Clean Eating Recipe: American Style Pancakes

Pancakes have to be one of my favourite breakfast foods ever. I used to love going to Frankie and Bennies (or anywhere) that served pancakes for a bit of a treat. I didn't do it often, but when I did, man it was good! So when I began eating clean I definitely prepared myself for not having pancakes for breakfast for a good long while. But that was before I opened my Clean and Lean Cookbook and saw this wonderful recipe.

I've tried to find healthy American style pancake recipes before, and they are out there but they often include buying expensive ingredients or ingredients that aren't readily available in my nearest supermarket (namely buckwheat flour). Thankfully, these pancakes are made out of three (yes, three!) cheap and simple ingredients that you could find almost anywhere!

Clean and Lean Pancakes (serves 2):

♥ 100g porridge oats

♥ 200g cottage cheese (!)

♥ 4 eggs

♥ a teaspoon of cinnamon

♥ fruit toppings of your choice (I usually go for strawberries, blueberries and a bit of maple syrup)

Method:

♥  Blend the oats, cottage cheese, eggs, cinnamon and you're ready to go.

Calorie Count (approx):

♥  Total - 774

♥  Per Serving - 387

♥ Per Pancake - 129

♥ + whatever fruit and syrup you use

And it's that simple.

Absolutely delicious! 

Also, it's worth noting that I absolutely hate cottage cheese with a fiery passion so I was dubious the first time I gave these a go but I can confirm that they really don't taste like cottage cheese. I mean I can't guarantee that if you didn't have the toppings there wouldn't be a slight taste there but with the fruit and syrup you really have no idea you're eating anything other than fluffy American pancakes. 

I also think these would be pretty easy to adapt, perhaps putting some vanilla essence in rather than cinnamon, just egg whites if you wanted to lower the calorie intake, or even some protein with the oats. I'm not someone who has ever taken a protein supplement before so I don't know how that would work exactly but I'm sure there'd be a way!

My Month as told by Instagram - June 2014

1. Buddy eyeing me up!

2. My work girls :)

3. I kid you not, I actually did wake up like this! (well my hair at least...)

4. Avocado and eggy on toast

5. Homemade DIY project of turning old jars into vases

6. A spontaneous Crabtree and Evelyn gift from my Mum

7. My Mum and sister at lunch on a rare glorious day!

8. Nirvana forever!

9. Cat selfie

You can follow me at charleyeliza :)

Clean Eating Recipe: Cauliflower Pizza Crust

The idea of cauliflower substitute for carbs is one that's been around for a while. As a self-confessed carb-aholic it's always been hard for me to get my head around why on earth anyone would bother.  However, conveniently I'm also self-confessed cauli-aholic, so now I'm on the clean eating wagon cauli pizza (and cauli rice) was something I had to get on board with and try.

For the crust, I used this recipe and didn't change anything at all. It was my first attempt and I definitely wasn't confident enough to mess with it. I think it turned out ok, a bit burnt around the edges, which I think was down to my rubbish rolling pin action. The recipe was good, easy to follow and tasted gooooood. Although, I think the next time I make this, I'll tone down the amount of herbs used in the base. I like herbs but in this case, they were just a little bit over powering for me.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust - The Breakdown:

♥  Level of ease: 7/10. It's not particularly hard but it is fiddly and frustrating so you need to have your patience hat on when making this! It is possible to make the crust without a food processor (I used a blender), but I believe it would be much easier and quicker with a processor. Also, when the recipe says squeeze the water out, it really means squeeze the water out. This bit was the most annoying and took the longest but is completely essential so don't skimp on it. 

♥  Time: 6/10. It probably took me about 1 hour from start to finish (that's prep, making it and cleaning up afterwards), not too bad and most likely something that could be sped up once you get used to making it.

♥  Taste: 8/10. When it comes to this point it is essential you keep an open mind. No it's not going to taste like your favourite take away pizza and sadly, the cauliflower doesn't magically take on dough like properties whilst in the oven. But what it does do is act as a marvellous conduit for pizza toppings with significantly less calories and without making you feel naughty, fat and bloated. Plus it doesn't taste like cauliflower which is a bonus for all those out there who aren't keen on the veggie. Obviously you can top with whatever you like, and next time I think we'll go for something chicken based but this time, since I was already convincing Nick to go crazy and accept cauliflower as a credible pizza base I didn't want to stray too far away from the topping comfort zone. I went for basically what we would order from a take away - pepperoni, jalapeños, onions and mushrooms (I also put some goats cheese on there as it's meant to be one of the best cheeses for you).

♥  Chances of making again: 10/10. Definitely will be making this again, but for me it's a weekend meal, I wouldn't be doing this after work!

♥  Chances of serving to people who aren't clean eaters: 7/10. Although I think most people would like this after they got over the idea of cauliflower as a pizza base, I don't know if I could be bothered convincing them!

