Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. heirloom tomatoes, roughly chopped, plus 1 contrasting-color heirloom tomato
•  for garnish
• 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
• 1 large cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup parsley leaves
• 1/2 small red onion, roughly chopped
• 1 small jalapeno, seeded and roughly chopped
• 1 cup ice cubes
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/4 tsp salt (optional)

 Makes 4 (1 1/2 Cup) Servings

1.  In a blender, combine 2 lbs. tomatoes and garlic; puree until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. In the blender, combine the cucumber, bell pepper, parsley, onion, jalapeno and ice; puree to a slightly chunky texture. Add to the bowl with tomato mixture. Stir in oil, vinegar and salt. Transfer gazpacho to a covered container and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.
3. Just before serving, cut remaining tomato into small dice. Divide gazpacho among 4 shallow bowls, top with diced tomato, and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. It was such a hot day and I did not want to cook. My mom told me she loved Gazpacho; so I looked for a good gazpacho recipe and I came across this recipe. Tomatoes are very ripe this time of year as are other vegetables. This was such a delicious treat for lunch; I could taste all the vegetables and herbs in this gazpacho. This soup goes perfect with a sandwich and/or salad. You can even top this gazpacho with shredded cheese if you'd like.

Classic Lobster Rolls

Ingredients:

• 4 frozen lobster tails, defrosted (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
• 1 small celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp minced red onion
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp chopped tarragon leaves
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 4 whole-wheat hot dogs, lightly toasted (optional)

Makes 4 Servings

1.  Fill a large saucepan with enough water to come 1/2 inch up the side of the pan; cover and bring to a simmer. Add lobster tails, return to a simmer, and partially cover. Cook until lobster is opaque throughout, about 8 minutes. Remove lobster from the pan and let cool. When cool enough to handle, remove shells and chop lobster meat into bite-size pieces.
2. In a medium bowl, combine lobster, celery, onion, mayonnaise, tarragon, lemon juice and salt. Season with pepper to taste. Divide lobster salad among 4 rolls, if using, and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6pts with roll, 4pts without roll

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. I was on a business trip to Boston recently and I picked up some lobster meat from Legal Seafoods. Legal Seafood has the best seafood in America and I highly recommend eating at Legal Seafoods. Frozen lobster tails are convenient but you can purchase 1 1/2 lbs. of fresh lobster meat for sandwiches to save time. Lobster meat is really fishy but delicous. This simple dish is perfect for summer and a great comfort food.

Light as a Feather Lemon Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups cake flour
• 3 tbsp sugar or sugar substitute
• 3 tbsp confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp grated lemon peel
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup trans-free margarine
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp confectioners' sugar for dusting

Makes 24 Cookies

1. In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar or sugar substitute, 3 tbsp confectioners' sugar, lemon peel and baking powder. Add the margarine and pulse on and off until coarse crumbs form. Add the egg and lemon juice and process just until a dough forms.Form the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour, or until firm.
2. Preheat the oven t  350 F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Shape the dough into 1" balls and place them 1" apart on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cookies and golden. Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and dust them with the 1 tbsp confectioners' sugar. Cool on a rack.

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt. per cookie

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. I wanted a sweet treat for dessert and this recipe looked to good to pass up. These cookies were very lemony and very delicious as a snack and as an after-meal treat. If you don't have any cake flour, don't worry. All-purpose flour works just as well as cake flour.

Iced Pom-Mojito Spritzers

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mint leaves, plus 4 mint sprigs for garnish
• 1 1/2 tbsp granular sugar or granular sugar substitute
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice, plus 4 lime slices for each garnish
• 1 cup unsweetened 100% pomegranate juice
• 2 cups chilled sugar-free cranberry seltzer water
• Ice Cubes

Makes 4 (1-cup Servings)

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt.

 Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. The picture in the cookbook looked so beautiful I had to try it. I was on a roll with the Jamaican Jerk rubbed steak on the hot day so I though I would keep the Caribbean theme going. I've never had a mojito and I've always wanted to try one. This drink may look like a total mess with all the mint leaves and the pomegranate juice but it's quite nice. All the fruit and mint flavors give this drink a nice taste and wake your taste buds. This drink is perfect after a long hot day.

Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp onion  powder
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp ground allspice
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• cayenne pepper to taste

Makes 12 Servings

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. It was WAY TOO hot to cook a meal so I made a simple dry rub to put on the steak. This Jamaican jerk Spice rub had a really nice flavor to it but it really belongs on chicken, pork or fish because those foods don't have much flavor. I would recommend putting the jerk seasoning in ground chicken, turkey or pork for a nice Caribbean burger. Now there's something to celebrate!

Swordfish with Asian Flavors

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp Asian (dark) sesame oil
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce
• 4 (6 oz.) swordfish steaks, about 3/4 inch thick
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 2 tsp canola oil
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Makes 4 Servings

1. Stir together the soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, cornstarch and pepper sauce in a small bowl until smooth; set aside.
2. Sprinkle the swordfish with the salt and pepper.
3. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the swordfish and cook until opaque throughout, about 4 minutes on each side; transfer to a platter. Stir the cornstarch mixture and add to the skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and bubbles, about 1 minute. Spoon over the swordfish and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the WW in 20 Minutes Cookbook.  This recipe looked so delicious and I've always wanted to try it. This meal was so delicous. This Asian flavored sauce can be used over fish, chicken, beef, pork and vegetables. You can make the sauce in advance and use it  anytime. Asian flavors can be very filling and you won't be hungry later on.

Orange-Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 4 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 large egg
• 4 tsp unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup fresh blueberries

Makes 12 Servings

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F; spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, combine the milk, orange juice, egg and butter. Pour over the flour mixture, stirring until just blended 9 do not over mix). Add blueberries to the mixture.
3. Spoon the batter into the cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake until a toothpick  inserted in a muffin comes ou clean and the muffins are golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes; remove from the pan and serve hot.

WW POINTS VALUE:  3 Pts

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. I was craving muffins and the weather was cool enough to cook. The orginal recipe  was basic muffins and they had many varieties of basic muffins. I wanted to try a combo of orange and blueberry and they were delicious. I do highly recommend not using muffin cups because the muffins WILL stick to the muffin cups.