Beef Tenderloin with Fresh Herb Sauce - Phase 1

This recipe is I stole from Weight Watchers.  I thought it looked amazing.  I showed it to my husband.  He has always been skeptical about my on-again, off-again relationship with dieting,  and in general hates the idea of diet food, even raised an eyebrow (his sign of anticipation).

Making the sauce was a little interesting.  It doesn't really turn out like a sauce so much.  It looks more like salsa.  And I have to admit that I was a little leery at the combo of cilantro and parsley.  I'm not the biggest cilantro fan.  So when we served up the steak, I had put the sauce in a small bowl to the side.  I put a little on the top of a small slice of steak, and was immediately surprised.  It really brings out the flavor of the beef!  If you take small slow bites, even if you're brand new to the South Beach way of doing things and are used to 20 oz strip steaks in one sitting, you will honestly forget how little 4 oz can seem.

I had this dinner with a large fresh cut salad*, with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, celery and cucumbers tossed with my own South Beach Diet-legal ranch dressing (helps to toss the dressing into the salad first so that you get the taste of the dressing without overloading your salad)!

Serves 2.

1/2 c fresh parsley leaves
1/4 c fresh cilantro leaves
1 medium garlic clove
2 tbsp water
1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp table salt, divided
pinch black pepper
1 spray cooking spray
8 oz raw, trimmed beef tenderloin, divided in half

In a food processor, place parsley, cilantro, garlic, water, vinegar, oil, lemon juice, 1/4 tsp salt, and pepper.  Blend on high, pulsing, until a smooth sauce is formed; set aside.

Coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle beef with remaining salt; add beef to skillet and cook, flipping once, about 7 - 8 minutes for medium, or longer for desired degree of doneness.  Serve with sauce.  Yields 1 steak and about 1/3 cup sauce per serving.
  
* I found Costco sells a 5 pack of romaine hearts for around $5.  These are super easy to chop up right before dinner and you usually get one or two more servings of salad out of the one heart.  And the bonus is the others will keep for a while without getting too wilty.  And if they do, just slice the bottom of the head off and let it sit in cold water for a couple of hours and it will perk back up!

Zucchini Pizza Bites & SBD Legal Pizza Sauce - Phase 1

I love these for lunch.  Its been a struggle to get in the regular habit of eating lunch because its easier to snack out my hunger while chasing my three little ones.  But these are fast and, coupled with a salad, filling too.  Top with any SBD legal ingredients, like turkey pepperoni or olives and peppers in addition to the cheese, just like you would pizza!

This recipe was originally found at Gina's Skinny Recipes.

4 slices large zucchini, 1/4 inch think
Spray cooking spray, I like olive oil
2 tbsp pizza or spaghetti sauce*
1/4 c part skim mozzarella
salt and pepper

Cut zucchini about 1/4 inch thick. Spray both side lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil or grill for about 2 minutes on each side. Top with sauce and cheese and broil for an additional minute or two.

*  Make sure if you use pre-made pizza or spaghetti sauce that it contains no hidden sugars, like high fructose corn syrup.  Or you can make your own SBD legal sauce:

1 can tomato sauce
1 tbsp italian or pizza seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried mined onion (or 2 tbsp minced fresh onion)
1 tbsp no-calorie sweetener, or to taste
salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan or pot.   Over medium heat, let simmer for about 15 - 20 minutes.  Store unused sauce in the fridge for later use.

Parmesan Herb Shrimp - Phase 1

Easy, fast and yummy - my three favorite words when it comes to food.  This is perfect for Phase 1 by itself.  Serve over a portion of brown rice and its a great meal for Phase 2.

2 tbsp olive oil or low-fat butter
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp parsley flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tbsp white wine or 100% apple juice

1.  Melt butter or pour olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat.   Add shrimp, cook and stir 5 minutes, or just until shrimp turn pink.

2. Stir in spices and wine or juice until shrimp are well coated.

Peanut Butter Cookies - Phase 1

You're not imagining it - these cookies are great for the occasional treat in Phase 1!  This recipe is straight out of the SBD SuperCharged book, with one very important modification - no jelly!  Because there's no flour in this, it's also a great recipe for those looking for gluten-free sweets.

3/4 c granular sugar substitute
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 c creamy or chunky trans-fat free peanut butter
1 tsp baking soda

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Mix sugar substitute, egg and vanilla together with an electric mixer on low for 3 minutes.  Add peanut butter and baking soda.  Mix on medium until dough comes together, about 30 seconds.


3.  Form balls from dough (about 2 tsp size) and place on cookie sheets.  Press fork into the center of each cookie.

4.  Bake until lightly browned on the bottom, about 12 to 14 minutes.

Note:  For a phase 2 version, you can indent each cookie with your thumb and add 1/2 tsp of sugar free jam before baking.

Whole Wheat Bread - Phase 2

This recipe is specifically designed to go in your bread machine.  Follow your particular machine's instructions for wet/dry order.  I've constructed this recipe for the one I use which wants wet ingredients first.

1 1/3 c warm water
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp brown sugar*
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c vital wheat gluten (aka gluten flour)
2 tsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp powdered non-fat milk

* Remember that for bread you must use real sugar or honey for the yeast to activate.
 
Add ingredients to your machine per manufacturer's directions.

I like to use my bread machine do everything for me but bake.  I preheat my oven to 375 degrees.  After my machine has gone through the mix/knead/rise cycles, I remove dough from machine and roll out with rolling pin and roll up into a log like cinnamon rolls.  I shape the log to fix my bread pan and then bake and let rise one last time for about 30 minutes.  Then I bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the top is just turning golden brown.


Suggested additions to your wheat bread:

Sunflower seeds
Wheat germ
Bran
Oatmeal
Nuts
Cinnamon
Dried fruit (legal for SBD, like apples)

Chicken Vegetable Soup - Phase 1

A hearty and savory soup - helps you feel full longer!  Make a big batch as this freezes well for reheat later.

1 or 2 skinless, bonless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
3 cups nonfat broth, beef, chicken or vegetable
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups chopped cabbage
1/2 onion
1/2 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup chopped summer squash
1/2 cup mushrooms
1/2 cup green beans
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
salt & pepper to taste

1.  Spray pot with non-stick cooking spray.  Saute onions and garlic for about 5 minutes or until crisp tender.

2.  Add broth, tomato paste, cabbage, green beans, mushrooms, basil, oregano, salt and pepper.  Simmer for about 10-15 minutes until vegetables are tender.  Add zucchini and squash and simmer for another 5 minutes or so.  Serve hot.

Notes:  You can add carrots to this on Phase 2.  Just saute with onions and garlic before adding the other ingredients.

**  This is a variation on Weight Watcher's original version of their Zero Point soup.