Vegetable Quiche with a Spinach Crust

Ingredients:

• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup fat-free milk
• 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup white mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 cup finely diced fresh tomatoes
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1 cup crumbled reduced-fat goat cheese

Makes 4 Servings

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk.
3. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, tomatoes, zucchini, garlic powder, and salt. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are lightly browned and no liquid remains, 6-10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat to allow the vegetables to cool slightly.
4. Line the bottom of a 9-to-10-inch quiche pan or glass pie plate with the spinach.
5. Add the vegetables to the egg mixture and stir to combine. Pour the mixture over the spinach leaves and top evenly with the goat cheese.
6. Bake until the eggs have fully set and are no longer wobbly (a wooden pick inserted in the center will come out clean), 30-35 minutes.
7. Cut into 4 wedges and serve hot or at room temperature.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Gluten Solutions Cookbook. You can have your quiche and eat it too gluten-free or not. This dish may look a little messy when it comes out of the oven but it's flavorful and you'll forget it's good for you. If you cook this quiche on a Sunday, you can enjoy it for breakfast the next day and maybe the following week depending on how many people live in your home. You won't miss the crust in this quiche, The crust is made from spinach which means this quiche is lower in fat and calories that your typical quiche. The goat cheese adds an extra kick of tart to it. If you're looking to add more vegetables to your diet, this dish is for you.

 

Coconut-Apple Muffins

Ingredients:

• olive oil cooking spray
• 1 cup sorghum flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup flaxseed meal
• 1/4 cup monk fruit  natural no-calorie sweetener
• 2 tsp. gluten-free baking powder
• 1 1 /2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup 1 % milk
• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup grated carrots
• 1/2 cup grated Granny Smith apple
• 1/2 cup grated red apple
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 3 large egg whites

Makes 12 muffins (1 muffin per serving)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and lightly spray with olive oil.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sorghum flour, coconut flour, flaxseed meal, monk fruit sweetener, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
3. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on low speed, beat together milk, oil, and vanilla. With the mixer running, add the flour mixture in 3 additions, mixing well after each addition. By hand, gently mix in the carrots, apples, and coconut.
4. In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
5. Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 24-28 minutes.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Gluten Solutions Cookbook. The people at South Beach have done it again with muffins. Who knew that coconut and apples tasted so good together? These muffins to take time but they are worth the effort. Make these on Sunday and you can enjoy them throughout the week. These muffins are fluffy and moist not to mention delicious. If you're trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables in your diet, these treats are for you. Enjoy these with a glass of tomato juice, water, milk or juice and you won't be going to the drive through again.

Cheese Straws

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 5 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3-4 tbsp. cold water

Makes 16 Servings (3 cheese straws per serving)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. Combine the flour, pepper and crushed red pepper in a food processor and pulse to mix. Scatter butter on top of seasoned flour; pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Scatter cheddar and Parmesan on top and drizzle with 3 tablespoons of water; pulse until mixture forms a ball, adding remaining 1 tablespoon water, if needed.
3. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. With lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough into 9-inch square. With pizza cutter or knife, cut dough into 3 x 1/2-inch strips, making a total of 48 strips.
4. Place cheese strips about 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet.Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. With wide spatula, transfer cheese straws to wire racks and let cool completely. Cheese straws can be stored in airtight container up to 2 days.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. This appetizers/snacks will quickly become a favorite. These cheese stick are packed with heat and flavor. They go great with any dish depending on what kind of cheese you use. If you're cooking Italian, use Italian cheeses with some Italian herbs. If you're cooking French cuisine, use Gruyere. If you're cooking Spanish, use manchego. If you're cooking American BarbeQue, use the extra-sharp cheddar. I also highly recommend adding minced garlic to this sticks because garlic always makes everything taste better.

 

Eggplant Rollatini

Ingredients:

• 2 eggplants (about 1 1 /2 lbs. each), peeled & each cut lengthwise into 4 slices
• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 3/4 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 cup fat-free marinara sauce
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1/3 cup shredded fontina cheese
• 2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Makes 4 Servings (2 rolls per serving)

1. Preheat the broiler. Line 2 baking sheets with foil; spray with olive oil nonstick spray. Arrange eggplant slices on prepared baking sheets. Broil 5 inches from heat, without turning, until deep golden brown, about 6 minutes; let cool.
2. Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray 9 X 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook, stirring, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir together ricotta, parsley, and 1/4 teaspoon of the oregano in a medium bowl; stir in onion mixture. Spread about 1/4 cup of ricotta mixture over pale side of each eggplant slice and roll up to enclose filling. Place eggplant rolls, seam side down, in prepared baking dish.
4. Stir together marinara sauce, remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano, and the crushed red pepper in small bowl; spoon over eggplant rolls. Sprinkle with fontina and Parmesan. Bake until eggplant is browned and sauce is bubbly, about 30 minutes.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. If you love Italian food, this dish is for you. Italy is rich in cuisine and Italy does culinary magic with vegetables and cheese. This dish is a nice comfort food that will be enjoyed by carnivores and vegetarians alike. You can use cottage cheese in place of the ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese in place of the fontina and your meal will still be delicious. If you want to make this meal really filling, add a cup of cooked  whole wheat penne to this dish and it will really be yummy.

