Easy Fruit Compote

Ingredients:

• 
  
  1 lb fruit of your choice
• 1 tsp grated lemon, lime or orange zest
• 1 tbsp granular sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Makes about 2 cups

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, bring to a boil 1 pound of blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, pitted cherries, or pitted and diced apricots, peaches, nectarines or plums (or a combination of any of these) along with the grated lemon, orange or lime zest and granular sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fruit has softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, adjust the sweetener if necessary, and cool completely before freezing.

WW POINT VALUE: Not a whole lot I hope!

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. I purchased so many peaches from the farmers' market recently and I wanted to do something sweet with them. I mixed in 1 lb of peaches with about a half cup of pitted sweet cherries along with the zest and sugar. Plus I kicked it up a notch with some cinnamon and nutmeg. Fruit Compote make a nice dessert or a nice topping for just about anything.

Chocolate-Swirled Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup low-fat graham-cracker crumbs
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 3 cups reduced-fat ricotta cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar substitute
• 1/3 cup evaporated milk
• 2 1/2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, melted

Makes 12 Servings

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Coat a 9" springform pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle the bottome of the pan with graham craker crumbs, cinnamon and nutmeg.
2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cheese until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, sugar, sugar substitute, vanilla and milk and beat for 4 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth. Pour 2 cups of the batter into a small bowl and beat the melted chocolate into it.
3. Pout the plain batter into the prepared pan. Top with the chocolate batter. Using a knife, swirl the batters to create a marbled effect. Place the pan inside a larger one filled with 1" of water.
4. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned and the center is nearly set. Cool on a rack for 30 minutes, then refrigerate overnight.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. Every now and then you have a craving for something sweet and delicious and this treat really hit the spot. I added a few ingredients to this recipe to make it more irresistable. I added the cinnamon and nutmeg to the graham cracker crust t give the crust more flavor. I also added the vanilla to the ricotta mixture to kick it up a notch. What's cheesecake without a hint of vanilla? This South Beach Cheesecake is very fluffy because it's made from ricotta cheese and not the traditional cream cheese; however, it is a heavenly delight.

Raspberry-Grape Sparklers

Ingredients:

• 1 cup seedless red grapes (30 Grapes)
• 1 cup raspberries
• Ice cubes
• 2 cups chilled seltzer water

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a blender, combine grapes and raspberries; puree until smooth. Strain mixture into a large pitcher (you should have about 1 cup); discard seeds.
2. Fill 4 (8 oz.) glasses with ice. Pour 1/4 cup of fruit mixture into each glass and top with seltzer. Stir gently and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 0 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. I've had this recipe before and it tasted so delicious but there were too many seeds in the drink the first time I made it. I wanted to try this recipe again because I wanted a nice fruit flavored treat with no added sugar. This drink is delicious and has a nice bubbly after-taste to it. I would HIGHLY recommend using a strainer to separate the seeds from the juices.

Easy Pepper Steak

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
• 2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tbs cornstarch
• 2 tsp canola oil
• 1 lb flank steak, trimmed and thinly sliced against the grain
• 4 assorted-color bell peppers, cut into thin strips
• 6 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Makes 6 Servings

1. Stir together 1 1/4 cups of the broth, the soy sauce and the cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth; set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a nonstick wok or a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the steak and stir-fry until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl; set aside.
3. Add the bell peppers to the wok and stir-fry until crispy-tender about 3 minutes. Add the scallions and garlic; stir-fry about 1 minute. Add the remaining 1/2 cup broth; cook, covered, about 3 minutes. Return the beef to the wok. Stir the cornstarch mixture and add to the wok; stir-fry until the sauce thickens and bubbles, about 1 minute longer.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 PTS

Note: This recipe appears in the WW in 20 Minutes Cookbook. I love steak and I love bell peppers. The smell of beef broth and soy sauce has a nice aroma as well. This is a very easy an tasty recipe to make and eat. You don't necessarily have to use flak steak; you can use sirloin or any other kind of steak for this dish. You can even serve rice with this dish if you desire.

