South Beach Diet is Easy to Live With!

Like most people who've reached their 50s I have been on many diets in my life! My first thought when South Beach Diet was all I heard or read on television and online was that this is just another gimmick - sending me in search of impossible-to-find ingredients which combine with 23 other ingredients produce 1/8 of a cup portion size! That's what I thought at first and BOY WAS I WRONG.

Much to my surprise South Beach Diet is completely based on easy-to-follow concepts with ingredients even I can find in my village market. No extremes. The best news of all? South Beach diet really works.

FROM PHASE ONE -

Turkey Roll-Ups with Cilantro Mayonnaise

4 slices turkey breast

4 medium Boston lettuce leaves (even iceberg works)

4 scallions

4 red bell pepper strips

Cilantro Mayonnaise (see below)

Place 1 slice of turkey on a lettuce leaf spread with Cilantro Mayonnaise. Add 1 scallion and 1 pepper strip. Fold into a tight, cigarlike roll.

Substitute hame for the turkey if you'd prefer.

Serves 2

54 calories per serving.

Cilantro Mayonnaise

3/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

3/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon light soy sauce

1 small clove garlic

Place the mayonnaise, cilantro, lime juice, soy sauce, and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

Yield 3/4 cup

36 calories per tablespoon

Puffy Baked Omelet with Zucchini & Tomato Sauce

I am always on the lookout for new cookbooks especially diet cookbooks. A few months ago my girlfriend and I had stopped at our local Family Dollar which is a great place to find gift bags, cards, and wrapping paper.

When I zeroed in on these cookbooks (for $1) titled 501 Recipes for a Low-Carb Life by Gregg Gillespie & Marie Johnson. Well, I couldn't resist and at that price I bought a second book for my Mother. Can you imagine finding a 408 page cookbook plus complete index for $1.00? The price on the cover said $9.95 USA so even though it has no photos, I found a bargain!

This is one of the first recipes we tried from our $1 cookbook. It was not only quick, simple, and inexpensive, - but DELICIOUS.

PUFFY BAKED OMELET WITH ZUCCHINI & TOMATO SAUCE

nonstick cooking spray
6 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 egg whites
1 - 14 1/2 ounce can stewed tomatoes, undrained and cut up
1/2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Beat the egg yolks, onion powder, salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of the black pepper until thick and yellow, about 4 minutes. Set aside. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form when the beaters are raised. Fold the egg whites into the egg-yolk mixture using a rubber spatula and spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes and their juices, zucchini and the remaining black pepper in a small saucepan and heat to boiling. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover and simmer until the juices have reduced to a nice coating consistency, 10 to 12 minutes. To serve, cut the omelet into quarters and serve with the sauce.

Servings: 4 Calories: 143

Personal Pizzas - Atkins for Life

Use a large biscuit cutter or tuna can to cut the bread rounds for this delicious personal pizza 'a la Atkins.

PERSONAL PIZZAS

8 slices low-carb white bread
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup low-carb marinara sauce
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1. Heat oven to 400. Set a rack on a baking sheet.

2. Cut a 3-inch circle out of each slice of breat. Set on rack; brush tops of the circles with oil. Bake until crips and golden, 5-7 minutes.

3. Combine sauce and 1 tablespoon ofthe Parmesan in a small bowl. Spread each crust with sauce; top with mozzarella. Sprinkle with oregano and remaining tablespoon Parmesan. Bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes longer. Cool slightly before serving.

Serves 4

Don't forget to save the crusts to make low-carb bread crumbs for other recipes!

Blackened Fish with Salsa Verde

You may think I've been on a "diet recipe" binge lately, but I took one look in the mirror before heading to the beach - and well ....

From Dr. Atkins fame this is a deliciously simple fish recipe which has been rated for all four phases of the Atkins Diet. I'm doubly pleased as catfish is readily available year around!

BLACKENED FISH WITH SALSA VERDE (green salsa)

4 (6-8 ounce) catfish fillets, patted dry
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, as mild or spicey as you like
2 tablespoons canola oil
3/4 cup mild salsa verde
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Sprinkle fish on both sides with seasoning.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the fillets and cook until lightly browoned, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook until just opaque, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer to plats. Repeat with remaining fish.

3. Meanwhile, combine salsa and cillantro. Serve fish topped with the salsa.

Serves 4

P.S. Use a mild salsa verde as there is generally quite a bit of heat in your Cajun seasoning.

Sweet Treats from South Beach Diet

This has to be one of the quickest dessert recipes I have ever found short of scooping ice cream into a bowl. Even phase one of the South Beach Diet offers something to satisfy that craving we all have for something sweet!

Mocha Ricotta Creme

1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package sugar substitute
Dash espresso powder
5 mini chocolate chips

Mix together the ricotta, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, an sugar substitute in a dessert bowl. Serve chilled with a dusting of espresso powder and sprinkled with the mini chocolate chips.

Serves 1

Oriental Cabbage Salad

From SOUTH BEACH DIET

1/2 small head green cabbage, chopped
3 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Combine the cabbage, scallions, oil, and vinegar. Toss well and chill until ready to serve.
Add the sesame seeds and toss again before serving.

Serves 4

103 calories, 2 g protein, 5 g carbs per serving.

This is so quick and tasty I serve it often - especially in summer!