Grilled Chicken Breasts with Rhubarb-Mango Salsa

Ingredients:

• grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 4 tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh basil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 4 (5 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 small mango, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 rhubarb stalk, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 cup)
• 3/4 cup (1/4-inch) diced English (seedless) cucumber
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 2 tsp. white balsamic vinegar
• 1 small shallot, minced

Makes 4 Servings (1 chicken & 1/2 cup salsa per serving)

1. To make marinade, combine lemon juice and zest, 2 tablespoons of basil, garlic, 2 teaspoons of oil, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper in a large zip-close plastic bag; add chicken. Squeeze out air and seal bag. Turn to coat chicken. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours.
2. To make salsa, stir together mango, rhubarb, cucumber, remaining 2 tablespoons basil, jalapeno, honey, vinegar, shallot, and remaining 1 teaspoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until mixed well. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour to allow flavors to blend.
3. Spray a grill pan with nonstick spray and preheat over medium heat. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Place chicken in grill pan and grill until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Place chicken on platter and top evenly with salsa.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. This is what I call sophisticated entertaining. Grilled chicken is so succulent, juicy and flavorful when it's marinated in the right ingredients. The rhubarb-mango salsa is flavorful and tastes great alongside the chicken. Don't be intimidated by the ingredients. Rhubarb stalks are safe to eat; it's the leaves that are not because they're poisonous. The rhubarb and cucumber add crunch to the sweetness of the mango and honey.

Bison Sliders with Balsamic-Braised Onions

Ingredients:

• 3 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced (2 cups)
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp. orange juice
• 1 lb. ground grass-fed bison
• 1 tbsp. + 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 4 (1/2 oz.) slices reduced-fat cheddar cheese, quartered
• 8 mini potato rolls, split and toasted, if desired

Makes 8 Servings (1 slider per serving)

1. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 8 minutes. Add vinegar and orange juice; cook until evaporated, about 3 minutes. Transfer onion to bowl and keep warm. Wipe skillet clean.
2. Meanwhile, mix together bison, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and salt in a medium bowl until mixed well. With damp hands, shape into 8 (3/4-inch-thick) mini patties.
3. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in same skillet over medium heat. Add patties and cook until instant-read thermometer inserted into side of burger registers 160 F, about 3 minutes per side. Top each burger with 2 pieces of Cheddar; cook, covered, just until cheese is melted, about 1 minute.
4. Place burgers on bottoms of rolls; top each with about 2 tablespoons onion. Cover with tops of rolls.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. Who doesn't love a juicy burger once in a while? You can have your burgers and eat them too when you're on a weight loss journey. Bison is also known as buffalo and it can be found in the meat department of the grocery store. Bison is lean and flavorful. If you don't have bison on hand, use ground beef or ground sirloin and the sliders will be just as juicy. The balsamic-braised onions add a nice flavor to the flavor to the burgers. I highly recommend adding a touch of dried bread crumbs to the burgers to hold them together and a tablespoon of ketchup to each slider for flavor as well. 

Mini Blueberry Cobblers

Ingredients:

• 3 cups fresh blueberries
• 3 tbsp. + 1 tsp. turbinado sugar
• grated zest and juice of 1 small lemon
• 1/4 tsp. almond extract
• pinch ground ginger
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. low-fat buttermilk

Makes 4 Servings (1 cobbler per serving)

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray 4 (6 oz.) ramekins or baking dishes with nonstick spray.
2. Toss together blueberries, 3 tablespoons of sugar, the lemon zest and juice, almond extract, and ginger in a large bowl; divide evenly among prepared ramekins.
3. To makes biscuits, combine flour and buttermilk in a small bowl, stirring just until blended. Spoon dough evenly over filling; sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon sugar.
4. Place ramekins in small rimmed baking sheet. Bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbly, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. These mini cobblers are great for a summer picnic or any summer gathering when it's not too hot to cook. Individual cobblers are great because everyone gets an equal amount of flavor and servings. If you don't have almond extract o hand, use vanilla extract. You can also use any berry or a combination of berries and this recipe will still be delicious. You can also use ground cinnamon, nutmeg or a combination if you don't have ginger on hand. The original recipe called for 1 cup of reduced-fat baking mix; you can use whle ehat flour instead and the cobblers will still be good. 

