Latin American Chicken & Cabbage Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 tsp. gluten-free chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 1 /4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp. + 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 lb. cabbage, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips about 2 inches wide
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
• 4 radishes, halved & thinly sliced
• 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a small bowl, stir together 1 1/2 teaspoons of the chili powder and the salt. Rub the mixture into both sides of the chicken. Brush the chicken with 1 teaspoon of the oil.
2. Heat a grill pan over medium heat and cook the chicken, turning it over as it gets grill marks, until the chicken is cooked through but still juicy, 10-12 minutes. Alternatively, preheat the broiler with the rack 4 inches from the heat and broil the chicken until just cooked through but still juicy, about 10 minutes, turning it over midway. Transfer to a cutting board to cool. When cool enough to handle, thinly slice crosswise.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon oil, the remaining teaspoon chili powder, and the vinegar. Add the cabbage, cilantro, radishes, and celery. Toss to combine.
4. Spoon the cabbage salad onto 4 plates. Dividing evenly, top with the chicken.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Gluten Solutions Cookbook. This is a very crunchy and filling salad whenever you fell off the diet wagon or whenever you need to kick-start your healthy lifestyle. You can taste the chili powder in this salad and feel the heat. I highly recommend adding minced garlic cloves and freshly ground black pepper in the first step when you're seasoning the chicken because garlic and pepper always make everything taste better. I also recommend adding a touch of lemon or lime juice along with the apple cider vinegar for a more fruity taste.

Korean-Style Pork Tenderloin with Asian Cabbage Slaw

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. agave syrup
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tbsp. garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger chopped
• 1 tsp. orange zest
• 1 scallion, chopped
• 1/4 cup Asian pear or green apple, peeled & cored
• 1 tsp. chile paste, sambal oelek, or Korean chile paste
• 1 lb. pork tenderloin, fat removed
• 6 cups Asian Cabbage Slaw

Makes 4 Servings

1. Combine all ingredients except pork tenderloin and cabbage slaw in blender. Blend until smooth. Place pork in marinade and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat the grill over medium-high heat. Grill pork until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 F. Allow meat to rest for 10 minutes. Slice pork tenderloin thin across the grain. Serve with Asian Cabbage Slaw or wrapped in lettuce leaves or butter leaf lettuce.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the New Sonoma Cookbook. This dish puts a new spicy twist on the typical BBQ pork and slaw. Who knew Korean barbecue could taste so good? Korean BBQ is known for its salty and spicy flavors. The salty and spicy flavors mixed with the crispy textures of the slaw and the succulent juicy pork is absolutely delicious. You can use pork, chicken, steak, even salmon in this recipe and your meal will be delicious. There is nothing like grilled pork in warm weather. Grilled pork always test the best. If you're lucky enough to live in warm weather years round, just grill your proteins and vegetables and they will always taste delicious. 

Asian Cabbage Slaw

Ingredients:

• 6 cups Napa cabbage, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1 cup red bell peppers, julienned
• 2 tbsp. cilantro, chopped
• 1 tbsp. ginger, chopped
• 1/4 cup scallion, chopped
• 1 cup Asian pear or green apple, peeled, cored & julienned
• 1 tsp chile paste, sambal oelek, or Korean chile paste
• 1/2 cup Soy Sesame Vinaigrette
• 1 tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted
• 1/4 cup almonds, toasted & slivered
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 6 cups, serves 12

1. Combine all ingredients except almonds in a large bowl.
2. Garnish with toasted, slivered almonds.

 

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the New Sonoma Cookbook. This vegetarian side dish puts a new spin on the typical slaw. Thus cabbage slaw has a lot of bright colors and has a nice, crunchy texture to it. You can use green cabbage or Napa Cabbage in this recipe. There's a lot of crunch and flavor in this dish and it goes perfect with any Asian protein to make your meal filling and satisfying. PLus, you won't find this side dish on any Asian takeout menu. 







Soy Sesame Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp. reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. granular sugar substitute
• 1 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. ginger, minced or grated
• 1/2 tsp. chopped garlic
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 1/2 cup (1 tablespoon per serving)

 

Combine all ingredients. Whisk well.

