Chicken Capri

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• 4 sliced reduced-fat mozzarella cheese

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a blender or food processor, combine the ricotta with the oregano, salt, and pepper. Process to blend.
2. Rub the chicken with minced garlic. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 12 minutes per side. Place the chicken breasts, side by side, in a large baking dish and allow to cool.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spoon 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture and 1/4 cup tomatoes onto each chicken breast. Top each chicken breast with 1 slice mozzarella. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of a breast registers 170 F and the juices run clear.

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. Italian cuisine is great comfort food. This Italian chicken dish is a great way to kick start your healthy lifestyle because it's so simple yet so flavorful. I highly recommend using Roma tomatoes in this recipe for an authentic Italian flare. You can also use turkey in place of the chicken for leaner poultry.

Roasted Eggplant with Lemon & Olive Oil

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant
• 2 1/2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil plus extra for the pan
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. Heat oven to 400 F.
2. Trim eggplant and cut in half lengthwise; cut each half into 4 long wedges. Cut each wedge in half widthwise. Brush a heavy-bottomed baking sheet with oil or line with parchment paper.
3. Place eggplant pieces, skin side down, on baking sheet. Brush each with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until softened and golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Drizzle with lemon juice, season with extra salt and pepper if needed, and serve hot.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. Eggplant is a favorite in Italian cuisine. You can enjoy it grilled, sautéed, baked, or roasted. This vegetarian side dish is quick, simple and delicious it can go with other vegetarian main dishes or with chicken, turkey, pork and even fish. This side dish also has a nice smoky flavor to it. If you have any leftover eggplant, use it as an omelet filling the next day.

Blueberry Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen or fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tbsp. water
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• pinch ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Makes 1 1/2 cups (1/4 cup per serving)

 

Combine the blueberries, confectioners' sugar, water, vanilla and cinnamon in a large saucepan and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries soften and the mixture forms a sauce, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice. Serve at once, or let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate in a covered container up to 1 week. Just before using, shake the sauce well and serve chilled or gently reheat.

 

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Best-Ever Desserts Cookbook. Forget buying the fruit sauce or syrup at the grocery store. Make this at home and it will taste just as good. This homemade sauce is tart and flavorful and it goes great on ice cream, yogurt, pancakes, waffles, and even panna cotta. If you add a touch of rhubarb alongside the blueberries and cook the rhubarb, the sauce will be just as flavorful, thick and tart. I highly recommend adding vanilla extract and nutmeg to the sauce to enhance the flavor.

Rasberry Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 2 (6 oz.) containers raspberries
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free half-and-half
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free sour cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• pinch salt (optional)

Makes 8 Servings (1/2 cup per serving)

1. Combine the raspberries, sugar and lemon juice in a food processor; pulse just until the berries are broken up. Pour the berry mixture through a sieve set over a large bowl, pressing hard on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids. Whisk in the half-and-half, sour cream, vanilla and (if using) salt. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about  2 hours.
2. Pour the raspberry mixture into an ice-cream maker and freeze according out the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer container; freeze until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 6 hours. This ice cream is best served the say it's made.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Best-Ever Desserts Cookbook. This is a different but flavorful take on ice cream. You can taste the tartness of the raspberries in this ice cream. The original recipe called for rosewater but I used vanilla extract as a substitute and the ice cream was still delicious. You can use any kind of berry in this recipe and the ice cream will still be flavorful and tart.

Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup fat-free half-and-half
• 3 tbsp. finely chopped toasted hazelnuts
• 3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Makes 32 Servings (1 truffle per serving)

1. Line a 5 x 9-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap; spray with nonstick spray.
2. Combine the chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan and set over low heat. Cook, stirring often, until melted and smooth. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the half-and-half until well blended.
3. Scrape the chocolate mixture into the loaf pan and spread evenly. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.
4. Put the hazelnuts and cocoa powder on 2 separate plates. Inver the loaf pan onto a cutting board; remove the plastic wrap. With a sharp knife, cut the chocolate mixture into 32 equal squares. Lightly coat half of the squares in the hazelnuts and half in the cocoa powder. Place the truffles in a covered container, separating the layers with sheets of wax paper. Refrigerate up to 1 week.

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Best-Ever Desserts Cookbook. How can you not love chocolate truffles? Chocolate truffles are delicious when they are done right. You can have your truffles and eat them too. There is no sugar in these truffles and they are absolutely delicious. I highly recommend mixing the nuts and cocoa powder together to make the truffles more flavorful with a crunch. You can use almonds, walnuts or any kind of nut in this recipe and they will still be good. I also highly recommend adding a touch of vanilla extract when combining the chocolate and butter for more flavor.

Blue Cheese Dressing

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 2 tbsp. light mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp. crumbled blue cheese
• 1/4 tsp. minced garlic
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp. minced fresh chives

Makes 6 Servings (2 tablespoons per serving)

 

In a blender or food processor, combine the buttermilk, mayonnaise, cheese, garlic and cayenne; pulse until nearly smooth. Sprinkle in the chives. Cover and refrigerate at least 1/2 an hour (or up to 2 days) to allow the flavors to blend.

 

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. Forget buying salad dressing at the grocery store; make this at home instead. This blue cheese dressing is quick, easy and delicious. This dressing is also creamy and flavorful. It goes great on beef, salad and makes a great dip for raw vegetables.

Grilled Chicken with Summer Corn-Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups corn kernels
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 4 scallions, sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 4 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. smoked paprika
• 4 (5 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Makes 4 Servings ( 1 chicken breast & 2/3 cup salad per serving)

1. Bring 1 inch of water to boil in medium saucepan. Put corn in steamer basket and lower into saucepan. Cook, covered, until corn is tender, about 4 minutes. Lift steamer basket out of pan and let corn cool.
2. Spray a grill rack with nonstick spray. Preheat grill to medium-high or prepare medium-high fire.
3. Meanwhile, mix together corn, tomato, scallions, cilantro, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, the oil, 1/4 teaspoon of the cumin, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the paprika in a medium bowl; set aside to allow flavors to blend.
4. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, 3/4 teaspoon cumin, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika in cup; rub all over chicken. Spray chicken with nonstick spray. Place chicken on grill rack and grill until cooked through, about 5 minute per side. Place chicken on 4 plates. Spoon corn salad on top or alongside.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. This is how you light up the grill in the summer with fresh vegetables and grilled protein. This grilled chicken is succulent, juicy and flavorful and the corn-tomato salad will awaken your taste buds. I highly recommend adding freshly ground black pepper and minced garlic to the chicken to make it more flavorful.