Crab and Avocado Salad

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tbsp. mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp. chopped roasted red pepper (from a jar)
• 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 lb. lump crab meat
• 1 large ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 (scant 1-cup) Servings

 

Combine cilantro, mayonnaise, red pepper, lime juice, and cayenne in a medium mixing bowl. Mix in crabmeat and season and pepper, Gently fold in avocado and serve.

 

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. This is a very tasty dish to eat and enjoy. You can make this dish in 10 minutes or less and it will be both filling and delicious. This recipe can be used as a salad served on a bed of leafy greens of your choice or sliced tomatoes or as an appetizer with raw vegetables. When you're on later phases, you can serve this as an hors d'oeuvre with whole wheat crackers or in a sandwich or wrap filling. I highly recommend adding a touch of minced garlic in this recipe because garlic always makes everything taste better.



Multigrain Toaster Waffles

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup flax meal
• 1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/3 cup buttermilk powder or instant nonfat dry milk
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. granular sugar substitute
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tbsp. canola oil or extra-virgin olive oil

Makes 12 (4-inch) waffles; 2 waffles per serving

1. Heat a waffle iron.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, flax meal, oats, buttermilk powder, baking powder, sugar substitute, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
3. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Add the eggs and lightly beat with a fork. Add 1 1/2 cups water, vanilla and oil and blend, pulling the batter in front of the sides of the bowl as you mix.
4. Ladle the batter into the center of the waffle iron until it spreads to 1 inch from the edges. (The amount will vary with the size of the waffle iron. If you're using a 4-square waffle iron, it will be about 1 cup batter per batch.) Cover and cook according to the waffle maker's instructions. Continue until all the batter is used up. As they are cooked, transfer the waffles to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.
5. Cut each waffle into 4 pieces, place on a baking sheet, and freeze until solid. Store in resealable plastic freezer bags for up to 6 months. Reheat straight from the freezer in a toaster or toaster oven. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook. Homemade waffles are absolutely delicious. Don't be intimidated by the amount of ingredients in these waffles. They go well together. These waffles have a nice texture to them and they can melt in your mouth depending on what topping you put on whether it's nut butter or cooked fruit. I added a touch of ground nutmeg and vanilla extract because nutmeg and vanilla mixed with cinnamon taste so good in pancakes and waffles.

Provencal Beef Stew

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. lean round steak, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups white mushrooms or cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 large carrots, sliced
• 1 (15 1/2 oz.) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1 /2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
• 1 (14 1/2 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Makes 6 Servings ( 1 1 /4 cups per serving)

1. Put beef in a 5-quart slow cooker.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over meat heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic; cook, stirring, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add to slow cooker along with carrots and half of beans.
3. Put remaining beans and 1/2 cup of broth in a blender and process until smooth; stir into mushrooms mixture. Add remaining 1 cup broth, the tomatoes, oregano, salt, thyme, and pepper. Cover and cook on high until beef is fork-tender and carrots and softened, 6-7 hours.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. This is what I call comfort food. Beef stew is a wonderful dish to enjoy year round. You can even enjoy this dish during the hot summer months. You can cook this in your crock pot and let it simmer for the whole day and not worry about clean up afterwards. The French certainly knew their beefy comfort foods and this beef stew certainly reminds you of France. It's loaded with beef, vegetables and herbs which means a lot of flavor. I highly recommend substituting 1/2 cup of burgundy or any French wine in place of the 1/2 cup of beef broth for an authentic Provencal flare. Plus, wine always makes beef taste better.

