Cajun-Style Chicken Dip

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup fat-free sour cream
• 2 tbsp. fat-free cream cheese
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne
• 1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken breast
• 2 tbsp. minced onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh dill

Makes 8 Servings (1 tbsp. per serving)

 

Combine the sour cream, cream cheese, lemon juice, cumin, salt, black pepper, hot pepper sauce, and cayenne in a medium bowl until well blended. Add the chicken, onion, garlic, and dill; stir until blended. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl. Serve at once or cover and refrigerate for up to several hours.

 

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Ultimate Chicken Cookbook. This dip is delicious with or without the chicken. This dip is delicious with vegetables, baked tortilla chips and goes great on other proteins as well. I added garlic to this dip because garlic always makes everything taste better.

Italian Tuna Salad Bites

Ingredients:

• 2 sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 (6 oz.) can water-packed chunk light tuna, drained and flaked
• 2  tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
• 1/8 tsp. oregano
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 6 inner romaine leaves, cut into 24 (1 1/2-inch) pieces

Makes 8 (3-piece) Servings

1. If needed, cover tomatoes with warm water and soak for 15 minutes to soften. Drain and mince.
2. Combine tomatoes, tuna, oil, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Spoon1 teaspoon of the tuna mixture onto each romaine piece. Arrange on platter and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. These bites are a great way to kick-start your healthy lifestyle. These bites are quick, easy and flavorful. They make a great light lunch and they quickly fill you up. This take on traditional tuna fish has a zesty flare to it thanks to the sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. I highly recommend adding minced garlic to the tuna bites because garlic always makes everything taste better.

 

 

Dried Blueberry Breakfast Scones

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup dried blueberries
• 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1 egg white

Makes 12 Scones (1 scone per serving)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
2. Whisk together pastry flour, oats, flaxseed, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. With a pastry blender or 2 knives used scissor-fashion, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs with some small pieces of butter remaining. Gently stir in the blueberries. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the buttermilk. Whisk together buttermilk and the egg white in a small bowl. Add the flour mixture and stir just until the flour mixture is moistened (the dough will be soft).
3. Gather the dough into a ball and place on a lightly floured surface; divide in half. knead each portion 2 times. Place the 2 pieces of dough on the baking sheet 5 inches apart. Pat each piece of dough into a 6-inch round. Spray a long thin knife with nonstick spray; cut each round into 6 wedges (do not separate the wedges).
4. Brush the scones with the reserved buttermilk. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet on a rack 5 minutes. With a pancake spatula, slide each round onto a rack and let cool completely. Separate the wedges.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Best-Ever Desserts Cookbook. Scones are a wonderful treat for breakfast or as a snack. The original recipe called for 1 tablespoon of turbinado sugar to be topped on the scones but the scones are just as delicious without the sugar. You can also cut the light packed brown sugar in the scones because there are natural sugars in the dried blueberries to make these scones taste  sweet. If you don't have dried fruit on hand, use real berries and the scones will still be delicious.

Citrus Punch

Ingredients:

• 32 oz. diet ginger ale
• 2 cups grapefruit juice
• 2 cups mango nectar
• 3 tbsp. orange juice
• 1/2 cup white rum
• 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 small seedless orange, thinly sliced

Makes 8 Servings (1 cup per serving)

 

Combine ginger ale, grapefruit juice, mango nectar, orange juice, rum and lime juice in a large pitcher. Add orange slices. Fill glasses with ice and add punch.

 

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. This punch is fruity, delicious and addictive. The best thing about this drink is there is no added sugar so you don't feel guilty enjoying this drink. You can even omit the rum and the drink will still be delicious. If you can't get you hands on grapefruit juice, orange juice and mango nectar, use fresh fruit instead. Just peel the fruit, slice up them up, puree the fruit, put through a sieve and mix with the ginger ale and the drink will be just as citrusy.



