South Beach Diet Tiramisu

Ingredients:

• 6 large egg whites
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup + 2 tsp granular sugar substitute
• 6 tbsp whole-grain pastry flour
• 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup fat-free or light whipped topping
• 1/4 cup strongly brewed decaffeinated espresso
• 1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• Mint sprigs for garnish

Makes 4 Servings

1. Heat  the oven to 350 F. Lightly coat an 8 X 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, with and electric mixer at high speed, beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla and beat to combine. Add 1/3 cup of the sugar substitute and beat until stiff peaks form. Sift 2 tablespoons of the flour over beaten egg whites and gently fold to incorporate. Repeat twice with remaining flour until all of the flour is incorporated.
3. Pour batter into the pan and gently smooth the top. Bake, turning once halfway through, until cake is golden and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool completely.
4. In a small bowl, combine ricotta, whipped topping, remaining 2 teaspoon sugar substitute and remaining 1/4 tsp vanilla. Cut cake in half vertically down the middle to make two 4 X 8-inch pieces. Place the halves on a flat work surface. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of espresso onto each half. Spread half of the ricotta mixture onto one of the halves and dust with half of the cocoa powder. Top with remaining cake half; spread the top with the remaining ricotta mixture and dust with remaining cocoa powder. Using a serrated knife, gently cut cake crosswise into 4 slices and serve with mint leaves for garnish, if using.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. Tiramisu literally means 'pick me up' and what some would say is official dessert of Italy. Tiramisu is usually made of lady fingers dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of egg yolks and marscapone and flavored with liquor and cocoa. I never had Tiramisu before and this was my first attempt at making this Italian dessert. My first was was a total success! It was light, fluffy and flavorful. I highly recommend making this dessert for company. Who doesn't love coffee and cake for dessert? I also recommend making this dessert early in the day so the flavors can blend during the day while refrigerated. Tiramisu should be on your list of desserts to master. Every pastry chef, celebrity chef and Iron Chef will agree as well. Yes, the photo of that piece of Tiramisu you see is 3 points. can you believe it?!



Seafood Caesar

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb. large shrimp (about 16), peeled and deveined
• 2 tsp +2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 4 anchovy fillets, minced, or 2 tsp anchovy paste
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 (1 lb.)  head romaine lettuce, chopped (8 cups)
• 1 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 lb lump crabmeat (about 1 cup)

Makes 4 (2-cup) Servings

1. In a medium bowl, toss shrimp with 2 teaspoons of the oil, half of the garlic, lemon zest and pepper.
2. Lightly coat a grill or grill pan with cooking spray and heat to medium-high. Grill shrimp until they turn pink, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, anchovies, Dijon mustard and remaining garlic. Slowly whisk in Add lettuce and cheese and toss well. Divide lettuce among 4 plates, top with shrimp and crab and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. Who doesn't love a crisp and refreshing Caesar Salad every now and then? South Beach has done it again with a new twist on a classic twist. The flavors of lemon, olive oil and garlic make your taste buds pop along with the grilled shrimp and crabmeat. You don't need to add salt to this dish because the anchovies are already salty and add salt to the dish. This salad will also fill you up and leave you satisfied. This salad can be enjoyed anytime of the year but it's great on a warm evening if you don't want to cook. 

Strawberry Blancmange

Ingredients:

• 3/4 tsp unflavored gelatin
• 2 tbsp cold water
• 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/8 tsp almond extract
• 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup light or fat-free whipped topping
• 1 cup diced strawberries
• 2 small perfect strawberries for garnish (optional)

Makes 2 Servings

1. Lightly coat 2 (1/2 cup) ramekins or heart-shaped molds with cooking spray.
2. Sprinkle gelatin over water in a cup and let stand for 2 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat almond milk in a small saucepan over low heat, until it comes to a bare simmer. Add gelatin mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until dissolved, about 1 minute. Stir in almond and vanilla extracts. Transfer to a small bowl of ice water and stir until mixture is thickened slightly. Add the whipped topping and diced strawberries; stir to combine. Divide mixture between ramekins and chill for 2 hours or overnight.
4. When ready to serve, run a knife around the blancmange and, using your finger to help coax it from the ramekin, gently turn each out onto a plate. Top each blancmange with a whole  strawberry, if desired, and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. This is, literally, a heavenly cool dessert that can be enjoyed after dinner on a hot summer evening or even as a cool refreshing snack during a very hot day. Blancmange is French for white (blanc)  manger (to eat). Blancmange is an almond-flavored pudding that's often thickened with gelatin; it's often similar to a Bavarian Cream or an Italian panna cotta. The blancmange can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time and it will still taste delicious. Leave the blancmange in the molds, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Mango Lassi

