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After a refreshing winter hibernation, PALEO YO has awoken on Instagram! Check out @paleo_yo for daily updates of paleo-friendly cuisine.

Recipes may follow in the future, so stay tuned!

Simple, Succulent, Satiating Salmon

As the significant other of someone with a fish allergy, I rarely get to enjoy fish as part of my paleo plan, lest I asphyxiate him with the delectable aroma of cooking fish--but he's a peach, so I'm not complaining. Just makes me that much more grateful when I do have the opportunity to regale y'all with an aquatic recipe.

I picked up some wild sock-eye salmon on sale from my locale goode foode shoppe, and my Omega-3 receptors couldn't be more excited. Salmon is also high in protein and Vitamin D, so if you've yet to become a fan of this magical pink fish, allow the nutrient density to appeal to your paleo pallet. Along with the coconut oil-inspired goodness, of course.

Fair warning: your tastebuds might explode.

Equipment:

• Foiled baking sheet

Ingredients:

• Salmon fillet
• Coconut oil
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• Lemon juice (optional)

Preparation:
1. Heat oven to 350 F.
2. Coat fillet with coconut oil and add seasoning to taste on each side. Feel free to get more creative than what's listed; balsamic vinegar is also a pretty delectable addition.
3. Place fillet in center of baking sheet, skin down, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until fish is light pink and flaky.
4. Add a side like bacon-wrapped asparagus and enjoy!

Any paleo-friendly wines you'd recommend with this dish?

One Whole Chicken, Four Easy Entrees

Image © Copyright John Went and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons License.
I would have taken my own picture, but have you ever tried to get a chicken to stand still?
Not as easy as cooking one, I tell you whut.

True story: before eating paleo, I had never cooked a whole chicken. Woefully unaware of the monetary benefits of buying my chicken in bodily form, I wasted my money on individual chicken parts: legs for $1.99/lb, breasts for $4.99/lb, wings for another $2.99/lb... sheer madness!

Now, at $1.29/lb from my local Trader Joe's, whole chickens are a staple of my grocery budget. I've figured out how to squeeze four entrees out of a single chicken for a fraction of the cost of buying parts. On top of that, cooking a whole chicken in one go means my meat for the next few meals is ready to eat and saves me future prep time. This is especially helpful if you, as I am, are prone to cheating around dinner time when hungriest and most vulnerable.

I don't know how I managed before; I was blind, but now I see. Here, let me show you:

How to Cook a Whole Chicken:

Equipment:

• Roasting dish

Ingredients:

• One whole chicken (mine was ~5lbs; you may have a larger chicken, thus even more meals!)
• Sea salt

Preparation:
1. Heat oven to 475 F.
2. Rinse chicken, inside and out! If you've got organ meat and are feeling adventurous, set it aside and search the web for a recipe. I don't have one featuring organs in this particular series, but I'm working on it!
3. Salt that baby up. So, so salty; don't be afraid.
4. Bake in roasting dish for approximately 75 minutes, or until juice runs clear and the meat is no longer pink.
5. Now carve that baby up! Set aside the carcass for soup (Entree Two). Meat should keep in the fridge for two to three days.

Onto the entrees!

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Note: The following recipes assume you're working with cooked chicken parts from the above recipe. Obviously, adjust accordingly if you're working with individual parts that have not yet been cooked.

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Entree One: Sweet Honey Balsamic Chicken Breasts:
Makes two to four servings

Ingredients:

• Cooked chicken breasts
• Honey
• Balsamic vinegar
• Rosemary
• Pepper

Preparation:
1. In a small bowl, combine honey, vinegar, rosemary, and pepper to taste.
2. Coat breasts in dressing, heat in microwave or over stove, and serve with a side like sweet potato fries! DIY fast food!

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Entree Two: Classic Chicken Soup:
Makes about four servings

Equipment:

• Large pot for boiling
• Strainer

Ingredients:

• Chicken carcass with back and misc. meat
• Shallots or spring onion
• Garlic
• Carrots
• Celery
• Sea salt
• Pepper

Preparation:
1. Place carcass in pot and fill with water until carcass is just about covered.
2. Add garlic cloves, shallots/onion, and salt and pepper to your liking. You can always add more seasoning later on; this initial round is for stewing over the next four hours.
3. Heat over high heat until boiling.
4. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for about four hours, stirring every half hour or so to encourage the remaining meat to separate from the bones.
5. Remove soup from heat and allow to cool slightly, then strain broth into a separate pan.
6. Now, a scavenger hunt! Pick out the bones, garlic, and shallots/onion from your strained bits. Add the remaining meat back to the broth and discard the inedible parts.
7. Add minced carrots and celery (along with any other veggies you fancy) to the soup and heat over medium heat until veggies are soft.
8. Enjoy! Missing bread with your soup? Try a paleo pancake as your broth buddy!

