Spiced Lamb Loaf

Ingredients:

Meatloaf:

• 1 cup chopped zucchini
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 lb. ground lamb
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup almond flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice

Tzatziki Sauce:

• 1/2 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 cup small-diced cucumber

Makes 8 Servings (1 slice per serving)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. 
2. Grease a loaf pan with olive oil and set aside. Put the zucchini, carrots, onions, and tomatoes in a food processor and pulse until softly textured and well combined. Transfer the vegetables to a colander and let drain for about 10-15 minutes, occasionally pressing with a clean towel to squeeze out any excess water. 
3. Place the vegetables in a large mixing bowl. With a rubber spatula or similar tool, mix in the lamb, garlic, Parmesan, almond flour, eggs, tomato paste, cumin, allspice, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. 
4. When the mixture is uniform throughout, transfer it into the prepared loaf pan and  smooth it into an even layer. Place the loaf pan inside a larger baking dish and fill the dish with enough water to come halfway up the sides of a loaf pan.
5.  Bake for 60-70 minutes, until the loaf is golden and cooked through. 
6. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, dill, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the cucumbers and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. 
7. Carefully pour the excess oil from the loaf pan. Allow the loaf to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from the pan. Slice the loaf into 8 even slices and serve with tzatziki on the side. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears in the New Keto-Friendly South Beach Diet book. Meat loaf is a wonderful comfort food when it's done right. You can use ground beef, turkey, or lamb in this recipe and the meatloaf will be delicious. This meatloaf is packed with vegetables and other sorts of flavor. The tzatziki sauce adds a nice tang to the meatloaf. The loaf may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If you want to freeze the loaf, place the individual spices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once they are frozen, they may be stored together in a large freezer-safe bag. 

One Pan Moroccan-Spiced Salmon Salad

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. salmon fillet
• 5 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• Moroccan spice blend (1/8 tsp. each of cumin, ginger, cinnamon, coriander, cayenne, ground cloves, turmeric and allspice)
• ½ cup cucumbers, sliced (or about 6 slices)
• ½ cup grape tomatoes, sliced (or about 12 small tomatoes)
• 2 Tbsp. onions
  
• 2 tbsp. mixed greens
• 4 walnut halves
• 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Makes 2 Servings

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Brush salmon front and back with a teaspoon of olive oil (half of a teaspoon per three ounces of salmon filet). Combine your spices, mix and brush salmon lightly with spice blend. You can store any excess spices in an airtight container for future use or cook additional salmon filets if desired.
2. Place salmon on a baking sheet or glass baking dish and cook for about 20 minutes or until salmon is cooked through.
3. While salmon is cooking, gather remaining ingredients and slice cucumbers, tomatoes and onions.
4. Place one cup of lettuce, a quarter of a cup of sliced cucumber (or about three slices), a quarter of a cup of sliced grape tomatoes (or about six small tomatoes), one tablespoon of sliced onion and two walnut halves in each salad bowl. Toss with two teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil and one teaspoon of balsamic vinegar. 
5. Remove salmon from oven, place on top of salad bowl and enjoy!

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears on www.southbeachdiet.com. This is a very filling and flavorful meal to enjoy for lunch or dinner. Moroccan flavors are spicy and can help you will with your health. Salmon is also good for you with omega-3 fats and is heart healthy. The salad  is flavorful and crunchy and will fill you up as well. You can also grill the salmon and the meal will be just as tasty. 

Grilled Summer Fruits

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus oil for grill rack
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• pinch ground cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice
• 2 ripe plums, halved and pitted
• 2 ripe nectarines, halved and pitted
• 4 tbsp. no-sugar-added lite whipped topping (optional)

Makes 4 Servings

1. Heat a grill to medium.
2. In a cup, combine the oil, lemon juice, and spice (if using). Brush over the cut sides of the plums and nectarines.
3. Lightly coat the grill rack with oil. Place the plums and nectarines, cut side down, on the rack. Grill, uncovered, turning once, until the fruit is tender and lightly browned, about 5 minutes depending on the ripeness of the fruit. Top each fruit half with 1/2 tablespoon whipped topping, if using.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook. Who says you cannot have a sugar-free dessert? Grilled fruit is absolutely delicious. Grilling the fruit caramelizes its natural sugars which allows the fruit to enhance the flavor. The lemon juice and the spices also enhance the flavors when grilling the fruit. Always keep an eye when grilling the fruit so the skin does not burn and the fruit doesn't get too mushy. Also, make sure to clean the grill so the fruit doesn't have the flavor of meats. You can use other fruits in this recipe such as peaches, bananas, mangoes, strawberries, apples and pears. Harder fruits will take longer to cook than softer fruits.

