Sweet Potato-Feta Rounds

Ingredients:

• 3 long, thin sweet potatoes, peeled
• 1 tbsp.+ 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
•  4 oz. reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled (3/4 cup)
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh chives
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 10 Servings (3 pieces per serving)

1. Heat oven to 450 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
2. Cut potatoes into 30 (3/4-inch thick) rounds. With a melon baller, carefully scoop a pocket into each potato piece, being careful not to scoop through bottoms; discard scooped-out portion. 
3. Combine potato pieces, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and garlic in a large bowl; toss to coat. Spread potatoes out on the baking sheet, scooped-out side up, and roast until potatoes are just tender and edges are starting to brown, 18-20 minutes. 
4. Meanwhile, mash feta, chives, and remaining 1 teaspoon oil together in a small bowl. Season with pepper to taste. 
5. Remove potatoes from oven and fill each pocket with a heaping 1/2 teaspoon  cheese mixture. Return to oven and bake until heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve warm. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. These treats make a delicious snack or hors d'Oeuvre at a party. I like to think of these treats as upscale baked potato chips with cheese. The texture of the sweet potatoes are perfect for roasting and using them as filling cups to fill with herbs and cheese. If you don't have feta cheese on hand, goat cheese will work just as well. The cheese mixture can be prepared up to a day ahead of time, refrigerate in a covered container until ready to use. The sweet potatoes can be roasted (without the cheese mixture) up to 8 hours before you serve them, just cover them and leave them at room temperature and then fill them with the cheese mixture and warm through just before serving. 

PIzza Meat Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup nonfat milk
• 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup (4 oz.) sliced mushrooms
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 2 tbsp. finely chopped onion
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Makes 4 Servings

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the beef, milk, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and garlic. Mix well. Pat the mixture into a  9-inch pie plate.
3. In the same bowl, combine the mozzarella cheese, tomato paste, water, mushrooms, oregano, and onion; mix well. Spoon the mixture over the meat mixture in the pan. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. 
4. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the meat is no longer pink. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 10 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. If you like meat and pizza, this dish is for you. This is like eating a meaty pizza without the crust. It's filling and flavorful and easy to make. You can use any ground protein in this dish and the meat pie will still be delicious. If you don't have mushrooms on hand, substitute sliced bell peppers and the pie will still be good. 

Chicken Tagine

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lb. boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 (10 oz.) package frozen whole okra
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp. minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4 tsp. saffron threads, lightly crushed
• 3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 12 pimiento-stuffed olives, halved
• 3 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings (1 cup per serving)

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. 
2.  Add the okra, onion, garlic, ginger, and saffron to the skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the broth and lemon juice; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, stir in the chicken, and simmer; covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 7 minutes. Uncover and cook until the liquid is slightly reduced, about 3 minutes longer. Remove the skillet from the heat; stir in the olives, cilantro, salt, and pepper. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Ultimate Chicken Cookbook. This version of tagine is light and filling. A tagine is a comfort food that hails from Morocco and is typically prepared with meat or poultry and vegetables, garlic, and olives. Seasonings can include saffron, ginger, paprika, or cilantro. I highly recommend serving a side of couscous with the tagine for an additional 3 points a serving and a more filling dish. 

Dog 'N' Dips

Ingredients:

Dogs:

• 5 (97 % fat-free) beef hot dogs

Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill hot dogs until well browned on all sides, 7-10 minutes. Remove from pan, allow to cool slightly, and slice each hot dog on the bias into 8 equal pieces (about 3/4-inch each). Skewer each piece with a toothpick and set on a serving platter. Serve warm with dips. 

Makes 10 (4-piece) servings 

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt. 

Herbed Mustard Dip:

• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp. mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 tbsp. minced red onion

Stir together mustard, mayonnaise, basil, and onion in a small bowl. Serve with hot dogs. 

Makes 2/3 cup (1 tbsp. per serving)

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt. 

Roasted Red Pepper Dip:

• 3 large roasted red peppers (from a jar)
• 3 tbsp. low-fat cottage cheese
• freshly ground black pepper
• hot pepper sauce

Puree red peppers and cottage cheese in a blender or food processor until smooth. Season to taste with black pepper and pepper sauce, if using. Serve with hot dogs. 

Makes 1 cup (1 tbsp. per serving)

WW POINTS VALUE: 0 pts.

Sauerkraut Dip:

• 1/2 cup sauerkraut, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 celery stalk, minced
• freshly ground black pepper

Stir together sauerkraut, sour cream, and celery in a small bowl. Season to taste with pepper. Serve with hot dogs.  

Makes 1 cup (1 tbsp. per serving)

WW POINTS VALUE: 0 pts. 

Note: These recipes appear in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. Hot dogs can be a delicious treat for all ages. These hot dogs have a new twist on them. They are not served with buns and the dips are homemade and flavorful. You don't need to put these hot dogs in buns. You can serve these dogs on toothpicks and have little serving bowls for the flavorful dips. You can also use turkey and vegetarian hot dogs in this recipe and everything will still be delicious. You can also use the flavorful dips on burgers as well. 

Smoky Mexican Seafood Cocktial

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups tomato juice cocktail, chilled
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1-2 tsp. bottled chipotle in adobo sauce or bottled hot pepper sauce
• 2 (6 1/2-oz.) cans crabmeat, drained, flaked and cartilage removed, or 12 oz. shrimp with tailed cooked, peeled and deveined, or 6 oz. of each
• 1 medium avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 8 lime wedges (optional)
• fresh cilantro (optional)

Makes 8 Servings 

1. In a medium bowl, combine tomato juice cocktail, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, tomato paste (if using), and chipotle pepper sauce.
2. Add the crabmeat or shrimp, avocado, and cucumber. Toss gently to coat. Divide mixture among eight martini glasses. Top with shrimp (if using). Garnish with lime wedges and cilantro if desired. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears in the New Sonoma Diet Cookbook. This is what I call a cocktail kicked up a notch. This cocktail is a decorative appetizer that is perfect to serve at an elegant dinner. This cocktail is succulent, flavorful and leaves a nice aftertaste in your mouth. The shrimp goes so well with the avocado, cucumber and tomato juice. If you don't have a chipotle in adobo sauce, use a jalapeno pepper and minced garlic in the recipe and puree it with the tomato juice, lime juice, red onion and the cocktail will still be delicious.