Greek Salad with Chicken Tenders

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. chicken tenders
• 1 tsp. Greek seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 (10 oz.) package cut-up romaine lettuce
• 6 pitted Kalamata olives, chopped or sliced
• 1 (8-9 oz.) package cooked beets, cut into wedges
• 1/4 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese

Makes 4 Servings (2 cups salad, 2/3 cup chicken, 1/3 cup beets, 1 tbsp. per serving)

1. Heat grill pan over medium-high heat until hot. Sprinkle chicken with Greek seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper; lightly spray with olive oil nonstick spray. Place chicken in pan and grill until cooked through, 5-6 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board and let cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, to make dressing, whisk together oil, vinegar, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in large serving bowl. Add romaine and olives; toss until coated evenly.
3. Cut the chicken into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Place on top of salad along with beets and feta.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. This salad makes a great meal any time of the week for lunch or dinner. This salad is bursting with Greek flare and will quickly fill you up. If you don't have Greek seasoning on hand, use a combination of dill, parsley and oregano for an authentic Greek flare. Also, if you don't have beets available, use a diced tomato and the salad will still be delicious.

Lemon-Blueberry Pound Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp. lemon zest
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• 1  1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup fat-free egg substitute
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream, at room temperature
• 1 cup fresh or frozen  blueberries

Makes 12 Servings (1/12 cake per serving)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a 4 1/2 x 8 1/2-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.
2. Whisk together the flour, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Whit an electric mixer on medium speed , beat the butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce the speed to low. Gradually beat in the egg substitute. Alternately add the flour mixture and sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating just until blended. Gently fold in the blueberries.
3. Scrape the batter into the pan; spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour, 10 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and let cool completely on the rack.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Best-Ever Desserts Cookbook. Homemade pound cake is delicious. This pound cake is like a moist muffin shaped like a pound cake. This cake has nice flavors to it and the blueberries literally melt in your mouth. Whenever you are baking, it's important to beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. This process takes only 4 minutes, depending on your mixer, and the result should be light and fine-textured.

Bing Cherry-Brown Sugar Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 cups Bing or other sweet cherries (about 12 oz.), pitted
• 2 tbsp. packed light brown sugar
• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• pinch salt

Makes 1 1/2 cups (1/4 cup per serving)

 

Melt the butter ina medium skillet set over medium heat. Add the cherries and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to release their juice, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar, lemon juice and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the juices thicken slightly, about 4 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat; cool slightly to serve warm, or transfer to a covered container; refrigerate up to 2 days. Gently reheat to serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt.

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Best-Ever Desserts Cookbook. This is what I call a fruity sauce. I love cherries and I really loved this sauce. This sauce has a smooth, silky texture to it bursting with flavor. This sauce goes great on top of ice cream, frozen yogurt, pancakes, waffles and slices of angel food cake.

Nectarine-Blueberry Gelatin Cups

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups cool water
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 envelopes  unflavored gelatin
• 3 small ripe nectarines, halved, pitted and chopped
• 1 pint blueberries

Makes 8 Servings

1. Combine the water, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and set over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved; stir in the lemon juice. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Pour 1 cup of the lemon mixture into a small bowl; sprinkle with the gelatin and let soften, about 5 minutes.
2. Heat the lemon mixture over medium heat just until hot; remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the gelatin mixture; stir in the gelatin is completely dissolved. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve set over medium bowl.
3. Divide the nectarines and blueberries among eight 6 to 8-ounce custard cups or ramekins. Ladle the gelatin mixture over the fruit, pressing on the fruit so it is submerged. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled and set, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.
4. To unmold, run a thin knife around the edges of the cups to loosen the gelatin, then dip the cups into a bowl of hot water about 5 seconds. Invert the cups onto plates, shaking it gently to help free the gelatin; lift off the cups.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Best-Ever Desserts Cookbook. These are probably the most elegantly looking desserts I've ever made. If you remember Jell-O molds, these desserts are like mini Jell-O molds. They look colorful and they taste sweet and fruity. The total preparation and cook time for these sweet treats is 20 minutes. Don't be intimidated by these desserts. They are easy to make and they look elegant when they are presented in the right way. I highly recommend serving this dessert to family and friends on a hot summer day because it will fill them up and cool them off.

