5 Low-Carb Dinner Menus
Filet Mignon with Portobello Sauce
Serve with:
3/4 cup steamed green beans
1/3 cup blueberries
Sparkling water
Just a splash of Madeira or port wine makes this buttery, meltingly tender steak-and-mushroom dish simply marvelous.
4 beef tenderloin steaks, cut 1 inch thick (about 1-1/4 pounds total)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 large portobello mushrooms, halved and sliced
8 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/3 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons Madeira or port wine
1. Trim fat from steaks. Rub both sides of steaks with oil and pepper. For a charcoal grill, grill steaks on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals to desired doneness, turning once halfway through grilling. Allow 8 to 12 minutes for medium-rare (145 degree F) and 12 to 15 minutes for medium (160 degree F). (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place steaks on grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as above.)
2. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a large skillet cook and stir mushrooms and onions in hot butter over medium heat about 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in broth and Madeira. Bring to boiling. Remove from heat. Thinly slice steaks diagonally and serve with sauce. Makes 4 servings.
Nutritional Information
Nutritional facts per serving
calories: 260, total fat: 13g, saturated fat: 5g, cholesterol: 88mg, sodium: 128mg, carbohydrate: 4g, fiber: 1g, protein: 29g, vitamin A: 8%, vitamin C: 11%, calcium: 1%, iron: 31%
Mustard-Glazed Halibut Steaks
A simple sauce of melted margarine, lemon juice, Dijon-style mustard and basil adds a scintillating note to these sizzling grilled fish steaks.
4 6-ounce fresh or frozen halibut steaks, cut 1 inch thick
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
2 teaspoons snipped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1. Thaw fish, if frozen.
2. In small saucepan heat margarine or butter, lemon juice, mustard, and basil over low heat until melted. Brush both sides of steaks with mustard mixture.
3. Grill fish steaks on the greased rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 8 to 12 minutes or just until fish begins to flake easily when tested with a fork, turning once and brushing occasionally with mustard mixture. Makes 4 servings.
To grill by indirect heat: Arrange preheated coals around a drip pan in a covered grill. Test for medium heat above pan. Place fish on the greased grill rack over drip pan. Cover and grill for 8 to 12 minutes or just until fish begins to flake easily when tested with a fork, turning once and brushing occasionally with mustard mixture.
Nutritional Information
Nutritional facts per serving
calories: 243, total fat: 10g, saturated fat: 2g, cholesterol: 55mg, sodium: 254mg, carbohydrate: 1g, fiber: 0g, protein: 36g, vitamin A: 14%, vitamin C: 5%, calcium: 6%, iron: 9%
Pan-Fried Baby Bok Choy
Baby bok choy?a mild vegetable with pale-green stalks and leaves?is becoming more available.
Makes 4 side-dish servings
12 ounces baby bok choy (4 to 8 pieces) or 1 small bunch regular bok choy, quartered lengthwise
2 tablespoons peanut oil or cooking oil
1/2 cup coarse soft sourdough bread crumbs
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seed
1. Cut any large pieces of baby bok choy in half lengthwise. Rinse bok choy in cold running water. Shake gently to remove water. Drain well. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet heat oil. Cook bread crumbs in hot oil for 1 minute or until just beginning to brown. Add garlic. Cook and stir for 1 minute more or until crumbs are golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove crumb mixture from skillet. Set aside. Add bok choy to hot skillet. Cook, uncovered, for 3 to 5 minutes or until stalks are just heated through and leaves are wilted, turning often.
3. Transfer to a serving dish. Toss with crumbs, drizzle with soy sauce and sprinkle with sesame seed.
Nutritional facts per serving: Calories: 96, total fat: 8g, saturated fat: 1g, cholesterol: 0mg, sodium: 314mg, carbohydrate: 4g, fiber: 1g, protein: 3g, vitamin A: 26%, vitamin C: 64%, calcium: 10%, iron: 4%
Spinach-Chicken Bake
Serve with:
1/2 cup of cantaloupe cubes
Hot green tea
To quick-thaw the spinach, place it in a colander and run cold water over it. Press the spinach with a wooden spoon to remove as much water as possible.
3/4 cup seasoned fine dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 3-3/4 pounds total)
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 4-ounce package boiled ham slices, chopped
1. In a shallow dish combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Lightly coat chicken pieces with some of the crumb mixture. Arrange in a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Reserve the remaining crumb mixture.
