Baked Catfish with Lemon Aioli

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs. catfish fillets
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. Heat oven to 400 F. Mix together thyme and cayenne and rub onto catfish; season fish on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Bake fish until opaque and cooked throughout, about 14 minutes.
3. While fish is baking, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice and garlic in a small mixing bowl to make aioli. Serve fish hot with aioli.

WW POINTS VALUE: 9 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. Aioli is a fancy term for garlic mayonnaise that can easily be made at home with any kind of mayonnaise. Aioli is a great sauce for any kind of fish, chicken, steak and vegetarian dish. You can also use any kind of fish with this recipe and it will taste delicious. This dinner is also a quick and easy meal that can be made in under 20 minutes. And they say fast food is not good for you!

T-Bone Steak with Gremolata

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp grated lemon zest
• 4 (1-lb.) T-bone steaks, 3/4-inch thick
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. Combine parsley, garlic, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use (gremolata can be made up to 4 hours ahead.)
2. Season steaks generously with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 steaks and cook 4 minutes per side for medium-rare; transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil to keep warm, and repeat with remaining steaks. Serve with gremolata.

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. Gremolata is a traditional Italian garnish that is served with braised veal shanks and other meats. Gremolata is a simple combination of parsley, garlic and lemon zest. Gremolata give the streak a surprisingly vibrant flavor. You can even use the gremolata in salad as well.

Lemon Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 5 tbsp light brown sugar
• 8 tbsp regular butter, cold, cut into 1/2- inch pieces
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups  powdered sugar, divided
• 3/4 cups fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp lemon zest

Makes 24 Servings

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. To make crust, mix flour and light brown sugar using a food processor until fully incorporated. Toss butter into flour mixture and pulse to combine using short bursts of power until butter is cut into tiny pea-sized pieces and dough appears lumpy. Sprinkle crust mixture onto an ungreased 13 X 9 X 2-inch baking pan as evenly as possible; press down with a spatula to create a packed surface. Place crust in middle of oven and bake until golden, about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, to make lemon topping, beat eggs in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until well blended. Add vanilla extract and 3/4 cup of powdered sugar; mix well. Add lemon juice and remaining powdered sugar; mix until powdered sugar is completely dissolved and then add zest.
4. As soon as crust is finished, remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Immediately pour lemon mixture over hot crust. Bake completely, about 30 minutes; cool, and cut into 24 bars.

 WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts Yields 1 bar per serving.

Note: This recipe appears on  www.weightwatchers.com. Who does not enjoy lemon bars?!. They make your lips pucker, they're tart yet sweet and they can be served for dessert, at a bake sale or ata casual gathering. Make sure the crust is HOT when you pour in the lemon mixture  so they bars will come out of the pan easily. You can substitute lemon extract for the vanilla for a more tar taste. You can also change the flavor completely by using lime juice and zest instead of lemon.

 

 



South Beach Chicken Paella

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup whole-grain, qick cooking brown rice
• 3/4 cup roasted red bell peppers (from a jar), drained and thinly sliced
• 2 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 tsp saffron
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Make 4 (1 1/2-cup) Servings

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and onion; cook, stirring often, until onion is softetened, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in rice. Add red peppers, broth and saffron; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. If paella has excess moisture, cook uncovered 3 -5 minutes. Stir in parsely, seaspn to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. Paella is the official dish of Spain and there are many versions of paella. As I've said before, a little saffron goes a long way lending pugent flavor and color to the dish. I've always loved chicken and rice for dinner growing up and this chicken and rice dinner adds bold new flavors to this comfort food. Even though the recipe calls for brown rice, I highly recommend using Bobma rice for that authentic Spanish flavor. Bomba rice is the rice that is used in traditional Paellas. You could also add a little white wine for a little cosmopolitan flavor as well.

