Five Paleo Dinners To Cook Next Week #59

We’ve hit a very summery stretch of weather here in Prague—clear, sunny skies and temps in the 80s (and now I know how to turn that into Celsius! Subtract 30 and divide by 2 for a rough approximation). I’ve been relying on salads, slow cooker recipes, and picnic foods to help us stay cool at meal time.

Every day is a good day for a picnic!

Last night, Dave and I packed a charcuterie picnic (little sausages, pepperoni sticks, a slice of paté, a small jar of pickles, a yellow bell pepper, a seedless cucumber, and still-warm-from-the-sun strawberries) which we ate on the Charles Bridge while watching the solstice sun setting on Prague Castle. This week’s collection of recipes is inspired by picnics—foods that are fun to eat, easily portable, and very satisfying when the temps outside are climbing. It’s not required that you eat outside in bare feet, but it’s not a bad idea, either.

Dinner Ideas (Whole30 compliant)
Fried Chicken Meatballs with Collard Greens

About the Recipe: This recipe is from Well Fed Weeknights. I actually did a bunch of research to find the Colonel’s secret recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken to figure out the seasonings in the coating. I think it worked! Cooking time? 30-35 minutes.

Cookup Tips: In advance…Season the ground chicken and form the meatballs. Prep the fried chicken coating. Wash and cut the collard greens. Store everything separately in airtight containers in the fridge, then follow the directions for cooking the meatballs and greens.

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.

Caesar Salad

Cookup Tips: You’ll need to add protein to this to make it a complete meal: grilled chicken or poached shrimp are both good options. (Use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store or canned salmon to make it über-easy.) You can make the dressing, cut the lettuce, and prepare your protein in advance, then assemble before eating. When I make this on weeknights, I just skip the croutons, but if you want to make them, I recommend you prep the dough in advance, then bake them just before eating.

Recommended Sides: None required… yay!

Mideast Dinner: Grilled Chicken | Baba Ghanoush | Turkish Chopped Salad

Cookup Tips: The chicken really does taste best when it’s fresh off the grill, but during your Cookup, you can roast the eggplant and chop the veggies for the Turkish salad. When it’s time to eat, toss the salad and let the baba ghanoush come to room temp while you grill the chicken.

Recommended Sides: You really don’t need anything else, but if you wanted to earn bonus points, you could make a batch of Cauliflower Rice Pilaf.

Firecracker Tuna Salad

Cookup Tips: If you make a batch of mayo in advance, you can whip up this tuna salad in almost no time. Or use your Cookup time to make a double batch of tuna salad so it’s ready to grab all week.

Recommended Sides: Colorful veggies are the way to go: Simple Red Cabbage Salad, a bed of baby spinach, and lots of crudité with Cumin-Lime Dressing for dipping.

Condiment (Whole30 compliant)

Good Seasons Italian Dressing

Cookup Tips: Make this during your Cookup and add a little what-what to your meals all week! Obviously, this dressing is great on a standard green tossed salad, but you can also make a quick Šopský salát: dice cucumber, red and green bell pepper, red onion, and tomato into 1/2-inch dice, then toss with dressing and devour.

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