Five Paleo Dinners To Cook Next Week #110

One of the things I’ve realized since I started tracking my reading more closely is that one of the most important characteristics in the books I love is a strong sense of place—and that’s evident in the recipes I prefer, too. In this week’s collection of meals, you’ll start your culinary adventures in Russia with Shashlik—flavorful, tender shish kebabs—then head to Asia for Gyoza Meatballs and the colorful Korean dish Bibimbap. Finally, you’ll finish up in Mexico with a non-traditional-but-still-great Mexican Meatza and a Yucatan Green Chile Sauté inspired by a vacation to Tulum—with a last gasp back across the pond to Italy for an irresistible salad dressing.

If you’re looking for book pairings to go with your meals, I suggest A Gentleman in Moscow or City of Thieves (Russia), The Great Passage (Japan), Pachinko (Korea), Like Water for Chocolate (Mexico), A Room with A View (Italy) Less: A Novel (Mexico, Italy, Germany, France, Morocco, India, Japan). Happy reading and eating!

Dinner Ideas (Whole30 compliant)

Russian Shashlik

Cookup Tips: You can marinate the meat up to 24 hours in advance, then cooking takes just 10-15 minutes. YAY!

Recommended Sides: Definitely make the carrot salad that’s on the page with the kebab recipe—and Cauliflower Rice is an excellent go-along, too.

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.

Paleo Bibimbap

Cookup Tips: This is the perfect meal for a weeknight if you cook the beef and veggies—and grate the cauliflower for the cauli rice—during your Weekly Cookup.  You can even make the sauce in advance and store in the fridge for up to 5 days, so when you’re ready to eat, it’s just a matter of assembling the ingredients on your plate.

Recommended Sides: No sides needed!

Mexican Meatza

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: This tastes really great Crispy (green) Plantains, or a salad with Cumin-Lime Dressing. Plantains can be boiled and smashed during a Cookup, then crisped in a pan just before your meal. The Cumin-Lime Dressing tastes fresh for about a week, so you can make that in advance, too! You might also go for this Italian Meatza!

Yucatan Green Chile Sauté

Cookup Tips: This recipe takes just 30 minutes, so you could make it to order. If you want to get a jump on it, rice the cauliflower, prepare the spice blend, and make the sauce in advance; store everything in separate airtight containers in the fridge. When it’s time to eat, begin with the “Cook the meat” step. (This recipe is from my cookbook Well Fed Weeknights, and it’s my best cookbook yet.)

Recommended Sides: You don’t need one, but if you want to add some resistant starch—and extra yumminess—you could make some Crispy Plantains.

Condiment (Whole30 compliant)

‘Good Seasons’ Italian Dressing

Cookup Tips: This dressing tastes fresh for about a week, so you can make it in advance and drizzle it with abandon on your meals all week.

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