 

Shrimp Salad in Cucumber Cups

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups water
• 10 whole peppercorns
• 1 (1/4-inch-thick) lemon slice
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 4 marinated artichoke heart quarters, roughly chopped, plus 1 tsp of the liquid
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 2  medium (8-inch) cucumbers

Makes 2 (4-piece) Servings

1. Bring water, peppercorns, lemon slice and bay leaf to a  simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; simmer for 1 minute. Ad shrimp, cover pan, and remove pan from heat. Let shrimp sitting poaching liquid until opaque and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a cutting board and roughly chop.
2. Place shrimp in a medium bowl; add artichoke hearts and the 1 teaspoon liquid, lemon juice and basil; stir to combine.
3. Using a sharp knife, trim ends of cucumbers. Cut each cucumber crosswise into4 pieces, each about 2 inches long. Cut straight sides down each piece to square it, leaving the peel intact just at the corners. Using a melon baller, cup a small cup, about 1 inch deep, into each cucumber piece. Fill each cup with 2 tablespoons of shrimp mixture and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. If you are not in the mood for a heavy dinner, it's too hot to cook or you're looking for a delicious appetizer, this dish is four you. I have now become a fan of shrimp I can't wait to cook more shrimp dishes. This appetizer is both a light and elegant it will impress anyone. The cucumbers and shrimp mixture can both be made up to 8 hours ahead of time; they just need to be wrapped, put in a covered container and put into the refrigerator. When you're ready to serve, bring all ingredients to room temperature and fill cups just before serving.

Frosted Chocolate Layer Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp fat-free margarine
• 1 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 3 large egg whites
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 oz milk chocolate chips , about 4 tbsp
• 6 tbsp milk
• 16 oz. powdered sugar

Makes 16 Servings

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F Coat 2 (9-inch) round or square cake pans with cooking spray; set aside.
2. To make the cake, combine flour, brown sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Mix well with a fork to break up the brown sugar; set aside.
3. Melt 4 tbsp of the margarine. Combine buttermilk, egg whites, melted margarine and 1 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl; using an electric mixer, mix on low speed until blended. Gradually beat in boiling water and then add in flour mixture; mix on low speed until blended.
4. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes; invert cakes onto rack, remove pans and cool completely.
5. Eanwhile, to make the frosting, melt remaining  2 tbsp of margarine in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add milk and chocolate chips, cook until blended and smooth, stirring constantly with a wire whisk, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in remaining 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract; cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool, about 15 minutes. using an electric mixer on low speed, gradually add powdered sugar and mix until blended.
6. To assemble cake, spread 1/2 cup of frosting on top of one cake layer. Top with second cake layer and spread remaining frosting over top and sides; slice into 16 slices and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. It was my birthday and I wanted to make my own birthday cake and the photo for this recipe looked so delicious I couldn't pass it up. This recipe is labeled as difficult. The only difficult thing about this recipe is assembling the cake, everything else is easy. It looks overwhelming but all you have to do is have everything in its place and it's smooth sailing. Baking take time and the end product tastes delicious when it's done right. Make sure you mix your dry ingredients separately from your wet ingredients because the cake will be moist and fluffy. My mom and I LOVED this cake because it was fluffy, moist, chocolatey and delicious. It was even better than the cake mixes you but at the grocery store. You can even cut the recipe in half and the cake will still be heavenly delicious. I highly recommend making this cake for a special occasion because it's worth it. 



Carrot Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium sweet onion or yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 2 1/2 lbs. carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• Ground white pepper
• 8 tsp reduced-fat sour cream
• Mint Sprigs for garnish

Makes 8 (1-cup) Servings

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; stir to coat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften, about 10 minutes. Add carrots, stir to coat and cook for 10 minutes. Add broth and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until carrots are tender, 10-12 minutes.
2. Puree soup ina blender or food processor. Season with pepper to taste. Serve hot  with a teaspoon of sour cream and a sprig of mint in each bowl.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. This is a woderfully delicious dish that can be served for brunch, as a light lunch, dinner or as a soup for a course dinner for an special gathering. The combination of chicken broth and carrots tastes heavenly and the color combinations are beautiful.