Sponge Cake with Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 3/4 cup whole-grain pastry flour
• 1/4 cup white pastry flour or all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 6 eggs, separated
• 3/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup granular sugar substitute
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt

Frosting

• 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp granular sugar substitute
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Makes 12 Servings

1. Heat the oven to 325 F. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. For the cake: Sift the whole-grain and white flours and baking powder into a medium bowl.
3. In a large bowl, with an elecric mixer at high speed, beat egg whites until frothy, about 1 minute. Add cream of tartar and continue beating on high until  stiff peaks form, 2-3 minutes. Gradually add 1/2 cup of the sugar substitute and beat until you have a smooth glossy meringue. about 30 seconds more. Set aside.
4. In another large bowl, with the same beaters, beat the yolks on high speed for 2 minutes. Add remaining 1/4 cup sugar substitute, applesauce, milk, vanilla and salt; continue beating until mixture is very light, air and smooth, about 1 minutes more. Fold flour mixture into egg yolk mixture just until combined.
5. Add flour mixture to meringue and gently fold until whites are nearly incorporated. pour into prepared pan and bake until cake springs back when lightly touched and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 22-25 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack.
6. For the frosting: When cake is cool, combine sour cream chocolate chips in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until chips are melted and frosting is smooth, about 3 minutes. Add sugar substitute and cook, stirring, until  dissolved, about 30 seconds more. Stir in vanilla.
7. Spread warm frosting over cake and let cool at room temperature until frosting sets, about 1 hour. Cake can remain at room temperature for up to 4 hours

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts.


Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties and Holidays Cookbook. My sweet tooth was calling out for something yummy and this dessert looked to good to pass up. Homemade desserts are wonderfull treats and a nice alternative to packaged or procced foods because you know what's in your homemade dessert. This sponge cake is a delicious alternative to running out and getting a packaged dessert. Making a cake from scratch is not that scary and it's a lot of fun. This cake is lightly textured and becomes a nice indulgence when topping with the chocolate sour cream frosting. I do offer a little piece of advice when beating the egg whites: Eggs separate most easily when cold. However, when beating egg whites for a recipe, let them come ot room temperature first in order to get more volume. Adding a bit of cream of tartar to the egg whites helps them reach full volume. A pinch of lemon juice and vinegar achieves the same thing. Use the beaten egg whites immeadiately, they will lose their volume as they sit.

Caprese Skewers

Ingredients:

• 3 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 24 (1/4 to 1/2-inch) cubes
• 1 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp dried basil or 3-4 fresh basil leaved, cut chiffonade
• pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• salt
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 24 grape tomatoes, cut in half, crosswise

 Makes 8 (3-piece) skewers

Toss mozzarella with oil, basil and a pinch or two of red pepper flakes in a medim bowl. Season to tste with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and stir gently to coat. Place 2 tomato halves and 1 mozzarella cube on each of 24 toothpicks, with cheese in between tomatoes. Serve at room temperature.

 

WW POINTS VALUE: 1pt. per 3-piece serving

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties and Holidays Cookbook. I learned how to makes homemade mozzarella in 30 minutes and I didn't want my cheese to go to waste. It was interesting to see how mozzarella was made but I don't think I'll be making homemade mozzareall anytime soon. Fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and basil make a traditional Italian salad and this recipe is the perfect pasrty appetizer or light snack. These skewers are like having a taste of Italy in your mouth. I do recommend having a paper towel on hand because it will get messy when assembling the skewers.

Grilled T-Bone Steak

Ingredients:

• 4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp finely chopped rosemary
• 2 tsp freshly chopped sage
• 1 (1 1/4-lb.) T-bone steak (at least 1 1/2-inches thick), trimmed of all visible fat
• 1/2 tsp salt
• freshly ground pepper to taste

Makes 4 Servings

1.  Spray the grill rack with nonstick cooking spray; preheat the grill
2. In a small bowl, mix the oil, rosemary and sage. Rub the steak with herb mixture; place on the grill  rack. Grill 3 inches from the heat, turning once, 6 minutes on each side for rare. Season with salt and pepper as soon as the steak is done. Transfer the steak to a cutting board; let stand about 5 minutes before slicing.

