Lemon-Grilled Whole Trout with Pesto

Ingredients:

• 4 whole trout (about 12 oz. each), cleaned and boned
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 3 lemons
• 2 tbsp store baught pesto or homemade pesto

Makes 4 Servings

1. Lightly coat the outside of each trout with oil. Sprnkle evenly inside and out with salt and season lightly with pepper. Slice 2 of the lemons into 8 slices eaach. Plce 4 slices, slightly overlapping, inside the cavity of each fish. Cut the remaining lemons into wedges.
2. Lightly coat a grill or grill pan with cooking spray and heat to medium-high. Grll fish until lightly browned on the outside and opaque and tender insdie, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove from the grill and remove heads and tails, if desired. Remove and discard lemon slices.
3. Place fish on 4 serving plates, gently open each. flesh side up, and spread 1 1/2 tsp of pesto on the inside of each fish. Serve warm with lemon wedges.

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. I tried trout @ Legal Seafood earlier this year and loved it. I bought trout at the local farmer's market and wanted to cook trout myself. The dish had a nice flavor to it but I didn't realized the fish had to be deboned OOOPPSSS!!! I purchased the trout with its head cut off and I assumed it was deboned. If you ever buy fish at the farmer's market, make sure you debone the fish; otherwise you won't enjoy dinner. I will make thi dish again because the flavor of lemon and pesto is delicious and I'll but trout at the grocery store ALREADY CLEANED AND DEBONED!

Apple-Cherry Crumble

Ingredients:

• 5 apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
• 1 cup sweet cherries
• 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 tsp minced orange zest
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 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 apples, cherries, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla, 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 apples 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 don't have the WW Point Value because the cookbook doesn't provide the nutritional info. This dessert is similar to the blueberry and peach crumble dessert. You can substitute pears, apples, apricots and even sweet cherries for the peaches and blueberries. This dessert was SOOOOO delicious. I added the vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg to kick it up a notch and it was so good. Apples and cherries mixed with orange juice and zest and vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg make a delicious combination of summer meets fall. 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 apple and cherry crumble is delicious and it should be on your menu. If you want to spice it up, just add some vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg and people will love it, I guarantee.

Katie's Ultimate Greek Salmon Burgers

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. salmon fillet, skin removed, fish cut into1-inch chunks
• 2 tsp + 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground thyme
• 4 oz. reduced-fat feta cheese (2/3 cup)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 4 cups cooked spinach
• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tbsp minced onion
• 1/4 tbsp finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 4 whole-wheat pitas

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a food processor, combine the salmon, 2 teaspoons of the sour cream, Dijon Mustard, oregano, thyme, feta cheese, garlic,1/8 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp of pepper; pulse until mixture comes together, 15-20 seconds. Form mixture into 4 patties, about 3/4 inch thick.
2. Lightly coat a grill pan or grill with cooking spray and heat to medium-high. Cook the spinach in a pan with the remaining salt and pepper until wilted about 2-3 minutes. Remove spinach from the pan and set aside. Grill the patties until cooked through, 4-5 minutes per side.
3. While the patties are cooking, in a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup sour cream, pepper, sun-dried tomatoes and onion.
4. Divide the spinach evenly among the pitas and place a burger alongside. Top each burger with a dollop of sun-dried tomato sour cream mixture.

WW POINTS VALUE: 8pts. Per burger

Note: This recipe was originally a recipe called South-of-the-Border Salmon Burger in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. The original recipe called for lettuce, avocado, chili powder, cumin, lime and cilantro for a Tex-Mex flavor. They recommended oregano, thyme, minced onion and garlic for a Greek variation. I added sun-dried tomatoes and spinach for more of a Greek flavor and a healthier bite. I really enjoyed this recipe and I would eat this again. I would also highly recommend this dish to be on the Menu at Legal Seafood's or even at Fenway Park.

Grilled Filet Mignon with Roasted Garlic and Chipotle Pepper Chimichurri

Ingredients:

 Filet Mignon:

• 4 filet mignons (6 oz. each)
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• Roasted Garlic and Chipotle Pepper Chimichurri (see recipe below)

Roasted Garlic and Chipotle Pepper:

• 1 head garlic
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• salt (optional)
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. To make the chimichurri: Preheat the oven to 325 F.
2. Cut the top 1/4" off the garlic to expose the cloves, wrap loosely in aluminum foil, and bake for approximately 45 minutes until the garlic is lightly browned and very soft. Cool to room temperature, then squeeze out the roasted garlic.
3. Combine the garlic with the chipotle pepper in a food processor or blender, slowly drizzle in the oil, then stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper.
4. To make the filet mignon: Preheat the grill.
5. Season the steaks with salt and pepper. Grill the steaks to desired doneness, about 4-6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Drizzle with Chimichurri sauce.

