Pork and Poblano Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs. poblano peppers (8-10 peppers), seeded and roughly chopped
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 lbs. lean pork, cut into  3/4-inch pieces
• 2 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (28-ounce) can unsalted diced tomatoes, with liquid
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 (15-ounce) cans canellini beans, rinsed and dried

Makes 16 (1-cup) Servings

1. Pulse poblano peppers in a food processor until finely chopped but not pureed; transfer to a large bowl. Pulse onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic in food processor until finelt chopped but not pureed. Strain to remove any excess liquid and combine vegetables with poblano peppers.
2. Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan orr dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pepper mixture, reduce ehat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 10-12 minutes. Stir in pork, broth, tomatoes and their liquid, and cumin. Bring to a simmer, partially cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until pork is very tender, about 2 hours. Add beans and cook until heated through, about 10 minutes more. Serve hot or warm.

WW POINT VALUE: 4pts

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. I was cleaning out the pantry and fridge this big football weekend and this chili looked too good to pass up. This chili is not your typical chili because it contains pork cut into small pieces and lots of vegetables including 3 kinds of peppers. mt mother and I had this chili for game day this past weekend and we LOVED it. This chili was packed with heat (not too much heat!) and flavor. It also quickly filled you up due to all the vegetables and with so little points. This chili is even better the next day when all the flavors are blended together. The pork also melts in your mouth which is SO good. I highly recommend serving this chili at your next game day party. This chili is filled with so much heat and flavor people will be going back for more. If your guests include Iron Chefs Jose Garces or Bobby Flay, they will be very impressed. Iron Chef Flay, I'm still waiting to challenge you to a Tailgating Throwdown at Boston College!

Black Bean & Goat Cheese Tostadas

Ingredients:

• 4 (8-inch) whole-wheat tortillas
• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 (15 oz.) can black soybeans, rinsed and drained
• 4 ounces reduced-fat goat cheese, crumbled (3/4 cup)
• 1/2 (1-pound) head romaine lettuce, chopped (4 cups)
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 lime, quartered
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. Heat oven to 400 F.
2. Lightly spray tortillas with cooking spray and place, slightly overlapping, on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly puffed and browned, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. While tortillas are toasting, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in beans and heat until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
4. With tortillas still on the baking sheet, top with beans and cheese; bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with lettuce, tomatoes and scallions. Squeeze lime ovver top and serve hot.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. I wanted a light dinner with out any meat and I came across this recipe and it looked to good to pass up. My mother and I loved these tasty Mexican treats. All the veggies in these tostadas make them colorful and quickly fill you up. The goat cheese makes these tosadas even creamier. I also loved how the tortillas puffed up in the oven and took their own bowl shape when they came out of the oven and cooled. I would totally serve these Mexican vegetarian delights at your next fiesta. Vegetarians and meat lovers will loves these totadas and eat them up. Celebrity chefs Bobby Flay, Jose Garces and Aron Sanchez would be very impressed with these treats as well. Iron Chef Flay, I'm still waiting to challenge you to an Iron Chef Throwdown!

 



Chocolate-Cinnamon Quesadillas

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp semisweet chocolate, grated or chopped
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar  
• 2 large wheat flour tortillas, (6 inches)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon        
• 1 tsp confectioners' sugar                                               

Makes 2 Servings

1. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of chocolate, 1/2 tablespoon of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon over half of each tortilla. Fold tortillas in half to cover ingredients.
2. Set quesadillas in a dry skillet and cook over medium heat until speckled with brown spots on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of powdered sugar; serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts (1 quesadilla per serving)

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. As always, I was having a sweet tooth craving and this recipe looked too good to pass up. This dessert reminded me of this wonderful chocolate shop in Playa del Carmen, Mexico called La Casa de Chocolate because the owner was Belgian and knew how to make the best chocolate desserts in the Yucatan Peninsula. I always think of Mexico whenever I combine cinnamon and chocolate because they are some of the guiltiest pleasures on Earth. Even though the directions say cook the quesadillas in a dry skillet, I highly recommend spraying the pan with butter or margarine for a more melt-in-your-mouth bite. I also highly recommend serving vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt to even make it guiltier but it could effect the point value. I would highly recommend serving this dessert if your dinner guests include Claire Robinson (because it's an easy 5-Ingredient fix), Iron Chefs Bobby Flay and Jose Garces, Aron Sanchez and Rick Bayless (because they are some of the MASTERS of Latin Cooking). Iron Chef Flay, I still want to challenge you to a Tailgating Throwdown at Boston College. I know you have a busy schedule but I guess you're too much of a coward to even show up at BC.

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large red bell pepper, quartered
• 1 large green bell pepper, quartered
• 1 large red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 (8-inch) whole-wheat tortillas

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a resealable palstic bag, combine chicken, garlic, and jalapeno; turn to coat well. Marinate chicken at room temperature for 20 minutes or refrigerate overnight. Remove chicken from marinade and season lightly with salt and black pepper.
2. Lightly coat a grill or grill pan with cooking spray and heat to medium-high. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board.
3. While chicken is cooking, in a medium bowl toss bell peppers and onion with oil. Using a grill basket or grill topper, if necessary, grill vegetables, turning occasionally, until softened and lightly charred, 15-20 minutes. Transfer onions to a platter. Transfer peppers to a cutting board and cut into thin strips; transfer to the platter with onions.
4. Grill tortillas until warm and lightly browned, about 30 seconds per side. Wrap in foil to keep warm.
5. Slice chicken breasts into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Place on the platter with vegetables and serve with warmed tortillas.

