Pear Bran Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups whole-grain pastry flour
• 1 cup wheat bran
• 2 tbsp granular sugar substitute
• 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups 1 % or fat-free buttermilk
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 1 Bosc pear, cored and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Makes 12 Servings

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or lightly coat with cooking spray.
2. Combine flour, bran, sugar substitute, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Combine buttermilk, eggs, oil, pear and vanilla in another mixing bowl.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix to just combine; do not overmix. Divide batter evenly into muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE:  2 pts per muffin

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. Muffins don't have to be fattening. They can actually be good for you if you use the right ingredients. I had these muffins and they are delicious. The combination of pears and cinnamon is delicious. I added nutmeg to this recipe because cinnamon and nutmeg go well together. You can freeze these muffins and have one on the go if you're in a hurry. 

Chocolate-Banana Wontons

Ingredients:

• cooking spray
• 1 large banana, diced
• 6 tbsp mini chocolate chips
• 24 wonton wrappers, half 12 oz. package
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp confectioners' sugar

Makes 4 (4 wonton) Servings

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, combine banana, cinnamon and chocolate chips; mix gently.
3. Place wonton wrappers on a flat surface. Drop banana mixture by teaspoonfuls onto center of each wrapper. Moisten edges of wrapper with wet fingers, fold over one corner to make a triangle and press sides together to seal. Transfer filled wrappers to prepared baking sheet and coat surface with cooking spray.
4. Bake until wontons are golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Sift powdered sugar over wontons before serving.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts.

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. Weight Watchers had some wonderful wonton recipes and this recipe looked too good to pass up. Chocolate and bananas are so sweet and such a delicious treat for dessert. I added the cinnamon to add a little flavor. This was a delcious after-dinner treat.It's like having your own little banana split in a bite-sized pouch.

Coconut Hot Cocoa

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup unsweeted cocoa
• 2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Makes 6 Servings

1. Whisk together sugar, water and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan set over medium heat just until cocoa and sugar dissolve. Do not bring to a simmer.
2. Whisk in milk, coconut milk and vanilla. Continue cooking unti lmixture is stramy and slghtly simmering around interior edges of pan, whisking occasionally, about 3-4 minutes. Pour into mugs and serve immeadiately.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts (2/3 cup per serving)

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. It's that time of year where you crave hot chocolate. Who does not love hot chocolate? This is a twist on a classic. The coconut milk adds a different kind of richness to this hot cocoa. The coconut hot cocoa makes a nice treat on a cold day or evening and it makes a delicious dessert without much hassle.



Sweet Potato & Red Beet Drum with Almond Flakes in a Raw Sugar-Balsamic Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and sliced
• 1/4 red beet, cooked and sliced
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 oz. dark brown sugar
• 2 oz. granulated sugar
• the juice of 1 lime
• 3 pieces star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp almond flakes, roasted and chopped
• 1/2 slice pineapple to garnish

Makes 2 Servings

1. Pre-cook the sweet potato in a pot filled with water for 3-5 minutes.
2. Heat the water in a skillet; add the brown sugar and sugar, stirring until it dissolves. Add the star anise, cinnamon stick, lime juice, the sweet potato and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
3. Remove the anise, cinnamon stick and sweet potato from the pan; reserve the pan from the liquid. Make a puree of the sweet potato with some of the liquid that stayed in the pan or some water.
4. For the sauce, add the balsamic vinegar into the pan where the sweet potato was cooked and mix well (reheat of the sauce os too thick).
5. To serve, grab a round cookie cutter and make round beet slices. With the same cookie cutter place one layer of the sweet potato puree and 1 red beet slice ( 2 layers each). Sprinkle the almond flakes on top and garnish witht he pineapple slice and the sauce.

WW POINTS VALUE: Who Knows?

Note: This recipe is something I learned at the Cocina Cosmopolita Culinary School in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. I never had sweet potato or red beet before and I was anxious to try this. I felt like I was training for Iron Chef America with all the ingredients and tools I was using to make this dish. This dish is considered to be a dessert in Mexico but  I would serve this as a light dinner. I don't consider sweet potatoes or beets to be dessert but they do taste good together. 

Poblano Chili Strips with Corn, Cream and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese
• 2 oz. (about 1/4 cup) fresh corn
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat milk
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/2 small onion, finely sliced
• 1 poblano chili, roasted, peeled, seedless, deveined and cut into strips
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 2 Servings

1. Heat oil in a skillet on low heat; saute the onion. Add the corn and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the poblano chili strips.
2. Mix the cream cheese, sour cream and milk into a smooth, thick sauce. Season it with bouillon and mix well.
3. Pour the mixture into the pan with the poblano strips and onions. simmer for about 3 more minutes. Serve hot.

WW POINTS VALUE: Who Knows?

Note: This recipe is something I learned at the Cocina Cosmopolita Culinary School in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. This is another sauce/side dish that is so delicious and can be served with any dish-chicken, beef, pork and any kind of fish. You can even make little empanadas with this sauce or even serve this sauce on top of a crostini. You will serve this dish again and again after one bite of this sauce because it's so creamy and spicy.

Guacamole

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe avocado, peeled (only the pulp)
• 2 tbsp tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp white onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp coriander, finely chopped (1-2 leaves to garnish)
• 1 tbsp jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 tsp fresh lime juice
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 2 Servings

In a mixing bowl, place avocado pulp and smash it all using a fork or potato masher; season with salt and pepper and add lime juice to avoid oxidation. Add the "pico de gallo" sauce: onion, tomato, jalapeno and chopped coriander. Stir well and garnish with cariander leaves. Serve immeadiately.

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt

Note: This recipe is somethis I learned at the Cocina Cosmopolita Culinray School in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. Guacamole is the official appetizer of Mexico and it's important to master it. Guacamole can also be served as a side dish with chicken, fish, beef and even pork. I also learned that you can serve guacamole without the pico de gallo sauce. The jalapeno is for taste. Take out oall the seeds of the jalapeno to minimize the spiciness. Don't forget to wear gloves because your hands will burn. You can also use serrano or habanero chilies for the jalapenos if you want to turn up the heat.

Salsa Borracha

Ingredients:

• 1/2 garlic clove, roasted
• 1/2 small onion, roasted and diced
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tomatillo, roasted and halved
• 1 dried ancho chili, seedless and soaked in hot water for 15 minutes
• 1 dried guajillo chili, seedless and soaked in hot water for 15 minutes
• 2 tbsp dark beer
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 2 Servings

1. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat skillet on medium-low heat. Roast garlic, onion and tomatillo for about 10 minutes.
2. Place chilies, onion, garlic, tomatillo, brown sugar, salt and pepper in a blender and blend it all for 5 seconds or into a chunky consistency sauce. Add beer and stir. Serve immeadiately.

W W POINTS VALUE: Who knows?

Note: This recipe is a dish I learned at the Cocina Cosmopolita Culinary School in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. Making salsa is a very simple thing to do and this salsa goes with anything: chips, beef, chicken, pork, fish, etc. I'm not much of a beer drinker but the taste of Mexican dark beer in the salsa added a nice taste. You can find dried chilies in the Latin section of you local grocery store and they add a wonderful heat  to the salsa. This salsa is better that the jarred salsa you buy in the grocery store. This salsa is also Iron Chef worthy. Bobby Flay, can you hear me know?