Five Paleo Dinners To Cook Next Week #61

Whelp. I’m tired again (still?!).  Due to a quirk in scheduling—rather than a deliberate intention to see a lot of live music and stay up late all during one thrilling week—since last Tuesday, we’ve seen Foo Fighters at the O2 Arena, the stage version of Amadeus with live orchestra (in the theater where Mozart premiered “Don Giovani” in 1787 and the film Amadeus was shot [!]), and The Cult in a basement rock club. (I’m working on a post with photos and details, but I need to recover first.)

I’m equal parts exhilarated and tired.

Speaking of things that are exciting and tiring: I hope that those of you in the U.S. had an awesome Fourth of July! It’s holiday time here in the Czech Republic, too. Yesterday was St. Cyril and St. Methodius Day and today is Jan Hus Day.  Outside the tourist center, most businesses closed on Tuesday afternoon and will stay that way until Monday morning—and a lot of Czechs will go to their little cabins in the countryside from now until September 1!  I have mad respect for this tradition of a two-month holiday out in the country.

Now that you’re on the other side of a major summer holiday, I’m going to assume that you had your fill of picnic-y foods, salads, and treats (for a little while).  The recipes this week (1) are very easy to cook, (2) make enough for leftovers, (3) taste better the longer they sit around, and (4) are comforting and chill… so you can relax and enjoy your week.

Dinner Ideas (Whole30 compliant)

South Indian Curry

Cookup Tips: This curry is ridiculously easy to make and so luscious and comforting! You’ll need to add protein to this to make it a complete meal: grilled chicken, poached shrimp, browned ground beef or lamb, or cooked salmon are all good choices. (Use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store or canned salmon to make it über-easy.)  Or try it for breakfast topped with a few fried eggs!  Make the sauce during your Cookup, then just reheat with your favorite protein when it’s time to eat.

Recommended Sides: Cauliflower Rice and Mint Chutney are very nice.

Czech 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: I like these with green beans (steamed and tossed with ghee), Mashed Cauliflower, or boiled potatoes with ghee and parsley.

Scotch Eggs

Cookup Tips: You can boil the eggs during your Cookup and mix the meat with its seasonings, then roll and bake them just before eating for maximum crunch. Or make them completely in advance and reheat before eating. Either way, they taste great.

Recommended Sides: You can be responsible (two ways to cook kale), playful (Sweet Potato Fries), starchy (Classic Diner-Style Home Fries), or crisp (Chopped Salad). You might also make a quick dipping sauce of homemade mayo mixed with mustard. The salad tastes best when it’s made fresh, but you can prep both the sweet potatoes and white potatoes in advance, then do the final cooking when you’re ready to eat them. Mayo can be made during a Cookup and used all week.

Slow Cooker “Osso Bucco” Stew

Cookup Tips: This stew grows even more delicious on days 2 and 3, and it freezes well. It also requires very little commitment from you: Throw it in the slow cooker during a Cookup or just plop the ingredients into the slow cooker before bed; by morning, it’s stew!

Recommended Sides: Mashed Cauliflower is pretty nice underneath—and a salad with ‘Good Seasons’ Italian Dressing would be great!

Italian Meatza Pie

Cookup Tips: The Meatza can be baked for the first time in advance, then just before eating, add the toppings and do the second bake.

Recommended Sides: As a go-along, I recommend a tossed salad with Creamy Italian Dressing or ‘Good Seasons’ Italian Dressing.

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).

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