 

Sour Cherry Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 (24 oz.) jar pitted tart cherries
• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• pinch salt
• 1 cup lime sorbet

Makes 4 Servings (1/2 cup soup, 2 tablespoons cherries, and 1/4 cup sorbet per serving)

1. Put the cherries in a sieve set over a medic bowl. Remove 1/2 cup of the cherries and set aside; reserve the juice. Put the remaining cherries in a food processor and puree until smooth. Pour the cherry puree through a sieve set over the same bowl, pressing hard on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Stir in the reserved cherry juice, the lemon juice, and salt.
2. Refrigerate, covered, until the soup is thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 1 day. Ladle 1/2 cup soup into each of 4 shallow soup bowls. Garnish each serving with 2 tablespoons of the reserved cherries and 1/4-cup scoop of the sorbet. Serve at once.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Best-Ever Desserts Cookbook. This is a great dessert to enjoy during the summer when fresh produce is in season, it's hot outside and you want to cool off. If you enjoyed cherry limeade during the summer, you'll love this sweet treat. There is also no added sugar in this treat too. The flavors of cherry and lime really compliment each other and the treat taste delicious.

Strawberries with Strawberry-Orange Sabayon

Ingredients:

• 2 (1 lb.) containers strawberries, hulled
• 1/2 cup dry white wine or white grape juice
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 (3-inch) strip orange zest, removed with a vegetable peeler
• 3 egg yolks

Makes 4 Servings (1 1/4 cups sabayon & 1 cup strawberries per serving)

1. Chop enough strawberries to equal 1 cup; set aside. Quarter the remaining strawberries and divide evenly among 4 wine glasses or goblets; set aside.
2. Combine the chopped strawberries, wine or grape juice, orange juice, sugar, and orange zest in a medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce the heat and simmer until the strawberries are very soft, about 5 minutes. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve set over a small bowl. pressing hard on the solids to extract  as much liquid  as possible; discard the solids.
3. Meanwhile, fill a medium saucepan with 1 1 /2 inches of water and bring almost to a simmer over medium heat. With a hand mixer on medium-high speed, beat the egg yolks in deep bowl until frothy, about 1 minute. Slowly beat in the warm strawberry mixture. Set the bowl over the saucepan and beat until the mixture is tripled in volume and very thick, about 10 minutes. Remove the bowl from the saucepan. Spoon the sabayon over the strawberries, dividing  it evenly. Serve at once.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Best-Ever Desserts Cookbook. A Sabayon is an Italian dessert that is made with egg yolks, granulated sugar and white wine. The dessert version is a light custard that is whipped to incorporate a large amount of air. Since the 1960s, in restaurants in areas of the United States with large Italian populations, zabaione is usually served with strawberries, blueberries, peaches in a champagne In France, it is called sabayon, while its Italian name is zabaione. You can enjoy this elegant European treat for dessert, breakfast or even as a snack. Fruit tastes so good with white wine. You can use any summer fruit in this recipe and the dish will still be delicious.

Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup fat-free sour cream
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
• 8 large lettuce leaves

Makes 4 Servings

 

In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, scallions, parsley, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Toss well to blend. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Serve on a bed of lettuce leaves.

 

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. This is what I call, quick, easy and tasty. This salad is simple to make and it tastes delicious. When you do cook the chicken, be sure to season the chicken with salt, freshly ground black pepper and minced garlic for a flavorful chicken. Nobody wants to eat a bland chicken. I also highly recommend adding some minced celery for an extra crunch to the chicken salad. Celery always adds a flavorful crunch to almost anything.