Grilled Beef "A La Tampiquena"

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. of any kind of steak
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 2 Servings

1. Marinate the steak with garlic salt and pepper; let it  rest at room temperature for 20 minutes. Cook the the steak on the grill to your desire.
2. Serve steak with one of the following side dishes: poblano chili pepper stripes with cream and cheese, guacamole or  fried beans with tortilla chips

WW POINTS VALUE: Who Knows?

Note: This recipe was a dish I learned at the Cocina Cosmopolita Culinary School in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. It's a very simple main dish to make and you can add your own other ingredients such as Worcestershire sauce, lime juice or even a dash of red wine for a touch more flavor.

Corn Tortillas

Ingredients:

• 1 cup corn tortilla flour
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup warm water

Makes 2 Servings (?)

1. In a large, bowl, mixx all the ingredients except the water. Gradually add the water and work the mixture into a dough. Mix about 5 minutes.
2. Make small ball about the size of the center of your palm. Grab an iron torilla pressand cover it  with 2 pieces of plastic and put a small ball of dough in between them. Close the iron tortilla press it until the dough gets flat.
3. Carefully remove the tortilla off the plastic bag and put it on the hot skillet. wait about 40 seconds or until the edges get a little dry and steam starts to come out of the tortilla. Flip the tortilla and wait another 40 seconds, flip it once again and press down the edges until bubbly. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
4. Cover the tortillas with a small damp towel to keep them warm or use a tortilla warmer.
 

WW POINTS VALUE: Who Knows?

Note: This recipe is a dish I learned from the Cocina Cosmopolita Cooking School in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. These corn tortillas were used in the Corn Tortilla Soup. These are very easy to make and you can use any kind of flour with this recipe. If the dough is still sticky after mixed, add more flour to make it more doughy.Iif you don't have a tortilla press, you can use a rolling pin to make the tortilla and a soup can to cut out the size of the tortilla. You can use torillas as an appetizer as well.



Corn Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 lime, halved
• 1/2 avocado, finely diced
• 3 ripe tomatoes, cut in quarters
• 1 epazote leaf
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 corn tortillas, slivered and fried
• vegetable oil to deep-fry
• 1 pasilla chili, deveined and seedless
• 2 oz. fresh cheddar, Monterey Jack or any Mexican cheese, diced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 2 Servings

1. Heat oil in n a frying pan; add onion, tomatoes, garlic and fry until golden brown. Place ingredients into a blender with 1 cup of chicken broth and blend it all into a puree. Strain the mixture into a bowl until all liquid comes out. Set liquid aside.
2. Place puree in same frying pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Add remaining chicken broth and epazote leaf and simmer for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Make pasilla chili ring slices about 1/4-inch each and fry them in the pot with the oil.
4. To Serve: place fried tortillas, chili rings, avocado, cheese and soup at last.

WW POINTS VALUE: Who Knows?

Note: This is a recipe I learned at the Cocinca Cosmopolita Culinary School in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. I was on vacation and I wanted to improve my Mexican culinary skills. I made this dish all by myself and it was really easy to make and it taste delicious in the end. Tortilla soup is the official soup of Mexico. I converted the Mexican recipe into American measurements so it would be easier for me and others. it may look complicated but this dish couldn't be any easier to make. This is a dish that is suitable for everyone, including vegetarians.

Chicken Saagwala

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 4 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger root,finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless, chicken breast, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 10 oz. spinach, baby leaves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Makes 4 Servings

1. Place 1 tablespoon of oil, curry powder, coriander, cumin, ginger and garlic in a large nonstick skillet; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until toasted and fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add remaining tablespoon of oil and chicken to skillet; stir to coat with spiced oil.
3. Add tomatoes to skillet; cover skillet and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover skillet and stir to combine.
4. Add spinach to skillet; cover and cook for 5 minutes more. Uncover skillet and stir to combine.
5. Add salt, water and cilantro to skillet; simmer for 1 minute. Yields about 1 1/2 heaping cups per serving.

WW POINTS VALUE 6 pts.

