Easy Ranch Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/2 cup fresh chives, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar, lemon juice or water, to taste

Makes 8 Servings

1. Put the garlic clove on a cutting board; sprinkle with salt. Finely chop garlic and then scrape it with the side of knife until a paste forms; place in a small bowl.
2. Add sour cream, mayonnaise and water; stir until smooth. Stir in chives, parsley and pepper until blended; cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour for flavors to blend. Thin out with vinegar, lemon juice and/or water if desired. Yields about 2 tablespoons per serving.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts (2 tbsp per serving)

 

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. Looking for a dip for your snack, party or even as a side dish for your dinner? Look no further than this easy homemade ranch dip. Who does not love ranch dressing? It's great with vegetables, chicken, steak, potatoes and even baked chips. My mother and I loved this dip. One bite of this dip and you'll never buy ranch dressing again.

 

Baked Turkey and Jack Cheese Chimichangas

Ingredients:

• cooking spray
• 1/2 lb. lean ground turkey
• 16 oz. fat-free canned refried beans
• 1 3/4 cups salsa
• 4 1/2 oz. canned mild green chili peppers, drained and diced
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 3 tbsp scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
• 8 large whole-wheat tortillas
• 1 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Makes 8 Servings

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Coat a 13- X 9- X 2-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Add turkey to skillet and cook over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Drain any excess liquid from pan and then add beans, 1 3/4 cups of salsa, chili peppers, chili powder and scallions. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes; stir in cheese.
3. Meanwhile, wrap tortillas in foil; warm in oven for 10 minutes.
4. Assemble chimichangas by spooning about 1/2 cup of turkey mixture onto each tortilla; fold in sides and roll up.
5. Place chimichangas, seam-side down, in prepared baking dish. Bake, uncovered, until tortillas are crisp and browned, about 20 minutes. Serve each topped with 2 tablespoons of salsa and 1 tablespoon of sour cream.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5pts

 

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. Who doesn't love comfort food whether it was Italian, Mexican, Chinese, etc? I was really craving comfort food with lean protien and I've always wanted to try these. These Chimichangas really hit the spot. They were so delcious and filling and I thoroughly enjoyed them. You don't need to fry this traditional Mexican comfort food. Bake the tortillas until they are lightly browned and crisp. The filling of this comfort food is so delicious with the cheese melted in with the salsa, beans, veggies and turkey. I highly recommend making your own salsa because it's fresh and you know what's in it. You can also use any kind of Mexican cheese in this dish and it  will still be delicious and you can also substitute black beans in place of the refried beans. I also highly recommend using fresh jalapeno peppers in place of the canned green chili peppers for a more authentic Mexican taste. Also, use as much sour cream as you'd like because you'll need it to cool off the heat in your mouth.

 



Crispy Trout with Lemon-Caper Sauce

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp trans-fat-free margarine, melted
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed
• 4 (5-6 oz.) trout filets, skin on
• 1 1/2 tsp canola oil, plus extra for brushing the fish
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4  Servings

1. Whisk margarine, lemon juice and capers together in a mixing bowl until smooth.
2. Rinse trout under cold water and pat dry well with paper towels. Brush well with oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until rippling but not smoking. Add trout, skin side down (in batches, if necessary), and cook for 3 mintues; turn and cook 1 minute longer. Remove from pan, top with lemon sauce and serve hot.
    

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. I had the house to myself last night and I wanted to make something special for myself. I really enjoy fish and I have come to love trout and order it in restaurants if it's on the menu because it's so good when it's cooked right. Trout with lemon and butter is to die for. I LOVED this dinner. The trout was cooked perfectly and the lemon-caper butter sauce was delicicous. The skin from the trout easily comes off. The tangy lemon juice, the saltiness from the capers and the melted margarine was perfect for this flaky, fresh water fish. Serve this with sauted green vegetables such as beans, broccoli or asparagus and you'll have the ultimate healthy gourmet meal. 

Potato-Cheese Dumplings with Sour Cream-Chive Dip

Ingredients:

• cooking spray
• 1 medium uncooked baking potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 2 tbsp fat-free sour cream
• 24 wonton wrappers
• 1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1 tbsp fresh chives, minced

Makes 6 Servings

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Combine potato and garlic in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and set pan over high heat. Bring to a boil and boil until potato is fork-tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and transfer potato and garlic to a large bowl; add cheese and 2 tablespoons of sour cream. Mash mixture together with a fork until lumpy.
3. Place wonton wrappers on a flat surface. Drop potato mixture by tablespoonfuls onto center of each wrapper. Moisten edges of wrapper with wet fingers, fold over one side to make a half circle and press sides together to seal. Transfer filled wrappers to prepared baking sheet and coat surface with cooking spray.
4. Bake until wontons are golden brown, about 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, combine remaining 1/4 cup of sour cream and chives. Mix well and serve with potato dumplings.
   
   

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts (4 wontons and 1 tablespoon of dip per serving)

 

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. Who doesn't love potatoes? This recipe puts a new spin on the traditional potato and sour cream. My mom and I loved these potato wontons. It was a mashed potato with the traditional toppings stuffed into a wonton and baked. These are easy to make and they also make a great appetizer and a delicious side dish to your dinner. You can also use any kind of cheese-Parmesean, mozzarella, colby, Monterey Jack, Swiis, Gruyere, etc-in this potato wonton and it will be delicious.



