Five Paleo Dinners To Cook Next Week #38

I’ve been enjoying the hell out of a super-fun summer read. It’s Invasive by Chuck Wendig, and it’s completely un-put-downable. A truly thrilling thriller, it’s got a badass female protagonist—and plenty of other awesome female characters—as well as demon ants, spiders, potential conspiracies, flashbacks, dramatic weather, a coral atoll, and so much more.

Basically, it’s everything you want in a summer book.

I was up for three hours in the middle of the night reading it this week, which is not great for actual resting, but was very fun and indulgent for an August night. If you’re up for a whiz-bang action book, I recommend Invasive to help close out your summer.

But lest you get the return-to-school blues, there’s still plenty of time left for cool summer salads and outdoor grilling! Here are five paleo and Whole30 compliant recipes to enjoy during these warm, sunny days, along with a recommendation for put-them-on-everything, fall-will-be-here-soon pepitas to add crunch to salads and spiciness to snack time.

Dinner Ideas (Whole30 compliant)

Elvis Burger

Cookup Tips: This kissin’ cousin to the SB&J Burger tastes best when you make it just before eating. But it’s fast! And so luscious, you won’t even mind having to cook.

Recommended Sides: Plantains or fries are the way to go! You could have Crispy (green) Plantains, or Pan-Fried (yellow) Plantains, or Parsnip Fries, or Sweet Potato Fries. You can prep the plantains and root veggies in advance, so when you’re ready to eat, all you need to do is crisp them.

Çevapçiçi, aka, cute Balkan sausages

Cookup Tips: The meat “dough” can be made 1 day in advance then cooked—or you can cook the çevapçiçi 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! The original recipe calls for grilling, but you can also make these little guys in the oven: 425F for 20 minutes or so. (For a quick bite of armchair travel, enjoy this short piece on çevapçiçi from Roads and Kingdoms.

Recommended Sides: These taste great on a pile of Oven-Roasted Cauliflower Rice and do not skip the Ajvar recipe below! On our travels, we also ate these with shopska salat: a chopped salad of cucumber, tomato, onion, and bell pepper dressed with lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil. It’s very similar to my Turkish Chopped Salad.

Cold Sesame-Cucumber Noodles

Cookup Tips: You can spiralize the cucumber noodles and make the sauce in advance; store them separately in the fridge until you’re ready to eat. To make a complete meal, you need to add protein. Grilled chicken, steak, pork, salmon, and shrimp are all awesome! You might also add a hard-boiled egg or two.

Recommended Sides: This is a one-dish wonder! No sides required.

Rogan Josh

Cookup Tips: Rogan Josh tastes even better on day 2 or 3, so let this simmer on the back of the stove during your Cookup and enjoy it later in the week. (This is one of my favorite “leftovers for breakfast meals.”)

Recommended Sides: This pairs well with Cauliflower Rice Pilaf or plain Cauliflower Rice. You might also want to make a batch of Mint Chutney to dollop on top.

Italian Hoagie Salad

Cookup Tips: This taste best when it’s tossed just before eating, but if you wanted to get a jump on it, you could pre-julienne the deli meats and veggies.

Recommended Sides: It’s everything you need in one delicious bowl!

Condiment (Whole30 compliant)

Ajvar

Cookup Tips: Make this during your Cookup and add zing to your meals for weeks! It’s great on the çevapçiçi, eggs, bunless burgers, grilled/roasted chicken, and fish. The original recipe calls for grilling the peppers, but you can roast them in the oven.

Nibble (Whole30 compliant)

Spiced Pepitas

Cookup Tips: These take about 20 minutes to make and they add flavor to your meals for weeks! You might also sprinkle these on roasted sweet potatoes, on top of soup or salad, add to scrambled eggs or on top of fried, or mix with some raisins for a quick snack.

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Need more detailed Meal Planning help? All of the Well Fed recipes are available on Real Plans!