Balsamic Glazed Salmon

Ingredients:

• 4 (6 oz.) salmon fillets
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. Heat the oven 450 F.
2. Season salmon with salt and pepper; place in an ovenproof baking dish and bake until opaque throughout, 10-12 minutes.
3. While fish is cooking, palce vinegar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until reduced to 1/3 cup, 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat, whisk in oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Place salmon on serving plates and drizzle with glaze.

WW POINTS VALUE: 9 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. This is a healthy weeknight dinner that is so simple and delicious to make. Arctic Char can also be used in this recipe and it will still be delicious. I highly recommend serving asparagus or green beans as a side dish to make this dinner more colorful and healthy. The balsamic glaze will go well with the veggies as well.

Joe Louis Cakes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups  all-purpose flour 
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup reduced-calorie margarine
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup fat-free egg substitute
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp reduced-calorie margarine
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 tsp water, or as necessary
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Makes 12 Cakes

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. To make cakes, sift together flour, baking powder, 1/4 cup of cocoa powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together 1/2 cup reduced-calorie margarine and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar until creamy; beat in egg substitute. In a small bowl, combine milk, vinegar, baking soda and 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
4. Add half of flour mixture to margarine mixture; mix. Add milk mixture and then remaining flour mixture. Mix until smooth and creamy. Spoon mixture into prepared muffin pan, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center of a cake comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Meanwhile, to make filling, combine egg whites, remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons of water, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and remaining 1/8 teaspoon of salt in a medium bowl and place bowl over boiling water (or use a double boiler). Using a hand-held mixer, beat egg whites until stiff and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
6. To make icing, combine remaining 2 tablespoons each of margarine and cocoa, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract in a small mixing bowl; beat until smooth and creamy. Sift powdered sugar over bowl and stir with a spatula, adding water by teaspoonfuls, until thick and spreadable.
7. Slice cakes in half horizontally. Spread each botton half with 1 1/2 tablespoons of vanilla filling. Frost top halves with 1 to 1 1/4 tablespoons of icing and place on top of bottom halves.

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts (1 cake per serving)

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. According to the website, these chocolate treats are named for the inventors' sons, not the famous boxer. I don't know who Joe Louis the inventor is but these cakes were so delicious. The photo you see below is not the photo you'll see when youo visit weightwatchers.com. I used a special cupcake tool I got at Bed Bath and Beyond to remove the top and put in the filling. I LOVE the gadget and it was a great idea to put the filling in the cupcake and the top of the cake to cover the filling and then drizzle with frosting. As I said in the title, these Joe Louis cakes are so heavenly delicious I think they are the alternative to the Hostess Chocolate cupcake. The Hostess Cupcakes are so dry and flavorless compared to these sinfully chocolate treats which are moist and chewy. I highly recommend serving these treats for a special occasion after dinner. Trust me, you and your guest (s) will love them, especially if your guests include  Jacques Torres or Francois Payard.

Rosemary Pork Medallions with Chunky Applesauce

Ingredients:

• 3 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 McIntosh apples (or other sweet variety), peeled, cored and diced
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 1/2 lbs. pork tenderloin, cut into medallions, about 3/4-inch thick
• 2 tsp dried rosemary
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. Heat 2 tsp of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add apples, vinegar and water; reduce heat to low and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Season pork with rosemary, salt and pepper. Heat remaining oil in a large skillet. Add pork and cook 4 minutes per side; remove from pan and serve with applesauce.

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. This is a great Sunday supper for the whole family to enjoy. It's healthy comfort food with fresh ingredients and it tastes like something  you would get at a restaurant. This savory applesauce is very easy to make and can be served along side a roast chicken. I highly recommend pureeing the applesauce if you want it thick and creamy. Plus, you can put the pureed applesauce in a small bowl and your dinner guests can take as much applesauce as they want. The pork is also delicious because it's very flavorful with few ingredients. I highly recommend serving roasted fingerling potatoes and green veggies as side dishes with this meal to make it even more satisfying. This dinner puts a savory twist on pork chops and applesauce and it will be a favorite again and again.

 

Oat Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 2 1/1 cups strawberries, halved
• 1 cup fat-free plain yogurt
• 1/2 tsp granular sugar substitute
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 3 tbsp oat bran
• 2 tbsp sugar-free pancake syrup
• 1/2 cup ice cubes

Makes 4 Servings

In a blender or food proccessor, combine the strawberries, yogurt, sugar substitute, milk, walnuts, oat bran, syrup and ice cubes. Blend until smooth and frothy.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts

Note. This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. This is a wonderful breakfast shake if you're on the go and can easily be made in 15 minutes or less. This shake also makes for a delicious light snack during the day. You can substitute quick-cooking oats in place of the oat bran and it will taste like an oatmeal shake and it still taste delicious. The orginal recipe calls fornonfat dry milk but I used skim milk to make the shake smooth and creamy. You can also use any kind of berry or even a berry mixture in this recipe. This shake is great during a heat wave and it's too hot to cook.

