Meatballs with Tomato & Zucchini Medley

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. extra-lean ground beef or ground turkey breast
• 1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
• 6 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 zucchini, halved lengthwise & sliced
• 1 yellow squash, halved lengthwise & sliced
• 1 (16 oz.) can Italian-style cut tomatoes
• 1 ( 16 oz.) crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped basil
• sprig basil, for garnish

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a large bowl, combine the beef or turkey, bread crumbs, egg, 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper, Italian seasoning, and 4 tablespoons of the Parmesan. Form into balls the size of walnuts.
2. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Working in batches, add the meatballs and cook for 15 minutes, or until browned and no longer pink inside. Remove to a bowl, leaving drippings in a skillet. Repeat to cook the remaining meatballs.
3. In the same skillet in warm drippings over medium-high heat, add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, or until the onion is tender. Stir in the zucchini, yellow squash, cut tomatoes (with juice), crushed tomatoes, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and the meatballs. Heat to boiling. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in the chopped basil. Garnish with basil sprig (optional).

WW POINTS VALUE: 9 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. This is a sophisticated take on a classic Italian comfort food. The meatballs are nice and firm due to the combination of bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, seasonings and egg; those are the keys to making your meatballs flavorful. The sliced zucchini and yellow squash mixed in with the onions, garlic and tomatoes add a sophisticated touch to this dish. You can serve this medley over a plate of whole wheat pasta or serve it on a toasted whole wheat baguette as a meatball sub and it will be delicious. Don't forget the wine!

 

Tomato, Squash, & Feta Gratin

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch thick on a long bias
• 6 oz. yellow summer squash, sliced into 1/8-inch thick on a long bias
• 12 oz. tomatoes, cut in half, then sliced 1/4-inch thick crosswise
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp. oregano, chopped
• 2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• salt
• freshly ground pepper

Makes 4 (1 cup) Servings

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly oil a 6-inch-diameter ovenproof saute pan.
2. Toss zucchini with salt and pepper. Toss yellow squash with salt and pepper. In a bowl, mix scallions, garlic, oregano, and feta cheese.
3. Lay zucchini slices in the pan, slightly overlapping them like shingles. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with a layer of tomatoes, slightly overlapping like shingles. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the scallion mixture. Top with a layer of yellow squash, then another layer of tomatoes; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with remaining scallion mixture. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.
4. Place on a sheet pan in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the top is slightly browned. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the New Sonoma Cookbook. This colorful side dish is a flavorful side dish that goes great with any protein. Tomatoes, yellow squash, and zucchini are popular summer vegetables and go great together with fresh herbs and cheese. You can use basil, thyme, or rosemary in place of the oregano and use crumbled goat cheese or Parmesan cheese in place of the goat cheese depending on what kind of regional cuisine you're serving. This dish tastes even better the next day once the flavors blend.

Brown Rice Crispy Bars

Ingredients:until

• 2 tbsp. almond or peanut butter
• 3 cups mini marshmallows (about half of 10 oz. bag)
• 2 cups puffed brown rice cereal
• 1 cup whole-grain cereal flakes
• 2 tbsp. mini semisweet or dark chocolate chips

Makes 16 bars (1 square per serving)

1. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray.
2. Put almond butter in a large saucepan and cook, stirring, over medium-low heat until softened, about 30 seconds. Add marshmallows and cook, stirring, until somewhat melted but still lumpy, about 2 minutes.
3. Spray rubber spatula with nonstick spray. Remove saucepan from heat and immediately use rubber spatula to stir in rice cereal, whole grain cereal, and chocolate chips until combined well.
4. Scrape marshmallow mixture into prepared baking pan, pressing down with rubber spatula to form even layer. Refrigerate until bars are firm, about 30 minutes. With sharp knife with nonstick spray, cut into 16 squares.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. If you love peanut butter, chocolate, marshmallows, this sweet treat is for you. These sweet treats are a sophisticated version of Rice Krispie Treats. The peanut or almond butter give a nice touch to these treats and make them rich and creamy. I highly recommend using dark chocolate chips in this recipe because dark chocolate has a richer taste to it. One bite of this treat and you'll be hooked.



