Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus

Ingredients:

• 8 (6-inch) whole-wheat pitas, cut into 4 triangles each
• 1 1/2 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 cup canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 small garlic clove, peeled
• 1/4 cup nonfat or low-fat plain yogurt
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Assorted raw & blanched vegetables, such as bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and scallions

Makes 2 Cups and 32 Pita chips

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Place pita wedges on a baking sheet and bake until crisp, 10-12 minutes.
2. Puree chickpeas, cannellini beans, tomatoes plus 1 tablespoon of their oil, and garlic in a food processor. Add yogurt, lemon juice, sesame oil, cumin, and salt; process until smooth. Serve at room temperature with pita triangles and vegetables for dipping.
    

 WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pts per tbsp dip & 4 pts per 4 pita triangles

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. Who doesn't enjoy chips and dip once in a while? Forget the hummus at the grocery store; you can make this colorful hummus at home in 10 minutes or less. This was my first time making hummus and it was so delicious. It was a party in my mouth with the sun-dried tomato zing, the toasted sesame oil, heat from the cumin and the tanginess of the lemon juice. This hummus is great for when you're having company or even when you're at home watching a movie. If you're on Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet, enjoy the green veggies, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes and bell peppers and skip the carrots and pita chips. 

Chocolate Pudding with Dried Cranberries

Ingredients:

• 3 cups skim milk
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

Makes 6 Servings

1.  Whisk together the milk, sugar, cocoa powder and cornstarch in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and bubbles, about 5 minutes.
2. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the pudding is smooth. Divide the pudding evenly smong 6 bowls. Sprinkle evenly with the cranberries.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW in 20 Minutes Cookbook. Who does not love chocolate? I never buy or eat store baught pudding because homemade pudding is better for you and tastes so much better. I do recommend making the pudding the night before and letting it set in the fridge over night so the flavors can blend together. The dried cranberried add a nice finishing touch. You can use any kind of dried fruit in this pudding as an option as well. 

Five-Spice Salmon

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tsp finely grated lime zest
• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 1/2 tsp granular sugar substitute
• 1 lb salmon steaks, cut into 4 equal-size pieces
• 8 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Makes 4 Servings

1.  In a 2-quart dish, combine the lime zest, lime juice, 1 teaspoon of the oil, the ginger, five-spice powder and sugar substitute. Add the salmon and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. In a 3-quart microwavable dish, combine the spinach, garlic and the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil, tossing gently. Cover the plastic wrap and microwave for for 2 minutes, or until the spinach has wilted. Drain and keep warm.
3. Lightly oil a grill rack. Preheat the grill to medium-high.
4. Remove the salmon from the  marinadeand place on the grill rack. Brush the salmon with additional marinade. Close the grill cover and cook for 4 minutes. Open the grill cover, turn the salmon, and brush with marinade. Close the cover and cook for 4 minutes longer, or until the salmon flakes easily. Discard any remaining marinade.
5. To serve, evenly divide the spinach among 4 plates and center the salmon on the spinach beds.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. Chinese New Year is around the corner and yet you don't want to order Chinese take-out or go to a restaurant and get MSG in your food. This meal is a great way to kick-start your diet because it's colorful to look at and has every flavor on your palate thanks to the five-spice powder. Chinese five-spice powder includes cinnamon, fennel, cloves, star anise and szechuan peppercorns and you get to taste sour, bitter, sweet, salty and pungent all at once. Five-spice powder will really wake up your taste buds and get you in the mood for the Chinese New Year. 

Grilled Pineapple with Coconut Sorbet

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp dried shredded and sweetened coconut meat 6 slices  pineapple, fresh, cored (about 1/2-inch-thick) 1 tbsp honey pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger or star anise (optional) 1 1/2 cups coconut sorbet

 

Makes 6 Serving

1. Heat a grill or stove-top grill pan.
2. Spread coconut evenly on a microwave-safe plate; microwave on high, tossing until lightly browned with some white shreds, checking after 30 second intervals.
3. Brush pineapple with honey and spices; grill until pineapple is lightly charred and tender, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
4. To serve, place 1 pineapple slice on each of 6 plates; top each with 1/4 cup sorbet and sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon coconut. Serve immediately.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts

 

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. My mom and I recently had this for dessert and it was so delicious. Coconut and pineapple are so good together. There is nothing like cooked pineapple and cooked shredded coconut meat. I added a pinch of cinnamon to the honey to give the dessert a little more flavor. The shredded coconut meat adds flavor and a nice crunch to the dessert. This dessert is the perfect ending when you're having company over for dinner because it's a great finish. 5-ingredient chef Claire Robinson will love this dish as well.

 



Turkey Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, roughly chopped
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 pound turkey cutlets, diced
• 5 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 4 ounces spelt or whole-wheat noodles
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 (2-cup) Servings

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery; cook, stirring often, until softened, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
2. Season turkey with salt and pepper. Add turkey, broth and thyme to the onion mixture and bring to a low boil. Reduce ehat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in noodles, bring to a low boil, and cook until noodles are tender, about 5 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve hot.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. Who doesn't love a bowl of chicken noodle in the winter from time to time? I used to love chicken noodle soup from a can. Now that I make homemade chicken or turkey soup with fresh vegetables, I love homemade soup so much so that I will never go back to canned soup. This soup definately warms the soul. The garlic and thyme are the key to giving this soup flavor. Also, the vegetables fill you up and add more color to the soup. Once you taste this soup, you'll never go back to canned soup ever again. Trust me!



Warm Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 (8-ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1 ounce finely grated Parmesean cheese (1/4 cup)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp hot pepper sauce
• 1 (14-oz) can artichoke hearts, drained
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• assorted whole-grain crackers

Makes 12 (1/4 cup) Servings

1. Blend cream cheese, mayonnaise, milk, cheese, garlic and hot pepper sauce in a food processor until smooth. Add artichokes and pulse until well combined but still chunky.
2. Transfer to a microwave-safe serving dish. Microwave on medium heat until heated through. turning once or twice, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with crackers.
    

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. This is a delicous dip whether it's game day or a dinner party. Artichokes have a really nice flavor to them once you acquire a taste for them. Artichokes are an excellent source of fiber and provide good things such as vitamin C, iron, potassium, magnesium and folate. I highly recommend using Philadelhia Garden Vegetable cream cheese if you want to add more vegetable flavor to this dip because that particular cream cheese is delicious in any savory dish. This dip is also great with baked potatoes, chicken, steak, pork and vegetables. 

Warm Pear Cobbler

Ingredients:

• cooking spray
• 3 medium pears, peeled and sliced
• 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp each of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger and star anise
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp margarine
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tbsp confectioners' sugar

Makes 6 Servings

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Combine pears, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of flour, lemon juice and cinnamon in a large bowl; toss to coat pears and pour mixture into prepared baking dish.
3. In a medium-size bowl, combine the remaining flours, remaining brown sugar and baking powder; cut in margarine with a pastry blender, or quickly with your fingertips, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk and toss with a fork until flour mixture is moist.
4. Drop four heaping tablespoons of dough onto pear mixture. Bake until crust is lightly browned and fruit is bubbly, about 40 to 45 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, dust with powdered sugar and cut into 6 pieces

WW POINTS VALUE: 4pts

 

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. Winter is here and you can have the seasonal fruit cobbler to warm yourself up. Pears are still in season right now and they are perfect to enjoy cooked at this time of year. I added the ground nutmeg, ginger and star anise with the cinnamon because those spices go very well together, especially with cooked fruit. I highly recommend serving vanilla ice cream, plain fat-free yogurt or creme freche if you really want to spoil yourself but that may affect the points value.