Mexican Veggie Egg Muffins

Ingredients:

• ½ cup green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. onion, chopped
• ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp. (or 3/8 cup) grape tomatoes, chopped
• 3 large eggs
• 1 Tbsp. unsweetened almond milk
• cayenne pepper (optional)
• black pepper (optional)
• Non-stick cooking spray
• ¼ cup or 4 Tbsp. pepper jack or shredded cheese of choice
• 1/2 avocado 
• 1 tsp. lime juice (optional)

Makes 2 Servings 

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. As the oven is preheating, chop/dice your pepper, onion and tomatoes finely.
2. Crack the eggs into a medium-sized bowl and whisk them with the almond milk.
3. Add your diced vegetables into the egg mixture, stir well and then sprinkle with cayenne pepper and black pepper. If you prefer not to season your eggs, you can omit the cayenne pepper and/or black pepper.
4. Grease four of the muffin cups of a large muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Fill each of the sprayed muffin cups evenly with the egg mixture.
5. Sprinkle one tablespoon of shredded pepper jack cheese, or cheese of choice (including light Mexican cheese, cheddar cheese or part-skim Mozzarella cheese, if you prefer less spice) to the tops of each muffin cup.
6. Bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes or until the eggs are set and slighlty golden brown. A toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin cup should come out clean.
7. Let them cool for about 5-10 minutes before using a fork or knife to lift them out carefully from the muffin tin.
8. Serve immediately, topping them with avocado slices or avocado mashed with lime juice. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears on the www.southbeachdiet.com/recipes. Eggs are wonderful for breakfast  when they are done right. Mexican veggie egg muffins are both filling and flavorful. You have a colorful variety of vegetables with the Mexican cheese of your choice. Eggs and vegetables do fill you up. Feel free to omit the avocado and save your ½ serving of Healthy Fat to use at a different meal. Place the remaining two egg muffins in a resealable bag in the refrigerator to enjoy on your second practice day. 

1. 
   

Tomatillo Enchilladas with Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 2 lb. tomatillos. husks removed, fruits rinsed and coarsely chopped
• 2 tbsp. water
• 3/4 lb. cooked grilled chicken breast, diced
• 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
• 1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded fat-free pepper Jack cheese
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
• 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed

Makes 6 Servings (2 enchiladas per serving)

1.  Preheat oven to 450 F. Spray large skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and jalapeno and cook, stirring, until vegetables soften, 2-3 minutes. Stir in cumin and salt. Add tomatillos and water. Bring to boil; lower heat and simmer, uncovered, 7-8 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, stir together chicken, corn, and 1 cup Jack cheese in large bowl. 
3. Remove tomatillo sauce from heat and stir in cilantro. In two batches, transfer sauce to blender and puree, starting on low speed and holding blender lid down with folded kitchen towel. Stir 1 cup of sauce into chicken mixture; return remaining sauce to skillet. 
4. Spread 1 cup tomatillo sauce in bottom of 9 X 13-inch baking dish. Dip 1 tortilla at a time in remaining sauce, place on cutting board, and fill with 1/3 cup chicken mixture. Roll up and place seam side down in dish. Repeat with  remaining tortillas and chicken mixture. Spoon remaining sauce over enchiladas; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Cover with foil and bake until heated through, 12-15 minutes. Remove foil, turn on broiler and broil enchiladas until cheese is browned, about 1 minute. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Tastier than Takeout Cookbook. These treats are certainly a taste of Mexico. These enchiladas are both filling and flavorful. If you don't have corn on hand, substitute, sliced bell peppers and the enchiladas will be just as delicious. I highly recommend adding a tablespoon of fat-free sour cream to give these enchiladas a kick of zing. Even though 2 enchiladas make a serving, 1 enchilada will be filling enough. 

Tamale Pot Pies with Turkey & Pepper Jack

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 lbs. ground skinless turkey breast
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chiles)
• 1 (8 oz.) can no-salt added tomato sauce
• 1 cup fresh or frozen thawed corn kernels
• 1 tbsp. ground cumin
• 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 cups water
• 3/4 cup shredded fat-free pepper Jack cheese

Makes 6 Servings (1 pot pie per serving)