WW POINTS VALUE: 10 Pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. This recipe is from the menu of Smith and Wollensky in Miami Beach courtesy of Chef Robert Mignola. I don't know if I perfected this dish but this recipe was delicious. There is something about roasted garlic and olive oil that has a nice aroma to it. You can make this chimichurri sauce goes great with and grilled beef, pork, chicken, vegetables or even fish. I should let you know that Chipotle Peppers are very spicy and you should use more or less according to taste. Chipotle peppers will also clear your sinuses.

Zucchini Risotto with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup tomato juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 6 shallots, finely chopped
• 4 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1/2 dry white wine
• 1 1/3 cups Aborio rice
• 16 sun-dried tomato halves (not oil-packed), finely chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh majoram, or 1 tsp dried
• 2 tbsp grated Parmesean cheese
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
• Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Makes 4 Servings

1.  In a medium saucepan, combine the stock and tomato juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer.
2. In a medium nonstick pan, heat the oil. Saute the shallots until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and wine; cook until the zucchini is softened, about 5 minutes longer. Add the rice; cook, stirring, about 1 minute.
3. Add 1 cup of the stock mixture, the sun-dried tomatoes, parsley and majoram; cook, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until the stock is absorbed before adding more, until the rice is just tender. The total cooking time should be about 25-30 minutes. Stir in the cheese and pepper; serve at once, garnished with parsley.

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 (1 1/2 cups per serving)

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. If you ever saw the photo for this recipe, you would want to cook it too. I have never  made risotto before and I was dying to try. This dish looks complicated but it it very easy to make. Just remember to have all your ingredients in place an follow the directions step by step. If you want an alcohol-free risotto, you can substitute nonalcoholic dry white wine or vegetable broth for the wine and it tastes just as delicious. The serving size is 1 1/2 cups but you will be just as full with 1 cup because it's so good.

Berry-Stuffed Cinnamon Crepes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mixed berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc.
• 2 tsp packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 large egg
• 2/3 cup fat-free evaporated milk
• 2 tsp granular sugar
• 1 tsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat ricotta or cottage cheese

Makes 4 Servings

1. Gently toss together the berries, brown sugar and lemon juice in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. To make the crepes, beat the egg, evaporated milk, granulated sugar, butter and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour and cinnamon until smooth.
3. Spray an 8-inch nonstick skillet with a nonstick spray and set over medium heat. When a drop of water sizzles in it, pour in a heaping 2 tablespoons of batter, tilting the skillet to coat the bottom evenly with the batter. Cook until set on the bottom, about 30 seconds. Turn and cook until lightly browned, about 10 seconds longer. Slide the crepe onto a sheet of wax paper. Repeat with the remaining batter to make a total of 8 crepes, stacking them between sheets of wax paper.
4. Spread about 2 tsp of the ricotta in the middle of each crepe and top with 2 tablespoons of the berry mixture; roll up each crepe. Place 2 crepes on each of the 4 plates.

 WW POINTS VALUE: 4 per 2 filled crepes

Note: This recipe appears in the WW in 20 Minutes Cookbook. Crepes are a delicious treat for breakfast, lunch and even a light dinner and dessert. If you don't have the patience for making crepes in a nonstick skillet, I highly recommend buying a crepe maker so you won't be frustrated. The Crepe Maker will make your life much easier, trust me. When a recipe calls for ricotta, you can substitute cottage cheese and it will taste just as good. The taste of berries and ricotta/cottage cheese is so delicious it will leave you satisfied.

Chicken Parmigana

Ingredients:

• 4 (4 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4" thick
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese

Makes 4 Servings

1.  Preheat the oven  to 350 F. Coat a small oven-proof dish with cooking spray. Brush the chicken on both sides with the egg whites. Mix the breadcrumbs with the seasoning on a plate; dip the chicken in the breadcrumbs and turn to coat.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; cook until lightly browned on both sides. Set aside.
3. Add 1 cup tomato sauce to oven-proof dish. Place the chicken on top. Pour remaining sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake until bubbling, about 15 minutes.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 per serving

 Note: This recipe appears in the Weight Watchers Kick Start Guide. I had a lot of chicken in my freezer and I had a busy week ahead of me and I wanted to have some healthy chicken dinners for the week. This is a nice and filling dinner with a side of pasta and a glass of wine. Plus, you won't get hungry afterwords and this homemade dinner tastes just  as good as the chicken parm you order in an Italian restaurant.