Turkish Pita Pizza (Lahmacun)

Ingredients:

• 1 large red onion, halved & sliced
• 3/4 lb. ground skinless turkey breast
• 3 large cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 tbsp. water
• 4 (7-inch) whole wheat pocketless pita breads
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 cup fresh mint or parsley leaves

Makes 4 Servings

1. Heat oven to 475 F; spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray.
2. Spray large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup onion and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add turkey, garlic, cumin, paprika, salt, allspice, and cinnamon. Cook, breaking up turkey with side of wooden spoon, until turkey is no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and water; remove from heat.
3. Place pitas on baking sheets and top each evenly with turkey mixture. Bake until undersides are crisp, about 8 minutes. Top each with remaining onion, tomato, and mint or parsley.

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Tastier than Takeout Cookbook. Lamachun means 'dough with meat' in Turkish. Lamachun is a popular fast food treat in many Middle Eastern countries. The pita is typically rolled up for easy eating. You can also cut the pitas into wedges like a pizza or eat it with a knife of fork. This was a different kind of pizza and it was very flavorful. It has the basic ingredients of ground turkey, tomatoes, onion, garlic, herbs, and spices. It was too hot to use the oven so I cooked these pizzas on the grill and they were delicious. These pizzas are not only tasty but will quickly fill you up.

Mini Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 tbsp. whole-wheat flour
• 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 (8 oz.) packages low-fat cream cheese at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs, beaten

Makes 12 Servings

1. Preheat the oven to 300 F. Line muffin cups with paper or foil liners.
2. Combine the pumpkin with flour and 1/2 of the spices. Set aside.
3. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Scrape down sides as needed. Add sugar, vanilla, the remaining spices, and salt. Mix for 1 minute. Pour in eggs in 2 batches, mixing after each addition. Do not overmix when adding the eggs or the cheesecakes will crack during baking.
4. Remove 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture. Fold remaining cream cheese mixture into the pumpkin mixture. Divide the pumpkin mixture among the muffin cups. Then divide the reserved cream cheese mixture among the cups. Using a skewer or paring knife, drag tip through the mixture to form a swirling pattern or marbled look.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. The mixture should not be completely set; the centers will move slightly when jiggled. The cheesecakes will continue to cook once removed from the oven.
6. Set on wire rack and cool completely. Cover and refrigerate.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the New Sonoma Cookbook. If you're a cheesecake lover, these min cheesecakes are definitely for you. These cheesecakes have a nice texture to them and are full of flavor for the fall and winter holidays. The key to making these cheesecakes flavorful are the spices-cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Those three spices will kick any fall dessert up a notch. Plus, these treats are perfect portion size so there's an equal serving size for everyone. Be careful, these treats are addictive.

South Beach Ballpark Mustard

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup mustard seeds
• 1/4 cup +2 tbsp. mustard powder
• 1/4 tsp. dried tarragon
• 1 tbsp. ground turmeric
• 1/2 cup tarragon vinegar
• 1/2  cup dry white wine
• 1 tbsp. canola oil
• 1/4 cup granular sugar substitute
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. arrowroot

Makes 1 1/2 cups

1. In a small bowl, combine water, mustard seeds, mustard powder, tarragon, and turmeric.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the vinegar, wine, oil, sugar substitute, garlic, allspice, cinnamon and cloves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. In a blender or food processor, combine the mustard and vinegar mixtures and blend for 2 minutes. Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat on low heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the arrowroot to thicken. (Keep covered in the refrigerator for 1 week.)

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. You can make mustard at home and it's better than what you would buy at the store. This recipe requires a little time and effort but it's worth it. Don't be overwhelmed by the amount of ingredients in this recipe. They come together great in the end. The mustard is great on chicken, beef, pork and some fish as well.