WW POINTS VALUE: (1/4 of steak) 6 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. I was craving protein and in desperate need for a juicy piece of steak. This is a wonderful dinner if you have very food in your kitchen and you want to put dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes. This steak is a flavorful steak with very  few ingredients. You can use any piece of steak for this recipe. Plus it's perfect for the grill when the weather gets nice.

Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp butter or fat-free margarine
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
• 2 tbsp heavy cream or fat-free half-and-half
• 1 tsp brandy or dark rum
• 3 tbsp sugar

Makes 3/4 cup

Put the butter, cocoa, cream, sugar and 1 tbsp water in a small nonreactive saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly, and cook for about 2 minutes or until mixture thickens and the cocoa is dissolved. (If the mixture is too thick, thin with cream or water.)

 

WW POINTS VALUE: Who Knows?

 

Note: This recipe appears in The New Legal Seafoods Cookbook. I was craving chocoalte for dessert and this recipe looked so simple. This chocolate sauce is delicious and can be made in minutes. This sauce is ideal for dipping or drizzled over ice cream.

White Wine Butter Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 2 tsp  crushed black peppercorns
• 4 tbsp butter or fat-free margarine
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp flour
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp capers

Makes 1 Cup

 

WW POINTS VALUE: Who knows?

Place the cream or half-and-half  and garlic in a small nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a boil and gently boil until reduced to 1/2 cup. Set aside. Meanwhile, in another nonreactive saucepan, boil the wine and peppercorns until the wine is reduced to about 1 1/2 tbsp. Whisk in the cream, and then, tablespoon by tablespoon, the butter. Stir in the lemon juice and flour to make the the sauce thicker. Season with a pinch of red pepper flakes, if desired, and salt. Add capers to the sauce before serving. Either drizzle over food or place along side the dish.

 

Note: This recipe appears in The New Legal Seafoods Cookbook. I was hungry and craving fish and I didn't want to make a complicated dish. I had just returned from vacation and I was so inspired by this delicious fish dish I had at an Italian restaurant. I had this Grouper Vicatta and I wanted to recreate this dish in my own way and this sauce looked like it came close. I added some ingredients tomake this sauce thick and it was delicious. I added the lemon and capers for more flavor and flour to thicken the sauce. This sauce is heavenly and can be served over chicken, fish, rice, vegetables and even pasta. If you have any sauce leftover, I highly recommend serving it over pasta and vegetables and it's so heavenly delicious.

Asparagus Soup with Parmesean Sprinkle

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 1/2 lbs.asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 4 tsp freshly grated Parmesean cheese
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper

Makes 4 (1 1/4-cup) Servings

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add onion, garlic and asparagus and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions soften, 5-7 minutes. Do Not Brown!
2. Add broth, bring to a simmer, and cook until asparagus is just tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and carefully puree with a blender or hand blender. Return to the pan, gently reheat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve each with  a sprinkle of Parmesean.

 WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook. This dish is a delicious dish for lunch, a small snack or can even be served as an appetizer or main course for dinner. It may look disgusting to look at but it's certainly heavenly in your mouth. Even though there are a few simple ingredients in this soup, it is rich and flavorful. Plus if you have any vegetarian friends, they will love you if you cook this soup.

Chicken and Veggie Chowder

Ingredients:

• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4" strips
• 2 tbsp trans-free margarine
• 3 tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1 cup skim milk
• 3 spears asparagus, cut into 1" pieces or 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a large pot, combine the broth, carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms, garlic, thyme and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Using a slotted spoon, remove half of the vegetable mixture to a food processor and process until pureed. Return to the saucepan.
2. Stir in the chicken, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink.
3. Melt the margarine in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour until smooth and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add the milk and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes, or until thickened. Stir into the chicken mixture. Add the asparagus or broccoli, parsley and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, or until heated through.

 WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. This is a wonderful alternative to the typical chicken noodle soup with all the herbs and vegetables. Normally, chowders have heavy cream in their ingredients but this chowder has skim milk as an alternative. The puree of vegetables also thicken this dish and the herbs add a touch of flavor. I highly recommend serving this chowder for company along with a Savory Cheddar Cheese Biscuit to make it a hearty-one dish meal or course. This dish is also a great comfort food and perfect to make for someone who is sick.