Sea Bass with Green Sauce

Ingredients:

• 4 (6 oz.) sea bass filets
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup packed fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions
• 1/4 cup lightly packed tender watercress sprigs
• 2 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger
• 3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp. water
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Makes 4 Servings (1 bass filet and about 2 tablespoons sauce per serving)

1. Sprinkle the sea bass with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Spray a skillet with olive oil spray and set over medium-high heat. Add the fillets, skin side up, and cook until just opaque in the center, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a platter and keep warm. 
2. Combine the parsley, scallions, watercress, ginger, vinegar, water, oil, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor or blender and puree. Spoon the sauce over the fish. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW in 20 Minutes Cookbook. Who says fast food is not good for you? You can have your fast food and eat it too when it's done properly. The green sauce adds an elegant touch to this dish. You can use any kind of meaty white fish in this recipe and the dish will still be good. 

California Wrap

Ingredients:

• 1 leaf red or green lettuce
• 1 slice turkey breast
• 1 slice ham
• 1 thin slice tomato
• 1 thin slice avocado
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 1 leaf watercress or arugula
• 1 tbsp. sugar-free Ranch dressing

Makes 1 Wrap

1. Fan lettuce leaf on plate. Top with turkey, ham and tomato.
2. In a small bowl, combine the avocado and lime juice, then spoon onto tomato. Top with watercress or arugula and dressing. Roll up and secure with a wooden pick.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. These wraps are quick and easy and make great snacks or a light lunch. These wraps actually taste better than what you would order at a deli or sandwich shop. It's like having the sandwich without the bread. These wraps are filling and flavorful and will quickly become a favorite.



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.

Guacamole Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp. minced red onion
• salt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 (4 oz.) bunches watercress, thick stems removed
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 large ripe tomatoes, diced, with juices reserved
• 2 medium avocados, pitted, peeled & diced

Makes 8 (1-cup) Servings

1. Whisk together lime juice, onion, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a small bowl; let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Add cilantro, oil, scallions, and garlic; whisk to combine.
2. Place watercress in a large serving bowl. Add dressing and toss gently; season to taste with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and their juices and avocados; gently toss again and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. This is a great salad to have when you're starting your healthy lifestyle, you fell off the bandwagon & you want to get back on or you ate so much holiday sweets and you want to cleanse your system. This is really a spring or summer salad but if you're lucky enough to find ripe avocados and tomatoes, this is  the salad for you. The dressing is made from olive oil, lime juice, onions and garlic. Real cooks NEVER use bottled dressing. Real cooks make their own dressing for their salad. This salad can be enjoyed by vegetarians and carnivores alike and guacamole lovers too. I highly recommend using Garlic or Lime infused olive oil for an authentic Mexican taste. Fore more information, visit www.TheImperialOlive.com.

Mushroom-Beef Burgers with Watercress Cream

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 1 1 /4 lbs. lean ground sirloin
• 2 tsp. prepared horseradish
• oil, for grill pan
• 1/3 cup chopped watercress leaves and tender stems
• 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 8 thin slices (1 oz.) whole-wheat peasant bread, lightly toasted if you like)

Makes 4 Servings (1 burger per serving)

1. In a food processor, finely chop the mushrooms, pulsing on and off, until they are the texture of coarse bread crumbs. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the beef and horseradish and thoroughly combine. Form into 4 patties, each about 1 inch thick.
2. Lightly oil a grill or grill pan and  heat over medium heat. Place the patties on the pan and cook for 6 minutes per side for medium to medium-rare.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the watercress and yogurt.
4. For each burger, spread 1 slice of bread with 1 tablespoon of the watercress cream. Top with a burger, another 1 tablespoon watercress cream, and the second slice of bread.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts. with bread, 5 pts. without bread

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook. The people at the South Beach Diet have done it again making a delicious gourmet burger. Finely chopped up mushrooms are used in place of dried bread crumbs or flaxseed to hold the meat and seasonings together. Don't forget to season your burger with salt, freshly ground black pepper and minced garlic for a more flavorful burger. If you're on Phase 1, simply omit the bread and enjoy the burger on a bed of greens topped with a slice of tomato and the yogurt. If you have any leftover burgers, save them for sausage patties and eggs for breakfast the next day.

