Mediterranean Roast Chicken with Roasted Vegetables

 Ingredients:

• 2 oz. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 oz. white wine
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp. chopped rosemary, oregano, thyme, & marjoram
• 1 tbsp. chopped minced garlic
• 1 whole chicken, giblets and fats removed
• 1 cup carrots, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 2 cups fennel, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 2 cups celery root, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

Makes 4-6 Servings (4 oz. chicken & 1 cup vegetables per serving)

1. Place a shallow roasting pan with a rack in the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. Combine 1 ounce of oil, wine, mustard, herbs, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. 
3. Gently loosen the skin from the breast and legs of the chicken, being careful not to tear the skin. Rub 3/4 of the herb mixture underneath the skin of the chicken. Rub the remaining 1/4 all over the skin. Season the chicken well with salt and pepper. 
4. Place the chicken on the rack in the roasting pan in the oven. Cook for 10 minutes. 
5. Toss the vegetables with 1 ounce oil. Place around the chicken in the bottom of the pan. Every 10-15 minutes, baste the chicken with the juices and fat that have accumulated in the bottom of the pan, and turn the vegetables. Roast another 45-50 minutes until the juice runs clear or until the chicken is 165 F at the thigh or about 160 F at the breast. 
6. Let rest in a warm place for 15 minutes before carving. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears in the New Sonoma Cookbook. Roast chicken and vegetables are a wonderful comfort food when they are done properly. The combination of white wine, olive oil, Dijon mustard, herbs and garlic makes roast chicken and vegetables an elegant comfort dinner to be served on fine dishes. Basting the chicken while it cooks will give the chicken an even color and keep the skin moist. You can use pork tenderloin, turkey, and any kind of white fish in this recipe and the dish will still be decadent and delicious. If you want to make this dish fully complete, serve 1/2 cup of whole-grain or brown rice. 

Chicken Shepherd's Pie with Cauliflower

Ingredients:

For the Filling:

• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive  oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 celery stick, finely chopped
• 1 (one-inch) piece fresh gingerroot, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1 lb. lean ground chicken or turkey
• 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
• 1 small dried bay leaf
• 2 cups packed baby kale

For the Topping:

• 2 cups finely chopped cauliflower florets
• 2 tbsp. ghee or butter
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric (optional)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Makes 4 Servings

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. 
2. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft. Stir in the ginger, garlic, and turmeric and cook, stirring for 30 seconds, until fragrant. 
3. Add the chicken and turn up the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Add the tomatoes, thyme, marjoram and bay leaf, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until thickened. Stir in the baby kale and turn off the heat. 
4. Meanwhile, steam the cauliflower florets for about 8-10 minutes, until soft. Transfer the cauliflower to a large saucepan and mash it with the ghee, heavy cream, turmeric (if using), and cheddar over medium heat, until creamy. If you prefer a smoother mash, blitz the mixture in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set it aside. 
5. Transfer the filling to a large pie dish or divide it among 4 individual pie dishes or ramekins. Top it with the mashed cauliflower, ruffling it with a fork. 
6. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until bubbling and golden. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 11 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears in the New Keto-Friendly South Beach Diet book. Shepherd's Pie is considered the national dish of England and a classic comfort food. This version is keto-friendly because it contains a lot of vegetables and uses lean ground meat. The mashed cauliflower is used in place of traditional mashed potatoes. You can use lean ground beef, chicken, or turkey in this recipe for a succulent flavor. Don't worry if the plate looks messy; it still tastes delicious. 

Cheese Ball

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup low-fat sharp cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup no-salt-added, reduced-fat cottage cheese
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 (8 oz.) package fat-free cream cheese, cut into quarters, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp. each dried basil, oregano, marjoram, coriander, paprika
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Makes 16 Servings (2 tablespoons per serving)

1. In a food processor, pulse the cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, mustard, and cayenne until  very smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the cream cheese, herbs, salt and pepper; process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Scrape with a spatula onto a large sheet of  plastic wrap.
2. Wrap the plastic around the cheese mixture and shape it into a 4-inch ball or 7-inch-long log with your hands. Refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight.
3. Just before serving, sprinkle half of the parsley in a circle onto a sheet  of plastic wrap. Unwrap the cheese ball or log and place onto the parsley. Sprinkle the remaining parsley on top and press to help leaves adhere. Carefully roll any uncoated areas in the loose parsley, and smooth the shape, if needed. Place on a serving plate and serve with cut up vegetables of your choice.