Ingredients:

• 1 medium mango, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 cups low-fat or nonfat plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup chilled water
• 1 tbsp granular sugar substitute
• Pinch ground cardamom
• Ice cubes

Makes 4 (3/4-cup) Servings

In a blender, combine mango, yogurt, water, sugar substitute and cardamom, if using; puree until smooth. Fill 4 (8 oz.) glasses with ice cubes. Pour Mango Lassi over ice and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. It is officially the first day of Spring and the weather will be getting warmer and it's a good reason to fire up the grill and make some cool, refreshing drinks. A Lassi is a frothy and refreshing yogurt drink and what is considered the official drink of India. A Lassi is often made with fresh fruit. You can use any kind of fruit with this recipe and it will still be delicious. Don't add too much cardamom because cardamom has a strong flavor to it and a little bit of it goes a long way. This drink is perfect for a morning or afternoon snack and a savior during a heat wave.

 

Coconut Cream Pie

Ingredients:

• 3/4 tsp gelatin
• 3 tbsp water
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp coconut extract
• 1 Basic Crumb Crust, prebaked (see Basic Crumb Crust recipe)
• 2 tbsp shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup fat-free whipped topping

Makes 8 Servings

1. In a small saucepan, sprinkle the gelatin over the water; let stand for 1 minute until softened. Warm over medium heat, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in the milk, coconut milk and egg yolks until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken, about 8 minutes; cook, stirring, 1 minute more.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the dissolved gelatin and vanilla and coconut extracts.Spread the filling into the crumb crust and lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface (to prevent a skin from forming). Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
4. Just before serving, carefully remove plastic wrap. Sprinkle the coconut along the edge of the pie filling. Garnish the edge with 1-tablespoon dollops of the whipped topping (or, for a prettier look, pipe the topping through a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch open star tip).

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts (1/8 of pie)

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. I was in the mood for coconut and I've always wanted to make a fruit pie from scratch. I LOVE coconut and I was craving coconut. I thought I was doing a good job making this pie but it didn't turn out the way I was hoping it would turn out. The crumb crust was yummy and the pie filling was delicious as well but the texture was very gooey. The pie filling wasn't as thick or creamy as I would have liked it to be. It didn't have the texture of pudding even though the flavors were coconutty. I will attempt to make this cream pie again and because it was tasty and maybe do something different in the process. 

Basic Crumb Crust

Ingredients:

• 32 low-fat honey graham crakers (8 full sheets)
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• 2 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tbsp water

 

Makes 8 Servings

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, place the graham crackers and pulse into crumbs, about 1 minute. Transfer to a medium bowl and add the sugar , nutmeg and cinnamon; mix well. Add the butter and water and mix until the crumbs are moist and hold together in clumps when presssed. Press the mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake until golden, 8-10 minutes. Cool on a rack for 20 minutes before using.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. I wanted to make a delicious dessert and the recipe called for this recipe. This is a very simple recipe that can be used to make any pie or cheesecake recipe. I added ground cinnamon to this recipe because cinnamon goes well with nutmeg and cinnamon goes well with any pie crust recipe.

Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. medium asparagus, tough ends trimmed
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges

Makes 8 Servings

1. Heat oven to 475 F.
2. Lay asparagus in a single layer in a large baking pan (you may need to use 2 pans.) Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with zest, salt and pepper. Roll asparagus around pan to coat with oil and seasonings.
3. Roat until asparagus begins to brown and is easily pierced with a paring knife, 10 -15 minutes. Serve warm with lemon wedges.

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. I was making a roast chicken and I needed a simple vegetable side dish to accompany my chicken. There is nothing like roasted chicken and vegetables for dinner because it warms your kitchen and soul. Roasted asparagus can be made up to 6 hours ahead of time, covered lightly and kept at room temperature. Serve it at room temperature or reheat for a few minutes in a 325 F oven. You can also serve this side dish with meat or fish or even chop up the asparagus into salads or rice dishes.