Week 1: Your Challenge: Cook Up a Quick and Easy South Beach Diet Recipe

Aloha Richard,
I tried the Portabello pizza for lunch.  It was very tasty although a bit heavy on the "tomato". Loved the texture of the cooked portabello and the gooeyness of the cheese.  It was a snap to fix (easy to remove the "gills" with a large spoon).  I did cook it 15 minutes versus the 5 in the recipe, made the mushroom just the right texture.

Next time I'll try 1/2 the cheese and add an oz of ham and some diced green peppers, onions, zucchini and omit (or greatly cut down) the sun dried tomatoes.  The options are really limitless-just look in the fridge for SB friendly food that would be good on pizza!  I'll also try some of the SB BBQ sauce on one in the future as I love that sauce and use it on alot of stuff (salmon, shrimp, pork chops).

Susan

1 Serving

 
Ingredients:
2 portobello mushroom caps, gills removed
2 teaspoons fresh garlic, chopped fine
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 teaspoons dried oregano
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
 
Instructions:
Preheat toaster oven to 450°F. Using a small spoon, gently remove the dark gills from the underside of the mushroom caps. Rub oil, garlic, and oregano over flat surface. Layer on sun-dried tomatoes. (If using tomatoes packed in oil, reduce amount of olive oil used per mushroom by half.) Season with pepper. Layer on cheese and bake until cheese melts and mushroom softens, about 5 minutes.

 
Nutritional Information:
481.31 calories
23.3 g sugar
37.29 total fat (9.28 g sat, 28.01 g mono)
30.37 mg cholesterol
40.8 g carbohydrate
25.93 g protein
9.2 g fiber
1527.04 mg sodium

Please add my name.  I don't like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen so I am really looking forward to this.

Please add me to the challenge -- I am really looking forward to this!!

For Challenge 1, I decided to make Garlic and Soy Grilled Pork Chops from the Daily dish recipes.  It’s located here… http://www.southbeachdiet.com/dailydish/dailydish_347.asp .  It is a Phase I dish, so I adapted it to Phase II by adding a side of Quinoa & Kohlrabi Greens.  For the veggies, I chose julienned Kohlrabi, chunks of green Mexican Summer Squash, sliced Chayote (another very sweet Mexican squash), and sliced Green Onions.  The Pork Chops themselves were thin, center cut loin chops from last season’s pasture-raised Burkshire Hog.  My 9-year old daughter and I cooked this in the new fire pit that my husband and son built in the backyard last weekend while I was finishing up the chicken coop.  This is our first meal made in the pit and it was absolutely delicious!

    First, we cut up the veggies and wrapped them in foil packets with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and a splash of lite sodium Soy Sauce.  That went under the grill, directly into the coals.  Next, we seasoned the pork chops and put those above the coals on the grill.  While the pork chops and veggies cooked, I prepped a pan inside with 1 T. of evoo and 1T. lemon juice.  I sautéed the already cooked quinoa that was left over from yesterday’s dinner, then added a big mound of sliced kohlrabi greens and cooked just until the greens wilted.

    This dinner was WONDERFUL!  Garlic & Soy Grilled Pork Chops; Kohlrabi, Green Onion & Mexican Squash Packets; and Lemon Sautéed Quinoa & Kohlrabi Greens.

    Even with setting the table and carrying in the finished foods from outside, the total prep to sit-down time for this meal was just under a half-hour!  AMAZING and DELICIOUS!
Here is the recipe....  

Garlic and Soy Grilled Pork Chops
Serves 2

Grill up chunks of fresh vegetables alongside these lip-smacking pork chops for an irresistible outdoor feast. Bell pepper, sweet onion, and zucchini would work quite nicely.

Ingredients:
2 boneless center-cut pork loin chops, trimmed of all visible fat
1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Fresh herbs, for garnish

Instructions:
Sprinkle the pork chops all over with soy sauce, garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 20 minutes or up to 2 hours.

Coat a grill rack or broiler-pan rack with cooking spray. Preheat the grill or broiler.

Cook the pork chops 4" from the heat, turning once halfway through cooking time, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the center of a chop registers 155°F and the juices run clear. Garnish with the herbs.

Nutritional Information:
106 calories
3 total fat (1 g sat)
55 mg cholesterol
0.5 g carbohydrate
18 g protein
0 g fiber
169 mg sodium

I tried the Chicken a l' Apricot.  My whole family loved it.  The second time i tried this, I doubled everything except for the chicken because everyone wanted more of the juicy "gravy" in the bottom of the pan.  It has been the recipe that everyone has liked the most.  I served it with my favorite Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes and Grilled Asparagus.  This is all pretty new to me, but I'm loving all the new recipies. 

