Down Home Cooking

So… I have a long-standing love affair with the original Jaws movie. All it takes is one reference—a reminder of a scene, a note of the theme music, a mention of Roy Scheider—and I am 100% in for the full 130-minute experience. This? This reaction is genius.

I saw it for the first time at the Orpheum Theater in my hometown of Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania with my cousin Sam. I was 8 years old, he was 7, and I even remember what I was wearing: a powder blue faux football jersey and a sunburn on my nose.

duunnn dunnn… duuuunnnn duun… duuunnnnnnnn dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun.

Don’t @ me… I also love Jaws 2 and Jaws 3-D (Bess Armstrong! Dolphins! A shark nose inside a restaurant!). But Jaws: The Revenge?! Oh, my. That thing is trash. But is it fun trash? After reading this piece from Slate about whether Jaws: The Revenge or the new movie The Meg is the crazier shark movie, I decided that my husband Dave and I needed to re-watch Jaws: The Revenge if summer was going to have any meaning.

Jaws: The Revenge is… bad. But you don’t have to take my word for it; take a big bite of this hilarious review.

Now, take a big bite of these delicious paleo recipes to help you own next week. (And yes, I will be seeing The Meg.)

Dinner Ideas (Whole30 compliant)

Machacado and Eggs

Cookup Tips: The downside of Breakfast for Dinner is also part of its appeal: you can’t really make eggs in advance, but this dish is ready in a flash! This is super delicious and comforting as all get-out.

Recommended Sides: This tastes really great with Classic Diner-Style Home Fries, Crispy (green) Plantains, and Pan-Fried (yellow) Plantains. You can boil the potatoes and plantains in advance, so when you’re ready to eat, all you need to do is fry ’em up.

Lemon-Maple Kale Salad

Cookup Tips: This needs protein for a complete meal; I really like it with pork chops or loin, or grilled 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!

Mulligatawny Stew

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 think about a double batch. It tastes really great on a bed of Cauliflower Rice; you can turn the head of cauli into rice in advance, then store it in the fridge until you’re ready to cook it.

Recommended Sides: Mint Chutney!

Bora Bora Fireballs

Cookup Tips: These succulent meatballs taste best when they’re made just before you eat them, but they’re worth a little bit of pre-dinner hustle!

Recommended Sides: These taste great on a pile of Oven-Roasted Cauliflower Rice; you might also want to garnish with some Sunshine Sauce… just sayin’.

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!

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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