Poached Salmon with Cucumber-Dill Sauce

Ingredients:

Salmon:

• 2 cups dry white wine
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 tsp. chicken-flavored bouillon cubes
• 6 peppercorns
• 4 sprigs fresh dillweed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 rib of celery
• 1 small lemon, sliced
• 6 (4 oz.) salmon fillets, 1/2-inch thick

Cucumber-Dill Sauce:

• 1/3 cup peeled, seeded, finely chopped cucumber
• 1/3 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
•  2 tsp. chopped fresh dillweed
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• fresh dillweed sprigs

Makes 6 Servings 

To make the salmon:

1. Combine the wine, water, bouillon peppercorns, dillweed, bay leaves, celery, and lemon in a skillet. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the salmon to the mixture in the skillet and cook for 10 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.
2. Transfer the salmon to a platter, using a slotted spoon. Cover, and chill thoroughly. Discard the liquid mixture remaining in the skillet.

To make the cucumber-dill sauce:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the cucumber, sour cream, yogurt, dillweed and mustard.
2. To serve, place the fillets on individual serving plates. Spoon the sauce evenly over the fillets. Garnish with fresh dillweed sprigs, if using. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Book. This is a delicious dinner to kick-start your healthy lifestyle or if and when you fell off the healthy bandwagon and want to jump back on. If you don't want to poach the salmon, you can marinate the salmon in this liquid, grill the salmon and then serve the salmon with grilled vegetables of your choice with the Cucumber-Dill sauce. The sauce is actually nice with the grilled fish and vegetables. 

Chicken Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:

• 3 large Yukon gold potatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs.) peeled & quartered
• 3/4 cup fat-free milk
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3/4 lb. ground chicken breast
• 1 1/2 tbsp. whole wheat flour
• 2 tbsp. tbsp. white Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. finely chopped sage
• 1/2 tsp. crushed green peppercorns
• 3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (10 oz.) package frozen peas & carrots
• 1/4 tsp. paprika

Makes 6 (1 cup) Servings

1. Bring the potatoes, with enough water to cover, to a boil in a large pot. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 12 minutes. Drain and place in a medium bowl. Add the milk, mustard, and black pepper. Mash with a potato masher or an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 4 minutes by hand or 2 minutes with a mixer; set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
3. Spray a large skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 4 minutes.
4. Sprinkle the flour over the chicken mixture. Stir well and cook, just until the flour is absorbed, about 30 seconds. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, sage, and crushed green peppercorns; cook until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture bubbles and thickens, about 1 minute. Stir in the peas and carrots. Pour the mixture into a 9-inch square baking dish.
5.  Spoon or pipe the mashed potatoes over the chicken mixture. Sprinkle with the paprika. Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until bubbling and heated through, about 40 minutes. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Ultimate Chicken Cookbook. Shepherd's Pie is considered to be the national dish of England. Shepherd's pie normally has mutton or ground beef but this recipe has ground chicken in it. This version of a classic comfort food is absolutely delicious. If you don't have packaged vegetables, use 1 cup each of chopped carrots and peas and the dish will be just as delicious. I highly recommend adding a pinch of salt and minced garlic when cooking the onions because salt, ground pepper and garlic always add flavor and make your savory dish taste better. This comfort food is perfect for eating during the colder months. Don't worry if it looks messy, it tastes great.



Shaved Fennel Salad with Seared Tuna and Parmesan

Ingredients:

Salad:

• 1 fennel bulb, shaved paper thin with a Japanese mandoline or meat slicer
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp chopped thyme leaves
• 1 tsp chopped Italian parsley
• 2 tbsp shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese

 

Tuna:

• 1/4 tsp  salt
• 1 tbsp pink peppercorns
• 4 ouces tuna (fresh sushi grade)
• 1 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Makes 1 Serving

 

To make the salad: Mix the fennel, oil, lemon juice, thmye, parsley and cheese. Set aside in a cool place.

