Skewered Sesame Meatbals with Sweet-Sour Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground skinless chicken breast
• 1 (7 oz.) can whole water chestnuts, drained & finely chopped
• 1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 36 snow peas (about 3 oz.), trimmed
• 3/4 cup bottled sweet-and-sour dipping sauce

Makes 12 Servings (3 skewers with 1 tablespoon sauce per serving)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Spray a jelly-roll pan with nonstick spray.
2. To make the meatballs, combine the chicken, water chestnuts, bread crumbs, egg whites, soy sauce, shallot, and ginger in a medium bowl until well blended. Shape the mixture into 36 meatballs and place in the pan. Sprinkle the meatballs with the sesame seeds. then lightly spray with nonstick spray. Bake until the meatballs are cooked through, about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the snow peas and boil for 1 minute. Drain and rinse under running water to stop the cooking. Drain again.
4. Skewer a snow pea and meatball onto each wooden pick. Repeat with the remaining 35 snow peas and 35 meatballs. Pile the skewers onto a platter and serve the dipping sauce alongside.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Ultimate Chicken Cookbook. These meatballs are what I call elegant appetizers. You can serve these meatballs on game day, at a brunch, luncheon and even a Chinese New Year's Party. These take on meatballs are actually quite tasty and they taste better than what you would order for takeout. The meatballs are flavorful and moist. I do recommend adding some minced garlic to the meatballs for more flavor and making your own sweet and sour sauce.  

Chicken Chop Suey

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. arrowroot
• 2 tbsp. gluten-free reduced sodium tamari soy sauce
• 1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 10 oz. white mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 4 large celery stalks with leaves, thinly sliced on the bias
• 1 cup slivered red onion (1 cup)
• 1 can (8 oz.) sliced water chestnuts, drained & rinsed
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups fresh mung bean sprouts (about 10 oz.)

Makes 4 Servings (scant 2 cups per serving)

1. In a cup, combine the arrowroot, tamari soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon water. Stir well and set aside.
2. Halve the chicken breasts lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.
3. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken and cooik, stirring, until just beginning to brown but still very pink, about 1 minute.
4. Reduce the to medium-high and add the mushrooms, celery, onion, water chestnuts, and pepper. Stir to combine, cover, and cook until the mushrooms have softened, about 5 minutes.
5. Sprinkle the bean sprouts over mixture. Re-Stir the arrowroot mixture, add to the pan, and stir to combine. Cook, uncovered, until the sauce thickens, 1-2 minutes. Divide the chop suey among 4 bowls and serve hot.

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Gluten Solution Cookbook. Chop suey is a classic American-Chinese restaurant dish that loosely translates to bits and pieces or a little of this, a little of that. Chop suey was reportedly popular in early 1900's America but may or may not have been invented in the USA and there even entire restaurants called "chop suey joints" that specialized in this dish. Asian food does quickly fill you up and this dish doe that. I didn't like it but I didn't dislike it. I did eat this dish but I wouldn't eat it again because the texture dud nothing for me.

Pan-Grilled Duck Breasts with Orange Salsa

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. ground ginger
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 4 (5-6 oz.) boneless, skinless duck breast halves, all skin removed
• 4 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 navel oranges
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup sliced water chestnuts, cut into thin strips
• ½ tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 cups watercress, trimmed

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, cinnamon, ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Rub the mixture into both sides of the duck breasts and then rub with 2 teaspoons of the oil.
2. Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Grill the duck until medium-rare, about 3 minutes per side. Let stand for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, with a paring knife, remove a small slice from the top and bottom of each orange. Following the curve of the fruit, remove the zest and white pith underneath. Segment the oranges, halving the segments, if large.
4. Transfer the orange segments to a large bowl. Add the scallions, water chestnuts, mustard, remaining 2 teaspoons oil, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss to combine.
5. Thinly slice the duck breasts crosswise. Place 1/2 cup watercress on each of 4 plates, top with a sliced duck breast, and spoon salsa evenly over the top.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook. The people at SOBE certainly know how to make salads. SOBE salads are full of flavor and fill you up. Duck breast is leaner than chicken so you can enjoy duck on later phases of the diet. Most duck breasts come with the fatty skin on it. If you want to  remove the fatty skin, run a very sharp paring knife between the skin and the breast, using your fingers to gradually pull the skin off. This salad is absolutely delicious with all the flavors in it. Don't be intimidated by all the ingredients in this dish. Once you put everything together, the salad is absolutely delicious.

Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup sake or mirin
• 3 tbsp. hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 3 tsp. Asian (dark) sesame oil
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 tbsp. grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4  tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 (8 oz.) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 1 1 /4 cups unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

Makes 8 Servings (3/4 cup per serving)

1. Combine the broth, sake, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, cornstarch, and honey in a bowl; mix well.
2. Heat a large skillet or wok over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles. Pour in 2 teaspoons of the oil and swirl to coat the pan, then add the chicken. Stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to the plate.
3. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the skillet and swirl to coat the pan. Add the scallions, ginger, and pepper flakes; stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the water chestnuts and peanuts; stir-fry until heated through, about 1 minute. Add the broth mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture bubbles and thickens, about 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook until heated through, about 1 minutes longer.

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Ultimate Chicken Cookbook. Who does not love Chinese food once in a while? Kung Pao chicken is a Chinese takeout classic and can be made at home in less time it takes for you to call the restaurant and pick up your order. This version of the Chinese classic gets is bursting flavor from Sake (Japanese rice wine) hoisin sauce, ginger, and red pepper flakes. I highly recommend adding a touch of garlic because garlic ALWAYS makes every savory meal taste better. To make this meal even more authentically Chinese, serve on top of a 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice for an additional 2-3 points a serving. Once you learn to cook this takeout classic, you'll never order Chinese takeout again.