Cran-Gria

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups unsweetened cranberry juice
• 1 cup blueberries, roughly chopped
• 1 peach, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp granular sugar substitute
• 1 lime, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups chilled seltzer water
• Ice cubes

Makes 4 (1-cup) Servings

1. In a large pitcher, combine the cranberry juice, blueberries, peach, sugar substitute and lime; stir well to dissolvce sugar substitute. Let mixture sit at room temperature until flavors blend, about 30 minutes. Add seltzer and stir to combine.
2. Fill 4 (10 oz.) glasses with ice cubes. Pour Cran-gria over ice, add a few pieces of fruit from the pitcher to each glass, and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 Pt

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. Summer is still here and you're looking for a cool refreshing drink to cool you down, then this is the beverage for you. This beverage is the first beverage recipe in the cookbook and if you ever saw the photo of the Cran-gria, you would want to make this drink too. A sangria is a classic Spanish drink and this drink offers a refreshing and fruity twist. You can serve this Cran-gria from a clear pitcher or punch bowl and use wineglasses to show off the fruit. 

Classic Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:

• 4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and halved lengthwise
• 2 tsp reduced-calorie mayonnaise
• 1 tsp ketchup
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/8 tsp salt

Makes 4 Servings

1. Remove the yolks from the egg halves; set the whites aside. In a medium bowl, mash the egg yolks with a fork; mix in the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, cayenne, and salt.
2. Spoon the yolk mixture evenly into the egg whites.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 Pts. (2 filled egg halves)

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. I have now become a fan of eggs and deviled eggs have become quite popular with my mom. Deviled eggs can be used as a delicious party appetizer, light lunch or snack. Deviled eggs may take some time to prepare them but they are worth the time and effort. The secret to hard-cooked eggs: Place the eggs in a saucepan and add enough water to cover by 1-inch. Then bring the water just to a boil; then remove the pan from the heat, cover and let stand 15-20 miinutes. Then run cold water over the eggs to stop the ccoking process and place in the refridgerator for about 30-45 minutes before cracking them and removing the yolks. Even though the recipe calls for Dijon mustard, I highly recommend using dry mustard so the egg yolk mixture doesn't get to runny. 

Chocolate Fondue

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup evaporated fat-free milk
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
• 8 oz. angel food cake, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 10 cups)
• 24 strawberries, stemmed

Makes 12 Servings

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the skim milk, evaoprated milk and cocoa powder until the cocoa dissolves. Add the chocolate and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and the mixture is smooth.
2. Stir in the sugar, water and corn syrup. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth, 4-6 minutes. Transfer mixture to a fondue pot and set over moderate heat. Serve at once, with the angel food cake cubes and the strawberries for dipping.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts (3 tbsp fondue with 3/4 cup cake and 2 strawberries)

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. This is an easy and elegant dessert that features fresh fruit and fat-free angel food cake. The orginal recipe in the cookbook called for whole milk but skim milk will work just as well. You can also substitute bittersweet chocolate for the semisweet chocolate as well. I added the ground cinnamon for a pinch of Mexican flavor and it is delicious. You can serve other fruits with this fondue such as apples, bananas, pitted cherries, grapes, orange slices, etc. This fondue will also give you your chocolate fix when you need it.

Spinach with Garlic and Pine Nuts

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. spinach leaves, tough stems removed (7-8 cups loosely packed)
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 (3/4-cup) Servings

1. Wash spinach and spin dry, leaving some droplets of water on leaves.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pine nuts and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minutes more. Add spinach to the pan, in batches if necessary, and saute until starting to wilt, 30 seconds. Cook, stirring and tossing frequently until all spinach is wilted and liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 PTS.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. I was cooking Mustard-Crusted Steak on the grill and I needed a healthy side dish to go with the steak and this looked simple and delicious. This dish was very simple to make and delicious to eat. The aromas of olive oil and garlic is so heavenly delicious it will make your mouth water. This side dish can go with any main dish for lunch or dinner. If you are looking for a steak dinner, I highly recommend Mustard-Crusted Steak served with Spinach with Garlic and Pine Nuts and a Savory Cheddar Cheese Biscuit. I guarantee you won't go out to a steakhouse again after this meal. 