Note: This recipe appear on www.weightwatchers.com. It may not look appealing but it is spicy and delicious.  I think is a different but new and exciting way of making chicken and vegetables for dinner. Indian food is spicy and not really a mystery when you're cooking it. This is a deliciously spicy dish and I highly recommend serving a bland side dish such as rice or raita to cool off your taste buds.



Chocolate Creme Brulee

Ingredients:

• 3 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/2 cups granular sugar, divided
• 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa 
• 1 oz unsweetened chocolate square    
• 2 cups fat-free half-and-half
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1/4 cup water                                             

Makes 8 Servings

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Fill the bottom of a roasting pan with 1 inch of water and place in oven.
2. Whisk together eggs, yolk and 1/2 cup of sugar in a medium bowl. Combine cocoa, chocolate and half & half cream in a small pot.
3. Heat chocolate mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and steam rises from surface, about 4 to 5 minutes; pour into egg mixture, whisking constantly, then mix in vanilla. Divide among 8 small custard cups; place cups in roasting pan and bake until almost set in the middle, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from oven and chill for at least 3 hours.
4. When cups are thoroughly cooled, mix remaining 1 cup of sugar with 1/4 cup of water in a saucepan over medium heat; heat, gently swirling pan occasionally off heat, until sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes. Increase heat to high and cook until mixture is an amber color, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from stovetop and place bottom of pan in cold water to stop the cooking process.
5. Coat a tablespoon with cooking spray. Drizzle 3/4 tablespoon of sugar mixture over each custard cup, tilting cup to spread glaze evenly. Serve immediately.

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts.

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. Creme Brulee means  burnt cream in French that is made of a rich custard topped with a hard layer of caramel normally served cold.  The best part is that it doesn't require any special equipment: The sugary glaze cooks on your stovetop. This French-inspired dessert will impress anyone, especially world renowned pasty chef Jacques Torres. He is THE Chocolate King and I think he will be happy you made this.

Chocolate Egg Cream

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup 2% reduced fat milk 
• 2 Tbsp chocolate syrup
• 1 cup seltzer water                       

Makes 1 Serving

Pour milk into a tall glass and stir in syrup. Add seltzer and enjoy.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. The egg cream is what some call the official beverage of New York City and it was created in the 19th Century in Brooklyn by candy store owner Louis Auster. It contains neither eggs nor ice cream and is exclusively a fountain drink. There have been attempt to bottle and sell egg cream but it hasn't been successful. Egg cream should me made fresh and can be made at home and with only 3 ingredients. This is a wonderful treat that can be enjoyed anytime, especially if you're craving a chocolate fix. You can also add your own flavored syrups to this drink but it will probably affect the points value.

South Beach Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. spelt or whole wheat elbow pasta
• 1 tbsp trans-fat free margarine
• 1 tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 cups fat-free half-and-half
• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 ( 1 1/2 cup) Servings

1. Heat oven to 400 F.
2. Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente (tender but still firm to the bite), about 6 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water for 30 seconds.
3. While pasta is cooking, melt margarine in a wide, straight-sided skillet over medium heat. Add flour, reduce heat to low, and whisk continuously until flour is incorporated and cooked, about 2 minutes. Add half-and-half, bring to a simmer, and cook, whisking frequently, until blended and thickened, 3-5 minutes.
4. Add cheese, salt and pepper; stir until blended. Add pasta and stir until coated and warmed, 1 minute. Transfer to an 8 by 8-inch baking dish and bake for 10 minutes. Serve hot.

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. Who does not like macaroni and cheese?! I think I may have found the best healthy homemade mac and cheese recipe that will out Kraft and Velveeta out of business. This mac and cheese is very cheesy, rich and creamy and good for you because you know what's in this recipe unlike the boxed mac and cheese you but at the grocery store. Cheddar cheese is mandatory for  mac and cheese but you and also use other cheeses like Monterey Jack, White Cheddar, Colby and any other kind of Mexican cheese or even a combination and it will still be heavenly delicious.