Molten Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 lb (8 oz.) semisweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup granular sugar
• 3 tsp cornstarch
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 4 tbsp brandy
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 4 tbsp granular sugar

Makes 4 Servings

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F
2. In a double broiler, melt the butter and the chocolate over medium heat, stirring constantly to smooth. When the mixture is completely melted, remove from the heat.
3. Add the sugar and cornstarch to the chocolate mixture and combine well.
4. Beat in the eggs and egg whites into the chocolate mixture and whisk all the ingredients together. Add the brandy and whisk again until smooth.
5. Line the bottom of each ramekin with a circle of parchment paper. Butter the parchment and the sides of the ramekin. Coat the insides of the ramekin with sugar, then fill with the chocolate batter.
6. Place the ramekins on a jelly roll pan or cooking sheet and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
7. Carefully invert each ramekin onto a dessert plate. Remove the parchment circle.
8. Serve the cakes while still warm, garnished with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, raspberry sauce or fresh berries.

WW POINTS VALUE: Who Knows?!?!

Note: This recipe is from Calphalon. I know I'm going off course for a little bit but I want to cook without borders and I want to live a little! I've always wanted to try make my own molten chocolate cake @ home instead of paying $$ for it. I altered this recipe to make it low-fat.  If you don't have brandy on hand, you can substitute different liqueurs such as Frangelico, Grand Marnier, Amaretto or Creme de Mint. I also highly recommend seving this dish with fresh fruit and a homemade raseberry sauce.

Haddock with an Herb and Bread Crumb Topping

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2-2 lbs. haddock, skin left on
• Vegetable Oil or extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or sweet marjoram. or 1 tbsp fresh tarragon

Variation: With Roasted Red Peppers

Slice about 3 tbsp roasted red peppers into tin strips and place on the haddock. Top with the bread crumbs and proceed below.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F
2. Dry the haddock and oil lightly. Place in a large baking dish skin side down. Mix together the bread crumbs, cheese and herbs. Spread over the fish. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cooked through but still slightly translucent.

Makes 4 Servings

WW POINTS VALUE: Who Knows?

Note: This recipe appears in the New Legal Seafood Cookbook. The recipes in this cookbook look SO delicious I can't wait to try them all. If you don't have haddock, don't worry. You can use virtually any fish fillet in this recipe and  so I used cod.You can also change the herbs to vary the flavor. I had this reip the other night with roasted red peppers as a side and it was a nice dish. The red peppers also add color to yo plate. This is an easy fish dish to prepare if you or anyone else is learning to cook fish.

Blueberry and Peach Crumble

Ingredients:

• 5 peaches or nectarines, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 tsp minced orange zest
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
• 3 tbsp butter or margarine
• Heavy Cream (optional)

Makes 4-6 Servings

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
2. Mix together the peaches, blueberries, orange juice, orange zest, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Place the fruit mixture in a buttered 9-inch pie plate or square pan and set aside.
3. Combine the flour and brown sugar, then cut in 2 tbsp of the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture forms crumbs about the size of small peas. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the fruit, and dot with the remaining 1 tbsp butter.
4. Bake until the peaches are cooked through, the top is slightly browned, and the mixture is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Serve either hot or cold, with heavy cream, if desired, to pour over the crumble.

WW POINTS VALUE: Who knows?

Note: This recipe appears in The New Legal Sea Foods Cookbook. I am a HUGE fan of Legal Sea Foods and I've always wanted to cook something from their menu regardless of what it is. The weather was finally nice and I decided to cook, of all  things, dessert. I had blueberries and peaches in my fridge and I wanted to use them. Blueberries and peaches come into season together and I've had them together before and I enjoyed them.  I don't have the WW Point Value because the cookbook doesn't provide the nutritional info.This dessert was SOOOOO delicious. I added the ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg to kick it up a notch and it was so good. Peaches and blueberries mixed with orange juice and zest and ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg make a great combonation. Cooked fruit is just as delicious as it's served raw. I do recommend putting in some spices if you want to cook fruit. To the Berkowitz family: If you're reading this posting, the blueberry and peach crumble is delicious. If you want to spice it up, just add some ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg and people will love it, I guarantee.