Rosemary-Grilled Salmon

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary + 6 sprigs
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 6 (6 oz.) salmon steaks
• 6 (1/4-inch) slices lemon

Makes 6 Servings (1 salmon steak per serving)

1. Stir together lemon zest and juice, oil, chopped rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Arrange salmon in shallow baking dish; drizzle with lemon juice mixture. Refrigerate 15 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, spray grill rack with nonstick spray. Preheat grill to medium-high or prepare medium-high fire. 
3. With tongs, push 3 rosemary sprigs through grill rack onto lit burners. Place salmon and slices of lemon on grill rack and grill until fish is just opaque throughout and lemon is lightly charred along edges, about 5 minutes per side. Discard marinade. Transfer salmon to platter; top with grilled lemon slices and remaining 3 rosemary sprigs. 

WW  POINTS VALUE: 8 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. If you enjoy grilling, this dish is for you. This dish will light up the grill and fill you up. Salmon is filled with good fats and it's good for your heart and waistline. Firm-fleshed fish is great for grilling. Salmon, halibut, catfish, arctic char, and trout are good choices for grilling fish because they are nice and thick and are juicy and delicious as a result. This dish has a nice taste to it. I do highly recommend adding garlic to the lemon juice mixture because garlic always makes everything taste better. Don't forget to serve a side of grilled vegetables of your choice alongside the salmon to make the meal complete. 

Old-Fashioned Ginger Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup dark molasses
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp. grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp. granulated sugar

Makes 36 Cookies (1 cookie per serving)

1. Place the oven rack in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. 
2. Whisk together pastry flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger in a medium bowl. Whisk together the oil, molasses, egg, and fresh ginger in a large bowl until smooth; whisk in 1 cup of the sugar. Add the flour mixture and stir until blended. Let the dough rest about 10 minutes.  
3. Spread the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar on a small plate. Roll scant tablespoonfuls of the dough into 1-inch ball, making a total of 36 balls. Dip the tops of the balls in the sugar and place, sugar side up, on the baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are cracked, soft in the center, and firm along the edges, 10-12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets on racks about 2 minutes. With a spatula, transfer the cookies to racks and let cool completely. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt. 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Best-Ever Desserts Cookbook. If you love gingerbread cookies, these treats are for you. These cookies are tasty and addictive. I had to make adjustments to this recipe to make the dough more doughy. I cut the sugar from 1 cup to 1/2 a cup, added 1 egg to make it 2 eggs and I added 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg to make the cookies more flavorful. If you don't have canola oil on hand, use olive oil instead and the cookies will be just as tasty. 

Baked Portebello Caps with Melted Goat Cheese

Ingredients;

• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 4 large portebello mushroom caps
• 4 oz. reduced-fat goat cheese
• 2 tbsp. pine nuts, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
• basil sprig, for garnish

Makes 4 Servings (1 stuffed cap per serving)

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Spread the sauce in the bottom of a 9" x 9" baking dish. Arrange the mushroom caps, grill side up, on top. Place the goat cheese on each mushroom. Sprinkle evenly with the pine nuts. Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Top with the chopped basil. Garnish with the basil sprig.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. This is a simple dish to either kick-start your healthy lifestyle or if your fell off the wagon and want to get back on track. You can enjoy cheese, tomato sauce and mushrooms when they are cooked the right way. These mushroom caps are like mini pizzas without the guilt. I highly recommend using homemade tomato sauce in this recipe because you know what is in the sauce and homemade sauce is more flavorful.

Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients:

• 4 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil 
• 2 tbsp. whole wheat flour
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/2 lb. chicken, cooked, cut in 1/2-inch x 1-inch pieces
• 3 cups roasted vegetables
• 1/4 cup peas, frozen 
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Dumplings:

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp. fresh dill
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• 1 tsp. unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup low-fat milk

Makes 4 Servings

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. For the dumplings: Combine the flour, baking powder, Parmesan cheese, and herbs in a food processor. Pulse in the butter until it becomes small pieces. Move to a bowl. Stir in the milk until just combined. 
3. For the chicken mixture: Place the olive oil in a saucepan or Dutch oven 9 inches by 3 to 4 inches deep. Heat over medium heat, add flour, and stir and cook for 3 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock in a gradual stream, stirring constantly with a whisk to remove all lumps. Bring to a simmer; then reduce to a bare simmer. Cook for 15 minutes. Add the chicken, vegetables, peas, and parsley. Bring to a simmer and adjust seasonings. Drop dumpling mixture by teaspoons on top of stew. Cover and place in preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 9 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears in the New Sonoma Diet Cookbook. Chicken and dumplings is a classic comfort food that tastes good. This dish flavorful and filling. I added Parmesan cheese and herbs to the dumpling mixture to add more flavor to the dish as well as adding garlic to the stew. If you don't have roasted vegetables on hand, frozen vegetables of your choice will work just as well. 

Banana-Coconut Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 egg whites
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tbsp. canola oil
• 4 very ripe bananas, mashed (2 cups)
• 1/2 cup diced mixed dried tropical fruit
• 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp. unsweetened flaked coconut

Makes 12 Servings (1/12 of loaf per serving)

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a 5 X 9-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the sugar, egg whites, applesauce, and oil in a medium bowl. Add the applesauce mixture, bananas, dried fruit, and 1/3 cup of the coconut to the flour mixture; stir just until moistened.
3. Scrape the batter into the pan; sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 55-60 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and let cool completely on the rack. Wrap the cooled bread in plastic wrap; let stand overnight before slicing for the neatest slices. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Best-Ever Desserts Cookbook. You can have your banana bread and eat it too. Banana bread is a nice comfort snack you can enjoy any time of day. This banana bread has a more fruity flavor to it and it's much more moist. The original recipe calls for 3/4 cup of granulated sugar but you can cut the sugar in half with all the natural sugars from the fruits and applesauce. I also highly recommend using whole wheat flour in place of all-purpose flour to make the banana bread more healthy. 

Chicken Salad Nicoise

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. thin-sliced chicken breast cutlets
• 2 tsps. + 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 tsp. dried oregano
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed
• 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 8 cups shredded or torn romaine lettuce (about 10 oz.) 
• 8 large plum tomatoes, cut into thin wedges
• 16 pitted kalamata olives

Makes 4 Servings 

1. Heat the broiler with the rack 6 inches from the heat. 
2. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with 2 teaspoons of the oil. Sprinkle both sides with the oregano and season lightly  with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on a broiler pan and broil for 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through but still juicy. When cool enough to handle, cut the chicken crosswise into strips. 
3. Meanwhile, in a steamer, cook the green beans for 3-5 minutes, until crisp-tender. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and drain well. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, the lemon juice, and mustard. 
4. In a large bowl, toss the lettuce with 3 tablespoons of the dressing. Make a bed of lettuce on each of 4 serving plates. top each with one-fourth of the chicken, green beans, tomatoes, and olives. Drizzle each salad with 1 tablespoon of the remaining dressing. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook. If you love French cuisine, this salad is definitely for you. A Nicoise salad is a French salad based in the city of Nice, France. French cuisine is divine and delicious. This salad is deliciously filling. It has four servings of vegetables, a lean protein and a delicious homemade dressing that goes great on the chicken and greens. If you don't have romaine lettuce on hand, use spinach, arugula or kale and the salad will be just as delicious. You can also use the dressing on the chicken alone or on a salad to make your meal more flavorful and tasty.