Cinnamon-Chocolate Mandelbrot

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup whole almonds
• 1/2 cup trans-free margarine, melted
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granular sugar substitute
• 1/4 cup undiluted orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp grated orange zest
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole-grain pastry flour
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate or chocolate chips

Makes 2 dozen cookies

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Place almonds on a baking sheet and bake until fragrant and lightly toasted, about 8 minutes. Cool and coarsely chop.
2. Combine margarine, 1/4 cup of the sugar substitute, orange juice concentrate, eggs, zest, and vanilla in a medium bowl.
3. In a large bowl, sift together whole-grain and all-purpose flours, baking powder, 2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, and salt. Stir in chopped almonds and chocolate. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and stir just to combine. Using your hands, knead the dough gently until it sticks togeter and forms a ball. Divide dough in half and shape each half into an 8-inch-long log. Place logs on a baking sheet and press each gently to flatten to 1-inch thickness. Bake logs for 20 minutes, remove from oven, and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar substitute and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl.
4. When logs are cool, use a serrated knife to cut each log crosswise into 12 pieces. Lay cookies flat on the baking sheet and sprinkle the tops evenly with the cinnamon mixture. Bake until cookies are lightly golden, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. It's Hannukah, I was craving something sweet and I wanted to make something special. I'm not Jewish but I wanted to try something new. I made these cookies last night and they were delicious. My mother loved these cookies too. Mandelbrot is a twice-baked cookie associated with Eastern European Jews that literally means almond bread. It's made by forming dough into a loaf, baking it, slicing the loaf into oblong cookies and baking again. The crunchy, dry cookies were popular in Eastern Europe among rabbis, merchants and other itinerant Jews as a staple dessert that kept well. I really loved this cookie because the combination of the almonds, chocolate, cinnamon, orange juices and zest, and vanilla make this cookie a new guilty pleasure for the holiday season. Mandelbrot is a twice-baked cookie that's similar to the Italian biscotti that is a traditional Hannukah favorite. One bite of these cookies and they will be a holiday favorite in your house whether or not you're Jewish.

Baked Pears with Chocolate Sauce and Pomegranate Seeds

Ingredients:

• 4 Anjou pears, peeled, halved lengthwise and cored
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg.
• 1 tbsp trans-fat-free margarine, cut into 8 pieces
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp + 1 tsp fat-free half-and-half
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

Makes 8 Servings

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Sprinklepears with cinnamon and nutmeg and place, cut side up, in a baking dish. Place 1 piece of margarine in the core cavity of each pear. Add water to dish and bake until pears are tender, about 1 1 hour, basting with water once halfway through. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Slice each pear lengthwise into thin slices and fan out on dessert plates.
2. Heat chocolate and half-and-half in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and well combined, 1-2 minutes. Using a large spoon, drizzle chocolate decoratively over pear slices. Sprinkle with pomegrante seeds and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. Here's an elegant dessert that will get you into the holiday spirit. Cooked fruit drizzled in chocolate topped with pomegrantes is a wonderful way to celebrate Christmas. I added the nutmeg to this recipe because cinnamon and nutmeg go very well together especially in fruit. The fruit smells so delicious when it's baking in the oven and it will make your kitchen smell like Christmas. You can always use skim milk in place of the half-and-half and your chocolate sauce will still be delicious. You may need practice with the chocolate sauce because the sauce does take practice to perfect. The pomegrante seeds give this dessert a nice tart finish in your mouth. I highly  recommend serving this dish to Santa when he comes to visit you Christmas Eve. He may give you an extra gift or a really nice gift thia dish is that good. Trust me.

 

 



Chipotle Beef Burrito

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped, plus 2 tbsp sauce from can
• 1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (1/2-pound) bunch spinach, chopped (6 cups)
• 4 whole-wheat tortillas
• 2 oz. shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese (1/2 cup)
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. Heat oil in a large shillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add beef and cook unti well browned, about 6 minutes; drain fat from pan.
2. Add chiles, adobo sauce, and beans to beef mixture; cook until beans are warmed through, about 3 minutes. Add spinach, cover, and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
3. Heat tortilla in a skillet or microwave. Lay 1 tortilla on a serving plate. Top with 1/4 cup of the cheese and 1 cup of the beef mixture. Fold 2 sides of the tortilla in toward the middle and roll up tortilla to form the burrito. Repeat with remaining filling and tortillas. Serve hot.
    

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. If you're ever in the mood for a quick Mexican food, DO NOT GO TO THE FAST FOOD JOINT!!! You can make this guilty pleasure comofort food in 30 minutes or less. Who does not love a burrito once in a while? These burritos are packed with flavor and heat from the smokiness of the chipotle. The black beans and the spinach give the burrito a healthy filling. I added garlic to this dish because garlic makes everything better. I also recommend adding sour cream and your favorite salsa to your burrito to cool off the smokiness of the chipotles. One bite of this burrito and you will never go out for Mexican fast food again.