Before the toppings went into the oven:

After:

My month as told my Instagram - May 2015

1. A super cute vintage sweetie van in Durham. They were selling the sweets out of a VW Camper.

2. A BBQ for my birthday turned into making my kitchen a night club... love those girls!

3. Vanessa and I on her hen do, she is getting married to Nick's brother in three weeks!

4. Cocktails on my birthday! That was a delicious mango daiquiri.

5. The garden decorated for the brithday BBQ.

6. New shoes!

7. Passport pictures.

8. An amazing candle I bought at a craft fair in Lytham. It's called Coastal Breeze and has glitter and shells in the wax. Actual shells!

9. My only TBT, the night Nick and I moved into our house and he tried to give me a kiss... perfectly captured on camera haha.

You can follow me at charleyeliza :)

Clean and Lean Diet - Week Two

Now I'm two weeks into eating clean and so far so good! It's actually become a lot easier this week and I've noticed that I'm not getting as hungry, I'm waking up earlier and I have more energy throughout the day. All of which get a big thumbs up from me! 

I also feel like I'm starting to look like I'm losing weight which is great. It's not necessarily enough for anyone but me to notice but it's a start! I weighed myself on Saturday morning and I've lost about 7lbs since I started this, which I'm actually really impressed with. When I've lost weight before it's been through serious calorie control which is difficult to stick to and often leads to eating foods that aren't good for you and don't keep you full but because they're 'low calorie' or 'low fat' they allow you to stick within you calorie allowance. I am so happy that this isn't the case with Clean and Lean as it doesn't make you feel restricted. You can have anything, you just need to plan ahead. Also, there's basically a clean version of any recipe somewhere online so nothing is out of the question which is so good, I'm a sucker for wanting what I can't have to restrictive diets like that aren't good for me. When I have calorie counted previously I've done ok, but I've never had as much success as 7lbs in two weeks. I expect that in the next week or so it'll become harder to move the weight but for the first two weeks looking at the numbers on the scales is enough to keep me going!

I'm a bit apprehensive about next week though... I have three nights out planned and I'm not sure how the clean eating will stand up. On Tuesday I'm going out for dinner with the girls I play netball with. We're going to an all you can eat world cuisine buffet (not my cup of tea - I suggested Pizza Express but got denied!) Obviously there will be options for me, like salad and veggies, which is more than fine but I'm loathe to pay the full price and then just sit nibbling lettuce all night. Anyway, I'm hoping there'll be some good choices and that I don't lose my willpower in the face of all you can eat Mac n Cheese.

Then on Friday I've got a family 'do' at my parents and on Sunday it's Fathers Day here in the UK so we're having a BBQ. The BBQ I'm not too worried about as it's at our house so I'm going to whip up some clean food. I'm thinking veggie skewers, homemade turkey burgers and maybe some chilli prawn skewers too. I'm also hoping to make these brownies if I can get to a health food store to get the ingredients prior to then! But the alcohol will be flowing and I'm a sucker for a glass of red wine....

I'll let you know how it goes at the end of week three!

Until next time :)

Healthy Aldi Shop

One of the reasons I've always been unwilling to commit to clean eating before is due to my perception of the amount of money it's going to cost. But that was before I discovered Aldi. 

When Nick and I moved in together back in January the purse strings were tight after we'd spent money on things like bookcases and blenders. We were skint and had heard Aldi was amazing pricewise. Needless to say we were apprehensive. Don't get me wrong I love a good deal and I'm always in value shops like B&M and Poundstretcher scouting out the cheapest branded items they have in stock. But with Aldi I was very dubious - a value shop that sold it's own brand and fresh produce. I was imagining Iceland or Netto but with half rotten vegetables. Oh how wrong I was! I don't normally like to be proved wrong but I'm happy to say Aldi won be over almost immediately!

For those who are thinking about clean eating but are worried about the cost I thought I'd give a few pointers as to what to expect from Aldi if you've never been before, as well as my 'typical' healthy food shop (complete with total amount spent!)

My Aldi 101:

♥ Prepare for lots of people. You will be fighting down the aisles with a lot of people. They're regularly rude and sometimes they have screaming children in tow. More often than not they're unaware that there are other people in the store trying to get round with a trolley. There are people of this ilk in any shop but because Aldi's are usually smaller than your average shop you notice them more. But just take a deep breath and get going because it's well worth it!

♥ Make a shopping list. I cannot emphasis how important this is! Especially when you're eating clean as it helps you not get distracted and ending up down the chocolate aisle. If you have a list you're prepared and you can waltz around that store like you own the place. Which means you can minimise the amount of time spent with the people above. Win win!

♥ Don't expect the world. There will be some things they don't have, or they will have but they won't be of the highest standard. For example, I would not buy sandwich fillers like ham or sliced chicken from there (not that they're clean anyway). I'm sure it's fine but it's not for me. In terms of clean foods, they do have a good selection of staples like nuts, frozen fruit, herbs, eggs, and regular fruit and vegetables. What they don't have is things like almond milk and quinoa. No surprise there.

♥ Have a look at the Foodie Market range. This is a health food range they have that mainly comprises of crisp breads and chewy bars (kind of like the Nakd bars). I've not tried the bars because the sugar content is pretty high but the crisp breads are good and come in a few different varieties (3 grain, oats and chia seeds and spelt and pumpkin seeds - I think!) They're £1.29 a pack and they're really handy for a quick bite. Nick has been having them with cottage cheese (bleurgh) as a quick snack after a bike ride and they seem to be going down well so if you're into that, give it a go!