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray 6 (8 oz.) ramekins or baking dishes with nonstick spray.
2. Spray a large skillet with nonstick spray and set over high heat. Add onions, garlic and turkey and cook, breaking up chunks of turkey with side of wooden spoon, until turkey is no longer pink, 5-6 minutes. Stir in diced tomatoes with juices, tomato sauce, corn, and cumin. Divide mixture evenly among ramekins.
3. Whisk together cornmeal, salt, and 3/4 cup of water in a medium bowl. Bring remaining 2 1/4 cups water to boil in medium saucepan over high heat; slowly whisk cornmeal mixture into boiling water. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened, 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup Jack cheese.
4. Spoon cornmeal mixture evenly on top of turkey. Place ramekins on baking sheet and bake 8 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheese evenly over tops and bake until mixture is bubbly and cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Tastier than Takeout Cookbook. You can enjoy Mexican food without feeling guilty. Mexican food is a guilty pleasure and can be good for you when it's done right. These are a flavorful take on traditional chicken pot pies. These pot pies can be made and served in 30 minutes and can be enjoyed any night of the week. There's protein and five servings of vegetables in these pot pies so they are good for you. Don't forget to serve a glass of milk with these pot pies. The milk will cool the heat down in your mouth.

California Turkey Salad with Fresh Tomato-Lime Dressing

Ingredients:

• 5 plum tomatoes (1 1/4 lbs.)
• 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 head romaine lettuce, thinly sliced crosswise (8 cups)
• 3/4 lb. lower-sodium smoked turkey, in one piece, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 oz. Pepper Jack cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 avocado, diced

Makes 4 Servings

1. Cut 2 of the plum tomatoes into thin wedges and set aside.
2. Quarter the remaining 3 tomatoes and place in a food processor with the lime juice, oil and garlic. Process to a smooth puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Divide the lettuce among 4 plates. For each salad, drizzle the lettuce with 1 tablespoon dressing and top with one-fourth each of the turkey, Pepper Jack, avocado, and tomato wedges. drizzle each salad with 1 tablespoon dressing and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook. Here's another salad that is filling, tastes great and a great way to kick-start your healthy lifestyle. The tomato-lime dressing is homemade and more delicious that store-bought dressing. I highly recommend adding freshly ground black pepper and 2 garlic cloves into the tomato dressing because pepper and garlic always make everything taste better. If you don't have smoked turkey, use regular roast turkey, chicken or crabmeat instead and your salad will still be delicious. The original recipe called for mozzarella cheese but I used pepper Jack cheese instead and it was perfect. The pepper Jack cheese gave the salad a nice kick to it. I also highly recommend using Lime-Infused Olive Oil from the Imperial Olive. For more information, visit www.TheImperialOlive.com. 

Chicken Quesadillas

Ingredients:

• 4 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas
• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar or Jack cheese
• 2 (6 ounce) boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cooked and cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 avocado, pitted, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup refrigerated  fresh salsa
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. Heat the oven to 200 F.
2. Heat 1 tortilla in a large skillet (wider than the tortilla) over medium heat until warm, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with one-quarter each of the cheese, chicken, avocado and scallions and a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Cover and cook until cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Transfer to e cutting board, fold tortilla in half,and place on baking sheet in the oven to keep warm. Repeat to use remaining ingredients. Cut each quesadilla into 3 triangles and serve with salsa.

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. Who doesn't love Mexican food? Whatever you do, DO NOT GO TO THOSE MEXICAN FAST FOOD RESTAURANT because they are an embarassment to Mexico. You can make fresh Mexican food in your own kitchen in 20 minutes or less. These quesadillas are loaded with lean protein and vegetables and will quickly fill you up. They will also leave you satisfied and not be looking for dessert afterwards. I do recommend using fresh avocados in this dish because the avocados are better when they are fresh and creamy.

South Beach Eggsadilla

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 large egss, lightly beaten
• 1 (8-inch) whole-wheat tortilla
• 2 oz. reduced-fat pepper Jack cheese, sliced
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 2 Servings

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggs, reduce heat to medium, and scramble until  cooked but still moist, about 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and season with salt  and pepper.
2. Carefully wipe the pan with a paper towel. Replace on heat. Add tortilla and cook on both sides until warmed through, about 1 minute.
3. Leaving the tortilla in the pan, top half of it with cheese and then with eggs; fold the other half over to forma quesadilla. Cook on both sides until heated through, 1 minute more. TRansfer to a cutting board, cut in half, and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. This dish can be made in 15 minutes or less and can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I have really come to love eggs and this dish is for lovers of Mexican food. You can use any kind of Mexican cheese such as cheddar, Monterey Jack with this and it will still taste delicious. I also highly recommend serving salsa with this dish for an authentic Mexican taste.