Remember that summer barbecue where you stuffed your face with ribs, potato salad and ice cream and left feeling light, unbloated and without any regrets? Me, either. There’s nothing like downing a sodium-bomb burger with a side of coleslaw and potato chips and realizing the gravity of your actions 10 minutes later, while you’re nursing a food baby in the hot sun and pulling at your ever-tighter bikini bottoms. Get your grub on, no regrets, with these health-conscious barbecue dishes, which taste great while cutting carbs, fat and calories
Coleslaw That Doesn’t Come From a Plastic Tub Asian-inspired coleslaw
The scoop: This mayo-less treat is full of flavor and heat, and features a ton of antioxidant-packed fruits and veggies.
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
1/2 small Savoy cabbage, finely shredded
1 carrot, grated
5 tablespoons fresh coconut, grated
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 green onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1/2 teaspoons chili paste
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoons black pepper
Directions:
Combine the first seven ingredients in a large a mixing bowl. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, add vinegar, ginger, chili paste, salt, pepper and Dijon mustard. Mix until well combined. Pour over reserved salad and stir well.
Creamy Potato Salad That Won’t Make You Hate Yourself Red potato salad with dill and Greek yogurt
The scoop: Substituting Greek yogurt (get the fat-free kind) for mayo saves major calories and adds protein while maintaining the potato salad’s creamy texture.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds red potatoes, skin-on, 3/4-inch diced
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 green onions, thinly sliced
3 1/2 tablespoons Dijon whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste
Handful of dill, chopped
Directions:
Add potatoes and enough cold water to cover in a stockpot. Simmer on medium about 20 minutes until potatoes are tender. Drain. Cool potatoes for 10 minutes in a single layer on a baking sheet.
In a large bowl, combine Greek yogurt, green onions, Dijon whole grain mustard, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper and dill. Stir to mix well. Add the cooled potatoes to the yogurt mixture and toss until all potatoes are well-coated. Pop in the fridge until ready to serve.
Get Your Salt Fix and Eat Your Veggies Simultaneously Sesame mirin kale chips
The scoop: Kale chips are so easy to make — all you really need is fresh kale and a little oil and salt — but using different spices is an easy way to add variety. Try garlic powder or chili powder or just follow this Asian-inflected recipe.
Makes 1 large bowl
Ingredients:
6 ounces kale leaves
2 tablespoons melted extra virgin coconut oil
1 tablespoon mirin or rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
4 tablespoons hulled sesame seeds
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse the kale leaves and pat dry with towel or paper. Tear the leaves into bite-size pieces. Discard the thick stem in the middle. Take the biggest bowl you have and put the pieces of kale leaves in there. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix and massage thoroughly so that the pieces of leaves are covered everywhere with oil and spices. Spread the pieces of leaves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper so that they touch each other as little as possible. Bake for 10-13 minutes, or until crispy and not too brown. Let cool and serve.
Burgers That Won’t Instantly Clog Your Arteries Black bean and flaxseed veggie burgers
The scoop: Black beans and flaxseeds are heart-healthy and protein-heavy. This recipe is also low in sodium, flavored instead with garlic and spices. To make these burgers gluten-free, use certified gluten-free oats, tamari and breadcrumbs.
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
Flax “eggs”: 2 1/2 tablespoons ground flax and 1/2 cup warm water, mixed in bowl
1 cup oats, processed into a flourlike texture
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup cooked black beans, rinsed and roughly pureed or mashed
Heaping 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1/3 cup almonds, chopped (toasted if preferred)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, (toasted if preferred)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon tamari (soy sauce)
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoons oregano
Fine grain sea salt and black pepper, to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon salt or a bit more)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (if baking). In a large skillet, sauté onions and garlic in 1/2 tablespoon oil. Mix your flax egg together in a small bowl and set aside for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Place all ingredients (except spices and salt) into a large mixing bowl and stir very well. Now, add seasonings and salt to taste.
With slightly wet hands, shape dough into patties. Pack dough tightly as this will help it stick together.
Cooking methods: You can fry the burgers in a bit of oil on a skillet over medium heat for about five minutes on each side. For the barbecue, pre-bake the burgers for about 15 minutes in oven before placing on a pre-heated grill until golden and crisp on each side.
Yummy, Meaty Burgers Without Beef Tuna burgers with carrot-ginger sauce
The scoop: Full of B vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids, tuna is a lean protein source, and ginger has anti-inflammatory properties.
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 small carrot, roughly chopped
1 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
Pinch of sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound sushi-grade tuna
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup spicy sprouts, for garnish
4 whole-grain hamburger buns
1/2 avocado, sliced
Directions:
Pulse the carrot and ginger in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce and sugar and process until smooth. Drizzle in 2 tablespoons water and combine; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and set aside.
