Five Paleo Dinners To Cook Next Week #20

My husband Dave and I are both in full-on writing mode for the next six weeks or so. Our days look something like this:

breakfast — write — walk — write — meditate — lunch — write — walk — write — dinner

And our food situation is equally regimented: breakfast is leftover protein sautéed with a green vegetable; lunch is a big salad with roasted chicken and blueberries; and dinner is steak/pork loin/roasted chicken with Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup, crispy plantains/roasted sweet potatoes, and a square of 85% dark chocolate. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

I have to admit that I find the routine blessedly uncomplicated and soothing—although I am looking forward to a break today. We’re celebrating Dave’s birthday a bit early and heading to Killington to see Bruce in the USA, “The Worlds #1 Tribute to Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band.” We’re also having dinner at The Foundry, which looks like a really nice treat.

Since you probably don’t want to eat the same thing every day like we do, I’ve pulled together a collection of recipes for you to cook next week, and I cannot stress enough that the Spiced Nuts at the end of this post are an excellent addition to just about anything you eat. Happy cooking!

Dinner Ideas (Whole30 compliant)

Bora Bora Fireballs

Cookup Tips: These succulent meatballs taste best when they’re made just before you eat them, but they’re worth a little bit of pre-dinner hustle!

Recommended Sides: These taste great on a pile of Oven-Roasted Cauliflower Rice, and also pair nicely with either Crispy (green) Plantains with Garlic Sauce or these Pan-Fried (yellow) Plantains. You might also want to garnish with some Sunshine Sauce… just sayin’.

Pickled Eggs and Beets (not Whole30 compliant)

Cookup Tips: These are perfect for Cookup day because they take very little hands-on time, make a big batch, and taste better as time goes on. That’s my favorite trifecta!

Recommended Sides: A dinner consisting solely of pickled eggs is potentially weird, and I might do it if eating alone, but… If you don’t want to be a sad, solo, pickled-egg-eater, make a salad plate instead! A scoop of Firecracker Tuna Salad or Waldorf Tuna Salad happily share the plate with raw veggies, your favorite pickles, hearts of palm, and fresh fruit.

Crispy Spiced Chicken Livers

Cookup Tips: These taste best when you make the just before eating, but they’re pretty quick—and the crispiness makes up for the fact that they can’t be part of your Cookup.

Recommended Sides: I like these with Simple Lemon Spinach, Cauliflower Rice, or boiled potatoes rolled in ghee and parsley.

Bunless Burgers

Cookup Tips: Burgers cook so fast, I recommend you cook these just before eating—but you could save time by shaping the patties during your Cookup. The link above takes you to my roundup of delicious burger toppers ’cause there’s nothing better than a “sporty supper.”

Recommended Sides: Keep it simple with raw veggies or a tossed salad, or take the classic route with fries: Crispy Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries, Herb Parsnip Fries, or Classic Diner-Style Home Fries—don’t forget the Kickass Ketchup! You can prep all the potatoes in advance, then throw them in the oven while you cook the burgers.

Egg Foo Yong

Cookup Tips: This recipe is pretty much made from leftovers, so if you cook chicken, beef, or pork during your Cookup, you can toss it into an Egg Foo Yong patty with whatever leftover veggies you have on hand. Mix homemade mayo with a splash of hot sauce, coconut aminos, and toasted sesame oil to make a luscious sauce to drizzle on top.

Condiment (Whole30 compliant)

Homemade Olive Oil Mayo

Cookup Tips: I probably don’t even need to remind you to make this during your Cookup, but just in case… with mayo on hand, you’ve got a magic wand to turn blah into BAM. Use it to make tuna salad, egg salad, and creamy dressings like Ranch, Creamy Italian, Southwestern Cumin-Lime, and Spicy Coconut—all of which are great on salads, but also perk up cooked chicken, pork, beef, and fish.

Nibble (Whole30 compliant)

Spiced Nuts

Cookup Tips: These take about 20 minutes to make and are the perfect picker-upper for salads, or alongside some fruit and protein for a snack.

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