Roasted Pepper Gazpacho

Ingredients:

• 1 (12 oz.) jar roasted red peppers, drained and roughly chopped
• 1 (12 oz.) jar roasted yellow peppers, drained and roughly chopped
• 1 (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes
• 2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and  roughly chopped
• 1 small red onion, roughly chopped
• 1 small jalapeno, seeded and roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 2 cups low-sodium tomato juice
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Makes 10 (3/4-Cup) Servings

1. Pulse red and yellow peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, jalapeno, and garlic in a food processor until mixture is still slightly chunky. Add tomato juice, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper; pulse until just combined.
2. Transfer gazpacho  to a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve chilled.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts per serving

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties and Holidays Cookbook. It's that time of year when summer is here and sometimes it's too hot to cook but you want something cool to satisfy you. This treat is for you. It's a cool treat with a little bit of heat from the peppers to spice things up. This dish is the perfect appetizer, snack, lunch or light  dinner during the summer season and it's the perfect dish for a backyard B-B-Q.

Spicy Flank Steak

Ingredients:

• 2 (1 1/5-lb.) flank steaks, about 1-inch thick
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground oregano
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Makes 8 (6 oz.) Servings

1. Place steaks in a 9 X 13 glass baking dish.
2. Whisk together oil, paprika, coriander, cumin, oregano, cayenne, salt and black pepper in a small bowl; pour marinade over steaks. Marinate steaks for 30 minutes at room temperature  or over night in the refrigerator, turning once or twice.
3. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Grill steaks 4-5 minutes per side for medium-rare.  Discard remaining marinade. Allow steaks to rest 5 minutes before cutting into thin slices against the grain. Serve warm.
   

WW POINTS VALUE: 9 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties and Holidays Cookbook. It's that time of year where Bar-B-Que season is upon us and we are always looking to spice it up a little. This recipe is perfect for you to spice up your B-B-Q. It has the right amount of heat and if you add a little steak sauce it becomes savory and sweet. This dry rub can be used with flank, loin, round steak, (all of which are lean and flavorful), chicken, pork and even fish.

Spicy Frijoles

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small serrano pepper or jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 2 (15 oz.) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Hot pepper sauce

Makes 8 (generous 1/2-cup) Servings

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and serrano; reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5-7 minutes.
2. Add beans and water; cover and cook until beans are heated through, about 5minutes. Stir in cilantro, lime juice and salt. Serve warm with hot sauce on the table.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties and Holidays Cookbook. I was in the mood for Mexican  and I was cooking an oven roast chicken with Mexican flavors and this looked like a delicious side dish. It certainly was a delicious side dish with heat and flavor. Frijoles are Spanish for beans and they are an important staple in the Mexican diet. Frijoles are rich in flavor and texture and make a complementary side dish. Frijoles also offer beneficial nutrients including low-fat protein, fiber, B vitamins and minerals. Don't put too much hot sauce in this dish because your taste buds will burn. Also, whatever you don't finish you can freeze and put away for another time.

Mexican Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 (6-8 lb.) roasting chicken
• 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil 
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup of cilantro leaves
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp of cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder

Makes 12 (6 oz.) Servings

The Basic Method

(Note: The larger the bird, the better the results. The breast of a smaller bird may dry out before the thigh meat is fully cooked.) Heat oven to 350°F. Remove giblets and pat chicken dry, inside and out, with paper towels, then add salt and pepper both inside and out. In a food processor, combine 3 tablespoons of olive oil, butter, or reduced-calorie margarine, 3 cloves of garlic, 1/2 cup of cilantro leaves, 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of cumin. Rub all over chicken, including under the skinPlace chicken on a rack inside a roasting pan. Roast for 18 to 25 minutes per pound; chicken is done when a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh (without touching the bone) registers 165°F, or when the drumstick wiggles freely and juices run clear. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.



 WW POINTS VALUE: Who Knows?

Note: This recipe appears on http://www.weightwatchers.com/. Whenever roast chicken is on sale, I always run out and buy it because a roast chicken is such a nice comfort food. You can spice up a roast chicken any way you want to. I was in the mood for Mexican and these Mexican flavors really warmed the atmospehere and gave the kitchena nice aroma. I always follow the directions on the packaging on the oven roaster because those are the best cooking directions.  

