Chicken Milanese

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 large egg white
• 4 (6 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. trans-fat-free margarine
• 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• freshly ground black pepper
• 8 cups mixed greens
• 3 plum tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a mini food processor, grind the oats to the texture of dried bread crumbs. Add the Parmesan and salt and pulse to combine. Transfer to a shallow bowl or pie plate. In another shallow bowl, beat the eg white with 1 tablespoon water.
2. Dip the chicken in the eg white and then in the oat mixture, patting to help the coating adhere.
3. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and the margarine over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, turn the chicken, and cook on the second side until cooked through but still juicy, 10-12 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the vinegar, and mustard. Season with pepper to taste. Add the mixed greens and toss well.
5. Place a chicken breast on each of 4 plates. Top each with one-fourth of the greens and 6 tomato wedges.

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook. Here is another Italian dish made healthy. The traditional dish is Italian Veal Milanese where a hot breaded veal chop is topped with a cool salad. This recipe uses chicken breasts and the breaded ingredients include rolled oats instead of bread crumbs. The oats mixed in with the Parmesan cheese is actually pretty good. The salad served with the chicken Milanese is quite delicious with the dressing made up of red wine vinegar and Dijon mustard. You can even use pork or veal in place of the chicken and your meal will still be delicious.

Mojo-Marinated Chicken and Vegetable Kebabs

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh orange juice, (from about 4 oranges)
• 2/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 5 limes)
• 1/3 cup  fresh oregano leaves
• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium red onion, cut into big chunks
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into big chunks
• 1/2 medium zucchini, cut into big chunk
• 4 cups mixed greens   

Makes 4 Servings (1 skewer and about 1 cup salad per serving)

1. Combine orange juice, lime juice, oregano, oil, garlic and salt in the jar of a blender; blend until smooth. Set aside 1/4 cup marinade; place remainder marinade in a shallow dish. Add chicken and vegetables to dish; marinate 30 minutes in refrigerator.
2. Evenly divide chicken and vegetables among four 10-inch skewers; brush with marinade remaining in dish and then discard marinade. Grill skewers until lightly charred and cooked through, turning once, 12-15 minutes.
3. When ready to serve, toss mixed greens with 2 tablespoons reserved marinade; drizzle skewers with remaining 2 tablespoons reserved marinade.

WW POINTS VALUE 8 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the www.weightwatchers.com. Chicken soaks up a Cuba-inspired marinade, then gets threaded on skewers with lots of fresh vegetables before hitting the grill. Shish kebobs are great to enjoy in warm weather. kebobs usually consist of meat, chicken, or fish and vegetables soaked in a marinade and seasoned with herbs and spices, threaded on a metal or wooden skewer and cooked on a grill. Shish kebobs are one of the few things you can eat with out using utensils and taste really good. These colorful kebobs are packed with flavor and protein that will quickly fill you up. You have chicken with 3 servings of vegetables marinated in a savory fruity flavor. To make these vegetarian, substitute 14 oz. extra firm tofu for the chicken. Press out liquid and cube. Proceed with same directions as above (does not change PointsPlus value). Or marinate 7 oz. tofu and 8 oz. chicken in separate dishes and make only some of the kebabs vegetarian. These kebobs are a compliment to Cuba and are best served with a Mojito or Pina Colada.

 

 

 



Grilled Shrimp Salad with Chile-Lime Dressing

Ingredients:

Shrimp:

• 1 1/2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 12-16 jumbo shrimp (1-11/2 lbs.) peeled & deveined, tails left on
• 4-6 scallions, each cut into two (2-inch) pieces

Salad:

• 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 small jalapenos, seeded and minced
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• pinch of salt
• 4 cups mixed greens, such  as frisse, mizuna, radish shoots, and raddichio
• 1 medium papaya, seeded and diced
• 1 medium avocado, thinly sliced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced

Special Equipment:

• 4 (12-inch) skewers

Makes 4 Servings (2 cups per serving)