Chicken à l'Apricot
 
Serves 2

Ingredients
1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3/4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/4 tablespoons light sugar free apricot preserves
1 pinch grated lime rind
1/2 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Instructions
Combine the sugar free light apricot preserves, lime rind, lime juice, and the fresh ginger in a small bowl. Bring grill up to medium heat. Place the chicken on the grill and brush half the marmalade mixture. Close the lid on the grill and cook for 6 minutes. Flip chicken and apply remaining marmalade, recover, and cook for an additional 6 minutes, or until done.

Nutritional Information:
135 calories
1.5 total fat (0 g sat)
66 mg cholesterol
4 g carbohydrate
26 g protein
0 g fiber
74 mg sodium

For my first challenge I tried Orange Roughy in Scallion and Ginger Sauce. I've never cooked with Sherry before and I love Asian Food so it sounded perfect for me. It was quite a success in my opinion. Orange Roughy was not available in my local fish market so I used Talapia instead. The fish held up well during the cooking process and the flavors very complimentary. This receipe can be found on the SB website. I served it with steamed green beans and grilled tomato slices. Delicious!!!

I chose to re-create the recipe “Sirloin Steak with Artichokes, Tomatoes and Olives”. This is a recipe I found on SouthBeachDiet.com and is also part of The South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook.

I made a few alterations to the original recipe. The main change is that I opted to use salmon in place of the sirloin steak. I also replaced the plum tomatoes with grape tomatoes, used 1/8 cup of white wine in place of water and, because I’m Italian I just had to use more than triple the amount of garlic! In place of oregano I used fresh chopped parsley. I added just a dash of red pepper flakes too for an extra little spice and some sun-dried dry packed tomatoes for a little sweetness and texture.

The description says to serve with a side salad but I opted to add extra frozen artichokes and extra tomatoes to pump up the veggie and fiber content. I learned that frozen artichoke hearts have quite a bit of fiber (who knew?).

The entire process was well under 30 minutes because there was essentially nothing to chop other than the herb and the olives. I found this fantastic frozen chopped garlic in the freezer section of my grocery store and it’s been a huge time saver. It tastes just like fresh without all the peeling and chopping – one little frozen cube is equal to a clove. They come in a tray like ice cubes and you keep them in the freezer.

I will definitely make this quick meal again. I think it would be fantastic using shrimp in place of the sirloin or salmon. I have 2 cups of the veggies left and I’ll have those for my lunch along with a half can of albacore tuna.

It was an absolutely delightful and fresh dinner that was a breeze to make. Below is the original recipe, I’d be happy to provide anyone that is interested with the “Justme_2” version.




Sirloin Steak with Artichokes, Tomatoes, and Olives   

2 Servings

Description
Redolent with the lusty flavors of the Mediterranean, this dish turns a quick weeknight meal into something the whole family will look forward to coming home to. Serve it with your favorite salad. If you don’t have time to thaw frozen artichokes, use half of a 14-ounce can of brine-packed ones, drained.
 
Prep time: 10 minutes
Start to finish: 20minutes

Ingredients
2 (6-ounce) sirloin steaks, about 3/4" thick
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 cup water
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 plum tomatoes, diced
1/2 (9-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and quartered
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
Season steaks with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook steak 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare.

Transfer to a plate. Add water to the hot pan, scraping any brown bits from the bottom; reduce heat to medium. Add garlic and oregano; cook until garlic has softened, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook 3 minutes more.

Stir in artichokes and olives and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm with steaks.

Recipe from The South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook.

Nutritional Information:
310 calories
17.5 total fat (3.5 g sat, 14 g mono)
9 g carbohydrate
40 g protein
5 g fiber
320 mg sodium

 

 

hi richard

I TOOK THIS SIDE DISH AND MADE IT INTO BREAKFAST BY ADDING E SCRAMBLED EGGS  FOR A BRUNCH ON SUNDAY 

ngredients 1/2 pound fresh asparagus  1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil  2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese  1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper  ADD 3 EGG  Instructions Trim the ends of the asparagus, about 1" or so from the bottom. Place asparagus in a 2-quart microwaveable casserole dish with about 1/4 cup water. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and cook in microwave for 10 to 12 minutes or until tender to taste. Carefully remove plastic (steam will be very hot) and drain.  Gently toss asparagus with olive oil to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pepper. Cook uncovered 1 minute to melt cheese. Let stand 2 minutes. IN A SKILLET   PLACE A LITTLE OIL OR SPRAY AND ADD2 EGGS, COOK TILL SOFT ADD THE ASPARAGUS CASSERLOE TO EGGS AND FOLD EGGS.      . Nutritional Information: 124 calories 9 GM FAT 5 mg cholesterol 5 g carbohydrate 4 g protein 2 g fiber 125 mg sodium

Print Recipe

  I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO ADD THE FAT CONTENT OF THE EGGS FOR NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION ON EGGS. 
CALORIE ARE  140 EXTRA FOR EGGS =260 FOR THE TOTAL DISH.

