotionally attached I am to some foods and drinks. I’ve learned that it’s okay to be the only one at the party without cake. It’s okay to sip sparkling water at the bar. I’ve learned that my body and my health is more important than a snickers bar. I hope this helps me in the future when I think “eh, just one more bite of _____.”

Even when it comes to clean eating, I’ve learned to stop and ask myself “Why do you want this ____?” (Insert almond butter into that blank most of the time!) It sounds silly, but if I have to ponder it, then that’s what I need to do. Am I hungry? Am I bored? Am I feeling sad? Will this bite help me reach my goals?

No Scale Victories:

Results in Numbers:

Overall Weight // -14 pounds

Waist // -3.25 inches

Belly // -2.25 inches

Butt // -1.75 inches

Left Leg // -1.75 inches Right Leg // -1 inch (but now they are the same!)

Boobs // -1.75 inches

So would I do another whole30? Yes. Would I do another whole60? Probably. This whole60 was a good thing for me. With numerous Whole30’s under my belt, I think I learned more with the Whole60 than I have with the Whole30. I learned that I can do it. I learned that it’s about life in the long term mindset, not just 30 days. I’ve learned that some friends will think you’re crazy - but a few will fully support and encourage you.

Wanna learn more? Surf around my blog a bit for clean recipes and tips… but head on over to Whole30.com and check out the ins and outs of this program. It’s strict. It’s built on tough love. It’s not necessarily easy. But if you are honest with yourself and if you follow every single rule, it will change your life.

Now give me a glass of wine and a banana pancake.

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Whole30 Results: Day 45 Check-in

by Susan

Hooray for Day 45! For the record, today is actually Day 48, but since I’ve been doing a check-in with each quarter of this journey… I figure I better stick with the trend. You can see Day 15 here and Day 30 here!

Here are my notes and “after” pics from Day 45 of my Whole60: (Please excuse my extremely dirty mirror… I can’t believe I didn’t go back and clean it after this picture!!)

My mind // I think I just have too much on my plate right now because my thoughts are becoming a bit jumbled again. I REALLY notice this happens on days when I don’t drink enough water (which, if I’m being honest, is most days.) I took the weekend “off” from all things work and blog related, and my mind was so clear. So I blame work and water for my “jumbled-ness” but I’m mentally so much stronger than I was when I was eating gluten and sugar.

My skin // Again, I’m noticing on days when I don’t drink enough water, a tiny zit may appear. My body has done a lot of adapting to the food I’m eating… I think need to be more alert when it comes to my water intake too.

My weight // Per the rules, you can only weigh yourself at the beginning and the end of a Whole30. I weighed myself on Day 30 (since it was the end of a Whole30) and I had lost 8 pounds. I don’t feel like I’ve lost anymore - but then I can look in the mirror and see my face is quite a bit thinner.

My sleep // Not a problem at all.

My cravings // I am so glad I forced myself BEYOND a Whole30 and committed to 60 days. I feel like I have had more time to think about what’s going on and realize the emotional attachment and “reward” that I attached to so many of the foods I used to eat. On bad days I think “I need a glass of wine” and then I ponder, Why? Is that glass of wine REALLY going to make anything better? Or in the evenings, I really just want to snack on SOMETHING… so I ask myself “Am I really hungry or do I just want to munch on something?” Most of the time its the latter. All that being said, I still want a glass of red wine.

My struggles // Still exercising. I need to get to that. Ugh.

My loves // Everything. There’s not one thing that I’m eating that I’m not loving. I’m even tempted to make it a year of no added/processed sugar… but that would just be crazy.

What I’ve learned // I know that I have been cooking and sharing recipes A LOT, but I’ve learned that I really like playing with food and being creative in the kitchen. While I’ve always loved making events beautiful and home projects stunning - I’m really having fun with making meals work with zero processed foods, no dairy, no sugar and no gluten.

Have you done a Whole30? What changes did you experience? Are you thinking about doing a Whole30? I’m 12 days away from a Whole60 so let me know if you have any questions!

When in Switzerland: Eat Swiss Raclette Cheese

Paleo Banana Pancakes

CELEBRATE SOUTHERN: Whole 30 + Paleo Sweet Potato Fries

Celebrate Southern: Whole60 Results

Whole30 Results: Day 45 Check-in

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