The Magic Blend of Protein, Carbs, and Fat
by Tom Herndon
Willie’s article on how to keep ourselves trim featured an important rule — divide your plate into quarters, fill one with protein, the rest with complex carbohydrates such as vegetables, and treat simple carbohydrates and fats as condiments. The following recipes all follow this rule.
Choose leaner cuts of meat and trim any visible fat before cooking. For poultry, remove the skin before eating, but after cooking for richer flavor and to retain the moisture. Or better yet, remove the skin before cooking and braise (healthy sautée) in broth.
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Fresh Herbed Chicken Breasts, Steamed Vegetable Medley
Serves 2
About 224 calories and 33 grams of protein per serving.
Excellent source of tryptophan and niacin.
1 half-pound whole boneless chicken breasts with skin on, split into two halves
3/4 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons mixed herbs, finely chopped (your choice of favorite, fresh herbs)
1/4 cup chicken broth
sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Preheat broiler on high. Allow oven to get really hot. Foil line a broiler pan and coat foil with a little oil to keep chicken from sticking,
Season the chicken with a little salt and pepper. Put chicken in pan under the broiler. Don’t put it too close to the heat. It is best to place it in the top-middle of the oven, about 7 inches from the heat source. Broil for about 10 minutes. Turn off broiler and allow chicken to continue to cook in the residual heat, about 5-10 minutes more. You can test it with an instant read thermometer poked into the thickest part and pull the chicken out at 130 degrees (it will continue to cook as it cools). If the chicken is extra thick, you can broil it for 15 minutes before turning off the heat.
While chicken is broiling, chop herbs. In a separate small skillet add chopped herbs, lemon juice, broth, salt and pepper. Heat on medium heat until barely a simmer, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
When chicken is done, allow to cool slightly. With a fork remove the skin, slice the meat, and place it on plate. Drizzle herb sauce over chicken.
Steamed Vegetable Medley
Serves 2
2 cups thinly sliced carrot
4 cups chopped collard greens, stems removed
2 medium onion, sliced thick
2 cups cubed zucchini
Mediterranean Dressing
extra virgin olive oil to taste
2 medium clove garlic, pressed
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
salt and cracked black pepper to taste
*optional 1 tsp coconut aminos
Chop onion and press garlic and let sit for 5-10 minutes to enhance their health-promoting benefits.
Bring lightly salted water to a boil in a steamer with a tight fitting lid. Add carrots and onions. Cover, and steam for 3 minutes. Add collard greens, and steam for another 3 minutes. Then add zucchini and steam for another 3 minutes.
Remove vegetables from steamer and place in bowl. Toss with dressing ingredients. Serve with sliced Herbed Chicken Breast.
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Broiled Rosemary Chicken over Lentils
4 servings
About 26 grams of protein and 472 calories per serving.
3 boneless chicken breasts (6 oz each)
1 15 oz can lentils, drained
1 bunch Swiss chard
1 medium sized onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1½ cups crimini mushrooms, sliced
3 TBS vegetable or chicken broth
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp fresh sage
½ cup walnuts
1 TBS + 3 TBS fresh lemon juice
1-½ TBS chopped fresh rosemary (or 2 tsp dried)
2 cloves pressed garlic
2 TBS + 1 TBS olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat broiler to low and place stainless steel skillet or baking pan large enough to hold chicken under heat in middle of oven. Do not use glass or Pyrex dish for this. Season chicken breasts with a little salt and pepper. When pan is hot, place chicken breasts in hot pan and return to middle rack under broiler. Broil for about 15-20 minutes.
While chicken is broiling, bring pot of water large enough to cook the chard to a boil.
Chop chard. Chop onion, garlic, mushrooms, thyme, and sage and then Healthy Sauté them in medium sauté pan over medium-low heat for just about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add drained canned lentils, walnuts and 3 TBS broth and heat through.
Puree mixture in blender or food processor with salt and pepper to taste. You will have to scrape sides of blender with a rubber spatula a few times.
When water has come to a boil, add chard and boil for 3 minutes.
Drain chard and toss with 2 TBS olive oil and 1 TBS lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
Place 3 TBS lemon juice, pressed garlic, chopped rosemary, salt, and pepper in small sauté pan and heat on stove for a minute. Turn off heat and whisk in 1 TBS olive oil.
Remove skin from chicken, slice into thirds, and serve with pureed lentils and chard. Drizzle rosemary lemon broth over chicken and lentils. Serve.
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Beef Stir-Fry with Asparagus and Broccoli
4 servings
One serving (two cups stir-fry and three tablespoons of sauce) has 400 calories, 29 grams of protein, 15 of fat (2 saturated, 6 monosaturated, and 3 polysaturated) , 34 of carbohydrates, 11 of fiber, 32 of cholesterol, and 625 milligrams of sodium
1/4 cup mirin or semisweet white wine, like Riesling
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup low-sodium coconut aminos
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons safflower oil
8 ounces beef round tip steak, (partially frozen to firm up, then sliced 1/4-inch thick)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh snow peas (6 ounces)
1 large bunch broccoli (1 1/4 pounds) trimmed and cut into small florets
1 bunch asparagus (1 pound), trimmed and sliced on diagonal into 2-inch pieces
2 cups (8 ounces) edamame (use frozen field peas – the large ones – if soy is a bother)
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Combine mirin or white wine, orange juice, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes and water in a small bowl.
In a large wok or very large (14-inch) sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat.
Add the beef and cook, stirring, until just browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer the beef to a plate.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat and cook garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add snow peas, broccoli, asparagus and peas, raise heat to medium-high, and cook for 3 minutes until vegetables are slightly softened.
Add the mirin-aminos mixture and cook, stirring, until peas are cooked and asparagus is crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.
Add the beef and dissolved cornstarch and stir to incorporate. Cook until mixture thickens slightly and beef is heated through, an additional 2 minutes.
Drizzle with sesame oil and serve.
These sound very tasty. My husband is allergic to citrus and would be sniveling with that much lemon. I usually substitute a light vinegar, rice wine vinegar or champagne. Do you have better ideas? (Divorce not an option!)
Danine, thanks for the note. You’re actually on the right track. If your husband likes the flavors of light vinegar, rice wine vinegar or champagne, go for it. Acid brings balance to flavors, and like choosing a wine for pairing, go with what YOU like first, rather than conventional recommendations. In both chicken recipes, a light vinegar (perhaps even flavored with herbs) would be fine. I have customers who can’t have lemon or lime, but they can tolerate orange and pineapple. Depending on your husband’s palate, even omitting the acid might work. I always experiment until I find flavors worth repeating. No, divorce is not a recommendation. In fact, many of my customers are allergic to it.