 YOU CAN ADD 1 CUP  CAULIFLOWER FOR 35 CAL. TO INCREASE THE VEGGIES. THIS MAKES FOR A GOOD SUNDAY BRUNCH
  
 


 

 

milkmaid,

I'm glad I'm not the only one that is passionate enough about cooking to take pictures. I finally figured out how to do it! You just link them in from a hosting site.

Here's the prep:




Here's the justme_2 version of the recipe I made for week 1.

Seared Salmon with Artichokes, Tomatoes, and Olives “justme_2 style”

2 Servings with leftover veggies for lunch!

Prep time: 10 minutes
Start to finish: 20minutes

Ingredients
2 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, about 3/4" thick
2  teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 cup white wine
4 frozen garlic cubes (can be purchased in your grocer’s freezer section)
1 tbs chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup julienne dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 pint ripe grape tomatoes
1 (9-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts (no need to defrost)
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Dash of red pepper flakes

Instructions
Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the frozen garlic and sauté until thawed. Add the wine, red pepper flakes, sun dried tomatoes, olives and frozen artichoke hearts. Cover and let simmer until the artichokes are heated through and no longer frozen. The extra water from the frozen artichokes will help create a bit of steam. Season with salt and black pepper.

Meanwhile…
Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook salmon 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked to desired doneness. (I like my salmon on the rare side)

As the salmon is searing on its second side, add the tomatoes to the artichoke mixture and toss until they are heated through about 3 minutes. Add the fresh parsley at the last minute and plate the veggies.

Serve the salmon lying gently atop the steaming plate of the delicious veggies.

*Be careful with those hot little grape tomatoes – they like to explode when pierced with a fork. If you are concerned about this, you can cut them in half prior to sautéing. That might add a bit of time to the overall preparation though.  I prefer to live dangerously.

Here is the finished meal:

These recipes all sound so good!!

Ok, so for my new recipe I tried the Turkey Swedish Meatballs.  Not as elegant as some of the choices, but very much normal fare for my neck of the woods here in rural northern Wisconsin.  And for my family I try not to get too fancy, or they won’t even try the new food!  The recipe took just under 30 minutes from start to finish, and I was able to cook the accompanying dishes while the meatballs were simmering.  I did tweak the recipe a bit, but just a tiny bit…adding some garlic powder to the ground turkey mixture. 

So, on the menu tonight were: Turkey Swedish Meatballs with gravy, cheesy asparagus, and sliced tomatoes.   My 8 year old son was thrilled with the asparagus with olive oil and a sprinkling of grated cheese, since that’s one of his favorite veggies anyway.  As expected, he passed on the tomatoes.  But the meatballs were the real surprise.  I know he likes traditional Swedish meatballs, but wondered if he’d notice a difference in these.  He LOVED them!!  He kept saying, “Wow, these are YUMMY!”  I must say, I enjoy eating the South Beach way no matter what, but it is really encouraging to have my children enjoy it with me!

Next time, I might try to spice up the meatballs a bit.  The recipe only called for allspice, salt and pepper.  But I think I’d be careful not to overdo the spices, too, because we Swedes aren’t so much into spiciness.  Oh, and another time I would serve the meatballs over spaghetti squash, I think.  And serve that with a delicious tossed salad.  But if I had taken the time today to cook the spaghetti squash that is in my pantry, I would have gone over the time limit for this challenge.  So, that will wait for our next meatball adventure.


Description
These spiced meatballs are breadless. Though you’ll find them to be moister than traditional meatballs when forming, they cook up the same way and are just as delicious. Still, be careful not to over mix. Serve with a salad or, in later Phases, over whole-wheat pasta.
 
Ingredients
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
(I added about ½ tsp. garlic powder)
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup lower-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (oops, didn’t have this, so went without)


Instructions
Mix together salt, allspice, and pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Add turkey and gently mix with hands to combine; shape into 24 (1") balls.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and cook until browned, about 3 minutes; lower heat to medium and cook 3 more minutes, gently shaking pan. Using a slotted spoon, transfer meatballs to a plate.

Add broth to the same skillet, increase heat to medium-high, and simmer until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Whisk in sour cream and cook 1 minute more. Add meatballs. Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.

Nutritional Information:
180 calories
7 total fat (1.5 g sat)
1 g carbohydrate
29 g protein
0 g fiber
230 mg sodium