Chop the tuna into chunks. Wipe out the food processor and add the tuna; pulse a few times to break up the pieces. In a bowl, mix two tablespoons olive oil, the soy sauce, lime juice, cilantro and ginger; season with salt and pepper. Pour over the tuna and process until well blended. Form into four patties; brush each lightly with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil.
Preheat a grill or grill pan. Once hot, add the burgers and cook for two minutes on each side for rare, or to desired doneness.
Toss the sprouts in the carrot-ginger sauce. Place the burgers on buns and top with avocado and sprouts.
Throw Some Shrimp on the Barbie Grilled shrimp with honey-ginger barbecue sauce
The scoop: Shrimp are low in calories and high in protein, not to mention inexpensive if you buy them frozen.
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
Sauce:
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup mild honey
1/2 cup ketchup
1 1/2 tablespoons hot sauce, such as Tabasco
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced peeled ginger
1 teaspoon salt
Shrimp:
4 pounds jumbo or extra-large shrimp in shell, peeled, leaving tail and adjoining shell segment intact, and deveined
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
18 to 24 (12-inch) wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
Mexican Food That’s Not a Gut Bomb Grilled vegetarian tostada
The scoop: The tostada is one of the most notoriously calorific entrees in the Mexican food oeuvre. By grilling shells instead of frying them, and cutting out the meat and sour cream, you get a guilt-free, flavorful vehicle for veggies. (If you just can’t live without sour cream, the fat-free kind is super low-cal. You can also use a dollop of fat-free Greek yogurt.)
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grill
3 medium zucchini (1 1/2 pounds total), cut into 1/2-inch-wide slices
4 Portobello mushrooms (1 pound total), stemmed
1 1/2 bunches scallions, root ends trimmed
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 flour tortillas (10-inch or burrito-size)
3 cups store-bought or fresh salsa
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 lime, cut lengthwise into 4 wedges (optional), for serving
The Perfect Treat for Paleo Dieters Flank steak skewers with cherry barbecue sauce
The scoop: If you’ve gotta have beef at your barbecue, flank steak is the leanest cut. Avoid tough, chewy texture by cutting the meat against the grain.
Makes 16 skewers
Ingredients:
Sauce:
2 teaspoons ghee or fat of choice
1/2 cup minced shallot
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (1-inch) ginger root, peeled and finely grated
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup coconut aminos (or wheat-free tamari)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup apple juice
10 ounces frozen cherries, roughly chopped
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Skewers:
1 1/2-pound flank steak
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons melted ghee
1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced (optional)
Grill Fruit? Yes, You Can! Grilled fruit salad with creamy goat cheese topping
The scoop: Grilling fruit caramelizes the natural sugars and takes a standard salad to the next level. Bonus: Each serving of this fruit salad packs 11 grams of protein. (And if you just can’t deal with adding protein powder to dessert, Greek yogurt and goat cheese help retain some of the protein content.)
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
2 peaches, cut in half, pit removed
3 plums, cut in half, pit removed
2 Bosc pears, cut in half, core and stem removed
2 fresh figs, cut in half
1 pink grapefruit, cut in half
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
1 ounce unripened goat cheese
2 tablespoons fat free plain Greek yogurt
1 scoop vanilla-flavored whey protein powder (optional)Directions:
Preheat your outdoor grill to very high heat and oil grates. While grill is heating, prep all your fruits. Set them face up on a cutting board and sprinkle with a tiny bit of freshly cracked black pepper.
When grill is hot enough, place your fruits face down on the grill and cook until they get nice grill marks on them, about three to five minutes.
Remove from grill and set on your cutting board. Cut peaches, plums and pears into bite-size pieces and transfer to medium-size mixing bowl.
Using a teaspoon, remove the flesh from the grapefruit and add to the rest of the fruits. Squeeze as much of the juice as you can over the fruits. Toss in basil and mint leaves and mix until well combined. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, add goat cheese, Greek yogurt and protein powder. Mix with a spoon until well incorporated. Let the mixture rest for about a minute and give it another quick stir to make it smooth
Super-Pretty, Guilt-Free Popsicles Frozen mango-kiwi-raspberry pops
The scoop: Each of these fresh-fruit popsicles has four grams of fiber and just 90 calories, making this a low-cal, low-investment dessert.
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
9 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons sugar
5 ounces kiwi, peeled
6 ounces mango, peeled
6 ounces fresh raspberries
Directions:
Make a simple syrup by combining water and sugar in a small pot and bringing to a boil for about four to five minutes on medium heat. Set aside.
Puree kiwis, mangos and raspberries one fruit at a time in a blender. Set aside in three small bowls. Divide the simple syrup among the fruit purees and mix in.
Equally fill four five-ounce cups with the kiwi puree and place in the freezer; freeze one hour.