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt. 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. These treats make a great appetizer or snack. These treats are cheesy and flavorful. The original recipe called for a .9-oz. package of dry vegetable soup/recipe mix but I use a combination of dry herbs and spices such as basil, oregano, coriander, marjoram and paprika and the cheese balls were just as flavorful and spicy. These cheese balls are also spreadable for crackers and bread too. 

Easy Baked Sole

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 2 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil, or 1 tbsp. chopped fresh sweet marjoram or parsley
• 1 1/2 -2 lbs. sole filets

Makes 4 Servings

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan until it is bubbling. Add the garlic and tomato and cook for 30 seconds, stirring. Do not let the garlic brown. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese and herbs.
3. Lay the sole filets out on the counter and spread half of each fillet with the butter cheese mixture. Fold over the other half of the fillet, as if you were folding a piece of paper. A little butter may leak out of the sides of the fish, but that's okay.
4. Place the fillets in a buttered baking dish. Dot with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. bake for 12-15 minutes. If you wish, before serving, pour the pan juices into a nonreactive saucepan and boil them down to make a sauce.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the Legal Sea Foods Cookbook. The folks at Legal Sea Foods certainly know how to cook elegant seafood dishes. You can make this dinner any night of the week when you have a limited time to make dinner. It's a nice meal that's both elegant and tasty. I highly recommend adding a touch of sauce on top of the fish and serve a side of rice and vegetables alongside the fish to make the elegant meal complete.

Steak & Mushroom Kebabs

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp. South Beach Ketchup
• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp. salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 2 lbs. sirloin steak, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 cups large mushrooms

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a large bowl, combine wine, oil, ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, pepper, marjoram and oregano. Add the steak and mushrooms and stir to coat. Cover and allow to stand at room temperature for 20 minutes, then refrigerate overnight.
2. Coat a grill rack or broiler-pan rack with cooking spray. Preheat the grill or the broiler.
3. Drain and discard the marinade. Thread the meat and the mushrooms onto 4 skewers.
4. Grill over heat or broil 4 inches from the heat, turning occasionally, for 7 minutes, or until the meat is no longer pink.

WW POINTS VALUE: 8pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. Warm weather has arrived and what better way to celebrate that shish kebabs. It's also a great way to kick-start your new lifestyle. I really loved the combination of red wine, ketchup, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and herbs is really succulent. Grilled vegetables such as eggplant or zucchini would go great with these beef steak kebabs. You can have your beef and eat it too.

Lamb Porcupines

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb. lean ground lamb
• 2 oz. crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
• 1/2 cup whole fresh cilantro leaves or mint leaves
• 1/3 cup quick-cooking whole-grain rice
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 4 tbsp. part-skim ricotta cheese

Makes 4 Servings (2 meatballs each)

1. In a medium bowl, combine the lamb, feta, cilantro or mint, rice, egg, marjoram, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup water. Mix well. Shape into 8 golf ball-sized meatballs.
2. In a large skillet, heat the tomatoes over medium heat. Add the meatballs, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, until the meat is cooked through and the rice is tender.
3. Spoon 2 meatballs and some sauce onto each of the 4 plates and top each serving with 1 tablespoon ricotta.

WW POINTS VALUE: 9 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Super Quick and Easy Cookbook. These version of meatballs are called porcupines because the rice swells when the lamb is cooked. These meatballs originated from a Betty Crocker recipe made with beef and white rice. Every country has their own version of the meatball. This meatball is what I like to call Mediterranean meats Middle Eastern because it's lamb mixed with feta cheese and Greek and Turkish herbs. I was surprised and how they turned out. Most meatballs I've cooked in the past and to be broiled or cooked in the pan a long time. Not these meatballs! These meatballs were plump and juicy not to mention totally delicious. If you have access to fresh tomatoes, use them instead of canned tomatoes. There's nothing like cooked, fresh tomatoes. You can have these meatballs and tomatoes as leftovers the next day on French bread and have a meatball sub. Who says a meatball sub has to be Italian?

 



Lyonnaise Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/4 lbs. potatoes, peeled, sliced 1/4 inch thick and boiled
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. marjoram
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 onions thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup chicken broth

Makes 4 Servings (1/4 of potatoes and onions)

1. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the potatoes and sprinkle with the salt, marjoram, and pepper; cook, turning as they color, 10-15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining teaspoon of oil. Saute the onions until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the broth; cook until the onions are very tender and browned, 5-7 minutes longer. Add the onions to the potatoes; toss to combine.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. This side dish is a classic French side dish that is usually made with a lot of butter, onions and other seasonings. This is a delicious side dish that goes great with steak, chicken, turkey, duck and fish. If you don't have chicken broth on hand, use white wine and the dish will still taste just as good.