South Beach Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 2 tsp chopped parsley
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Makes about 1 cup

In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the tomato sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder, parsley, salt, pepper and garlic. Simmer 8-10 minutes until well combined.

WW POINTS VALUE: 0 pts (2 tbsp per serving)

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. I've always wanted to make barbeque sauce from scratch and this recipe always looked easy and tasty. The original recipe does not call for these ingredients to be cooked and simmered. I added that myself to make sure the flavors were well combined and savory. The ingredients in this savory barbecue sauce are heavenly they will make you feel like you're at an upscale barbecue restaurant. You can use this sauce for almost anything.

Mini Cocoa Swirl Cheesecakes

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 2 tbsp granular sugar substitute
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Makes 6 Servings

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Line 6 muffin cups with paper or foil liners.
2. Blend cream cheese and ricotta in a food processor until creamy. Add sugar substitute, eggs and vanilla; process until smooth.
3. Divide 1 cup of the batter among the muffin cups. Add cocoa powder to the remaining batter and combine. Drop a heaping tablespoon of the cocoa batter into each muffin cup and gently fold to form a swirl.
4. Place the muffin tin in a large roasting pan and fill the pan with hot water to reach halfway up the tin. Bake until the cakes are puffed and set, 18-20 minutes. Remove from the water and cool at room temperature. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. Cheesecake has become an American classic over the years and this is another delicious recipe you will enjoy. Baking is very different than cooking because it's a slow process that requies patience but it's worth it. This cheesecake includes the typical ingredient of cream cheese but reduced-fat cream cheese. This dessert is so rich and creamy (thanks to the ricotta cheese mixed with cream cheese blended with the cocoa and vanilla) it tastes like a little bite of heaven in your mouth and enough to satisfy you. The muffin tins produce individual servings perfect for family or a party.

Pan-Seared Chicken with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. fresh tomatillos
• 3 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
• 1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 4 (6 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. Remove and discard papery skin from tomatillos; rinse and pat dry.
2. Heat the broiler. Place tomatillos on a foil-lined broiler pan; broil for 8-10 minutes, turing halfway through, until softened and blackened on al sides. Transfer tomatillos and their juices to a blender or food processor.
3. In a medium nonstick skillet, heat 2 tsp of the oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to blender or food processor with the tomatillos and add cilantro, jalapeno and lime juice. Pulse for 1 minute, until ingredients form a rough puree.
4. Lightly pound each chicken breast to an even 1/2-inch thickness, season lightly with salt and black pepper.
5. In a large heavy skillet, heat remaining 1 tsp oil over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add chicken breasts, reduce the heat to medium-high and cook until lightly browned and cooked through, 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a cutting board.
6. Transfer tomatillo salsa to the hot skillet and cook on medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute, until salsa has a darker, thicker color and texture. Remove from the heat.
7. Slice the chicken breasts on the diagonal into 1/2-inch thick slices. place 1/4 cup of the salsa on each of the 4 plates, arrange chicken slices on top and top with additional salsa. Serve warm.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. This is a tasty and filling dish to kick-start your diet. It's got protien from the chicken and lots of vegetables in the salsa. This salsa is not your typical salsa. The main ingredients are tomatillos which are tangy and spicy that add a little extra heat and can be found in the Latin section of the grocery store. I enjoyed this dish because it added heat and comfort to the chicken. Chicken pan-seared is also delicous when it's done right because it's so tender and juicy it melts in your mouth. The salsa can be used with pork, beef, fish and even as a dip for chips and veggies.

Farmer's Cheese Pancakes with Summer Fruits

Ingredients:

• Topping:
• 2 medium peaches, sliced, (1 cup)
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp granular sugar substitute
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup raspberries

• Pancakes:
• 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup semisoft farmer's cheese
• 2 tsp granular sugar substitute

Makes 4 (2-pancake) Servings

1. Heat the oven to 200 F.
2. For the topping: In a small saucepan, combine peaches, water and sugar substitute; bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until peaches are soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in lemon juice. Gently stir in raspberries; set aside and keep warm.
3. When the topping is cooking, make the pancakes: In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, 2/3 cup of the cheese and sugar substitute.
4. Lightly coat an 8-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Spoon 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan and cook until pancake is set and edges are starting to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Loosen with a rubber spatula and flip: cook 1 minute more. Transfer pancake to a heatproof  platter and place in the oven to keep warm. Repeat for the remaining pancakes.
5. Divide pancakes among 4 plates. Spoon peach-raspberry topping over pancakes and dollop with remaining cheese. Serve warm.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 PTS with or without the fruit

