Greek Sloppy Joes with Feta & Whole-Wheat Orzo

 Ingredients:

• 5 oz. whole wheat orzo (3/4 cup)
• 4 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 lb. lean ground sirloin
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 3 tbsp. tomato paste
• 4 tbsp. crumbled feta cheese
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced

Makes 4 Servings 

1. Bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package directions. Drain well. 
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. 
3. Add the beef and break up with a spoon. Sprinkle with oregano, cayenne, and cinnamon. Cook until the beef is almost browned but still a little pink, about 3 minutes. 
4. Stir in the diced tomatoes and their juice, tomato paste, and 1/4 cup water. Simmer until the sauce is thickened and flavorful, about 10 minutes. 
5. Divide the orzo evenly among 4 bowls and ladle the beef mixture evenly on top. Sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon feta and some scallion. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts. without the orzo, 8 pts. with the orzo

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook. Sloppy Joes are a wonderful comfort food when they are done right. These Sloppy Joes have a Greek flare to them and they are quite delicious. The whole wheat orzo takes place of the traditional bun and also give the Sloppy Joes a Mediterranean fare. These guilty pleasure comfort foods will become a new favorite at your table for lunch or dinner. 

Smoked Portebello Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp.+ 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large red onion, finely chopped + 1/2 small red onion, sliced, for garnish
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. gluten-free chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 lb. lean ground sirloin
• 1 can ( 14 1/2 oz.) no-salt-added diced tomatoes
• 3 tbsp. no-salt-added tomato paste
• 1 tbsp. gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
• 4 smoked or regular Portobello mushroom caps (4 inches across)
• olive oil cooking spray

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, chili powder, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the beef to the skillet and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until almost all browned but still a little pink, about 3 minutes.
3. Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer until the sauce is thickened and flavorful, 15-20 minutes. It should be we not soupy. 
4. Meanwhile, scrape the black gills out of the mushroom caps and cut the stems flush with the mushrooms. Spray the mushrooms inside and out lightly with olive oil. Cook the mushrooms in a sandwich press, hinged electric grill, or on a preheated stovetop grill pan until tender (but not shriveled), 6-8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the mushrooms.
5. To serve, place a portobello cap gilled-side up on a plane and top with a generous 1/4 cup of the sloppy Joe mixture. Garnish with onion slices, if desired. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Gluten Solutions Cookbook. The people at South Beach Diet have done it again by taking a classic comfort food and kicking it up a notch with bold flavors. These Sloppy Joes are delicious whether they are gluten-free or not. The diced tomatoes and the tomato paste are the key to making these Sloppy Joes flavorful. This gluten-free dish can be made in 30 minutes or less and can be enjoyed any night of the week. 

Mushroom-Beef Burgers with Watercress Cream

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 1 1 /4 lbs. lean ground sirloin
• 2 tsp. prepared horseradish
• oil, for grill pan
• 1/3 cup chopped watercress leaves and tender stems
• 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 8 thin slices (1 oz.) whole-wheat peasant bread, lightly toasted if you like)

Makes 4 Servings (1 burger per serving)

1. In a food processor, finely chop the mushrooms, pulsing on and off, until they are the texture of coarse bread crumbs. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the beef and horseradish and thoroughly combine. Form into 4 patties, each about 1 inch thick.
2. Lightly oil a grill or grill pan and  heat over medium heat. Place the patties on the pan and cook for 6 minutes per side for medium to medium-rare.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the watercress and yogurt.
4. For each burger, spread 1 slice of bread with 1 tablespoon of the watercress cream. Top with a burger, another 1 tablespoon watercress cream, and the second slice of bread.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts. with bread, 5 pts. without bread

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook. The people at the South Beach Diet have done it again making a delicious gourmet burger. Finely chopped up mushrooms are used in place of dried bread crumbs or flaxseed to hold the meat and seasonings together. Don't forget to season your burger with salt, freshly ground black pepper and minced garlic for a more flavorful burger. If you're on Phase 1, simply omit the bread and enjoy the burger on a bed of greens topped with a slice of tomato and the yogurt. If you have any leftover burgers, save them for sausage patties and eggs for breakfast the next day.

Feta-Stuffed Sirloin Burgers with Sun Dried Tomato Mayonnaise

Ingredients:

Mayonnaise:

• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 8 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Burgers:

• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 ounces (2/3 cup) reduced-fat feta cheese
• 1 teaspoon dreid oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4 whole-wheat or whole-grain hamburger buns, lightly toasted
• 1 small cucumber thinly sliced

Makes 4 Servings

For the mayonnaise:

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, sun-dried tomatoes and mayonnaise.

For the Burgers:

1. In a large bowl, combine the sirloin, feta cheese, oregano and red pepper flakes to form a mixture into 4 patties about 1/2 inch thick.
2. Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray ans heat over medium-high heat. Cook the burger until browned on noth sides 3-4 minutes per side.
3. Serve burgers on a bun, if using, and top with mayonnaise and cucumber.

WW Points Value: 9 with bun; 7 without bun

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. This is one of my favorite burgers to make from time to time because it's so thick and juicy and full of flavor. I added the garlic to these burgers because garlic makes everything better. I highly recommend using Trader Joe's Mediterranean Crumbled Feta Cheese for this recipe because there is so much flavor in this cheese. If you want to add a leafy green to this burger, I highly recommend spinach leaves for an authentic Greek taste. This burger will be the talk of the dinner table, party, etc and people will be coming back fore more, I promise.