Pork Kebabs with Scallion-Chili Paste

Ingredients:

• 6 scallions, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp Asian fish sauce
• 1 tsp chili paste (from a jar)
• 1 1/2 lbs. pork top loin, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch-thick rounds
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp canola oil
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 8 (12-inch) skewers

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a food processor, combine scallions and cilantro; pulse until finely chopped. Add vinegar, fish sauce, and chili paste; process untila rough paste forms, about 30 seconds. Transfer scallion-chili paste to a medium bowl, add pork, and turn to coat well.
2. In another medium bowl, toss zucchini with garlic and oil. Thread pork and zucchini evenly onto skewers, alternating pieces.
3. Lightly coat a grill or grill pan with cooking spray and heat ot medium-high. Grill kebabs, turning frequently, until pork is just cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper and serve.

 WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. The weather was nice and I wanted to grill my dinner and I was in the mood for Asian. Asian food grilled is so delicious. If you don't have skewers, don't worry. You can grill the pork as a whole and put the zucchini and other vegetables wrapped in tin foil and have grilled roasted vegetables as a side and your meal will be just as delicious. The scallion-chili paste may not look appealing but it tastes really delicious. Chili paste is universal and can be used in dishes such as burgers, stir-fries, homemade sauces and condiments and even in eggs.

Eggless Caesar Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 anchovy fillets, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp finely grated Parmesean cheese
• 1 (1 1/2-lb.) head romaine lettuce, chopped (8-10 cups)
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 (2-cup) Servings

Whisk together lemon juice, anchovy, garlic, and mustard in a large mixing bowl; slowly whisk in oil. Stir in cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add lettuce, toss, and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. Who doesn't love Caesar salad? Once in a while, you have this craving for a Caesar salad but you think, 'I have to go out to a fancy restaurant and order it.' Not anymore you don't. You can make this classic dish in your kitchen in 15 minutes. You won't miss the eggs in this dish either because it's a very filling dish that will ease your hunger and satisfy your appetite. You can top it with grilled chicken or shrip to make it a lunch or dinner or you can add your own homemmade multigrain croutons to the salad. I highly recommend using mutligrain bread toasted abd brushed with olive oil and sliced into 1/2-inch cubes and tossed into the salad. Salt is optional because the anchovies already add some saltiness to the dish.

Strawberry-Blueberry Crunch

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup whole almonds plus 2 tbsp sliced almonds
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tbsp trans-fat-free margarine
• 2 cups sliced strawberries
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 tbsp granular sugar substitute
• 6 tbsp part-skim ricotta cheese

Makes 6 (1/2 -cup)Servings

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. In a blender or spice grinder, grind whole almonds until finely ground. In a small bowl, combine ground almonds, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add margarine and stir to combine.
3. Lightly coat an 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place strawberries, blueberries and sugar substitute in the dish; toss to combine. Dot with ground nut mixture (it will not cover entire surface) and then sprinkle with sliced almonds.
4. Bake for 35 minutes, or until topping is golden and fruit is hot. Divide fruit among 6 dessert bowls and top each serving with 1 tablespoon of riccota.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 Pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. I have now become to love cooked fruit and I wanted a sweet dessert to  make me feel satisfied and this recipe looked to good to pass up. Plus it was a good excuse to clean out the fridge and cook in nice weather. This dessert was so delicious with cooked fruit mixed with spices and almonds topped with riccota is a heavenly dessert. It's a warm baked dessert that requires little effort and couldn't be any easier to make. This dessert can be served all year round especially for the 4th of July and any other patriotic holiday with colors that represent America's color. Heck, you can even serve this dish at a New England Patriots' party or a Boston Red Sox Party for that matter!