Mexican Beef & Cheese Wontons with Salsa

Ingredients:

• cooking spray
• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lb. lean ground sirloin
• 2 oz. low-fat cheddar or Colby cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 tbsp chopped jalapeno chiles, minced
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 30 wonton wrappers
• 1/2 cup fat-free salsa

Makes 6 Servings

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook until meat is browned, breaking up meat as it cooks, about 5 minutes; drain meat. Add cheese, chilies, chili powder and cumin; cook until cheese melts, stirring frequently, about 1 minute.
3. Place wonton wrappers on a flat surface; drop meat mixture by teaspoonfuls onto center of each wrapper. Moisten edges of wrapper with wet fingers, fold over to cover filling, press down firmly to seal and then gently twist ends to form a “firecracker” shape. Transfer filled wrappers to prepared baking sheet and coat surface with cooking spray.
4. Bake until wontons are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve with prepared salsa. Yields 5 wontons and 1 1/2 tablespoons of salsa per serving.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts per serving

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. I was watching my beloved Red Sox CRUSH the New York Yankees and I wanted to make some sophisticated game day food plus I love Mexican food. This is a clever twist on the classic nachos dish. It's kind of a fusion entree with the wontons of the East meets the beef filling of the West. These treats were very yummy with the cheese melted inside the baked wontons dipped in salsa. These treats are also great for a Cinco de Mayo party as well. You can also use ground chicken or turkey in place of the ground sirloin and the wontons will still be delicious. 

Turkey Parmesan

Ingredients:

• 2 cups low-sugar marinara sauce
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, coarsely chopped
• 1 ounce freshly grated Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup)
• 1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• 1 lb turkey cutlets, about 1/3-inch thick
• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 oz. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (1/2 cup)
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. Heat oven to broil. Bring sauce to low simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
2. Stir together pine nuts, Parmesan and Italian seasoning in a wide, shallow dish. Season turkey on both sides with salt and pepper, then dredge both sides in the nut mixture, pressing to adhere.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add turkey and cook until coating is golden brown and juices run clear, about 4 minutes per side. If nuts brown too quickly, reduce heat.
4. Place turkey in a baking pan, top evenly with mozzarella and broil until cheese melts, about 30 seconds.
5. Spoon 1/2 cup of warm sauce on each plate and top each plate with a piece of turkey.

WW POINTS VALUE: 9 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. I was craving for a good, quality Italian meal and this dish totally hit the spot! This dish puts a classic twist on the Italian classic Chicken Parmesan. Pine nuts replace traditional bread crumbs giving the meat a crunchy texture and nutty flavor. If you don't have Italian Season on hand, don't worry. You can substitute dried basil, oregano, rosemary or thyme or a combination of all herbs. If you are craving Italian food and you want a restaurant quality meal, this dish is for you. You can serve steamed veggies with this dish if you're on Phase 1 or whole-wheat pasta if you're on Phase 2. not only will your family and friends be impressed with this dish, but I also think Mario Batali and Michael Chiarello  will be impressed as well. 

Raspberry "Shortcakes"

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups whole-grain pastry flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup 1 % of fat-free buttermilk
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup granular sugar substitute
• 1 tbsp grated lemon zest
• 2 tsp lemon extract

Topping:

• 1 cup low-fat yogurt
• 1 cup fat-free or light whipped topping
• 2 cups fresh raspberries

Makes 8 Servings

1. For the cake: Heat oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a 7-by 11-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl; form a well in the center.
3. In a medium large bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes; set aside.
4. In another medium bowl, with an electrc mixer at medium speed, beat egg yolks, buttermilk, oil, sugar substitute, zest and lemon extract until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour yolk mixture into center of dry ingredients; stir gently until just combined. Gently fold in half of the egg whites to lighten the batter, then fold in the remaining whites until just combined.
5. Pour batter into pan and bake until edges are lightly brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20-22 minutes. Let cake cool in pan; remove from pan and transfer to wire rack to cool completely. When ready to serve, cut cooled cake into 8 (2 1/2- by 3 1/2-inch) pieces.
6. For the topping: Just before serving, place yogurt in a small bowl and fold in whipped topping. Spoon 1/4 cup topping and 1/4 cup raspberries onto each piece of cake and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. This dessert is a classic twist on the traditional American dessert Strawberry Shortcake. The whipped yogurt topping is fluffy and even more delicious when you add a little bit of almond and vanilla extracts. If you don't have any lemon extract, don't worry. You can use vanilla and or almond extracts in place of the lemon extract and the cake will still taste delicious. You can also use any kind of berry as a topping and it will still be delicious. Also, don't forget to mix your dry ingredients separately from your wet ingredients so the cake will come out fluffy and moist. I've also learned from previous cake making experiences that the key to a fluffy and moist cake is buttermilk. Buttermilk just makes sweet dishes melt in your mouth. I highly recommend serving this sweet dessert for company and this dessert is also made best on the day of the party because it's fresh and moist.