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. 

Greek Lamb Loin Salad with Chilled Greek Olive Ratatouille

 Ingredients:

Lamb:

• 1 1/2 lbs. lamb loin, trimmed of all visible fat
• 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp. harissa paste
• salt 
• freshly ground black pepper

Ratatouille:

• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 yellow squash, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper chopped
• 1 Japanese eggplant, chopped
• 1/2 bulb fennel, chopped
• 2 oz. fresh minced garlic
• 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh basil
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
• 2 oz. balsamic vinegar
• 2 oz. pitted kalamata olives, chopped for garnish
• 4 oz. crumbled feta cheese, for garnish
• 8 sprigs fennel, for garnish

Makes 8 Servings

To make the lamb: Rub the lamb with the olive oil, harissa paste, salt and pepper. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

To make the ratatouille: Saute the zucchini, squash, peppers, eggplant, fennel and garlic in the olive oil until soft but not overcooked. Drain off excess liquid and stir in the tomato paste. Cook 1 more minute. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Add the rosemary, basil, oregano, and 1 ounce of the vinegar. Place in a glass or stainless steel bowl and refrigerate overnight. 

To Serve: Preheat the grill.

Grill the lamb to the desired temperature and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Firmly press the chilled ratatouille into a ring mold ( or a nice round dollop in the center of a plate if no mold is available) with  a spoon, dividing up into 8 plates. Slice the lamb and arrange on top of the ratatouille. Garnish with the olives, cheese, remaining balsamic vinegar, and fennel sprigs. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. Grilled lamb has become a decadent guilty pleasure for me. This lamb dinner is literally a work of art. This recipe was developed by Executive Chef Geoffrey Cousineu of the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida. The grilled lamb is quite delicious along with the Greek olive ratatouille. The ratatouille is quite flavorful and delicious it goes well with chicken, pork, certain kinds of fish and even eggs. This dish will be a favorite in your house after eating this, trust me. 

Spinach and Feta Egg Cups

Ingredients:

• 20 eggs
• 1 cup whole buttermilk
• 1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup chopped spinach
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Makes 24 egg cups (2 egg cups per serving)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. 
2. Lightly grease with butter two 12-count muffin tins (for 24 total muffins) and set aside.
3. Whisk the eggs, buttermilk, yogurt, salt and pepper to taste in a large mixing bowl.
4. Divide the mixture evenly between 24 prepared muffin cups. 
5. Divide the chopped spinach and feta among the cups. 
6. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the eggs are set. 
7. Cool for 5-10 minutes in muffin tins and then gently slide a butter knife around the edges to release the egg cups. Remove them to a wire rack. 
8. Serve warm or store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears in the New Keto-Friendly South Beach Diet Book. Eggs, vegetables and cheese for breakfast is quite delicious. These particular egg cups are filling and flavorful. The combination of spinach and feta takes you back to Greece and makes you wish you were eating breakfast overlooking to the Greek Isles. 

Grilled Stuffed Veal Chops

Ingredients:

• 4 (8-10 oz.) bone-in veal chops, about 1 inch thick
• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for grill
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese (1 oz.)
• 1/4 cup roasted red bell peppers (from a jar)
• 1 tsp. dried basil

Makes 4 Servings

1. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high.
2. With a sharp paring knife, carefully cut a slit into the side of 1 veal chop to make a pocket for the filling, leaving a 1-inch border on three sides. Repeat with remaining chops. Rub chops with 2 teaspoons oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Combine cheese, bell peppers and basil in a small bowl. Spoon about 2 tablespoons into each chop. Brush grill with oil and grill chops 5 minutes per side for medium. Serve hot.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. This is what Mediterranean on the grill tastes like: Delicious! Grilled veal is delicious when it's done right. The peppers and cheese makes the veal more flavorful. You can use any kind of cheese such as goat cheese, gorgonzola, mozzarella, Asiago or any other Mediterranean flavored cheese and your chops will still be delicious. You can even use pork chops in place of the veal chops and the meal will still be tasty.