Braised Balsamic Carrots

Ingredients:

• 2 medium shallots or 1/2 small red onion, minced
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 lbs. baby carrots
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. granular sugar substitute
• salt
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh chives (optional)

Makes 4 (1-cup) Servings

1. In a large saucepan, combine the shallots and oil. Add the carrots, vinegar, pepper to taste and 1/3 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
2. Uncover the pan, stir in the sugar substitute, and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let sit for 2 minutes.
3. Season with salt to taste and stir in the chives (if using). Serve warm.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook. Don't worry if this side dish looks messy. It's really delicious and is packed with flavor. It's a colorful way to eat your vegetables. If you have babies, puree this side dish and serve them this because they will eat these carrots. The balsamic vinegar adds a right amount of tart to the dish and the chives give it a nice finish. I highly recommend making an extra batch of these carrots because they make a great snack the next day. Plus, they're tastier than baby carrots from a bag.

Quick Creamed Spinach

Ingredients:

• 1 bag (16-oz.) frozen spinach, thawed
• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 4 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese, cut into chunks and softened
• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• pinch ground nutmeg
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Makes 4 Servings

1. Place the thawed spinach in a colander set over a bowl; squeeze  to extract the juice. Pour 2 tablespoons of the juice into a cup and reserve. Discard any remaining juice.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the spinach juice, milk and cream cheese. Bring to a simmer  over low heat, stirring and pushing the cheese against the pan to break up. (The mixture should be well combined but will not me smooth.) Remove the pan from the heat.
3. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the spinach, stirring to coat. Stir in the milk mixture and cook until bubbling, about 3 minutes.
5. Season the spinach with nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve  hot.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook. I really love spinach and cheese mixed together. This version of creamed spinach is creamy and delicious and so comforting. Frozen chopped spinach dramatically cuts down the prep time of the classic side dish. The key to this dish is the cream cheese. I highly recommend using Kraft Philadelphia 1/3 Less Fat Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese for a creamier texture and packed with more vegetable flavor. Parmesan cheese always makes everything better. This classic side dish is perfect with chicken, steak, fish, turkey, pork, lamb or duck and great for a family or holiday gathering.

 

Mini Turkey Meatloaves

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 lbs. extra-lean ground turkey breast
• 2 slices multigrain bread (1 oz. each), chopped to very fine crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (in oil), drained and minced, plus 1 teaspoon oil from the jar
• 4 scallions, minced
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. cider vinegar

Makes 4 Servings (1 meatloaf per serving)

 

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts.

1. Heat the oven to 425 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, bread crumbs, Parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes, scallions, egg and 1 tablespoon of the tomato paste. Blend well and form into 4 small loaves 4 inches long and 2 inches wide.
3. In a small bowl, blend the sun-dried tomato oil with the remaining 1 tablespoon tomato paste, the vinegar, and 2 teaspoons of water.
4. Place the meatloaves on the baking sheet and brush the tops with the tomato paste mixture, Bake for 18 minutes, or until cooked through but still juicy. Serve warm.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook. I never like meatloaf as a kid but I love it now as an adult because the healthy meatloaves I've cooked are packed with flavor. Lean ground turkey is so delicious as burgers, meatloaf, chili, or even in dumplings you won't miss the ground beef. Turkey is also great for anyone who doesn't like beef but loves meals packed with lean protein. I cooked this meatloaf for the first time and it was so delicious. Who knew that scallions, Parmesan cheese and sun-dried tomatoes would make a yummy combination? Don't worry if the meatloaf looks a little messy. It comes out so good in the end packed with flavor. This meal is perfect any night of the week whenever you want comfort food.

 

Chocolate Meringue Kisses

Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup granular sugar substitute
• 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 10 tsp. no-sugar-added lite whipped topping

Makes 10 Kisses (2 per Serving)

1. Heat  the oven to 250 F. Line  a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar substitute, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Do not underbeat. Whisk in the cocoa powder and vanilla until blended.
3. Fit a large nozzle on a pastry bag. Fill the pastry bag with the meringue. Pipe 20 meringues onto the baking sheet.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the meringues are crisp and dry. Turn the oven off and let them cool in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the baking sheet.
5. Sandwich pairs of cooled meringues together with 1 teaspoon whipped topping to make a  kiss.

