Asparagus Soup with Parmesean Sprinkle

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 1/2 lbs.asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 4 tsp freshly grated Parmesean cheese
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper

Makes 4 (1 1/4-cup) Servings

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add onion, garlic and asparagus and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions soften, 5-7 minutes. Do Not Brown!
2. Add broth, bring to a simmer, and cook until asparagus is just tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and carefully puree with a blender or hand blender. Return to the pan, gently reheat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve each with  a sprinkle of Parmesean.

 WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook. This dish is a delicious dish for lunch, a small snack or can even be served as an appetizer or main course for dinner. It may look disgusting to look at but it's certainly heavenly in your mouth. Even though there are a few simple ingredients in this soup, it is rich and flavorful. Plus if you have any vegetarian friends, they will love you if you cook this soup.

Chicken and Veggie Chowder

Ingredients:

• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4" strips
• 2 tbsp trans-free margarine
• 3 tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1 cup skim milk
• 3 spears asparagus, cut into 1" pieces or 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a large pot, combine the broth, carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms, garlic, thyme and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Using a slotted spoon, remove half of the vegetable mixture to a food processor and process until pureed. Return to the saucepan.
2. Stir in the chicken, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink.
3. Melt the margarine in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour until smooth and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add the milk and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes, or until thickened. Stir into the chicken mixture. Add the asparagus or broccoli, parsley and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, or until heated through.

 WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. This is a wonderful alternative to the typical chicken noodle soup with all the herbs and vegetables. Normally, chowders have heavy cream in their ingredients but this chowder has skim milk as an alternative. The puree of vegetables also thicken this dish and the herbs add a touch of flavor. I highly recommend serving this chowder for company along with a Savory Cheddar Cheese Biscuit to make it a hearty-one dish meal or course. This dish is also a great comfort food and perfect to make for someone who is sick.

Apple and Almond Souffle

Ingredients:

• 3 medium baking apples, peeled, cored and cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tbsp. sugar substitute
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 5 egg whites
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted (optional)

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the apples and water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until apples are tender. Stir in the sugar substitute and almond extract. Remove from the heat and place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. (Place a hot pad underneath the pot in the refrigerator.)
2. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
3. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites until puff peaks form. With a rubber spatula, gently fold into the cooled apple mixture. Spoon the mixture into a 1 1/2-quart soufflé dish.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until soufflé is puffed and browned. Sprinkle with almonds before serving, if using. Serve Warm.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. This is  delicious dessert that is light and fluffy and full of flavor with very few ingredients. The almonds add more flavor to the dish along with some heart-healthy fat. You will want to cook this dish again and again.

 

Filet Mignon with Red Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

• 3 spray(s) cooking spray
• 8 oz Beef, filet mignon, trimmed, raw, washed and patted dry (use two 1/4 lb pieces)
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 6 Tbsp red wine, such as Burgundy or Bordeaux
• 1 tsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 Tbsp chives, or parsley, fresh, chopped
• 1/2 pound(s) asparagus, trimmed, steamed or roasted

 Makes 2 Servings

1. Coat a grill pan (with sides) with cooking spray; set pan over medium-high heat.
2. Rub salt and pepper all over steak. When pan is hot, cook steak for about 4 minutes without flipping. Flip steak and cook for about 4 to 6 minutes more for medium doneness.
3. Remove steak to a cutting board and loosely cover with aluminum foil; let rest for at least 10 minutes (steak will continue to cook under foil).
4. While steak is resting, pour wine onto grill pan; increase heat to high. Reduce liquid by about 75%, scraping bottom and sides of pan while sauce is boiling (the thicker the sauce, the more the flavor it will have), about 2 to 4 minutes. If any juice has seeped out of steak while it’s resting, add it to grill pan. Once sauce is reduced, add butter to pan; cook until just melted.
5. Very thinly slice steak against grain and place on plates; drizzle with sauce. Garnish with chives or parsley and serve with asparagus. Yields about 3 1/2 ounces steak, 1 tablespoon sauce and 1/2 of asparagus per serving.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts.