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. This is the first recipe in the cookbook and the photo for this recipe looks so delicious you want to take a bite out of the page. These pancakes are not your typical pancakes which are made from flour, milk, buttermilk and eggs. The pancake mixture feels like a thick crepe and it's a nice change. The raspberry-peach mixture and the cheese add a nice touch to the pancake. This meal is like eating an open crepe with fruit and cheese. I also highly recommend putting some Rapberry Sauce for a fininshing touch to this meal for a more fruity taste.

Spicy Tomatillo Scramble

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 tsp canola oil, divided
• 1 medium tomatillo, papery skin removed and chopped into 1/4-inch dice
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp medium-hot salsa
• salt
• freshly ground pepper

Makes 2 Servings

1. Heat 1 1/2 tsp of the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatillo and onion. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Remove vegetables from the skillet.
2. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over medium heat; add eggs, reduce heat to low, and allow eggs to set, 2 minutes. Sprinkle vegetables over eggs, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, ad scramble until just cooked, about 1 minute more. Serve with salsa.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 Pts per Serving

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook. This is a great meal to kick-start your weight loss. You can have this for breakfast, lunch and dinner and it literally is quick an easy to make in less than 20 minutes. Tomatillos are also known as the Mexican tomaotes and the y look like small green tomatoes with papey husks. When you're ready to cook them, remove the papery covering with your fingers under cold water; the natuarlly sticky coating underneath will wash off. I also recommend sprinkling a tablespoon of shredded cheddar cheese over this dish to mke it tastier and more filling.

Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup walnut pieces, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 3 oz bittersweet chocolate
• 2 tbsp fat-free half-and-half
• 20 large strawberries with stems (about 2 pints), rinsed and dried

Makes 10 (2-piece) Servings

1. Heat oven to 275 F. Spread walnuts on a baking sheet and bake until fragrant and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
2. While nuts are toasting, place sesame seeds in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, gently shaking pan bakc and forth, until seeds are golden, about 5 minutes. Allow nuts and seed to cool, then mix together in a shallow bowl.
3. Heat chocolate and half-and-half in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking until chocolate is melted, about 3 minutes.
4. Lin a baking pan with wax paper.
5. Dip strawberries into chocolate (about three-quarters of the way in), then dip one side into nut and seed mixture, coating well. Place nut side up in baking pan. Refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 15 minutes, and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts.

Note: Ths recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties and Holidays Cookbook. Once again, I was hungry in this MASSIVE heat wave and I was looking for something to eat andthis was perfect.  mad his recipe at night so I would have something ready to eat and not have to cook in the heat wave. If you don't want to bake the walnuts, youcan toast them along wiht the sesame seeds and they will be just  as crunchy. You can also substitute skim milk for the half-and-half and it will work just as well. Even though bittersweet chocolate is better for you, I highly recommend semisweet chocolate for this recipe.

Deviled Eggs-South Beach Style

Ingredients:

• 10 large eggs
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup finely chopped roasted red peppers (from a jar)
• 2 tbsp reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 tbsp capers, rinsed and roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp finely chopped chives
• 2 tsp grainy Dijon Mustard
• 1/8 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• Paprika

Makes 20 Egg Halves

1. Place eggs in a large saucepan with cold water to cover. Partially cover pan and bring water to a full boil. Reduce heat to low, cover completely, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 20 minutes.
2. Drain eggs in a colander and then run cold water over the eggs to cool. Place the eggs in the refrigerator tocool completely, about 1 hour.
3. When cool, peel eggs and half lengthwise. Carefully remove yolks fom eggs and place in a medium bowl. Add mayonnaise, red peppers, sour cream, capers,chives, mustard, salt and black pepper to taste; mash with a fork until well combined. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the yolk mixture into each gg white half. Sprinkle with paprika and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 Pts per egg half

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties and Holidays Cookbook. If you're looking for an hors d'oeuvres for a crowd or a light snack, this is the treat for you. You will be filled after eating this yummy treat. I have never made deviled eggs before and I wanted to try something new. Plus it was too hot to cook. My deviled eggs were a little runny but still delicious thanks to the red peppers, capers, chives and Dijon Mustard.