Silky Strawberry Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 (1 lb.) container strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• pinch salt
• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Makes 8 Servings (1/4 cup per serving)

1. Combine the strawberries, corn syrup, water, and salt in a large saucepan and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries soften and the mixture forms a sauce, about 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice.
2. Pour the berry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl, pressing hard on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids. Cool the sauce to serve at room temperature, or transfer to a covered container; refrigerate up to 1 week.

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Best-Ever Desserts Cookbook. This is what I call a dessert sauce. It's so succulent and silky it will melt in your mouth. I highly recommend adding a touch of pure vanilla to make the sauce more flavorful. You can also use blackberries, blueberries, cherries, raspberries or even a combination and the sauce will be delicious. Raspberries and blackberries have much larger seeds so they have to be strained through a coarse sieve. I highly recommend serving this sauce over chocolate ice cream because it will taste like a frozen chocolate truffle for dessert.

Cedar Plank Roasted Salmon

Ingredients:

• 1 wine barrel stave or cedar plank for roasting salmon
• 1 lb. salmon fillet, boneless, skinless, cut into 4 oz. portions
• 1 tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp. molasses
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. grated lemon zest
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• nonstick spray

Makes 4 Servings

1. Soak plank in cold water for 2 hours. Drain.
2. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Let sit for 15 minutes.
3. Combine soy sauce, mustard, molasses, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Brush on fish.
4. Preheat oven to 450 F.
5. Place plank in oven for 5 minutes to heat through. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Lay seasoned fish on top of plank, return to oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until cooked through.
6. Serve with Salsa Verde (optional)

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the New Sonoma Cookbook. Don't be intimidated by this recipe. It's easy to prepare and it tastes delicious. The salmon is succulent, juicy and flavorful with the marinade. I highly recommend adding a touch of minced garlic to the marinade because garlic always makes everything taste better. Cedar planks were originally used by Native Americans to roast salmon where it was tacked to the plank and held next to the fire to be roasted. You can use lemon and variations of your favorite herbs if you don't have the ingredients listed above. You can also use any variety if fish in this recipe and your dish will still be good.

Greek-Style Chicken with Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
• 1/3 cup shredded peeled cucumber
• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 8 chicken tenders (about 3/4 lb.)
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups hot cooked quick-cooking brown rice

Makes 4 Servings (1 plate per serving)

1. Combine the yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, half of the garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper in a small bowl; set aside. Toss together lettuce, tomato, and scallions in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. Toss together chicken, the remaining garlic, oregano, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, about 2 minutes on each side.
4. Place 1/2 cup of the rice on each of 4 plates; top each serving with one-fourth of the lettuce mixture, 2 chicken tenders, and 1/4 cup of the yogurt sauce.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW in 20 Minutes Cookbook. Who says Mediterranean food can't be fast and fresh? This dish has 4 servings of vegetables and a protein with a homemade dressing and will fill you up. This salad is perfect to enjoy during the summer season when vegetables are in season and the weather is warm so you can enjoy a refreshing salad. It has nice flavors to it and has a nice crunch to it. 

Sauteed Pork with Peaches

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs. pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 8 pieces
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. canola oil
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
•  2 peaches, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. packed brown sugar
• 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

Makes 4 Servings (2 slices pork & about 1/3 cup peaches and sauce per serving)

1. Place the slices of pork between sheets of wax paper. With a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound to 1/4-inch thickness.
2. Sprinkle the pork with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until browned, about 2 minutes on each side; transfer to a plate.
3. Add the onion to the skillet; reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the peaches and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Return the pork to the skillet and simmer until cooked through, about 3 minutes.

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW in 20 Minutes Cookbook. This is what I call elegant barbecue. I say this because I was at a BBQ joint this past weekend and I had pulled pork, chicken, cole slaw and macaroni and cheese. I was not impressed but I guess when you cook at home it's hard to find good food whenever you eat out. I wanted to cook my own summer pork dish after eating pulled pork. I really enjoyed this meal because it was succulent and flavorful.This quick and easy meal can be enjoyed any day of the week. Don't forget your favorite veggies!

Sole Stuffed with Crabmeat

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp. chopped scallions, white parts only
• 1 celery stalk, stringed & finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
• 8 oz. fresh crabmeat picked over for shells and cartilage
• 3 tbsp. mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 lbs. sole filets
• chopped fresh parsley

Makes 4 Servings

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet. Add the scallions and celery. Cook them over medium heat for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the mushrooms and cook another 2 minutes, or until mushrooms are cooked through and have exuded their juices. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. Stir together the crabmeat, mayonnaise, dry mustard, salt and about 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice. Place the sole fillets on a clean counter. Spread the crabmeat mixture over half of each piece of sole, then score a line where you plan to fold over the other half. Do not cut all the way through the fish. Then, fold it over. You will have the equivalent of a hinged sandwich of sole with the crabmeat in the center.
3. Place the fillets in a buttered baking dish, and dot with remaining butter. Pour the remaining lemon juice over the fish. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the fish are cooked through. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

WW POINTS VALUE: Who knows?

 

Note: This recipe appears in the Legal Sea Foods Cookbook. You can enjoy elegant restaurant dining at home. Sole has no flavor so adding flavorful ingredients makes this dish delicious. Sole stuffed with crab is absolutely delicious. I highly recommend adding minced garlic and maybe some dried bread crumbs to the crab mixture for more texture and flavor. I highly recommend  serving potatoes or steamed vegetables with this dish to make it complete.

Honey-Balsamic Chicken

Ingredients:

• 4 (1/4 lb.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, lightly pounded to even thickness
• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 4 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/3 cup golden raisins

Makes 4 Servings (1 piece chicken with 2 tablespoons sauce per serving)

1. Combine the chicken, vinegar, lemon juice, honey and 2 teaspoons  of the oil in a bowl; toss well to coat and set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the chicken and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon  of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper. Cook until lightly browned, 1-2 minutes on each side.
3. Add the broth, wine, raisins, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to the skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a serving plate and keep warm. Bring the mixture in the skillet to a boil over high heat and cook until the sauce has reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 4 minutes. Serve the chicken with the sauce.

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Ultimate Chicken Cookbook. This is a quick and easy dinner you can make any night of the week. The flavors of honey, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice give this meal a nice zing to it. If you have extra sauce, I highly recommend putting on your vegetables to enhance the flavor of your dish. This glaze also works on fish and pork too.

Mornay Sauce

Ingredients:

• 3 cups low-fat milk
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 small onion, peeled
• 3 whole cloves
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. ground white pepper
• 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Makes 8 Servings

1. In a medium saucepan over low heat, whisk the milk and flour. Stud the onion with cloves; add to the milk mixture. Stir in the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Simmer, whisking constantly, until mixture boils and thickens, about 10 minutes. Discard the onion.
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the Swiss and Parmesan cheeses until melted.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. This is a quick and easy sauce you can make at home from scratch and you can serve it at breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's a creamy cheese sauce that can enhance the flavor of your meal. This is an elegant sauce that goes great on chicken, fish and even on top of poached eggs.