Simple fresh Fish: Baked Tilapia

Ingredients:

• 1 spray (s) cooking spray
• 4  (5 oz) fillets of tilapia
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp garlic herb seasoning

Makes 4 servings

1. Preheat broiler or preheat oven 325 F. Coat a shallow roasting pan with cooking spray.
2. Season both sides of fish with salt and pepper. Transfer fish to prepared pan and drizzle with lemon juice; sprinkle garlic herb seasoning over the top.
3. Broil until fish is fork-tender, abot 5 minutes or bake fish for 20 minutes antil fork-tender. Yields 1 fillet per serving.

Note: This recipe appears courtesey of weightwatchers.com. You can use any type of white fish with this recipe such as hallibut, flounder, sole, cod, and even shellfish. Lime juice instead of lemon juice works just as well for anothre substitution.

Corn with Flavor: Oven-Roasted Corn on the Cob

Ingredients:

• 
  
  2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro (or 1 tbsp dried Cilantro)
  
• 
  
  2 tbsp fresh lime juice
  
• 
  
  1 tbsp olive oil
  
• 
  
  1 tbsp water
  
• 
  
  4 ears corn on the cob, shucked
  

Makes 4 servings

1. 
   
   Preheat the oven to 450 F. Tear off 4 (12-inch-square) sheets of heavy-duty foil.
   
   
   
2. 
   
   In a shallow bowl, combine the cilantro, lime juice, olive oil and water. Roll the corn in the cilantro oil, then place on the foil; brush with any remaining cilantro oil. Wrap the foil around the corn securely, then place directly on an oven rack. Bake, turning occationally, until tender, about 25 minutes.
   
   
   WW Points Value: 2
   

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. I tried this recipe with the baked chicken recipe and it was really nice for a change. I usually boil a pot of water and let the corn sit in the hot water for 20 minutes. Oven-roasted corn is really good and I'm sure it will taste just as good with different herbs as well.

Simple Dinner: Baked Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 spray(s) cooking spray
• 1 pound(s) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, four 4 oz halves
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
• 2 tsp rosemary, fresh, chopped
• 2 tsp parsley, fresh, chopped
• 1/4 cup(s) canned chicken broth
• 1/2 medium lemon(s), quartered (for garnish)

Makes 4 servings
 

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a small, shallow roasting pan with cooking spray.

2. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Transfer chicken to prepared pan and drizzle with oil; sprinkle with lemon juice, rosemary and parsley. Pour broth around chicken to coat bottom of pan.
3. Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 30 to 35 minutes. Garnish with fresh lemon and serve. Yields 1 chicken breast half per serving.

Note: This recipe appears courtestey of weightwatchers.com. It's a very simple dish if you son't want any heavy duty cooking. Serve this dish with a side of veggies.

Stuffed Baked Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 4 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 3 oz. shredded part-skim mozzerella cheese (1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves (or 2 tbsp dried basil)
• 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesean cheese
• 1 garlic clove minced
• salt and freshly ground pepper (optional)

Makes 4 servings

1. Heat the oven to 400 F. Scoop out the inside of each tomato half with a melon baller and chop the scooped pulp. Combine the tomato pulp, mozzarella, basil, Parmesean, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper.
2. Place tomatoes, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Spoon in the tomato mixture and bake until cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Note: This recipe appears courtesey of the South Beach Diet 30 Minutes or Less Cookbook. I cooked this side dish 2 nights ago for a small vegetarian meal and it was nice. I used 1 tbsp of dried basil and 1 tbsp of dried oregano and it worked just as well. Basil and oregano work very well together and they both  have nice scents when cooking. 

An Italian Favorite: Basic Cheese Pizza

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. whole wheat pizza dough from Trader Joe's
• 1-2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups of tomato sauce
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzerella cheese
• 2 tbsp grated parmesean cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano and/or basil

Serves 6

1. Arrange one rack on the bottom rung of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500 F.
2. Sprinkle a work surface lightly with flour. Turn the dough onto the surface; knead lightly. With a lightly loured rolling pin, roll into a 12-inch circle. Transfer the circle of dough to a non-stick pizza pan or baking sheet, gently pulling the dough back to a 12-inch circle.
3. Brush the dough with the extra-virgin olive oil. Place the oiled dough in the oven and bake the crust 5-10 minutes.
4. Take the pizza dough out of the oven  Spread the tomato sauce over the dough, then sprinkle the mozzerella and parmesean cheeses. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven until the crust is golden and the cheeses melt, 12-15 minutes. Sprinkle with the oregano/basil just before serving.
    

WW Points Value: 5

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook but I've made some adjustments. I added the olive oil and baked the crust to make it easier to make and tastier to eat. Trust me, it's really delish. I love the Whole wheat pizza dough from Trader Joe's because it's delicious and inexpensive.

 

Steak so Easy and simple: Onion-Smothered Sirloin Steak

Ingredients:

• 3 tsp olive oil
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
• 2 (1/2-lb) boneless sirloin steaks, trimmed and cut crosswise in half

Makes 4 servings

1. Heat 2 tsp of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, thyme and 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/8 tsp of pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the broth and cook until almost evaporated, about 4 minutes. Transfer ot a medium bowl and set aside.
   
   
2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining tsp of olive oil in another large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the steaks with the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Add to the skillet and cook until browned, about 2 minutes on each side. Add the onion mixture and cook, stirring to scrape up and browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the steaks are cooked to medium doneness, about 2 minutes longer.
   
   

Note: This recipe appears courtesy of WW in 20 Minutes Cookbook. It's one of my favorites and it's really easy to make. I always use my CuisinArt Griddler to save time when I cook steak. I also use the Vidalia Chop Wizard to slice and dice my onions. You can buy the Chop Wizard at Target for about $20. and it's a lifesaver as well.

A Dessert just in time for Fall: Apple Streudel

Ingredients:

• 
  
  4 pieces frozen phyllo dough, at room temperature
  
  
  
• 3 tsp reduced-calorie margarine, melted
• 2 Tbsp dried bread crumbs, plain
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 small apple(s), peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 Tbsp dried cranberries

Makes 4 Servings

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F; spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Place the sheets of phyllo on a work surface and cut into four 12 x 8 1/2 inch rectangles; cover with a damp towel. Stack 2 rectangles and brush 1 teaspoon of margarine; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of bread crumbs. Stack remaining 2 rectangles directly over bread crumbs; brush with another teaspoon of margarine and sprinkle with remaining teaspoon of bread crumbs.
3. In a medium bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon; add apples and toss to coat. Spread apple mixture lengthwise down the center of the phyllo and sprinkle with dried cranberries. Roll up the dough; place the strudel, seam-side down, on the baking sheet. Brush the top of the strudel with the remaining teaspoon of margarine. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

WW Points Value: 2

Note: This recipes appears on WeightWatchers.com. I cooked this recipe when I was first loosing weight. It's a very simple recipe and it's one of my favorites. I highly recommend using Granny Smith Apples because they are very tart, easy to cook and have more flavor and aftertaste.