Raspberry-Yogurt Pops

Ingredients:

• 3 cups fresh or thawed frozen unsweetened raspberries
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 (6 oz.) container plain fat-free yogurt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 3 tbsp. honey
• 1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Makes 8 Servings (1 ice pop per serving)

1. Put raspberries in a food processor and process until smooth. Pour puree through fine-mesh sieve set over medium bowl, pressing hard to extract as much puree as possible. Discard seeds.
2. Combine raspberry puree, banana, yogurt, vanilla, coconut milk, honey, lemon zest and juice in food processor; process until smooth.
3. Divide raspberry mixture evenly among 8 ice-pop molds. Insert wooden craft stick into each mold. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours or up to 1 day.
4. To serve, dip bottom of each mold into hot water about 10 seconds to loosen. Remove pops from molds.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. If you loved popsicles or creamsicles as a kid, you will devour these. The great thing about these sweet treats is that you know what's in them: whole fruit, vanilla, yogurt and honey. The only sugars in these treats are the natural sugars from the fruit. I highly recommend adding vanilla extract to the yogurt mixture because vanilla goes well with fruit. You can use any berry in this recipe and your yogurt pops will still be delicious. If you don't have any ice-pop molds, Use 8 wax-coated paper cups and wooden craft sticks. Just fill the cups with the berry mixture and cover tightly with foil; poke the sticks through the foil (this will keep the sticks upright while the mixture freezes.)



Coconut-Ice Cream Bonbons

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted
• 1 1/2 pints light vanilla ice cream
• 3 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped

Makes 24 Bonbons (2 per serving

1. Line small baking sheet with sheet of wax paper or parchment paper; freeze 1 hour.
2. Spread coconut on separate sheet of wax paper or parchment paper.
3. Using mini ice cream scoop or teaspoon, scoop ice cream by scant 1 tablespoon to form ball; quickly roll in coconut, lightly pressing coconut into ice cream so it adheres. Transfer bonbon to baking sheet in freezer. Repeat with remaining ice cream and coconut, making total of 24 bonbons. Freeze at least 6 hours or up to overnight (if freezing overnight, cover with foil).
4. Up to 4 hours before serving, put chocolate in microwavable cup or small bowl and microwave on Medium 1 minute; stir. If chocolate is not melted, return to microwave and repeat, stirring every 30 seconds to avoid scorching. Let cool slightly. Scrape melted chocolate into small zip-close plastic bag; squeeze out air and seal bag.
5. Remove bonbons from freezer. Press chocolate into one corner of bag. Snip off tip of bag and drizzle chocolate over bonbons in zigzag pattern. Return bonbons to freezer until chocolate is set. Arrange bonbons on platter or place in mini baking cups. Serve at once.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meal Cookbook. If you loved bonbons as a kid, you will absolutely love these sweet treats. The combination of vanilla, coconut and chocolate is so heavenly delicious. You can serve these sweet treats for dessert whenever you have company for dinner because they are the perfect sweet ending. I highly recommend using dark chocolate in this recipe for a more elegant aftertaste.

Classic Ratatouille

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 (3/4 lb.) eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large tomato, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp. dried basil
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 (1-cup) Servings

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan medium heat. Add eggplant and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Add remaining oil to the same saucepan; raise heat to medium-high. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes; add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
3. Add bell pepper and zucchini; cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add tomato, basil, and a pinch of salt and pepper; cook 5 minutes more.
4. Return eggplant to the pan, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate, up to 3 days, until ready to eat.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. Ratatouille is a traditional dish from Southern France. This colorful side dish is very versatile with five servings of vegetables and is very easy to prepare. You can serve this colorful side dish alongside chicken, turkey, pork, beef and even fish. If you have access to juicy and ripe tomatoes, get them because the tomatoes will make the dish more flavorful. This dish also goes great with eggs too.

Grilled Whole Herbed Chicken

Ingredients:

• 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. grated lemon zest
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (3 1/2- 4 lb.) chicken, giblets discarded
• 1/2 onion, peeled and halved
• 1/2 lemon, halved

Makes 6 Servings (1/6 of chicken per serving)

1. Spray the grill rack with nonstick spray; prepare the grill for indirect cooking and maintain a medium-hot fire.
2. Combine the garlic, oil, lemon zest, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a small bowl; mix well. using your fingers loosen the skin over the chicken breasts, legs, and thighs. Rub the garlic mixture into the meat under the skin. Place the onion and lemon inside the body cavity. Tuck the wing tips under the chicken and tie the legs closed with kitchen string to help hold the shape of the bird during grilling.
3. Place the chicken on the indirect heat section of the grill rack (away from the heat source), breast side up. Cover the grill and grill, without turning, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in a thigh registers 165 F, about 1 hour and 50 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a carving board and let stand for about 10 minutes before carving. Remove the skin before eating.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Ultimate Chicken Cookbook. This chicken is an elegantly delicious meal to cook when the weather is nice. The aromas add nice flavor to the chicken and make it moist and juicy too. You can also use the marinade on boneless, skinless chicken breasts, turkey or pork and your protein will still be delicious. Don't forget to have a glass of white wine with this dish.