Tandoori Lamb with Almond-Apricot Couscous

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 small onion, quartered
• 1 tbsp. minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp cayenne 
• 1 (2 lb.) boneless leg of lamb, butterflied and trimmed
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup whole wheat couscous
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

Makes 8 Servings (4 slices lamb & scant 1/2 cup couscous per serving)

1. Stir together yogurt, lime juice, onion, ginger, garlic, paprika, coriander, and cayenne in a small bowl.
2. Place lamb on work surface; with meat mallet or rolling pin, pound to even thickness. Put lamb in large shallow baking dish and spread yogurt mixture all over. Cover dish with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
3. Spray grill rack with nonstick spray. Preheat grill to medium-high or prepared medium-high fire using direct method. 
4. With paper towel, wipe excess yogurt mixture from lamb; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place lamb on grill rack and grill, turning, until instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of lamb registers 145 F for medium, about 25 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and let stand for 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, cook couscous according to package directions. Transfer to serving bowl and top with almonds and apricots. Cut lamb across grain into 32 slices. Serve with couscous.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. This exotic dish is a wonderful dish to dinner. You  can use any cut of lamb in this recipe and the meal will still be delicious. This lamb dish is spicy and flavorful it will melt in your mouth. The side of couscous goes well with the lamb for cooling the spice of your taste buds. Couscous is a granular semolina and a staple of North African cuisine. The sliced almonds and sliced apricots add a touch of flavor to the couscous and go well with the lamb. 

Baked Stuffed Pork Chops

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup gluten-free, low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup brown rice couscous
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 tsp. coarse kosher salt
• 3 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup gluten-free dried apricots, coarsely chopped
• 4 thick-cut boneless, pork loin chops (6 oz. each, about 1 inch thick)
• 1/2 tsp. rubbed sage

Makes 4 Servings

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the broth, couscous, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until the couscous is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 8-10 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of the oil, parsley, and apricots. Fluff with a fork, then transfer to a bowl to cool to room temperature.
3.  Place the pork on a work surface and, using a sharp paring knife, cut horizontally through the thickest part of each chop to make a deep pocket about 2 inches long (do not cut all the way through). Using a spoon, stuff each chop with one-fourth of the couscous mixture.
4. Sprinkle both sides of the chops with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the sage. Rub with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Place the chops on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the chops over and bake until cooked through but slightly pink, about 5 minutes longer.

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts. stuffed, 9 pts. unstuffed with couscous as a side dish

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Gluten Solutions Cookbook. This dish takes about 40 minutes to make and it's worth the time and effort. Stuffed pork chops are easy to make but if you're not up to stuffing the chops, make the couscous and serve it as a side dish and your meal will taste just as good. Don't forget that unstuffed pork chops will cook in a shorter amount of time. The apricots cooked and mixed in with the couscous served alongside the pork chops. If you don't want to bake the pork chops and serve the couscous as a side dish, just grill or broil the pork chops and your meal will be just as tasty.

Quick Turkey Tagine

Ingredients:

• scant 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup whole wheat couscous
• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, slivered
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups frozen butternut squash chunks (thawed)
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomato halves (not oil packed), thinly sliced
• 1.4 cup pitted prunes, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless turkey breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1/3 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

Makes 4 (1½-cup) Servings

1. Pour the boiling water over the couscous, stir, cover, and let steam for 7 minutes. Uncover and fluff the couscous with a fork.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, coriander, ginger, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the squash, sun-dried tomatoes, and prunes. Cook for 5 minutes for the flavors to develop.
3. Add the turkey, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the turkey is cooked through and still juicy, about 4 minutes.
4. Stir the cilantro into the turkey mixture and serve warm over the couscous.

WW POINTS VALUE: 9 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Super Quick & Easy Cookbook. You can have your fast food and eat it too. This fast food can also be good for you and has more sophisticated flavors than the fast food you would order out. Tagine is a Moroccan dish that is usually cooked as a stew, often containing fruit. You can have this elegant meal any night of the week and people will love this dish. It's a different kind of dish that will fill you up. If you're having trouble getting your kids to eat fruits and vegetables, serve them this dish and everyone will be happy.