 

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the New Sonoma Cookbook. This is a nice vinaigrette that goes great on salads, chicken, pork, beef, salmon, tuna, swordfish, and even lamb. If you want to make this vinaigrette spicier, add a touch of chile sauce and it will really wake up your taste buds. It also makes a nice dipping sauce too.

Turkish Pita Pizza (Lahmacun)

Ingredients:

• 1 large red onion, halved & sliced
• 3/4 lb. ground skinless turkey breast
• 3 large cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 tbsp. water
• 4 (7-inch) whole wheat pocketless pita breads
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 cup fresh mint or parsley leaves

Makes 4 Servings

1. Heat oven to 475 F; spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray.
2. Spray large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup onion and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add turkey, garlic, cumin, paprika, salt, allspice, and cinnamon. Cook, breaking up turkey with side of wooden spoon, until turkey is no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and water; remove from heat.
3. Place pitas on baking sheets and top each evenly with turkey mixture. Bake until undersides are crisp, about 8 minutes. Top each with remaining onion, tomato, and mint or parsley.

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Tastier than Takeout Cookbook. Lamachun means 'dough with meat' in Turkish. Lamachun is a popular fast food treat in many Middle Eastern countries. The pita is typically rolled up for easy eating. You can also cut the pitas into wedges like a pizza or eat it with a knife of fork. This was a different kind of pizza and it was very flavorful. It has the basic ingredients of ground turkey, tomatoes, onion, garlic, herbs, and spices. It was too hot to use the oven so I cooked these pizzas on the grill and they were delicious. These pizzas are not only tasty but will quickly fill you up.

Smoky Glazed Chicken Thighs

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 3 tbsp. packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 3/4 tsp. oregano
• 1 tbsp. smoked paprika
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. onion powder
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 6 bone-in chicken thighs (about 1 1 /2 lbs.)

Makes 6 Servings (1 thigh per serving)

1. Spray the grill rack with nonstick spray; prepare the grill for a medium-hot fire.
2. To make the glaze, mix together the ketchup, 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar, the vinegar, and oregano in a small bowl.
3. To make the spice rub, mix together the paprika, cumin, onion powder, chili powder, salt, pepper and remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar in another small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken thighs.
4. Place the chicken on the grill rack and grill 8 minutes. Turn the chicken and grill 8 minutes longer. Turn the chicken and brush with half of the glaze; grill 3 minutes. Turn the chicken and brush with the remaining glaze; grill until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh registers 165 F, about 3 minutes longer.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Ultimate Chicken Cookbook. If you love Barbecue, this dish is for you. Forget your local BBQ or fast food joint, make this dish and your family and friends will eat this dish up. The spices and the sauce give this dish an nice smoky and sweet flavor to it. Plus, your chicken or protein dish will be succulent and juicy. If you increase the batch of the spice rub, transfer the rub to a glass jar and store it in your pantry for a couple of months. The spice rub and the sauce is perfect on pork chops and tenderloins and it will go great on all cuts of beef, salmon and shrimp.  

Frozen Watermelon Virgin Mojitos

Ingredients:

• 8 1/2 cups fresh watermelon, seedless, cubed
• 16 oz. diet soda, lemon-lime, divided
• 3/4 cup fresh lime juice, divided
• 2 tbsp. rum extract, divided
• 3 tbsp. mint leaves, fresh, minced, divided

Makes 8 (1-cup) Servings

1. In a blender, puree watermelon (you will end up with about 6 cups of puree).
2. Pour 2 cups of puree into each of 2 standard-size ice cube trays (16 cubes each); freeze until solid (several hours or overnight). Reserve remaining 2 cups watermelon puree in refrigerator.
3. When ready to make mojitos, place one tray of watermelon puree cubes, 1 cup refrigerated watermelon puree, 1 cup soda, 6 tablespoons lime juice and 1 tablespoon extract in blender; blend until smooth. Stir in 1 1/2 tablespoon fresh mint and pour into 4 glasses; garnish with additional fresh mint, if desired. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 4 more mojitos.

 WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts.

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. These cocktails are a light and refreshing taste of summer. These cocktails are great with or without the rum and a great way to use watermelon. The combination of watermelon, lime juice and mint will awaken and cleanse your taste buds. Serve these at lunch, dinner or at a party and people will be asking for more.