WW POINTS VALUE: 0 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook. Meringue cookies are so tasty  they will become your new guilty pleasure and go-to snack or dessert. Meringue cookies are very easy to make at home and they're better than what you would get at the grocery store because there are no artificial ingredients in these sweet treats. The key to making these cookies look good is whipping the egg whites and cream of tartar. Once you see the egg whites and cream of tartar come together to look like a thick white mixture that's soft, you know your cookies will turn out well. These cookies may take time but they are worth the time and effort because they look and taste so delicious in the end, especially with the cocoa aftertaste.

Baked Pesto Chicken

Ingredients:

• 4 (6 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup pesto (from a jar)
• 2 oz. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (1/2 cup)
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. Heat oven to 375 F.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Spread 1/4 cup od the pesto in a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Lay chicken breasts over pesto in an even layer and spread with remaining pesto.
3. Cover baking dish with foil and bake chicken until cooked through, 20-25 minutes. Uncover and top with cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, 5 more minutes. Serve hot.

WW POINTS VALUE: 9 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. If you are hungry, you're craving a dinner that will fill you up and you don't have the effort to go out to a restaurant, this meal is totally for you. This quick and easy Italian dinner has a nice filling taste to it. It may look a little messy but it's a delicious dinner that can be made and enjoyed any day of the week. I highly recommend making your own pesto because it tastes so deliciously refreshing. This dish also has 5 ingredients so if one of your dinner guests is 5-ingredient fix Chef Claire Robinson, she will be impressed. Next time you want a filling Italian dinner, cook this dish at home and everyone will be happy.

Pork Piccata

Ingredients:

• 4 (4 oz.) boneless center-cut pork loin chops, well trimmed
• 2 tbsp. whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. trans-fat-free margarine
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Makes 4 Servings

1.  Place the pork chops between 2 pieces of parchment paper or waxed paper. With a meat pounder or a heavy skillet, pound to a 1/4-inch thickness.
2. In a shallow bowl or pie plate, blend the flour, salt and pepper. Dredge the pork in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess.
3. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook quickly until cooked through but still juicy, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
4. Add the wine and lemon juice to the skillet. Simmer over medium heat, stirring to get up the browned bits, until the sauce is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the margarine. Stir in the parsley.
5. Divide the warm cutlets among 4 plates and spoon 1 tablespoon sauce on top of each pork chop.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook. A piccata dish is typically made with chicken or veal. The combination of lemon and wine fused with pork is absolutely delicious. The trans-fat-free margarine mixed into the sauce is a healthy alternative to butter which adds saturated fat. I really loved this version of piccata because the pork was juicy and moist and the sauce was thick, creamy and delicious. I highly recommend serving a side of green vegetables and a glass of white wine with this dinner for an authentic Italian taste. And if you really want to go Italian, serve some garlic bread alongside dinner.

Coconut Panna Cotta

Ingredients:

• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened lite coconut milk
• 1 cup low-fat unsweetened soy milk
• 1/3 cup granular sugar substitute
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Makes 4 Servings (1 panna cotta per serving)

1. In a glass measuring cup, sprinkle the gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water. let stand for 5 minutes, or until softened. Place the measuring cup in a pan of simmering water and heat until the gelatin has dissolved, about 2 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the coconut milk, soy milk, sugar substitute, cinnamon, vanilla, and dissolved gelatin. Pour into four 8-ounce custard cups and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until set.
3.  When ready to serve, run a butter knife  or small spatula around the edgeof each dessert and invert onto a serving plate.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook. A panna cotta is an Italian dessert that means cooked cream. Heavy cream is typically used in making panna cotta but this recipe is made from coconut and soy milk for a more silky texture. This was my first time making panna cotta. The combinations of coconut and vanilla were deliciously sweet but I don't think the results were too good. I have never had panna cotta before so I don't know if it turned out as it was supposed to be because it didn't come out in a mold. I loved the flavors but the presentation didn't turn out well.