Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 2 tsp canola oil
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 large egg white
• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet choclate chips

Makes 48 Servings

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together butter, oil and sugar. Add vanilla, salt and egg white; mix thoroughly to combine.
3. In a small bowl, mix together flour and baking soda; stir into batter. Add chocolate chips to batter; stir to distribute evenly throughout.
4. Drop 48 half-teaspoons of dough onto one or two large nonstick baking sheets, leaving a small amount of space between each cookie. Bake cookies until golden around edges, about 4 to 6 minutes; cool on a wire rack.

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt ( 1 cookie per serving)

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. Who does not love chocoate chip cookies?! In my opinion, Nestle Tollhouse has THE BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe in the whole world. This recipe comes in a pretty close second. The secret ingredient: vanilla extract. A little bit of vanilla adds quite a bit of flavor. These cookies might be small but they pack a lot of flavor. You can sell these cookies at your kid's bake sale and no one will know the difference. You CAN still enjoy chocolate chip cookies even on a diet.



Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients:

• 4 tsp olive oil
• 1 1/4 lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails left on)
• 6-8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 4 lemon slices

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a large skilet, heat the oil. saute the shrimp until just pink, 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring contanstly, about 30 seconds. With a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a platter; keep hot.
2. In the same skillet, combine the broth, lemon juice, 1/4 cup of parsley, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Boil, uncovered, until the sauce is reduced by half; spoon over the shrimp. Serve, garnished with lemon slices and sprinkled with the remaining tablespoon of parsley.

WW POINTS VALUE: (8-10 shrimp w/about 3 tbsp sauce) 4 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. I already cooked this classic dish South Beach style and I like the Weight Watchers version better because of the chicken broth, lemon juice and the amount of garlic. The combination of these particular flavors make this dish so flavorfu and comforting. You can also serve a small serving of pasta with the scampi for that restaurant quality meal. This dish can also be made in 30 minutes or less so you won't have to leave your home to make this International classic.



Green Beans with Garlic and Lemon

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. green beans, trimmed
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 8 Servings

1. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add eans, return to a boil, and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under very cold water to stop cooking. Drain again and pat dry.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add beans and zest; cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are warmed through about 2 minutes. stir in lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

WW POINTS VALUE: 0 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. Green beans add a lovely color to the plate anytime of year. Green beans are delicious when cooked, blanched and grilled in olive oil and garlic for that extra kick of flavor. Even though the recipe calls for lemon juice, it is optional in my opinion if you  don't want to spoil your beans.



Chocolate, Almond and Orange Clusters

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole almonds
• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup fat-free half-and-half
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp finely grated orange zest

Makes 24 clusters

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Place almonds on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant and lightly golden, 6-8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. When cool, chop coarsely and set aside.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
3. Combine chocolate chips, half-and-half and vanilla in a small saucepan. Stirring constantly, cook over low heat until chips are melted and mixture is smooth, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add zest and almonds. Stir to coat well.
4. Drop by the tablespoon onto the baking sheet. Freeze on the sheet until set, at least 45 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. This is a delicious recipe that's only 5 ingredients and takes 20 minutes or less to make. The combination of sweet fruit, toasted nuts and chocolate and devilishly good. Theese are yummy treats that can be made anyitme of year and be used as gifts for guests in cellophane bags tied with a fancy ribbon. These cookies can also be sold at your child's bake sale. They can also be shaped into any holiday cookie for the season. You can also use skim milk in place of the half-and-half and use almond extract in place of the vanilla extract and the clusters will still be delicious. Clusters can be made up to 3 days in advance. After freezing for 45 minutes, refrigerate in a covered container until ready to serve. Claire Robinson, if you are reading this, here's a recipe that's a 5-Ingredient Fix!

Blackberry-Banana Breakfast Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 2 small bananas, quartered (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 cup blackberries, plus extra for garnish (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups nonfat or low-fat yogurt
• 1 tbsp granular sugar substitute
• 1 tbsp wheat germ
• 4 ice cubes

Make 4 Servings

In a blender, combine bananas and blackberries; puree until smooth. Add yogurt, sugar substitute, if using, wheat germ and ice cubes; blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour into 4 (10 oz.) glasses, garnish with whole blackberries, if using and serve.

WW POINTS  VALUE: 1 Pt.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. This breakfast smoothie can be enjoyed anytime of day. It's also a delicious treat to enjoy when you don't feel like cooking and/or there's a massive heat wave and you want to cool off. You can also use any kind of berry in this recipe and it will still taste delicious. You can also use wheat bran in place of wheat germ and it won't make a difference. This is also a nice treat if you're ever sick or you have a sore throat. The sugar is there to sweeten to tartness of your berries.

 

Mary on the Beach

Ingredients:

• 1 (28 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes, with juices
• 1 cup chilled water
• 1/3 cup freh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp hot pepper sauce
• 1/4 tsp celery seeds
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Ice cubes
• 4 celery stalks with leaves
• 4 lime wedges

Makes 4 (1-cup) Servings

1. In a blender, puree the tomatoes and their juices until smooth. Strain puree into a large pitcher, pushing liquid through the strainer with a rubber spatula; discard the seeds. Add water, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce. celery seeds and pepper to pitcher; stir to combine.
2. Fill 4 (10 oz.) glasses with ice. Pour tomato mixture over ice, add a celery stalk and lime wedge to each glass and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. This is a deliciously healthy alternative to a Bloody Mary and a great way to kickstart your weight loss. This drink can be made in about 10 minute. But if you're in a hurry, you can substitute 3 cups  low-sodium tomato juice. Or if you're a gardener or just came back from the local farmer's market, you can use the ripest tomatoes whirled in a juicer for the freshest tomato juice. The Worcestershire sauce, the hot pepper sauce and freshly ground black pepper give this drink a real kick. 

Happy New Year!

Hi healthy foodies! Happy New Year. I've been blogging about my healthy culinary adventures for over 2 years now. Can you believe it? I can't. I now understand and know how Julie Powell felt when she was cooking her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I'm on my own deranged assignment to cook my way through every Weight Watchers, South Beach and Legal Seafood recipe ever conceived. I WILL cook my way through these cookbooks if it takes me until my 50th birthday. On my way, here are some things I want to accomplish on my culinary bucket list:

• to cook side-by-side Emeril Lagasse and Ina Garten
• to cook breakfast/brunch for Paula Deen and her family
• to cook on the Rachael Ray show and The Chew
• to have a Throwdown with Bobby Flay at Boston College
• to compete on Iron Chef America

If I ever create a new recipe, I promise to share it with you. If anyone has access to the Food Network, please let them know I'm interested. Bon Apetite!