♥ Take your own bags. I think most people do this already regardless of where they shop but it's essential at Aldi as they charge for any kind of bag (3p for a regular carrier, about 7p for a more durable, bigger bag and then I think it's around 12p for a proper bag for life). 

♥ Move and pack. The check out staff at Aldi scan your shopping so quick you blink and you miss it. Common practice is to load your trolley up with your shopping and then move over to the side of the shop to pack it into your bags. You can try and pack your bags as they're scanning but I can guarantee this will get you dirty looks from people in the queue behind you. I think this is the biggest Aldi faux pau you could ever make and will definitely out you as a noob!

And finally...

♥ Check out the flowers. They have great bunches of flowers for the fraction of the price you'd pay in a more 'upmarket' shop and they are really good quality too. And with all the money you're saving you've got an excuse to buy some!

My Aldi Shop:

(My key ingredients for the next week, minus the meat as we normally get this from the local butchers. However we have had meat from Aldi before and it's always been of high quality.)

Cauliflower x2 (89p) - for cauliflower pizza base... watch this space to see how that goes! 

Pack of 6 sweet potatoes (89p)

Baby Spinach (99p)

Bag of Kale (69p) - for smoothies :) 

Bag of 4 Red Onions (85p) 

Mixed Chillies (49p) 

Whole Cucumber (39p) 

Closed Cup Mushrooms (69p) 

Bag of 3 Courgettes (89p) 

Cherry Tomatoes (75p) 

Pack of 6 Kiwi Fruit (74p) 

Pack of 8 Bananas (68p) 

Pack of 3 Lemons (59p)

Pack of 3 Limes (69p)

Frozen Raspberries x2 (£1.49)

6 Organic Eggs (£1.49)

Chorizo Slices (£1.79) 

Jar of artichokes x2 (99p) - for a mushroom and artichoke bake which is delish 

Halloumi (£1.39) 

Goats Cheese (£1.49) 

Dried Basil (41p) 

Californian Raisins (£1.29) 

Walnuts (£1.89) 

Mini Crispbread x2 (£1.29) - I've not tried these yet but I'm looking forward to it!

Full size Crispbread in Oat and Chia (£1.29)

TOTAL - £29.39

Since I'm a massive geek, I had a browse through the Sainsburys website and worked out that a similar shop (minus the crisp breads as I couldn't find a comparable product) there would cost around £39! 

Do you have any tips for maintaining a clean diet without breaking the bank?

Until next time :)

Clean and Lean Diet - Week One

So this past week has seen me embark on the Clean and Lean, or the Bodyism 'diet' from James Duigan.

The basic premise of the diet (I hate calling it that...) is to basically cut out all processed food and the majority of sugar (the unnatural kind) and cut down on the carbs. I've had the cookbook for years but apart from making the occasional recipe from it I've never really got into it. There was always a million reasons why I didn't fully commit to clean eating before - either I thought it would be too expensive, or too difficult when Nick and I still lived at home, that it would impact negatively on my social life etc etc. The thing is that when you're looking for an excuse you'll always find one. So after coming back off holiday both Nick and myself decided to give it a proper go. Granted, we didn't start straight away - we waited to get my birthday out of the way first, but on 1st of June we started eating clean.

Side note: I've also decided to combine the clean eating with the 5:2 diet (which everyone and their dog knows about so I won't bore you). But sadly I don't think the two go hand in hand - primarily because clean eating is centred around eating non-processed food which often contain high calories  whereas the 5:2 diet relies wholly calorie counting and eating low fat foods. It has been do-able but it has taken a lot of prep and forward planning that I'm not sure I can commit too long term.

I wanted to document some of my 'journey' (ewww) on here as I actually found it quite difficult to find any reviews of the clean and lean / bodyism approach to healthy eating before starting. I have the books and there are lots of interviews with James Duigan online but I struggled to find anything solid in terms of review.

I'll update more over the next few weeks and months - I may even include some recipes - but for starters my first week looked a bit like this...

♥ Breakfast - On a normal day it's a coffee and a smoothie and on a 500 day it's snacking on a few nuts until lunch and lots of water / green tea

♥ Lunch - On a normal day it's a salad, usually using avocado and either chicken or smoked salmon. On a 500 day it's a home made serving of ratetouille (I use this recipe) and a tiny amount of parmesan on top.

♥ Tea - On a normal day I've been working through the recipes in the clean and lean diet cookbook. So far my particular favourites have been Cajun Chicken and Salmon en Papillote with Ginger and Lime (I've also cooked a couple of things from the Hairy Dieters books - as long as the ingredients are clean it works!). On a 500 day I've been going through some 5:2 diet books and websites, so far we've had a pickled cucumber and prawn salad (here - not so good), halloumi and vegetable skewers (from a recipe book - amazing) and a prawn and courgette pasta dish (from a recipe book - pretty good!)