Five Paleo Dinners To Cook Next Week #21

This weekend is Dave’s birthday, and we’re celebrating with friends: tabletop games, a Chocolate Chili bar, and this flourless chocolate cake. I can’t lie: I’m pretty excited about the cake. I mean, friends and birthday and games and yada yada… totally. But really, also: cake.

The rest of the time, however, we’ll be eating strictly Whole30. Dave and I both have another month of writing ahead of us, and we feel so much better—and are wildly more productive—when we follow the Whole30 guidelines. It’s a blessing and a curse to know that, but mostly a blessing.

And now, here are some ideas for your meals for the next week. Pro tip: Make a double batch of Mulligatawny Stew. It freezes very well, and it’s so good. (And since it’s March, now is an awesome time to revisit March Meatball Madness!)

Dinner Ideas (Whole30 compliant)

Mulligatawny Stew

Cookup Tips: This tastes even better after a few days in the fridge, so you can make it up to 5 days in advance. It also freezes very well, so think about a double batch. It tastes really great on a bed of Cauliflower Rice; you can turn the head of cauli into rice in advance, then store it in the fridge until you’re ready to cook it.

Recommended Sides: Cauliflower Rice! It’s also tasty with Mint Chutney.

Machacado and Eggs

Cookup Tips: The downside of Breakfast for Dinner (shall we just call it “brinner”?!)  is also part of its appeal: you can’t really make eggs in advance, but this dish is ready in a flash! This is super delicious and comforting as all get-out.

Recommended Sides: This tastes really great with Classic Diner-Style Home Fries, Crispy (green) Plantains, and Pan-Fried (yellow) Plantains. You can boil the potatoes and plantains in advance, so when you’re ready to eat, all you need to do is fry ’em up.

Gyoza Meatballs

Cookup Tips: Meat “dough” can be made 1 day in advance then cooked—or you can cook the meatballs during your Cookup and re-heat just before eating. They’ll stay fresh and tasty for 5-6 days after cooking. They also freeze like champs!

Recommended Sides: Cauliflower Rice is always a good choice—or sauté snow peas in ghee and sprinkle with sesame seeds and salt. A salad of butter lettuce, radishes, and cucumbers with Zingy Ginger Dressing would be tasty, too.

Buffalo Chicken Chopped Salad

Cookup Tips: Make the dressing, poach the chicken, and chop the vegetables in advance, then when it’s time to eat, just toss it together and dig in.

Recommended Sides: This recipe includes protein, veggies, and fat, so you don’t need to add a thing. But if you want to, Crispy Sweet Potato Fries are a yummy choice.

Moroccan Grilled Salmon

Cookup Tips: This is another recipe that should be made just before you eat it, but the good news: it’s super easy and cooks quite quickly.

Recommended Sides: This Creamy-Spicy Kale has complementary Moroccan flavors, and Balsamic Grilled Butternut Squash is both delicious and in season. No grill? You can make both the salmon and butternut squash in a 450F oven instead.

Condiment (Whole30 compliant)

Zingy Ginger Dressing

Cookup Tips: You can make this during your Cookup in under 10 minutes, and it stays fresh in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. The recipe lists lots of creative ideas for how to put this dressing to good use. (It’s my favorite recipe from Well Fed 2).

Nibble

Savory Paleo Granola

Cookup Tips: This can bake in the background while you’re prepping the rest of your Cookup, and you can keep it whole, as pictured, or crush it in a food processor to make “Magic Dust.” I like to sprinkle a little of this on salads to add crunch—or on top of soups like this Sweet Potato or Golden Cauliflower.

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