Moroccan Couscous

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup whole-wheat couscous
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• pinch cayenne
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1/3 cup minced red onion
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 3 tbsp. fresh parsley

Makes 4 (1/2-cup) Servings

1. Prepare couscous according to package directions.
2. In a small bowl, combine cumin, paprika, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and cayenne.
3. Fluff cooked couscous with a fork. Add cumin mixture, tomato, onion, oil and lemon juice; stir to combine. Divide among 4 plates, sprinkle with parsley, and serve warm.

WW POINTS VALUE:  2 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. Don't be intimidated by this side dish. It may not look pretty but it taste delicious. This side dish is packed with heat and flavor and leave a nice aftertaste in your mouth. Plus, it smells good too. The spices give the couscous heat and the lemon juice cools it off. Serve this couscous with any protein and your meal will be deliciously filling.

 

Gingered Pork, Pineapple and Pepper Skewers

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/1 1/2 cup(s) pineapple, cut into 18 chunks
• 8 oz. lean pork tenderloin, cut into 16 chunks
• 1 medium red bell peppers, cut into 16 chunks
• 3 cups cooked whole wheat couscous
• 1/4 cup(s) uncooked scallions, sliced   

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a resealable food storage bag, combine soy sauce, ginger and garlic. Finely chop 2 pineapple chunks and add to bag. Add pork; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
2. Preheat outdoor grill or broiler. If using broiler, line broiler pan rack with foil (for easy cleanup). Remove pork from marinade; discard marinade. Alternately thread 2 pieces of pork, 2 pieces of pepper and 2 pieces of pineapple onto each of eight 6- to 8-inch metal or wooden skewers; coat with cooking spray. (Make sure to soak wooden skewers in water for a minimum of 20 minutes before use to prevent burning.)
3. Grill or broil skewers, turning once, until pork is just barely pink in center, and pepper and pineapple are lightly charred and tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Combine couscous with scallions.

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts (2 skewers and about 3/4 cup of couscous per serving)

 

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. Summer is approaching and this is a quick and easy meal to prepare on the grill. It's colorful and juicy to eat. Cooked pineapple is delicious with any lean protein. This is what I call Asia on  the grill with the flavors of  soy sauce, ginger and garlic. You can also serve brown rice instead of couscous and your dinner will be just as juicy and delicious.

 



Turkey Cutlets with Vegetable Couscous

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs. turkey cutlets
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp + 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 small cucumber, peeled and cut into1/4-inch cubes
• 1 tbsp minced red onion
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat couscous

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a resealable bag, combine turkey, garlic, parsley, 1 tablespoon of the oil, lemon zest and pepper flakes; turn to coat well. Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes or refrigerate overnight.
2. While turkey is marinating, in a large bowl combine remaining 2 teaspoons oil, bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, vinegar and salt.
3. Prepare couscous according to package directions. Add hot couscous to vegetable mixture and stir well; keep warm.
4. Lightly coat a skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add turkey and marinade to the skillet and cook until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Serve warm with vegetable couscous.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. This is a healthy and sophisticated version of chicken and rice. When I was a kid, I remember chicken and rice as a comfort dinner; the chicken was coated in bread crumbs, the rice was cooked and they were both drenched in store-bought chicken gravy served with a side of peas. Couscous is an alternative to rice and other grains and is usually made from a coarsely ground durum wheat called semolina. This chicken and rice dinner takes it to a whole new level. I loved how all the colorful vegetables mixed well with the couscous and the marinated turkey breast. It was sophisticated comfort food of the summer (so far). I was also craving garlic and I loved how the garlic, lemon zest, pepper flakes, oil and parsley marinated so well on the turkey. My mother wasn't crazy about this dish because she didn't like the couscous. I enjoyed this dish because it hit the spot and I would make this again (for myself).