Grilled Salmon Salad Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. skinless salmon fillet, about 1 inch thick
• 1 1/2 cup watercress leaves, chopped
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 2 tbsp. reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
• 8 slices thin-sliced whole-wheat bread (optional)

Makes 4 Servings

1. Lightly coat a grill or grill pan with cooking spray and heat to medium-high. Grill salmon until opaque in the center, 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate to cool. 
2. In a large bowl, combine watercress, cucumber, sour cream, lemon juice and dill. Using a fork, flake cooled salmon into the bowl; toss well.
3. Divide salad among 4 bread slices, if using, and cover with remaining bread. Cut in half and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts. without bread, 7 pts. with bread

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. This salad is so delicious without the bread you won't miss it. I really loved this salad because it had such nice flavors to it. I really love grilled salmon because it can be flavorful and moist when it's done right. I highly recommend seasoning your salmon with salt, pepper, and garlic for a more flavorful fish. The salmon cooks quickly so keep and eye on it. You can also use arugula or spinach in place of the watercress and your salad will still be delicious.



Chicken Milanese with Savory Watercress

Ingredients:

• 2  large egg whites
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley
• zest of 1 lemon
• 4 (5 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch watercress, trimmed
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Makes 4 Servings

1. Place rack in top third of oven. Preheat to  425 F. Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray.
2. Whisk together egg whites and mustard in a shallow bowl. Combine panko, parsley and zest on wax paper. Dip chicken pieces, one at a time, into egg mixture, then into panko mixture, pressing gently to coat. Place on baking sheet and lightly spray with nonstick spray. Bake 10 minutes. Turn chicken and lightly spray with nonstick spray. Bake until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes longer.
3. Whisk together lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add watercress and onion; toss to coat. Place chicken breasts on each of 4 plates. Top with watercress mixture and Parmesan.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Tastier than Takeout Cookbook. This dinner is a winner and it is one of the best Italian dinners you'll ever eat. This dish is a compliment to Milan, Italy (even thought I've never been there but it's on my travel Bucket List!) Not every dish from Italy contains pasta and pizza. The combination of lemon, parsley, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese is so good you'll forget about marinara sauce. You can also use this recipe for turkey or veal. I highly recommend using veal scallopini in this recipe but sauté the veal for 2 minutes on each side instead of baking and it will be just as heavenly delicious. I highly recommend using your choice of Italian flavored olive oil from the Imperial Olive in Williamsburg, VA for an authentic Italian taste. For more information, visit www.TheImperialOlive.com

Multigrain Watercress & Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 8 thin slices mutligrain bread
• 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 bunch watercress, tough stems removed
• 1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced

Makes 4 lunch servings or 6 snack servings

 

Spread each slice of bread with cream cheese; make sandwiches with watercress and cucumber. Remove crusts, if desired, and cut each sandwich into 3 rectangular slices.

 

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts. (per lunch serving)

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. These tea sandwiches were delcious and quickly filled me up. You can use any green leaf lettuce in these sandwiches such as romaine or Boston lettuce and theey will still be delicious. Tea sandwiches typically use butter on white bread. These sandwiches are made from multigrain bread and cream cheese. I highly recommend using reduced-fat vegetable cream cheese because it adds more flavor to the sandwiches.
  

Turkey Cheddar Wraps

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tbsp. mayonnaise
• 2 tsp coarse grain mustard
• 2 medium whole wheat tortilla(s), warmed
• 4 oz. cooked turkey, chopped.
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp diced onions
• 1 cup watercress or chopped lettuce
• 3 tbsp low-fat shredded cheddar cheese

Makes 2 Servings

1. In a small cup, combine the mayonnaise and mustard. Lay tortillas on a cutting board; spread with mustard mixture.
2. Top tortillas with turkey, placing it about 1-inch from edges; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top turkey with tomatoes, onion, watercress/lettuce and cheese.
3. Tuck in  ides of tortilla and then roll it up lightly; cut in half on a diagonal. Yields 2 halves per serving.

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. It's a really good treat after having turkey, chicken or roast beef from the night before.