1. For the shrimp: In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. Add shrimp and scallions and toss to coat; refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. For the salad: In a small bowl, whisk together, lime juice, olive oil, jalapenos, black pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; let stand at room temperature while shrimp is marinating. In a large bowl, combine greens, papaya, avocado and red bell pepper.
3. Generously coat a grill or grill pan with cooking spray and heat to medium-high. Alternately thread shrimp and scallions onto 4 skewers. Lightly sprinkle shrimp and scallions with salt and pepper and grill, turning once and basting with any remaining marinade, until shrimp just turn pink, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove shrimp and scallions from skewers and add to salad mixture. Add dressing and toss gently. Arrange salad on 4 plates and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts. with or without the papaya

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook.  It may look a little chaotic but it's really delicious. If you're on Phase 1, omit the papaya and the salad will still be yummy. The combination of lime juice, olive oil, garlic and chiles is so nice because it's got a hot and cool feeling: heat from the chiles and coolness from the lime juice. The leafy greens and bell pepper add crunch and the avocado adds a touch of creaminess to the salad. This salad is an elegant gourmet salad that is worth the time and  effort. It's packed with color and flavor and your dinner guests will be very impressed with this sophisticated salad. I highly recommend using Lime-Infused Olive Oil from the Imperial Olive in Williamsburg, VA for an authentic Latin taste. For more information, visit www.TheImperialOlive.com.  It's also a great salad to cook when you're watching a  baseball game. I find that cooking a South Beach diet dish before watching your favorite sports team. It seems every time I cook a South Beach Diet dish, my team does well.

 

Mixed Green Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. mixed baby greens (16 cups)
• 1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup pomegranate seeds
• 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. minced shallot or red onion
• 1 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

 

Makes 8 (2-cup) Servings)

1. Toss together green, fennel and pomegranate seeds in a large bowl.
2. Whisk together oil, lemon juice and zest, shallot and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Allow dressing to sot for 10 minutes.
3. Just before serving, whisk dressing, pour over greens, and toss gently. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 Pts. per serving

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. This was a delicious salad for the holiday season because it had the bold flavors of lemon and pomegranate mixed in with vegetables. The pomegranates also add some sparkling juice to the salad. You can use any kind of leafy greens in this dish. I also highly recommend using Lemon Infused Olive Oil from the Imperial Olive in Williamsburg, VA for a more lemony vinaigrette. For more information, visit www.TheImperialOlive.com.



Souvlaki-Style Pork Chops with Tzatziki

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 4 (1/4-pound) lean center-cut boneless pork loin chops, trimmed
• 3/4 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
• 1 Kirby cucumber, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 tbsp. water
• 1 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
• 6 oz. mixed baby greens

Makes 4 Servings

1. Combine the lemon juice, oregano, 2 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon,  and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a zip-close plastic bag; add pork. Squeeze out air and seal bag; turn to coat pork. Refrigerate, turning bag once or twice, 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, to make the tzatziki, stir together yogurt, cucumber, mint, water, vinegar, remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
3. Spray nonstick ridged grill pan with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Place pork chops in pan and grill until instant-read thermometer inserted in center of chops registers 145 F, about 4 minutes on each side. Evenly divide greens among 4 plates. Top each serving with pork chop and 1/4 cup tzatziki.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts. (1 pork chop, 2 cups greens and 1/4 cup tzatziki)

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Tastier Than Takeout Cookbook. You can enjoy Greek food without having to go to  a Greek restaurant. You can make this delicious dinner in 30 minutes or less and it's worth the time and effort. Souvlaki means "little sword" in Greek (referring to the skewer it is traditionally cooked on). Skewers are not used in this recipe but you can use skewers if you want to. The tzatiki sauce give the dish a nice, clean, refreshing aftertaste. I highly recommend adding dill to the tzatziki sauce because it gives the dish an authentic Greek taste. As for the olive oil, I highly recommend using Lemon or Garlic Infused Olive Oil from the Imperial Olive in Williamsburg, VA. For more information, visit www.TheImperialOlive.com.