Sesame Lo Mein with Chicken & Vegetables

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. lo mein noodles
• 1 tsp. Asian (dark) sesame oil
• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tbsp. Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• 3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 2 tsp. canola oil
• 1/4 lb. shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups shredded Napa cabbage
• 1/4 lb. snow peas
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

Makes 4 Serving (1 cup)

1. Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt. Drain in colander under cold water. Drain again. Transfer to medium bowl and toss with sesame oil. Combine broth, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons rice wine in cup.
2. Combine chicken pieces with remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce in another bowl and toss. Heat 1 teaspoon canola oil in wok or large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 3-4 minutes; transfer to plate.
3. Return skillet to heat and add remaining 1 teaspoon canola oil. Add mushrooms and stir-fry until softened, 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add cabbage, snow peas, and remaining 1 tablespoon rice wine; stir-fry until cabbage has wilted and snow peas are bright green, 2-3 minutes. Stir in noodles, chicken, and soy sauce mixture and cook, tossing, until heated thoroughly through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle with scallions and sesame seeds.

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Tastier than Takeout Cookbook. Who does not crave Chinese food once in a while? I do enjoy Chinese food but not the takeout version because it has so much stuff in it I can't pronounce it. Plus there is too mush salt  and MSG in Chinese takeout food. This version of a classic Chinese dish can be made in 30 minutes or less it's tastier and good for you. Plus it's easier on your wallet and the environment without all the boxes you have to throw out. If you don't have snow peas on hand, substitute broccoli and it will taste just as good. This dish was succulent and juicy. You don't need to add salt to this dish because there is some saltiness in the soy sauce. You can also use steak, pork or shrimp in place of the chicken and it will still be delicious.

Vietnamese Pork Rolls

Ingredients:

 

Dressing:

• 1 tbsp. Asian fish sauce
• 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 tsp. fresh ginger
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• pinch red pepper flakes

Pork:

• 1 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 lb. pork cutlets
• 1 (1/2-lb.) head napa cabbage, shredded (3 cups)
• 1 small red bell pepper
• 8 large Boston lettuce leaves
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. For the dressing: Whisk together fish sauce, lime juice, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.
2. For the pork: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium meat. Season pork with salt and pepper and sauté until lightly browned, 3 minutes per side. Remove from heat and slice into thin strips. Toss with 1 tablespoon of the dressing.
3. Combine cabbage, bell pepper, and remaining dressing in a large bowl. Lay lettuce leaves on a clean, dry work surface. Divide pork among leaves. Top with cabbage mixture and roll tightly, tucking edges in as you go. Place rolls, seam side down, on a cutting board, cut in half, and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. Who says you can't enjoy healthy Asian food? These rolls are like protein sandwiches without the bread. They are so good you will not miss the bread or any other carb that accompanies it. Don't be intimidated by these rolls, they are not hard to make. You can also add other vegetables such as onions, radishes and/or cucumbers to make these rolls even more filling. If you don't want to eat them as rolls, the pork is just as delicious with sautéed onions, peppers and snow peas too.

 

Thai Shrimp Soup with Lime and Cilantro

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 3 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 (1/2-lb.) head napa cabbage, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
• 1 1/2 lbs. fresh or thawed frozen shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 tbsp Asian fish sauce
• 2 tsp grated lime zest
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Makes 4 (2 1/4-cup) Servings

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger and onion; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add broth and red pepper flakes; increase heat and bring soup to a low boil.
2. Add cabbage and cook 2 minutes. Add shrimp, fish sauce, lime zest and lime juice; cook just until shrimp turn pink, about 1 minute. Serve hot, sprinkled with cilantro, if using.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook. This is a wonderful hot soup that will quickly fill you up and leave you satisfied. I've always wanted to try Asian soup and shrimp. My mother and I had this soup for dinner last night and it  was so delicious. I never thought I would like hot Asian soup but I did as did my mother. The lime and ginger gave this soup a nice zing to it. You can also add diced carrots or cooked soba noodles to this soup when you're on later phases as well a scallions for a heartier and more authentic Asian taste. If you are craving Asian food but you don't want to go out, this soup taste lust like what you  would get at a restaurant and it's quick, easy and delicious.