 

To make the tuna:

1. Sprinkle the salt and peppercorns on the tuna. Place a saute pan on high heat and add the olive oil. Place the tuna in the pan and allow to cook 30 seconds or 1 minute on each side. Remove from the pan and slice in 5 pieces.
2. Place the fennel salad on a flat plate and place the lices of tuna in the center of the salad. Serve immediately.
    

WW POINTS VALUE: 11 pts

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. The original recipe appeared on the menu of Azul restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Miami and was created by Chef Michelle Bernstein. Chef Bernstein is no longer at Azul but you can still enjoy this dish in your own home. It's quick, easy and delicious. The tuna is packed with heat while the fennel salad cools off your palate leaving your taste buds refreshed. I used sashimi tuna in this recipe because I tasted sashimi at a party recently and I LOVED it! I also love how the flavors of olive oil, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, and mixed herbs go very well together with the fennel and tuna. As for the olive oil, I used Organic Garlic extra virgin olive oil from The Imperial Olive in Williamsburg, VA and it made the dish even more delicious. This dish is so good I couldn't wait to have it again because of the flavor and texture of the tuna and fennel. I know this dish has a lot of points for a salad but it's packed with lean protein and fiber. You can enjoy a high-end restaurant quality salad at home in 10 minutes or less. One bite of this salad and you'll never have to go out to a high-end restaurant again.



Steak with Two Peppers

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp drained brine-packed green peppercorns
• 1 tsp cracked black peppercorns
• 1 (1 lb.) boneless top loin steak, trimmed of all visible fat and pounded slightly
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1/3 cup low-sodium beef broth

Make 4 Servings

1. 
   
   Using your fingers, press 2 tsp of the green peppercorns into the steak. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil; let it heat. Saute the steak, turn once and sprinkling the salt on the cooked side, 1-2 minutes on each side. Transfer the steak to a plate.
2. 
   
   In the skillet, melt 1 tsp of the butter. Saute the shallot until wilted, about 1 minute. Add the wine; cook, stirring, until evaporates, about 2 minutes.
3. 
   
   Dissolve the tomato paste in the beef broth and stir into the skillet with the remaining teaspoon of green peppercorns Cook until the liquid is slightly reduced, about 2-3 minutes longer; stir in the remaining teaspoon of butter.
4. 
   
   Return the steak and any accumulated juices to the sauce; reheat about 45 seconds. Remove and cut steak into 12 slices. Serve with the sauce.

WW POINTS PER SERVING: 5 (3 Slices steak with 1/4 sauce)

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. You can use 1 lb. (4 oz. each) of sirloin steak and the recipe is just as delicious. You can even broil the steaks while making the shallot sauce in the skillet. Any good-quality dry red wine work well in this recipe. When a recipe calls for wine, it's best to steer clear of cooking wines, which often contain salt and are generally inferior. Instead, use a moderately priced table wine, one that your consider suitable for drinking.

Peppered Roast Tenderloin

Ingredients:

• 1 (2 1/2lb) beef tenderloin or filet mignon
• 2 garlic cloves, slivered lengthwise (or 2 tsp powdered garlic)
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. cracked black peppercorns
• 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary, or 1/2 tsp dried
• 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried
• 1 tsp finely chopped fresh sage, or 1/2 tsp dried
• 1/2 tsp salt (optional)

Makes 10 servings

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. With a small sharp knife, make several small incisions in the tenderloin; insert a sliver of garlic in each incision. Rub the tenderloin with the oil. In a small bowl, combine the peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, sage and salt; pat the mixture on all sides of the tenderloin.
2. Place the tenderloin in a shallow roasting pan. Roast 10 minutes; reduce the oven temperature to 350 F. Roast about 15 minutes longer for rare, about 20 minutes for medium. Transfer the roast to a cutting board; let stand 15 minutes before slicing (the roast should yield about 20 slices). 2 slices per serving.

WW Points Value: 5 (2 Slices per serving)

Note: This recipe appears in the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook. I was in the mood for some good beef and I've always wanted to try this recipe and it was so delicious. I highly recommend drinking a lot of water with this dinner the spices are hot. It was also the first time I cooked a nice piece of tenderloin.