Summer Vegetable Chicken Saute

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves cut into1-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano or thyme
• 2 cups sliced yellow summer squash and/or zucchini
• 1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh basil or parsley
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a covered medium saucepan, cook green beans in a small amount of salted boiling water for 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain; submerse beans in enough ice water to cover and let stand until cool. Drain again; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a very large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. In a large bowl, toss chicken with oregano, salt, and pepper. Add chicken to the hot oil in skillet; cook for 5-6 minutes or until no longer pink, stirring frequently. Do not overcrowd the pan or the chicken will not brown. Cook the chicken in batches if necessary. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
3. Add squash to the skillet; cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Stir in chicken, green beans, cannellini beans, chicken broth, and garlic. Bring to boiling. Add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Cook about 1 minute or until heated through.

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the New Sonoma Cookbook. This is certainly a taste of summer than is good for you. It's different yet satisfyingly filling. This dish is also very colorful with all the summer vegetables in it. You can use turkey, pork or even tofu in place of the chicken and your dish will be delicious. You can also use white wine in place of the chicken broth when deglazing the pan.

Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 tbsp. mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. canola oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Makes 20 Biscotti (1 biscotti per serving)

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Lightly spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; stir in chocolate chips.
3. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla until frothy, about 2 minutes. Make well in center of flour mixture and pour in egg mixture; stir just until  it comes together and forms dough.
4. Shape dough into 3 X 13-inch log on prepared baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes. With 2 spatulas, transfer log to wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, reduce oven temperature to 300 F.
6. With serrated bread knife, cut long on slight diagonal into 1/2-inch slices, making total of 20 biscotti. Stand slices, about 1 inch apart, on baking sheet; bake 12 minutes. Transfer to rack and let cool completely.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. A biscotti is a twice-baked Italian cookie and it is delicious. These cookies are a delicious treat to enjoy after dinner and any time of day. The original recipe called for 1 cup of granulated sugar but I cut the sugar in half and the cookies still tasted delicious. I also recommend using dark chocolate chips, coconut oil, ground cinnamon and nutmeg for more rich and flavorful cookies.

Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Broccoli

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 3 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 1/2 cups fat-free milk
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 12 oz. cooked pasta shells (2 1/2 cups)
• 2 1/2 cups small broccoli florets, cooked

Makes 8 Servings (1 1 /2 cups per serving)

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray 2 quart baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add bread crumbs and cook, stirring often, until light golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to small bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon of Parmesan and set aside.
3. Wipe saucepan clean. Whisk together milk and flour in saucepan until blended; add onion. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is bubbly and thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in cheddar, mustard, salt, pepper, and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan until cheddar is melted.
4. Add pasta and broccoli to saucepan; stir until mixed well. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with bread-crumb mixture. Bake until bubbly along edges, 20-25 minutes.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. This is what I call gourmet macaroni and cheese. Who knew that adding broccoli, onions, bread crumbs, and Dijon mustard could make macaroni and cheese taste so delicious? You wouldn't find this gourmet dish at an upscale restaurant. You can make this dish at home and enjoy it just as much as boxed macaroni and cheese. I highly recommend using a variety of mixed shredded cheeses for a more flavorful dish. I also highly recommend adding a touch of minced garlic when you're melting the butter because garlic always makes dishes taste better.

Five-Ingredient Tomato-Cheese Pizza

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb. whole wheat pizza dough, at room temperature
• cornmeal, for the pan
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Makes 8 Servings

1. Place oven rack on bottom rung oven and preheat oven to 500 F.
2. Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface. With lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough into 12-inch round. Sprinkle pizza pan or large baking sheet with cornmeal. Transfer dough to prepared pan, gently pulling dough back into 12-inch round. (If dough resists, cover lightly with clean kitchen towel and let rest about 10 minutes.)
3. Spread tomato sauce over dough; sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Top evenly with mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake until crust is golden and cheeses are melted, 12-15 minutes.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. This is a quick and easy dish that is better than takeout. The only thing hard about this recipe is actually rolling out the dough because pizza dough sometimes has a mind of its own. This pizza tastes better and is cheaper than what you would order at a pizzeria. I highly recommend putting on homemade tomato sauce on this pizza as well as fresh herbs like basil and oregano for a more authentic Italian taste. It will be more than 5 ingredients but it's worth it.

Warm Spinach Salad with Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
• 12 oz. baby spinach (10-12 cups)
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
• 8 oz. white mushrooms, sliced
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 (2 cup ) Servings

1. Combine shallot, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a small bowl. Place spinach in a large mixing bowl.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and add to spinach.
3. Add mushrooms to the skillet and cook over medium heat until softened and lightly browned, 3-5 minutes. Transfer mushrooms and warm oil to bowl with spinach, making sure to use all of the oil. Add shallot mixture and remaining oil; gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook.  Who says a salad has to be boring? This quick and easy dish can be made in 20 minutes or less and it tastes great alongside chicken, steak, pork, turkey, lamb and even fish. The walnuts add a nice crunchy texture to the salad. I highly recommend adding a touch of minced garlic to this salad because garlic always makes everything taste better.

Moroccan Spiced Beef Burgers

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, peeled
• 1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
• 2/3 cup + 2 tbsp. nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup no-salt-added tomato paste
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. coarse kosher salt
• 2 oz. reduced-fat goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 Kirby cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced crosswise

Makes 4 Servings

1. On the large holes of a box grater, grate the onion into a large bowl. Add the beef, 2 tablespoons of the yogurt, tomato paste, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and salt and gently combine. Shape the mixture into 4 patties, each about 1 inch thick.
2. Preheat the broiler with the rack 4 inches from the heat. Broil the burgers until browned on the top, about 3 minutes. Gently turn the burgers over and broil 1-2 minutes longer for medium-rare.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the remaining 2/3 cup yogurt, goat cheese, and cucumber.
4. Place a burger on each of 4 plates. Divide evenly, spoon the yogurt mixture on top of each burger.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet  Gluten Solutions Cookbook. You can have your burger and eat them too when you kick-start your healthy lifestyle. These exotic burgers are full of spicy seasonings and are succulent and juicy. Grating the onion for the burger mixture ensures that the onion will not have a raw taste and will cook through along with the burgers. I highly recommend adding garlic and freshly ground black pepper to the burgers for more flavor.

Egg White Frittata with Cheddar & Veggies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups egg whites (about 8 large egg whites)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 bell peppers, diced
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 2 scallions, sliced on bias

Makes 4 Servings

1. Whisk together egg whites, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl until frothy.
2. Heat oil in a 10-inch heavy, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add egg whites and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to set, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat and cook, without stirring, until eggs are almost set, about 6 minutes longer.
3. Meanwhile, preheat broiler.
4. Sprinkle cheddar over frittata. Broil 5 inches from heat until cheese is melted and eggs are set, 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions. Cut into 4 wedges.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. This egg dish is a quick and easy dish to make any night of the week or on the weekend. This dish is also vegetarian and gluten free if those are your concerns. The combination of eggs, vegetables and cheese makes a filling and tasty combination. If you have any leftover frittata, wrap the leftovers and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The leftovers make a nice light lunch or a nice sandwich filling.