Spiced Sweet Potato-Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup hulled pumpkin seeds 
• 1 (14 1/2 oz.) can spicy diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 wedges (3/4 oz. each) light spreadable cheese
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

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

1. In a steamer, cook the sweet potatoes for 10-15 minutes, or until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. 
2. Meanwhile, in a small ungreased skillet, toast the pumpkin seeds over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned and puffed up a bit, 3-5 minutes. Scrape onto a plate to top the cooking. 
3. Transfer the hot sweet potatoes to a food processor. Add the tomatoes and their juice, the broth, cheese, coriander, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Puree until smooth. 
4. Ladle the soup into 4 bowls an sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve warm. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook. Forget going out for fast food. Make this soup instead and you will be happy and satisfied. This vegetable soup is quick, easy, flavorful and delicious. Who knew the combination of sweet potatoes and tomatoes would make a flavorful combination. I recommend using cream cheese in this recipe to give a soup a creamier texture. I also highly recommend adding minced garlic to the soup mixture in the blender because garlic always makes everything taste better. 

Western Egg White Omelet

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. green bell pepper
• 1 tbsp. chopped scallion
• 1 tbsp. chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup liquid egg substitute
• 3 tbsp. shredded reduced-fat cheese

Make 1 Serving

 

Lightly coat a medium skillet with cooking spray. Saute the peppers and scallions until they are tender-crisp. Pour the egg substitute over the vegetables. When partially set, spread the cheese over half of the egg substitute and fold the omelet  in half over the filling. Continue cooking until cooked through. Serve immediately.

 

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet book. Here's another meal to kick-start your healthy lifestyle. It's quick, easy and delicious. If you don't have egg substitute, use 2 eggs instead and your omelet will taste just as good. You can use any kind of shredded cheese n this dish and it will still taste good. Don't forget to season your omelet with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper for taste and flavor.

Jalapeno (Turkey) Burger with Fiesta Mayonnaise

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground turkey breast or ground meat of your choice
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 small jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 oz. shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack Cheese or any Mexican cheese (1/2 cup)
• 4 whole-wheat or whole-grain hamburger buns, lightly toasted

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a large bowl, stir together turkey, egg yolk, jalapeno, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and cheese. Form mixture into 4 patties, about 3/4-inch thick.
2. Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet or Griddler with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add burgers and cook until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Serve on buns, if using.

WW Points Value: 6 with bun; 4 without bun.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. This is the second burger recipe I've cooked from the South Beach Diet and every burger recipe is DELICIOUS!! Even though the original recipe is Jalapeno Turkey Burger, you can use ground sirloin, ground chicken or ground pork as a substitute for the turkey. If you're a fan of heat, add more jalapenos and/or serrano peppers for these tasty burgers. I recommend serving Habenero-Lime Aioli as a condiment with this burger for some extra heat. I also HIGHLY recommend serving Oven-Baked Onion Rings as a side dish with these burgers. Once you eat these homemade gourmet burgers, you'll never eat a burger at a fast food joint ever again!