Pork Pinchos with Shredded Cabbage Salad

Ingredients:

Pork:

• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs. pork center loin, cut into 1-inch cubes

Salad:

• 1 (1 lb.) head Napa Cabbage, thinly sliced (6 cups)
• 1 seedless orange, peeled and chopped
• 1 small avocado, finely chopped
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch cayenne
• 1 small orange, peeled and cut into 8 wedges

Special Equipment:

• 4 (12-inch) skewers

Makes 4 Servings

1. For the pork: In a large bowl, combine paprika, cumin, garlic and cayenne. Add pork and turn to coat; cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Thread pork evenly onto skewers.
2. For the salad: In another large bowl, combine cabbage, chopped orange, avocado, scallions, oil, salt, pepper and cayenne. Transfer salad to a large platter.
3. Lightly coat a grill or grill pan with cooking spray and heat to medium-high. Grill pork, turning frequently, until cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Serve warm on top of salad and put orange wedges on the side.

WW POINTS VALUE: 9 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. Pork pinchos are traditional tapas, or appetizers. These pork pinchos make a deliciously filling dinner when served with this creamy, citrusy salad. If you don't have skewers, don't worry. You can still grill the pork whole, let it rest 10-15 minutes when done cooking, thinly slice the pork on the bias and toss in with the salad. An extra squeeze of orange on the pork give the whole dish a nice touch. This filling salad makes a great weekend meal that is comforting and satisfying. 

Barbecue Salmon-Asian Fusion Style

Ingredients:

• Salmon:
• 1 1/2 lbs. skin-on salmon fillet ([4] 6 oz. fillets)
• 3/4 cup prepared barbecue sauce
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp finely chopped scallions
• 1 tsp finely grated ginger
• Chives, chopped, for garnish

•  Vegetables:
• 1/2 head napa cabbage
• 1/2 head radicchio
• 1 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb. oyster mushrooms, chopped
• 1 cup sake or white wine
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
 
• Chinese Mustard Sauce:
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• Dash of mustard powder
• 1/8 tsp Dijon mustard
• 3/4 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp finely chopped scallions
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings

To make the salmon:

1. Preheat the grill. Leave skin on salmon if desired.
2. Place the barbecue sauce, vinegar, scallions and ginger in a blender and mix.
3. Start grilling the salmon to the desired doneness and baste with barbecue sauce mixture as grilling. (If you like the skin, first grill skin side down until the skin is crispy, then turn over and continue basting with barbecue sauce mixture.)

To make the Vegetables:

Take out the hard bottom center of the greens. Chiffonade the greens. Heat a saute pan over high heat. Add the oil and saute the cabbage, radicchio and mushrooms quickly. (They should stay crisp.) Before taking the vegetables out of the pan, deglaze the pan with the sake or white wine. Add salt and pepper.

To make the Chinese Mustard Sauce:

Place the mayonnaise, mustard powder, Dijon mustard, vinegar, scallion, and salt and pepper to taste in a blender and mix.

To plate:

Place sauteed vegetables in the center of each plate. Put five dots of Chinese Mustard Sauce around the vegetables. Place the salmon on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle the plates with chopped chives.

 

WW POINTS VALUE: 12 PTS

 Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. I wanted to clean out some of the food in the fridge and I have looked at this recipe so many times I had to try it for dinner tonight. This dish appears on the menu of China Grill in Miami courtesy of Chef Keyvan Behnam.  China Grill has been a Miami hot spot since it opened in 1995 and offers "World Fusion" cuisine. The picture of this dish is beautiful and I wanted to replicate it but it didn't go that way. However, the taste of this dish is delicious and you can taste the world fusion of East-Meets-West with the Chinese flavors with the white wine and barbecue sauce and mustard. The salmon was also delicious and cooked beautifully. My mom doesn't like to eat salmon but she enjoyed this dish. I just loved how the barbecue sauce blended with the mustard sauce and how the white wine vegetables and salmon melted in your mouth. It really was funky fusion in your mouth. I highly recommend this dish on a weekend dinner or for a special occasion because this dish is worth the time and effort. It may look like a lot but it's very simple to make. Thank you Chef Keyvan Behman. I look forward to your other recipes as well.