Peanut Butter-Banana Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup 100% buckwheat flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 2 tsp. monk fruit natural no-calorie sweetener (baking formula)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 cups + 2 tbsp. fat-free milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp. all-natural peanut butter
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• olive oil cooking spray
• 2 medium bananas, thinly sliced

Makes 12 Pancakes (2 pancakes per serving)

1. In a large bowl, combine the buckwheat flour, coconut flour, monk fruit sweetener, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix thoroughly.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, egg, peanut butter, oil, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well with olive oil and heat over medium heat.
3. Lightly spray a large skillet with olive oil and heat over medium heat.
4. For each pancake, pour 1/4 cup batter into the skillet. Place 3 slices of banana on each pancake. Cook until small bubbles form near the middle of the pancake and it is golden brown on the underside (take a peek), 1-2 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown on he other side, another 1-2 minutes. Repeat until no batter remains (it should yield 12 pancakes).

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Gluten Solutions Cookbook. These waffles can be made in 30 minutes or less and will be enjoyed by family and friends every day of the week. The combination of peanut butter and bananas is not only heavenly delicious but all packed with fiber and protein. You can use almond butter, crunchy or smooth peanut putter and even cashew butter in this recipe and your pancakes will still be good. You can even make these as waffles and they'll taste just as good and will be easier to put away in the freezer. Plus, the waffles will come out beautiful in the waffle iron and the texture will be just as fluffy. The great thing about these waffles us that there is no granular sugar in these treats. If you don't want to go completely gluten-free, use whole wheat or all-purpose flour in place of the buckwheat flour and use baking powder in place of the monk-fruit sweetener. You won't need to add sugar-free syrup or other toppings because the bananas are moist and naturally sweet.

Chicken Milanese

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 large egg white
• 4 (6 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. trans-fat-free margarine
• 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• freshly ground black pepper
• 8 cups mixed greens
• 3 plum tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a mini food processor, grind the oats to the texture of dried bread crumbs. Add the Parmesan and salt and pulse to combine. Transfer to a shallow bowl or pie plate. In another shallow bowl, beat the eg white with 1 tablespoon water.
2. Dip the chicken in the eg white and then in the oat mixture, patting to help the coating adhere.
3. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and the margarine over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, turn the chicken, and cook on the second side until cooked through but still juicy, 10-12 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the vinegar, and mustard. Season with pepper to taste. Add the mixed greens and toss well.
5. Place a chicken breast on each of 4 plates. Top each with one-fourth of the greens and 6 tomato wedges.

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook. Here is another Italian dish made healthy. The traditional dish is Italian Veal Milanese where a hot breaded veal chop is topped with a cool salad. This recipe uses chicken breasts and the breaded ingredients include rolled oats instead of bread crumbs. The oats mixed in with the Parmesan cheese is actually pretty good. The salad served with the chicken Milanese is quite delicious with the dressing made up of red wine vinegar and Dijon mustard. You can even use pork or veal in place of the chicken and your meal will still be delicious.

Carne Asada Tacos

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 tbsp. orange juice
• 1 tbsp. white vinegar
• 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & minced
• 1 lb. lean boneless, sirloin steak trimmed
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 4 (7-inch) whole wheat tortillas, warmed
• 1 cup prepared pico de gallo salsa

Makes 4 Servings

1. Combine the lime juice, orange juice, vinegar, oil, garlic, and jalapeno in a large zip-close plastic bag; add steak. Squeeze out air and seal bag; turn to coat steak. Refrigerate 10 minutes.
2. Spray ridged grill pan with nonstick spray; set over medium-high heat until very hot.
3. Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Pat steak dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place steak in pan and grill until instant-read thermometer inserted into side of steak registers 145 F for medium, about 6 minutes on each side. Transfer steak to cutting board and loosely cover with foil; let stand 3 minutes. Cut steak across grain on diagonal into 12 thin slices; serve in tortillas with pico de gallo.

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Tastier than Takeout Cookbook. The people at Weight Watchers have done it again with these Mexican classics. Mexican food always makes ant occasion feel like a fiesta and always brings people to the table. You'd be amazed how quick and easy it is to make restaurant favorites at home at a fraction of what it costs to eat out. Plus, you know what's going in your dishes and you know who is handling your food. These upscale tacos will quickly become a favorite of family and friends. If you have time, marinate your tacos overnight so they become more flavorful when you cook and serve them. I also highly recommend adding a touch of sour cream and shredded romaine lettuce to these tacos to make them more flavorful and filling.