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!

Coconut Flour Paleo Pancakes Remix

If you're trying to do the Whole30 challenge, I wouldn't recommend tempting yourself with this treat of a recipe.

When I find myself missing grain products but don't want to cheat, I often make these paleo pancakes. I remixed this GAPS-friendly recipe from CHEESESLAVE after a few delicious trial runs.

Coconut flour, the replacement flour in this recipe and a paleo miracle in moderation, yields a fluffy, wheat-like final product that I personally enjoy more than the old fashioned variety. Coconut flour also has the benefit of being lower in net carbohydrates (4.5g/3T) than other flours, which is helpful to those attempting a paleo-keto combo.*

Leftovers double as mini pizza crusts!

Equipment:

• Skillet

Ingredients:
Serves 2-3

• 3T fat
  (Ghee; animal lard; coconut, avocado, or macadamia nut oils; olive oil in a pinch.)
• 3 eggs
• 3T coconut (or almond) milk
• 2t coconut nectar (or honey)
  (*If you're eating keto, try only 1.5t date sugar, which is 4.5g carbs.)
• 1/2t pure vanilla extract
• 3T coconut flour
  (A nut flour might work here, but this is an untested and possibly crumbly theory.)
• Dash of cinnamon
• Dash of salt

Preparation:
1. Heat a small, greased skillet over medium-low heat. If you, as I did, run out of other fats and have to use olive oil, low heat is best! But cooking takes a bit longer. Patience, Reader-san.
2. Whisk together wet ingredients; add dry slowly and mix thoroughly.
3. Spoon 3T of batter into skillet (a relatively thin layer) and watch carefully. When the top of the batter appears smooth and the pancake slides around easily on the skillet, flip it!
4. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until finished.
5. Top with ghee, fruit, cacao, coconut nectar, date sugar, coconut sugar, honey, or whatever other paleo-friendly options you can think of! Make it your own tastastic creation.

So? What toppings make the most delectable paleo pancake?