Coconut Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lb. chicken breast tenders
• 1 tbsp. chicken broth
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 tsp. dried cilantro
• 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp. finely grated lemon peel
• 1/8 tsp. cumin
• Pinch of ground turmeric
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 2 tbsp. macadamia nuts, finely ground
• 1 tsp. granular sugar substitute
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1 tbsp. tamarind paste
• 2 tsp. water
• sliced scallion for garnish

Makes 4 Servings

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes per side, or until browned and no longer pink in the center. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
2. Heat the broth in the same skillet. Add the onion, garlic, cilantro, ginger, lemon peel, cumin and turmeric and cook for 5 minutes, or until the onion is tender but not browned. Stir in the coconut milk, nuts, sugar substitute, and red pepper. Return the chicken to the skillet, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
3. Remove the chicken to a plate and keep warm. Do not discard the sauce in the pan.
4. In a small bowl, combine the tamarind paste and water. Stir into the sauce in the skillet and gently boil until thickened and the mixture measures about 1 cup.
5. Evenly divide the chicken among 4 serving plates. Top with sauce and garnish with scallion.

WW POINTS VALUE: 9 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. This is what I like to call better than takeout and better than your local Asian restaurant. This dish takes about 30 minutes to make and it's very aromatic when your cooking. I really love the flavor combinations of turmeric, cilantro, cumin, ginger, lemon peel, garlic and crushed red pepper mixed in with the coconut milk because the combinations are very exotic. Normally in Asian chicken dinners, it's usually a drumstick or a wing. Chicken breast tenders are used and they really satisfied me.  It was a different kind of chicken but it was nice and it quickly filled me up. I was full and satisfied I didn't have to go looking for food late at night. That's what good Asian food does to you: it leave you so full you're not hungry later on.

 

Berry Granita

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup granular sugar substitute
• 1 bag (10 oz.) frozen blueberries
• 1 lemon peeled and juiced
• lemon twist for garnish
• 1/2 cup low-fat frozen whipped topping, thawed (optional)

Makes 6 Servings

1.  In a small pot over medium heat, combine the water and sugar substitute. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes,  then set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine  the blueberries, lemon peel and juice, and cooled syrup. Pulse for 2 minutes, or until the blueberries are coarsely ground. Pour into a small metal bowl and stir a few times with a fork to break up any large pieces. Cover the bowl with foil and place in the freezer overnight.
3. Spoon into 6 serving glasses, garnish with a lemon twist, and top with the whipped topping, if using.

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. This is such a wonderful dessert to enjoy in the summer. Berries are in season and there is nothing like a frozen berry dessert to cool you off in the heat wave. You can use any kind of berry in this dessert and it will still be delicious. I highly recommend serving this for dessert when your having company for dinner because it looks and tastes so beautiful.

Light as a Feather Lemon Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups cake flour
• 3 tbsp sugar or sugar substitute
• 3 tbsp confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp grated lemon peel
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup trans-free margarine
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp confectioners' sugar for dusting

Makes 24 Cookies

1. In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar or sugar substitute, 3 tbsp confectioners' sugar, lemon peel and baking powder. Add the margarine and pulse on and off until coarse crumbs form. Add the egg and lemon juice and process just until a dough forms.Form the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour, or until firm.
2. Preheat the oven t  350 F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Shape the dough into 1" balls and place them 1" apart on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cookies and golden. Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and dust them with the 1 tbsp confectioners' sugar. Cool on a rack.

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt. per cookie

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. I wanted a sweet treat for dessert and this recipe looked to good to pass up. These cookies were very lemony and very delicious as a snack and as an after-meal treat. If you don't have any cake flour, don't worry. All-purpose flour works just as well as cake flour.