Parmesan and Swiss Chard Omelet

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, leaves only, washed and chopped
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 large eggs
• Salt 
• Freshly ground Black pepper

 

 Makes 2 Servings

1. Warm 1 teaspoon of oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat.
2. Add shallot; cook 3 minutes, until softened, stirring. Add chard; let sit in pan 2 minutes to begin wilting. Cook 8 minutes, until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic in last minute of cooking. Scrape mixture out of pan into a medium bowl. Stir in cheese.
3. In small bowl, lightly beat eggs, salt, and pepper. Wipe out skillet with paper towel; add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and place over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add eggs; let them sit for 3 seconds, until edges begin to set. Using a spatula, draw the lightly cooked egg to the center of the pan. Tilt the pan to the side so the uncooked egg runs to the bare spot at the edge of the pan. Repeat process all around the edges of the pan until omelet is just set but still moist.
4. Add chard filling evenly over top half of the omelet. Cook a few more seconds to melt cheese. Run the spatula quickly along the side of the pan to loosen the edges. Jerk the pan sharply away from you a few times; the omelet should slide up the far side of the pan. Tilt the pan, resting the far edge on a serving plate. Gently roll omelet onto plate, using the spatula to fold over the omelet. Serve immediately.

 WW POINTS VALUE: about 4-5 points per omelette



Note:This recipe appears on http://www.thesouthbeachdiet.com/. I don't know the exact point amount for this recipe because I did not have all the nutritional information for this recipe. Sometimes breakfast for dinner is what the doctor ordered. This omelette is delicious. You can substitute spinach for the swiss chard an onions for the shallots. I did it and it was filling and delicious.

Ganache Sauce-My way

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 6 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely grated
• 3 tbsp Godiva Liqueur

Makes 2 Cups

1. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, nutter and sugar just to a simmer.
2. Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Pour the hot milk mixture over the chocolate and let the mixture sit for 5 seconds.
3. Gently whisk  the ingredients together. When chocolate is melted, whisk in the liqueur.
4. Pour the sauce into a squeeze bottle and keep warm until ready to use.
5. Serve with Ice cream or your favorite dessert.

WW POINTS VALUE: Who knows?

Note: This recipe appears in the Calphalon Cookbook. I don't know what the nutritional value is nor do I care. This ganache sauce is a guilty pleasure that should be savored for a special occasion it's that good. I substituted skim milk for heavy cream or half-and-half. I also used Kahlua Liqueur instead of Godiva Liqueur; you can use any Liqueur for this recipe and the sauce will be just as heavenly.

Chocolate Layer Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup usweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp espresso powder or instant-coffee granules
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp granular sugar
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup fat-free buttermilk
• 1/2 cup raspberry spreadable fruit
• 1 tbsp confectioners' sugar

Makes 12 Servings

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F; spray 2 (8-inch square) baking pans with nonstick spray.
2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed, cream the granulated sugar and butter; add the egg and vanilla, beating until smooth. Gradually beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, until the batter is smooth. Dived the batter between the pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Cool completely in the pans on a rack. Insert a sharp knife around the edges of each pan; remove the cakes from the pans. Transfer 1 cake to a platter, flat-side up.
4.  Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, melt spreadable fruit, 2-3 minutes. Brush 1/4 cup of the spreadable fruit on top of the cake on the platter; top with the other cake and brush with remaining spreadable fruit. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts

 Note: This recipe appears in the New WW Complete Cookbook. Who does not love chocolate cake? I've always made chocolate cake from Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker and they always turn out delicious. This recipe looked too good to pass up and I've always wanted to bake a chocolate cake from scratch. It was relatively easy and heavenly delicious. If you don't want to make a chocolate layer cake, you can always make chocolate cupcakes or even mini-chocolate lava cakes with the spreadable fruit or ganache sauce. If you're concerned about caffine, use decaffinated coffee instead. You can also susbstitute other fruit flavors for the spreadable fruit if you like.