2. In a large saucepan cook green onions in hot margarine until tender. Stir in flour. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Stir in spinach and ham.
3. Spoon spinach mixture over chicken; sprinkle with the remaining crumb mixture. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degree F). Makes 12 servings.
Nutritional Information
Nutritional facts per serving
calories: 243, total fat: 6g, saturated fat: 2g, cholesterol: 90mg, sodium: 474mg, carbohydrate: 8g, total sugar: 1g, fiber: 1g, protein: 38g, vitamin A: 0%, vitamin C: 9%, calcium: 10%, iron: 10%, starch: .5diabetic exchange, vegetables: .5diabetic exchange, very lean meat: 5diabetic exchange, fat: .5diabetic exchange
Lemon-Thyme Fish Kabobs
Be sure to leave a little room on each side of the fish when you thread the skewers to help it cook evenly.
Serve with:
1/3 cup hot cooked brown rice
Iced tea
12 ounces fresh or frozen skinless swordfish, tuna, or shark steaks, cut 1 inch thick
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed, or 1 tablespoon fresh snipped thyme
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
12 medium fresh whole mushrooms
2 small zucchini or yellow summer squash, cut into 1-inch slices
1 medium yellow, green, or red sweet pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
Nonstick cooking spray
8 cherry tomatoes
3 cups hot cooked rice or orzo pasta (rosamarina) (optional)
1. Thaw fish, if frozen. For marinade, in a medium bowl combine lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the oil, the salt, thyme, and black pepper. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. Cut into 1-inch cubes. Add fish to marinade; toss gently to coat. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. Drain fish, discarding marinade.
2. In a large bowl combine the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the lemon-pepper seasoning. Add mushrooms, squash, and sweet pepper; toss to coat. Alternately thread fish, mushrooms, squash, and sweet pepper onto eight 12-inch skewers, leaving 1/4 inch between pieces. (If using wooden skewers, soak in water for 30 minutes before broiling.)
3. Coat the unheated rack of a broiler pan with cooking spray. Place fish skewers on the prepared rack. Broil about 4 inches from the heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, turning once. Place a cherry tomato on the end of each skewer the last 2 minutes of broiling. If desired, serve the kabobs with hot cooked rice or orzo. Makes 4 servings.
Grilling Method: Place skewers on the greased rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals. Grill for 8 to 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, turning once. Place a cherry tomato on the end of each skewer the last 2 minutes of grilling.
Nutritional Information
Nutritional facts per serving
calories: 192, total fat: 10g, saturated fat: 2g, monounsaturated fat: 6g, polyunsaturated fat: 1g, cholesterol: 32mg, sodium: 369mg, carbohydrate: 8g, total sugar: 4g, fiber: 2g, protein: 19g, vitamin A: 0%, vitamin C: 147%, calcium: 2%, iron: 9%, vegetables: 1.5diabetic exchange, very lean meat: 2.5diabetic exchange, fat: 1.5diabetic exchange
Southwestern Skillet
One skillet is all you'll need to prepare this spicy egg combo. If you top your eggs with sliced avocado, add 3 grams of carbohydrates.
Serve with:
1/3 cup of blueberries
Sparkling water
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
1 yellow sweet pepper, cut into thin bite-size strips
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil
4 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 medium ripe avocado, seeded, peeled, and sliced (optional)
1. In a large skillet cook almonds over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet; set aside.
2. In the same skillet cook sweet pepper and jalapeno pepper in hot oil about 2 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.
3. Break one of the eggs into a measuring cup. Carefully slide the egg into simmering tomato mixture. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Sprinkle eggs lightly with salt and black pepper.
4. Cover and cook eggs over medium-low heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until whites are completely set and yolks begin to thicken but are not firm.
5. To serve, transfer eggs to serving plates with a slotted spoon. Stir tomato mixture; spoon around eggs on plates. Sprinkle with toasted almonds. If desired, serve with avocado slices. Makes 4 servings.
Nutritional Information
Nutritional facts per serving
calories: 172, total fat: 11g, saturated fat: 2g, monounsaturated fat: 6g, polyunsaturated fat: 2g, cholesterol: 213mg, sodium: 228mg, carbohydrate: 11g, total sugar: 5g, fiber: 3g, protein: 9g, vitamin A: 0%, vitamin C: 163%, calcium: 5%, iron: 10%, vegetables: 2diabetic exchange, medium-fat meat: 1diabetic exchange, fat: 1diabetic exchange
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