Episode 5: Desperation Dinners!

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It’s time for the next installment of the Nom Nom Paleo Podcast!

Picture it: You finally get home after a long day at work, school, or just lying around the house, and you don’t feel like cooking dinner. I totally know where you’re coming from, because I feel the same way most days of the week. Luckily for my family, I’ve figured out how to get food on the table ASAP. In Episode 5 of our podcast, I’ll share my favorite tips and tricks to keep you well nourished—even when you’re totally unmotivated. No more falling face first into a bowl of cereal!

Show Notes & Links for Episode 5:

What We Ate:

I reveal the blend of seasonings I love to sprinkle on my daily dose of crispy fried eggs. Big-O chats with his younger brother about his love of camarones al ajillo, Mexican-style garlic shrimp. And Lil-O throws Henry under the bus by revealing one of his regular non-Paleo indulgences.

My fried crispy eggs recipe and video can be found here. I top my eggs with Jacobsen Sea Salt, Urashima All Natural furikake, and Rinaldo’s Organic Garlic Gold Nuggets.

Main Course:

The bulk of this episode is all about desperation dinners. In other words, how do you get food on the table when you don’t want to cook? I don’t know about you, but I like to eat way more than I like to cook. Whenever someone asks me “what’s your favorite dish?” I almost always answer, “a meal someone else cooks for me.” But in all seriousness, the only way to make a Paleo lifestyle sustainable is to get off your butt and get cooking—even when you don’t want to.

Here’s what I stock in my pantry, fridge, and freezer for desperation dinners:

Eggs — raw & hard-boiled
Leftover roast chicken
Canned fish — I keep a bunch of salmon and tuna tins in my pantry
Refrigerated canned crab
Paleo Mayonnaise — If you don’t make your own mayo, Primal Kitchen’s avocado oil mayo is a great alternative to homemade; Sir Kensington also makes a pretty good mayo
Avocados or guacamole — I like Wholly Guacamole brand, but more often than not, I just ask Henry to whip up some homemade guacamole using his famous recipe
Nori sheets and butter lettuce — Toasted seaweed and lettuce cups are my favorite alternative to tortillas
Salad greens — Toss with oil and vinegar, and you’ve got an instant side dish!
Frozen mixed vegetables
Fresh herbs
Spice blends
Flavor-boosting acids — e.g. lemon, lime, assorted vinegars

Quick-Cook Dinners (15-20 minute meals):

Sunnyside Salad with Crispy Eggs
Easy Paleo Frittata
Sweet Potato Hash (topped with your favorite protein)
Garbage Stir-Fry
Garbage Soup

No-Cook Dinners (5-10 minute meals):

Lazy Devils (the recipe can be found in our cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food For Humans)
Madras Chicken Salad
Spicy Salmon Cucumber Bites
Chilled Cream of Avocado Soup with Crab
Watermelon and Tomato Gazpacho
Crab + Avocado Temaki

For even more inspiration, check out my 10 Fast & Easy No-Cook Paleo Meals post or my pal Charissa’s site, No Cook Paleo.

Lastly, the kiddos reveal that their desperation snacks include fresh fruit and SeaSnax seaweed snacks.

Crush of the Week:

Big-O tells us about how he likes flipping through my old school, out-of-print Quick & Easy Chinese cookbooks. Lil-O and our little buddy Matthew talk about their love of Cracklin’ Chicken—particularly when it’s doused with Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos Teriyaki Sauce.

Question of the week:

In my blog comments, Kadie asked: I would love for you to describe your greatest inspirations—are there particular people, places, or things that especially inspire your kitchen creations?

In a nutshell, my travels, my sister, and my mom are my culinary inspirations. I even admit that I’m turning into my mother. *Gasp!*

Thanks for listening! If you have questions for future podcasts, please leave them in the comments below. Like what you heard? Subscribe to our podcast and leave us a review by clicking here!