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. If you are ever in the mood for a romantic Parisian dinner, this is a special treat for you. You can use this recipe with any kind of steak; just simply adjust the cooking time to accommodate the thickness. You can also broil the steak if you don't want to cook it in the fry-pan and it will taste just as delicious. Other side recommendations: roasted asparagus, light creamed spinach, mashed potatoes with celeriac root or even a light salad with a glass of red wine to wash it all down.

 

Paella (My Version)

Ingredients:

• 4 tsp olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 Spanish Chorizo (cured) thinly sliced
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 5-6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• 1 cup regular long-grain rice or Bomba (Spanish) rice
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 chicken or fish bouillion cube 
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 1 cup peas
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2-3 saffron strands, crushed
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Makes 8 Servings

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet. Saute the bell pepper, onion and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, peas and cook stirring well for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken and the rice, stirring, until the chicken is lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
2. Stir in the chicken stock, boullion cube, paprika, cumin, saffron and chorizo; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until most of the liquid is absorbed, 10-20 minutes. Stir in the parsley, salt and pepper. Cook, covered, until all the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes longer.

WW POINTS VALUE: 9 pts. (1/4 of paella)

Note: This recipe appears in the New WW Complete Cookbook. Paella is a traditional Spanish dish that combines meats, sausage, and fish in a rice base. The original WW recipe calls for chicken, shrimp and mussels to create lots of flavor with little fat. It was my mom's birthday and she wanted Paella for her birthday. I learned how to cook paella and I was ready to cook this dish. I had the original Paella recipe from my cooking class and incorporated some of the ingredients from that recipe to the WW recipe. The original WW recipe called for shrimp and mussels and I substituted tomatoes, peas, chicken boullion cube and chorizo and added paprika and cumin for a more flavorful dish. A Paella MUST include chorizo, Bomba Rice, saffron, paprika and cumin for that authentic Spanish taste. Don't use too much because a little spice goes a long way. The points value may be affected but it's a very filling dish that is perfect for any occasion and it's a healthy comfort food. Ole!

Poached Eggs with Cherry Tomatoes and Scallions

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 8 oz. grape tomatoes, halved (1 1/4 cups)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 tsp white vinegar
• 2 large eggs

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a small nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add scallions and cook until fragrant and beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until tomaotes have softened and given off some of their juices, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and keep warm.
2. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil; add vinegar. Crack 1 egg into a cup. Gently slide egg into the water. Repeat with the remaining egg, using a slotted spoon to keep eggs separated from each other, if necessary. Cook at a simmer until yolks are lightly set, 3-4 minutes.
3. Dived tomato-scallion mixture between 2 shallow bowls. Top each with an egg. Spoon any remaining liquid from the tomato mixture over the eggs. Serve warm.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. Poached eggs are absolutely declicious whenever you can eat them. I've always wanted to poach an egg and after watching Julie & Julia many times, I felt I was ready to try poaching eggs. Poaching eggs is a delicate skill that takes time and patience to master but the eggs are delicious. This is a very simple recipe but it's really tasty without a whole lot of flavor. Sometimes, keeping a dish simple can make a meal go a long way.



Herbed-Marinated Sirloin with Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp dried garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried majoram
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 (1 3/4 lb.) sirloin steak, about 1 1/2-inches thick
• 1 lb. medium-thick asparagus, trimmed
• 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes
• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, majoram, thyme, pepper and 1/8 tsp of the salt. Rub onto steak. Place steak on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and let steak rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Lightly coat a heavy skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Pan-grill steak 10 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
3. While the steak is resting, heat the oven to 450 F. Spread asparagus and tomatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with remaining 1/8 tsp of salt, and toss to combine. Roast until tomatoes are bursting and asparagus is tender, 8-10 minutes.
4. While vegetables are roasting, thinly slice steak. Divide steak and vegetables among 4 plates and serve warm.

 WW POINTS VALUE:6 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. This is a great meal for people who love steak and vegetables. The herbs rubbed on this steak are so heavenly delicious along with the roasted vegetables drizzled in olive oil. The vegetable side dish makes the dish look very colorful and can be served alongside chicken, fish or pork anytime of the year. Even though the recipe calls for the steak to be pan-grilled, you can grill the steak or even broil the steak.