Chinese-Style Broccoli

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp canola oil
• 1 (1 1/2-lb.) head of broccoli, cut into florets (6 cups)
• 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Makes 4 (1-cup) Servings

Heat oil in a large wok or high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, garlic and lemon juice; continue to stir-fry until broccoli is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Serve hot.

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. If you're ever in the mood for Chinese, this is the dish for you. It's a very simple dish that can be made in 20 minutes or less and can be served over a bed of rice. Plus, the broccoli will get a kick of flavor with lemon and soy sauce. You can serve this dish over a bed of rice for a light meal or serve it with any Asian flavored dish. 

Sweet-and-Sour Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp Asian (dark) sesame oil
• 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp water

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup and soy sauce.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the oil. Add the ginger and garlic; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the vinegar mixture and bring to a boil; boil 1 minute. Meanwhile, dissolve the cornstarch in the water; stir into the saucepan. Return to a boil and cook until mixture is thickened, 1 minutes longer.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts (3 tbsp per serving)

Note: This recipe appears in the New WW Complete Cookbook. This is a quick and easy sauce to make if you are ever in the mood for Asian. You won't have to order take out again once you have this sauce on your main dish. This sauce can be used on scallops, shrimp, salmon, chicken, pork or even beef. I had this sauce on my pork last night for dinner and it was delicious. You can even use this sauce on vegetables and it will taste just as delicious.

Mint Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

• 6 cups skim milk
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed (reseve 8 leaves for garnish)
• 3 1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 8 tbsp Cool Whip topping

Makes 8 Servings

1. Pour milk into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, about 5 minutes; cover and set aside. (Or warm milk in microwave to take chill off—milk should be warmed; not cooked.)
2. In another small saucepan, combine water, sugar and mint leaves; bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour mint syrup through a fine-meshed sieve or strainer into a larger saucepan.
3. Add chocolate to mint syrup and reduce heat to very low; melt chocolate, stirring constantly, about 1 to 2 minutes. (Do not allow chocolate to stick to bottom of pan or overcook.) When chocolate has just melted, add 1/3 cup of warmed milk and stir to combine, being careful that chocolate does not stick to bottom of pot. When chocolate and milk are completely combined, add remaining milk to pan; increase heat to medium-low and warm through. Pour into serving cups and top each serving with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of whipped cream; garnish with mint.
   

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts (3/4 cup per serving)

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. Nothing beats a cup of steaming hot cocoa when temperatures start to dip. This version is spiked with fresh mint syrup and then topped with whipped cream. Store any unused hot chocolate in the refrigerator once it has cooled (or halve the recipe so you have less leftovers). Reheat and top with whipped cream and mint before serving. The whip cream is optional but the mint chocolate is delicous on its own. 

Green Beans with Mushrooms and Balsamic

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. green beans, trimmed
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 oz. white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• salt
• freshy ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. Cook green beans in a saucepan of lighty salted boiling water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add green beans and vinegar; season to taste with salt and pepper, toss to combine, and serve warm.

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt per serving

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. I was cooking a sirloin for dinner earlier this evening and I wanted to kick up my side dish a little. I hadn't had balsamic vinegar in a while and there were mushrooms in the fridge so I thought, "why not a little swt and bitter taste to dinner?"  This side dish was very tasty and different from the typical green beans side dish. Plus, it only takes about 15 minutes to cook. 

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.