Grilled Lamb Burgers in Pitas

 Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb. lean ground lamb, trimmed
• 2 tbsp. finely chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbsp. chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup dried whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 4 (6-inch) whole wheat pita breads, top third cut off and discarded, wamrned
• 1 1/3 cups lightly packed chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 small red pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 kirby cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh dill

Makes 4 Servings (1 burger per serving)

1.  Stir together lamb, onion, garlic, mint, coriander, tomato paste, egg, bread crumbs, feta, salt, and black pepper in medium bowl just until mixed well. Shape into 4 (1/2-inch) thick patties. 
2. Spray grill pan with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Place patties in  grill pan and grill until instant-read thermometer inserted into side of burger registers 160 F, about 4 minutes per side. Meanwhile, mix dill with yogurt. 
3. Stuff each pita with 1/3 cup lettuce, one-fourth of bell pepper, one-fourth of cucumber, 1 burger, and about 1 tablespoon dill yogurt mixture. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 11 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. Burgers can be delicious when they are done right. These are a new and flavorful take on your typical burgers. These burgers are made with lean ground lamb (which is quite decadent and delicious), they use feta cheese, cucumbers and bell peppers in place of traditional toppings and fillings and they are stuffed into pitas instead of in between buns. I also added a touch of tomato paste, egg, whole wheat bread crumbs and feta cheese to make these bugers much more flavorful and it was a success. If you don't have bell peppers available, use sliced tomatoes instead. You can also use any kind of leafy green in this recipe if you don't have romaine lettuce on hand. 

Philly Cheese Steaks

 Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 lb. lean boneless sirloin steak, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 4 (3/4 oz.) slices reduced-fat provolone cheese
• 4 whole wheat sandwish thins, split

Makes 4 Servings (1 sandwich per serving)

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Add peppers, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl. 
2. Wipe skillet clean Sprinkle steak with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and spray with nonsick spray, tossing to coat. Cook steak, in batches, until browned, about 2 minutes, transferring to plate as it is browned. 
3. Place 1 slice of prrovolone on bottom of each roll. Top with about 1/2 cup steak and one-fourth of onion mixture. Cover with tops of rolls. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. A Philly cheesesteak is such a treat and it will fill you up leaving you satisfied when it's done right. Most cheese steaks contain a lot of salt and are on white hoagie rolls. These have lean sirloin, very little salt, onions, garlic and bell peppers and are on whole wheat bread. These are filling and flavorful and will leave you satified. Plus, they are lean on your wallet too. 

Chocolate chocolate chip cookies

 Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 large egg white(s)
• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• Cooking spray

Makes 40 Cookies (1 cookie per serving)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
3. Beat butter and brown sugar with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy; gradually add granulated sugar, beating well. Add cocoa and egg whites, beating well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 11⁄2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Cool on pans 2 minutes or until firm. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. Chocolate chocolate chip cookies are so decadent and delicious. These cookies literally melt in your mouth they are that good. I highly recommend that you indulge your sweet tooth by biting into one of these crisp cookies packed with melted pockets of chocolate chips, thanks to the dark brown sugar that gives them their delectable soft centers. As a bonus, the sugar also helps to deepen their flavor for even more richness. 

Tomato Artichoke Calzone

 Ingredients:

• 1 lb. pizza dough, thawed out
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 can (13 1/2 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained & sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary
• cooking spray

Makes 4 Servings (1/2 calzone per serving)

1. Heat oven to 425ºF. On a lightly floured surface roll out 1/4 of dough into an 11-inch circle; move to a parchment-covered baking pan.
2. Cover half of circle with 1/4 cup of sauce, 1/3 cup of mozzarella, 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese and 1/4 of artichokes, leaving a 1/2-inch boarder. Fold dough over sauced half, pinching edge with fingers and rolling edge up one turn. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make three more calzones.
3. Coat calzones with cooking spray. Bake until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears on www.weighteatchers.com. Calzones are a wonderful, filling comfort food when they are done right. The combination of  Italian cheeses, homemade tomatoe sauce and artichkoes is quite delicious no matter how you prepare it. If you're thinking of ordering takeout, put down the phone and make this instead. You'll save a lot of money and you'll be more satisfied. 

Air fryer churros with chocolate sauce

 Ingredients:

• cooking spray
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 3/4 tsp. Vanilla extract, divided
• 2 1/2 tbsp. granular sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup milk
• 4 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp.cornstarch
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp. light butter, melted

Makes 6 Servings (1 churro & 1 tbsp. sauce per serving)

1. In a small bowl, place flour, yogurt, and ½ tsp vanilla; stir well with a wooden spoon until just combined and then keep mixing dough in bowl with your hands until smooth (about 1 minute of kneading).
2. Place a large piece of parchment or wax paper on a work surface and sprinkle lightly with a little flour. Place dough on paper. Use a knife to cut dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 5-inch long rope.
3. Preheat air fryer, if necessary, to 375°F. Coat air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange dough ropes in air fryer, leaving some space between them. Lightly coat dough with nonstick cooking spray. Air-fry until golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes.
4. While churros cook, combine 2 tbsp sugar and cinnamon in a pie plate or other shallow dish. In a glass measuring cup, whisk milk, cocoa, cornstarch, pepper, and remaining 1½ tsp sugar and ¼ tsp vanilla. Microwave on High until bubbly and thick, about 1 minute, whisking every 20 seconds.
5. When churros are done, brush all over with melted butter and roll in cinnamon sugar. Serve warm with sauce.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwachers.com. Churros are the official comfort food of Mexico. They are also a delicious take on doughnuts. I think these doughnuts are better than the doughnuts in America. The dough gets a flavor boost with vanilla extract, and is then rolled into ropes and air-fried until crisp and light. To create the churros effect, the cooked dough gets brushed with a little butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar. The accompanying microwave sauce gets a gentle chile kick that amps up the goodness (you can omit it if you’d like). If you don’t have an air fryer, you can bake the dough at 375°F for about 8 minutes; these churros will just be a little denser than air-fried ones.