High Protein – Low Carb Meals
Below is a High Protein – Low Carb menu I will be preparing for one of my valued clients this week. The vegetable we will highlight this week is Broccoli Rabe.*
Asian Glazed Roasted Pork
Pork tenderloin, carefully marinated with garlic, scallion, ginger, Chile pepper, sesame oil, freshly squeezed lemon and orange juice. Served with Asian vegetables.
(pork: 6 grams of carbs + vegetables: 13.5 grams of carbs = 19.5 grams of total carbs )
Chicken & Shitake Marsala
Organic chicken breast, shitake mushrooms, Marsala wine, green onions and hint of butter.
Served with Garlic cauliflower.
(chicken: 8.32 grams of carbs + cauliflower: 12 grams of carbs = 20.32 grams of total carbs )
Halibut with Miso Glaze
Halibut glazed with sweet white miso, sake, mirin and sesame.
Served with Asparagus with ginger and lemon.
(halibut: 7.56 grams of carbs + asparagus: 12 grams of carbs = 19.56 grams of total carbs )
Veal Pizzaiola
Tender cutlets of veal, tomato, white wine, fresh Italian herbs, garlic, salt n pepper.
Served with Spicy garlic broccoli rabe*.
(veal: 10.5 grams of carbs + broccoli rabe: 8.6 grams of carbs = 19.10 grams of total carbs )
5 each – Side Salad with assorted vegetables
(Salad with trimmings = 13 grams of carbs)
Low Carb, low fat Salad Dressing
Celery Sticks & Baby Carrots
“Power Foods: Broccoli rabe”*.
With its deeply ruffled leaves and demure green florets, broccoli rabe (pronounced “rahb”) looks like a kinder, gentler broccoli. But it’s far from mild-mannered. This bold member of the Brassica, or cabbage, genus has a bitter edge similar to that of its cousin, mustard greens. A staple in the Italian kitchen, broccoli rabe shines as a counterpoint to starchy, sweet, and spicy foods (think: pasta and garlic), and it makes as much of an impact on your health as it does on your taste buds.
Health Benefits
The big news with broccoli rabe is its cancer-preventing potential. Like all Brassicas, it’s a rich source of glucosinolates, which your body converts to cancer-fighting sulforophanes and indoles. Studies show that these compounds are particularly effective against stomach, lung, and colon cancers, and promising research hints at protective effects against breast and prostate cancers as well.
A 3 1/2-ounce serving of broccoli rabe provides more than half your daily requirement of antioxidant-rich vitamins A and C, both of which fight off dangerous free radicals that can cause damage to your body’s cells.The bitter green is also a good source of folate (a B vitamin that protects against birth defects and heart disease), not to mention potassium, fiber, and calcium.
How to Buy
Broccoli rabe is available year-round, but cool weather brings out the best in this vegetable, mellowing its harsh edge slightly. Depending on where you shop, you may see it labeled as broccoli raab, rapini, broccoletti, or cima di rapa. Look for vibrant green leaves and plump stems; avoid bunches with yellowed leaves, flowering buds, or dry-ended stalks. Smaller-leaved plants are younger and therefore milder and tenderer than larger-leaved specimens. And take a sniff; a “cabbage-y” smell is a clue they’re past their prime.
Cooking Tip
Reduce the broccoli rabe bite by blanching and shocking it (giving it a brief dunk in salted boiling water followed by a dip in ice water). To maximize freshness, remove the twist tie and store the greens, wrapped in a damp paper towel inside a plastic bag, in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Healthy Eating!
Tags: High Protein - Low Carb Meals, High Protein- low carb diet, Long Island Personal Chef