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. Cinco de Mayo is coming up and if you're looking for some good Mexican food, these fajitas are for you. I personally think that fajitas are the one of the national dishes of Mexico because they are so good. Chicken tastes so good when it's marinated in lime juice and garlic. The longer you marinate your meat, the more flavorful it will taste. You can also use any kind of chile with this recipe such as serrano or habenero and the fajitas will still be good. You can also use poblano peppers in this recipe if you'd like as well. I highly recommend serving salsa (Pico de Gallo or Fresh Pepper Salsa) or Chipotle Dip with these fajitas for an authentic Mexican taste. Celebrity chefs Jose Garces, Aron Sanchez and Bobby Flay would love these fajitas as well. Iron Chef Flay, I'm still waiting to challenge you to a Tailgating Throwdown @ BC!!

 

Endive Spears with Fresh Pepper Salsa

Ingredients:

• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped, with juices reserved
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 large scallions, chopped
• 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 small serrano pepper or jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 medium heads Belgian endive, separated into 24 largest leaves

Makes 8 (3-piece) Servings

1. Stir together tomatoes, bell pepper, scallions, cilantro, lime juice, serrano chile, garlic and salt in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Arrange the endive leaves on a platter in a circular pattern. Place 1 heaping teaspoon salsa in the base on each leaf. Reserve the remaining salsa to spoon over the Soft Chicken Tacos (see Soft Chicken Taco recipe).

WW POINTS VALUE: 0 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. Cinco de Mayo is approching and I am cooking up a storm of Mexican recipes this week. This is a great appetizer for everyone, especially vegetarians, because the salsa is so colorful and will fill you up. Belgian endive is a healthy alternative to chips and will quickly fill you up. You can also use red, orange or green bell pepper in this recipe if you can't access yellow bell peppers. You will never buy jarred salsa again at the supermarket because homemade salsa tastes SO much better. This salsa can be made up to 8 hours in adhead of time, refrigerated, covered until  ready to use. This salsa can be used on chicken, beef, pork, fish and eggs as well. This salsa will  also impress celebrity chefs like Bobby Flay, Jose Garces, Emeril Lagasse and even Aron Sanchez. Iron Chef Flay, I'm still waiting to challenge you to a Throwdown @ Boston College!!



Eggless Tex-Mex Caesar Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 plum tomato
• 3 anchovy fillets
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 3/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 (1/2-pound) head romaine lettuce, chopped (16 cups)
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 avocados, pitted and cut into 1/4 -inch cubes
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Makes 10 (2-cup Servings)

1. Core tomato and make an X in the skin on the opposite end. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Place tomato in boiling water and cook just until skin starts to pull away from flesh, about 30 seconds. Remove from water and drain. When tomato is cool enough to handle, peel off and discard skin.
2. Puree tomato, anchovy fillets, garlic, lime juice, mustard and chili powder in a food processor or blender. With machine running, add oil in a slow and steady stream; blend until incorporated.
3. Place lettuce in a large bowl; season lightly with salt and pepper. Add dressing and toss. Top with avocado, sprinkle with cilantro leaves, and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. This Caesar salad is not like your typical Caesar salad. As Emeril Lagasse would say, this Caesar salad has been kicked up a notch. The original recipe called for lemon juice but I used lime juice for an authentic Tex-Mex flavor. The Tex-Mex Caesar dressing adds punch to this classic dish as do the avocado and cilantro. Anchovies are preserved in salt so don't overdo it with seasoning. I don't think Iron Chefs Jose Garces and Bobby Flay have this Caesar salad on their menus but they would be very pleased if you made them this dish. 

Pork Fajitas

Ingredients:

• 4 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas
• 1 tbsp + 2 tsp fresh lime juice, divided
• 1 tbsp + 1 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 lbs. pork cutlets, about 1/2-inch thick
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. Heat oven or toaster oven to 200 F. Roll tortillas in foil and place in oven to warm.
2. Whisk together 1 tablespoon of the lime juice, 1 tablespoon of the oil, garlic an d chili powder in a large mixing bowl. Add pork and stir to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes.
3. While pork is marinating, heat remaining oil ina medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 10-12 minutes. Add remaining lime juice, stir and remove from heat; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate and cover lossely with foil to keep warm. Wipe pan dry with paper towels.
4. Season pork on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the same skillet over high heat. Cook pork until no longer pink in the center, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 2 minutes.
5. Slice pork into thin strips, place on a platter with peppers and onions and serve with warmed tortillas.

WW POINTS VALUE: 10 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. Who says you can have meat on a heart healthy diet? And who does not love Mexican food? I made this fajitas for dinner earlier this evening and my mom and I thought they were delicious. These fajitas made me feel like I was back in Mexico. They were very tender and juicy and flavorful as well. You can enjoy these fajitas as is or top them with your favorite Mexican toppings such as chopped lettuce, fresh cilantro or your favorite kind of salsa. Iron Chefs Jose Garces and Bobby Flay will be happy when you make these. BTW, I still want to challenge Bobby Flay to a Throwdown @ Boston College.