Mexican-Style Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup cut-up butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 1/4 cups mild or medium fat-free salsa
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 2 multigrain English muffins, split and toasted
• 8 tbsp. shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend

Makes 4 Servings (1/2 English muffin, 3/4 cup beef mixture and 2 tablespoons cheese per serving)

1. Preheat broiler or toaster oven.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add beef and garlic and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in squash, chili powder and cumin; cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in salsa and corn; simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors are blended, about 2 minutes longer.
3. Place English muffins, cut side up, on broiler rack. Top each with 2 tablespoons Mexican cheese blend and broil until chees is melted, about 1 minute. Spoon scant 3/4 cup beef mixture on each muffin half.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. These sloppy joes are a delicious guilty pleasure and a new twist on comfort food. Mexican food is comfort food and a guilty pleasure as are sloppy joes. Put them together and you have a new favorite comfort food. Who knew butternut squash could taste so good in sloppy joes. If you don't have ground beef on hand, ground chicken or turkey will work just as well. I also added minced garlic to the sloppy joes because garlic always makes everything taste better.

 

Western Burgers with Grilled Fennel and Spiced-Up Ketchup

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup no-salt-added ketchup
• 4 tsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1/8-1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp. dried bread crumbs
• 1 lb. ground grass-fed bison
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 light whole wheat hamburgers buns, split
• 8 small romaine lettuce leaves

Makes 4 Servings (1 burger per serving)

1. Spray grill rack with nonstick spray. Preheat grill to medium-high or prepare medium-high fire.
2. Meanwhile, to make spiced-up ketchup, combine ketchup, vinegar, garlic, and pepper flakes in a small saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in basil.
3. Combine Worcestershire sauce, egg, bread crumbs, bison, salt and pepper into 4 (1/2-inch thick) patties.
4. Place fennel on grill rack and grill, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer to plate. Place patties on grill rack and grill 4 minutes. Turn and sprinkle evenly with Parmesan. Grill burgers until instant-read thermometer inserted into side of burger registers 160 F, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer burgers to plate. Place buns, cut side down, on grill rack and grill lightly until lightly toasted, about 1 minute.
5. Place bottoms of buns on 4 plates. Top each with one-fourth of fennel, 1 burger, one-fourth of ketchup, and 2 lettuce leaves. Cover with tops of buns.

WW POINTS VALUE: 9 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. These are what I call gourmet American burgers. These burgers are flavorful, juicy and delicious. I added dried bread crumbs and an egg to make the burgers moist and to hold them together so the point value could be effected. I also added the Worcestershire sauce to make the burgers more flavorful. The Parmesan cheese adds a nice taste of saltiness to the burgers. Serve these burgers at your next gathering and they will be gone.

Roasted Salmon with Fennel and Lemon

Ingredients:

• (2 1/2-lb.) salmon tail-end fillets, about 1 inch thick
• 4 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
• dill sprigs and lemon slices for garnish

Makes 8 (6 oz.) Servings

1. Heat oven to 475 F.
2. Rinse salmon and pat dry. Using your fingers or tweezers, remove any small bones from the fillets. Rub oil all over the fillets (skin included). Sprinkle each fillet with salt and pepper.
3. Place one fillet, skin side down, on a wire rack over a baking pan, then layer fennel, lemon, and dill across the surface of the fillet. Place the remaining fillet, skin side up, on top of the first fillet. Using kitchen twine, tie the halves of the fish together so they stay in place while cooking.
4. Roast salmon (on the rack over the baking pan) until the skin appears lightly browned and fish is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove string, transfer to a serving platter, and serve hot.

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. This is a wonderful way to kick-start your healthy lifestyle. This dish is also perfect for spring with the lemon, fennel and dill. You can also grill the salmon, fennel and lemon and the meal will still be delicious. I highly recommend using Alaskan Sockeye salmon in this recipe because Sockeye is very meaty and it melts in your mouth when it is cooked right. Don't forget to serve your favorite grilled vegetables on the side.