Email
PrintFive Healthy, Rib-Sticking Man Meals for Summer!
Now that the weather has gotten a little warmer and you’ve put away those baggy winter pants and shirts, you may have found that your summer clothes just don’t fit the way they used to. Most of us dive into extreme diets to get back to our pre-winter weight, which means that we resign ourselves to eat tiny portions with little flavor.
I think it’s time to change all that.
I’ve put together five healthy, rib-sticking man meals that will help you lose weight without losing flavor, and most importantly, they’re meals that will fill you up!
Grilled Bison Rib Eye with Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Serves 1
We live in the “steak and potatoes” Midwest. This recipe is a great alternative to that grilled steak and baked potato that we all love. Compared to beef, bison has about 25% less calories and about 55% less grams of fat. Sweet potatoes are also high in vitamin C, B6, fiber, copper, potassium, and feature many antioxidants.
9 ounce center cut bison rib eye
1 sprig Rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 sweet potato (peeled)
2 tablespoons Parmesan
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3-4 large stalks of asparagus
Salt and pepper to taste
1. To season the rib eye, pull the leaves off of the rosemary sprig and rub onto steak with garlic, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
2. Dice the sweet potato into large chunks and toss with 1tablespoon olive oil, Parmesan, chopped rosemary, and parsley. Place in 425 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Potatoes should be tender when done.
3. Toss asparagus with 1tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper.
4. Grill rib eye on hot grill. Steak should sizzle when you put in on. Grill for three minutes then turn 90 degrees. Grill for three more minutes and flip, three more minutes and turn, then three more minutes. Pull your steak off the grill and rest for five minutes.
5. Grill asparagus until tender, about four to five minutes.
6. Serve rib eye on plate with side of asparagus and sweet potatoes.
Whole Wheat Fettuccine and Chicken Carbonara
Serves 6
This is a great substitute for those of you who love chicken Alfredo. Growing up, there was nothing more satisfying than a big bowl of creamy fettuccine Alfredo with lots of cream and cheese. By substituting heavy cream with fresh eggs in this recipe, you still get that creamy texture but without all the grams of fat and calories, and you’re adding lots of protein.
1 pound whole wheat fettuccine (I prefer DeCecco)
6 large fresh eggs
Lean bacon or turkey bacon, diced
1 cup diced Portobello mushroom
1/4 cup sweet peas
3 6 ounce grilled chicken breasts
1 clove chopped garlic
1/2 cup Parmesan
1/4 extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1. Bring 8 cups of water to boil. Add enough salt that your water should taste like saltwater. When water begins to boil, add pasta, stirring occasionally. Cook for 8-9 minutes or al dente. Strain and reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
2. Crack eggs into mixing bowl. Add sweet peas, grilled chicken and Parmesan.
3. Sauté bacon, mushrooms and garlic in extra-virgin olive oil for 5 minutes. Turn pan down to low and add pasta, reserved pasta water, egg mixture and salt and pepper. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes.
4. Serve with parmesan or Asiago on top. You can add other vegetables into this dish as well like sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, or zucchini.
Sea Scallops with Lemon-Rosemary Bean Salad
Serves 6
This is a perfect dish to show off your cooking skills at a dinner party! It’s a simple recipe that you’d see on most restaurant menus for upwards of $30 or $40. And guess what? It’s a protein-rich, healthy meal that men and women will both enjoy.
12 (or 2 per person) dry-packed large sea scallops U-13 count
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 lemons
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 yellow onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 red bell pepper diced
1/4 Tablespoon Parmesan
4 1/4 canned white beans, drained and rinsed
2 pinches of hot pepper flake
Salt and Pepper to taste
1. Season scallops with 1tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, one pinch of chili flake, salt and pepper. Heat 1/8 cup of olive oil. Add scallops to pan and sear. The pan should sizzle when scallops are added. Cook for 3-4 minutes and flip. Cook for 4 more minutes and remove from pan to rest.
2. In separate sauté pan, heat olive oil and add onion, garlic and diced bell pepper. Sauté for 5-6 minutes and add white beans, a pinch of chili flake, Parmesan, juice from two lemons, rosemary, salt and pepper. Toss and stir for 2 minutes over moderate heat.
3. Plate beans and place scallops on top. Dress place with lemon zest, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprig of rosemary.
Grilled Ahi Tuna with Romesco Sauce
Serves 4
This is a great recipe for all of those grill-masters out there. By using your grill to cook some ingredients in the sauce, you’ll introduce an incredible smoky flavor that will enhance a nice piece of Ahi tuna steak. You can also do this recipe with mahi mahi, halibut, swordfish, chicken or pork chops.
4 1 pound Ahi tuna steaks
1 jalapeno
2 tomatoes
2 red bell peppers
1/8 cup almonds
1/8 pine nuts
2 large basil leaves
Sprig of parsley
Sprig of cilantro
Clove garlic
1 lemon halved
1 lime halved
2 teaspoon ground cumin divided
2 teaspoon ground coriander divided
1/8 cup + 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Season tuna steaks with half an 1/8 of olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin and coriander.
2. Toss peppers, tomatoes, jalapeno, lemon and lime in other half of the 1/8th of olive oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Grill peppers, tomatoes, jalapeno, lemon and lime until they start to char. Remove stems and seeds from the peppers and the stem from the tomatoes and add to blender. Squeeze juice from lemons and limes into blender.
4. Add pine nuts, almonds, basil, parsley, cilantro, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper and 1/8 cup of olive oil to blender.
5. Puree till smooth.
6. Grill Ahi tuna on hot grill 3-4 minutes per side for nice rare steak.
7. Serve tuna and sauce over couscous, brown rice or grilled vegetables.
Italian Pork Chop with Garlic Herb Brown Rice
Serves 4
Pork chops are a great source of protein, and a 12 ounce pork chop has only about 425 calories in it. That means you can eat a lot more than the recommended 4 ounce serving (who only eats 4 ounces of pork chops?) and still only have 425 calories! The garlic herb brown rice gives you a satisfying, healthy side as well.
4 12 ounce pork chops
18 ounces pork or chicken stock
3 lemons
1/8 cup dry white wine
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cup sliced baby Portobello mushrooms
Jar of mild cherry peppers in vinegar
Pinch of chili flake
1 pound brown rice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic minced
1/8 cup Parmesan
1/8 cup Feta
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat large skillet with olive oil. Sear pork chops on high on one side until golden brown. Flip and sear for 3 minutes.
2. Add mushrooms, chili flake and salt and pepper. Sauté for 3 minutes.
3. Deglaze pan with wine. Add stock, vinegar, juice of three lemons, 12 cherry peppers and about 3 tablespoons of the cherry pepper vinegar. Cover and reduce on medium for 12-14 minutes.
4. In pot, boil 4 cups of salted water. Add couscous and cook until al dente. Strain.
5. Return to pan and add olive oil, garlic, parmesan, feta, parsley, salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Plate couscous and place chop on top. Reduce sauce down until thicker. Drizzle over chop. You can also add mushrooms, peppers or asparagus to your couscous as well.
