Five Paleo Dinners To Cook Next Week #73

I’ve been mentally writing a blog post about how I’m doing meal planning and Weekly Cookup, now that my refrigerator capacity is about one-third what it used to be.

Our fridge is so tiny!

That blog post is still a work-in-progress, but I can tell you that I can fit about two days’ worth of food in our fridge before I have to reload, so my habit now is to alternate between big-batch foods that taste even better when they sit for a day—stews, soups, slow cooker recipes—and fast-cooking recipes like the ones in Well Fed Weeknights. I honestly had no idea when I started writing that cookbook that it would end up being so helpful to Future Me. The days of cooking all I need for a week are over! I’m cooking from scratch almost every day.

So this week’s collection of meals includes both made-to-order dinner ideas and leisurely, let-it-simmer meals you can make on a lazy weekend. Happy cooking!

Dinner Ideas (Whole30 compliant)

Paleo Bigos

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 you can sock some away for a future snow day.

Recommended Sides: Some boiled potatoes rolled in ghee and minced parsley would be perfect, as would a batch of Mashed Cauliflower. You can make both of these sides during a Cookup and reheat just before eating.

Spicy Nigerian Street Fries

Cookup Tips: You can prep the nut-spice blend for the meat and cook the potatoes in advance. When it’s time to eat, stir-fry the steak and veggies while the potatoes turn into fries in the oven.

Recommended Sides: Honestly. Spicy beef. Veggies. Oven fries. What else could you possibly need?!

Slow Cooker Italian Pork Roast

Cookup Tips: Definitely throw a hunk o’ meat into the slow cooker over the weekend. Future You will be very grateful.

Recommended Sides: Mashed Cauliflower and Zucchini Noodles are both great with this pork. Or if you’re looking for cool salads, try Muffaletta Salad, or a green salad with Creamy Italian Dressing or Good Seasons Italian.

Oven-Fried Salmon Cakes

Cookup Tips: These hold up great in the fridge and reheat (and freeze) beautifully, so they’re perfect for Cookup action. Serve them with the leftover mayo from the Vietnamese Chicken Salad, or with the Spicy Coconut Mayo below.

Recommended Sides: Veggies that can be made in the oven are nice because you’ve already got the oven going, so how about Oven-Roasted Cauliflower Rice, Sweet Potato Fries, or Mustard-Garlic Brussels Sprouts?

Lemon-Maple Kale Salad

Cookup Tips: This needs protein for a complete meal; I really like it with pork chops or loin, salmon, or roasted chicken thighs. You can wash and cut the kale, and make the dressing in advance, then massage the kale and toss with dressing just before eating.

Recommended Sides: When you add protein, this recipe includes the triumvirate of protein–veggies–fat, so you don’t need anything else!

Staples (Whole30 compliant)

Perfectly Peelable Hard-Boiled Eggs

Cookup Tips: Make a dozen hard-boiled eggs during your Cookup and add them to meals all week long! You can mix them with homemade mayo to make quick egg salad, chop them and sprinkle over Thai Yummy Salad, slice them to eat alongside Firecracker Tuna, toss slices into your Pad Thai during the last sauté step, or use them to make Pickled Eggs to add zing to your salads.

Tahini Dressing

Cookup Tips: Make this during your Weekly Cookup and have it on hand to drizzle on delicious things to make them even more delicious. Try the Middle Eastern variation of Salmon Cakes and top with tahini dressing—or make Chicken Shawarma (ready in about half an hour).

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