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Entree Three: Quick 'n' Easy Spicy Wings:
Makes about one to two servings

Ingredients:

• Cooked chicken wings
• Frank's Red Hot Sauce--or, DIY with vinegar, cayenne pepper, salt, and water to taste

Preparation:
1. Add sauce to chicken and heat in microwave or over the stove in a covered skillet over medium-low heat.
2. Serve with your choice of side, like celery slaw. Told ya--quick 'n' easy.

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Entree Four: Curry Chicken Legs:
Makes one to two servings

Equipment:

• Cast iron skillet, if you've got one, but a regular skillet will do

Ingredients:

• Cooked chicken drumsticks/thighs
• 1/2 lime
• Green curry paste to taste (I prefer my mouth to be on fire, so I used a whole mini jar ^_^)
• 1/2 can coconut milk
• Veggies of all varieties

Preparation:
1. Warm skillet over medium heat.
2. Add lime juice, curry paste, and coconut milk. Stir for about a minute.
3. Add chicken and any veggies you desire.
4. Heat for a few more minutes until meat is warmed and veggies are springy when speared with a fork.
5. Nom!

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Now that wasn't so hard, was it?

Luscious Lemon Paleo Puff Cookies

Oh, yeah. I said it: paleo puff cookies. You're, uh.. drooling a bit. Yeah, just there. There ya go.

Another fantastic use (if I do say so myself!) of coconut flour in this recipe; if you haven't yet experimented with this ingredient of paleo gold, have yourself some paleo pancakes.

If you're baking for four or more, I recommend doubling the recipe. A tray of 10 cookies between myself and three of my loyal taste-testers disappeared in mere minutes. Of course, that might speak more to our ability to nom anything with sugar on top, but all the same. Better safe, you know.

Equipment:

• Parchment paper - not wax paper; it melts!
  Need some? Try this: Natural Parchment Paper (Google Affiliate Ad)

Ingredients:
Makes ~10 cookies

• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup coconut or almond milk
• 2T coconut nectar
• 1t vanilla extract
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• 3/4 cup coconut flour
• 1t baking powder
• 1/4t baking soda
• Dash of cinnamon
• Dash of sea salt
• Coconut or date sugar for sprinkling
• Coconut oil for greasing

Preparation:
1. Heat over to 350 F.
2. Mix wet ingredients (including lemon) in one bowl; mix dry (excluding sugar) ingredients in another.
3. Add wet to dry and stir until combined. Batter should be moist, but not runny; add more milk or flour as needed.
4. Scoop batter by tablespoon onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Sprinkle with sugar.
5. Bake for 10-15 minutes until bottoms are brown and tops are lightly crisped.
6. Cool and enjoy!

I don't have a mini muffin pan, but I'm curious as to how these cookies would turn out as mini muffins. Any adventurous chefs out there? Tell me if it works!

Chicken & Bacon Power Greens Salad

Salad is the spice of life. Most people say "variety," but most people haven't fallen in love with a salad.

Yet. I dare you not to enjoy this. Quick, nutritious, and satiating, this recipe is great by itself or served in a paleo pancake pocket.

Ingredients:
Serves 2

• 2 cups lettuce (romaine, green leaf, etc.)
• 1 cup spinach, arugula, kale, or other seasonal green
• 3/4 cup broccoli florets, separated into smallest "trees"
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup cashews, optional
• 1/4 cup cranberries, optional
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 8 oz cooked chicken*
• 2-4 slices cooked regular or turkey bacon*
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Balsamic vinegar to taste

Do you know what your meat ate? Grass-fed, free-range meat is akin to the wild prey upon which our ancestors dined. Unfortunately, it's more expensive. If you can't swing it, at least make sure your meat doesn't come from a factory!

Preparation:
1. Wash all vegetables thoroughly. Try using white vinegar, a non-toxic disinfectant, as a "soap" for any veggies sprayed with chemicals.
2. Chop celery, avocado, chicken, and bacon. Separate broccoli into bite-sized pieces.
2. Combine all ingredients except olive oil and vinegar in a large bowl.
3. Dress to your delight then serve!

Dressing ideas? Add-ins? Variety is the spice of salad!