| Easy Cheese Straws (makes 24 cheese straws, 8 servings) Adapted from Weight Watchers Dining with the Duchess, by Sarah, The Duchess of York and Weight Watchers (Simon & Schuster 1998) | butter-flavored cooking spray | | 1/2 | cup (72 g) grated Parmesan cheese | | 2 | teaspoons (10 ml) chili powder | | 1/2 | teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground cumin | | 3 | 12" X 17" (30 X 42.5 cm) sheets phyllo dough, at room temperature | - Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C, Gas Mark 6); spray a large nonstick baking sheet with butter-flavored cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, mix the cheese, chili powder, and cumin. Place the sheets of phyllo on a work surface and cover them with a damp towel. Remove the first sheet and place it with a short side toward you. Coat with cooking spray, then sprinkle with about 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of the cheese mixture. Fold the phyllo in half to form a 12" X 8 1/2" (30 X 21.25 cm) rectangle. Spray the phyllo again and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons (10 ml) more of cheese mixture; fold in half again to form a 6" X 8 1/2" (15 X 21.25 cm) rectangle. Spray again and sprinkle with 2 more teaspoons (10 ml) of cheese mixture; fold in half again to form a 6" X 4 1/4" (15 X 10.5 cm) rectangle. Spray again and sprinkle with just a bit of the cheese mixture. With a serrated knife, cut into 8 short strips. Transfer the strips to the baking sheet, placing them about 1/2" (1.25 cm) apart. Repeat the process two more times to make 24 straws. Bake until the cheese straws are crisp and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
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| Per serving (3 straws): | 47 calories (19% calories from fat), 3 g protein, 2 g total fat ((1.0 g saturated fat), 4 g carbohydrate, 0 dietary fiber, 4 mg cholesterol, 134 mg sodium | | Diabetic exchanges: | 1/4 carbohydrate (1/4 bread/starch), 1/2 fat |
Herb-Roasted Beef Tenderloin (makes 16 servings)
| 1 | 4-pounce (1.9 kg) beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied | | 6 to 8 | sprigs fresh rosemary | | 6 to 8 | sprigs fresh thyme | | salt (optional) and freshly ground pepper | | 1 | tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil | - Let tenderloin come to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Heat oven to 425°F (220°C, Gas Mark 7) with oven rack in center.
- Tuck the rosemary and thyme sprigs under the string tying the fillet. Place on a rack in a large roasting pan. Season with salt (if using) and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes.
- Baste beef with olive oil and continue to roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, until an instant-reading meat thermometer placed in the thickest part of the meat registers 120°F (49°C) for medium-rare or 140°F (60°C) for medium (roast will continue to cook some out of the oven). Transfer roast to a heated serving platter and let sit 15 minutes at room temperature before carving.
- Carve the roast into thin slices and serve.
| Per serving: | 179 calories (45% calories from fat), 24 g protein, 9 g total fat (3.6 g saturated fat), 0 carbohydrate, 0 dietary fiber, 71 mg cholesterol, 53 mg sodium | | Diabetic exchanges: | 3 lean meat |
Creamer Potatoes with Herbs (makes 12 servings)
| 2 | pounds (960 g) tiny new potatoes | | 1/4 | cup (30 g) chopped flat-leaf parsley | | 1/4 | cup (30 g) chopped fresh dill | | 1 | tablespoon (15 ml) grated lemon zest | | 1 1/2 | tablespoons (22.5 ml) olive oil | - Place the potatoes in a steaming basket over a pot of gently boiling water. Cover and steam until tender when pierced with a knife, 15 to 20 minutes. depending on size.
- In a small bowl, combine parsley, dill, and lemon zest. Drizzle oil over hot potatoes and toss with the herbs. Serve hot with lemon wedges to squeeze over each serving.
| Per serving: | 75 calories (21% calories from fat), 2 g protein, 2 g total fat (0.3 g saturated fat), 14 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 0 cholesterol, 5 mg sodium | | Diabetic exchanges: | 1 carbohydrate (1 bread/starch) |
Roasted Beet and Citrus Easter Salad (makes 12 servings)
| 1 1/2 | pounds (720 g) small red beets, trimmed and scrubbed | | salt (optional) and freshly ground pepper | | 1/4 | cup (60 ml) fresh orange juice | | 1 | tablespoon (15 ml) balsamic vinegar | | 2 | tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil | | 2 | teaspoons (10 ml) Dijon mustard | | 2 | 5-ounce (150 g) packages mixed baby greens | | 1 | small sweet onion, Vidalia, Texas Sweet 10 or Maui or Walla Walla, cut in half cross wise and very thinly sliced | | 10 | kumquats, sliced crosswise into thin rounds, seeds removed | -
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C, Gas Mark 7 ). Place the beets in the center of a large piece of foil. Lightly spray with cooking spray and season with salt (if using) and pepper. Wrap foil around beets and seal to make a packet. Place on a large baking sheet and roast for 1 hour, until beets are tender when pierced with a knife. Let beets stand until cool enough to handle, then slip off the skins and thinly slice. Set aside. -
Working over a bowl to catch any juice, cut the peel and pith from the oranges. Slice the oranges into thin rounds. Set aside. -
To the juice in the bowl, add the orange juice, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil, and mustard. Whisk until thoroughly combined. -
To serve, arrange the greens on a large platter. Arrange the beets and oranges over the lettuces. Scatter onions on top and arrange the kumquat slices over all. Whisk orange juice mixture again and drizzle over all. Serve at once. | Per serving: | 81 calories (26% calories from fat), 2 g protein, 3 g total fat (0.3 g saturated fat), 14 g carbohydrate, 4 g dietary fiber, 0 cholesterol, 73 mg sodium | | Diabetic exchanges: | 1/2 carbohydrate (1/2 fruit), 1 vegetable, 1/2 fat |
Raspberries and Blackberries in Phyllo Tulips (makes 12 servings)
| butter-flavored cooking spray | | 6 | 12- X 17-inch (35 X 46 cm) sheets of phyllo, at room temperature | | 3 | cups (450 g) fresh raspberries | | 3 | cups (450 g) fresh blackberries | | 2 | tablespoons (30 ml) balsamic vinegar | | 3/4 | cup (112 g) frozen fat-free, sugar-free vanilla frozen yogurt | -
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C, Gas Mark 5). Coat two 6-cup standard muffin tins with cooking spray. -
Place the sheets of phyllo on a work surface and cover them with a damp towel. Remove the first sheet and place it with a short side toward you. With a sharp knife, trim off and discard 5 inches (10 cm) from the top of each phyllo sheet, leaving four 12-inch (30 cm) squares. Cut each square into quarters. -
Coat 1 quarter with cooking spray. Coat a second quarter with cooking spray and rotate it 45%, placing it on top of first quarter to make an 8-pointed star. Carefully lift both quarters off work surface and press into a section of the prepared muffin tin to form a tulip shape. Repeat until 12 tulips have been formed. -
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until crisp and golden. Carefully transfer tulips from the muffin cups (they will be brittle -- so be very gentle) and cool on a wire rack. -
When ready to serve, toss the raspberries and blackberries with the balsamic vinegar. Place a tulip on a dessert plate and carefully fill with 1/2 cup (75 g) of the berry mixture. Drizzle each with some of the juices that have accumulated. Using a 1-tablespoon (15 ml) scoop, top each serving with a scoop of frozen yogurt. Serve at once. | Per serving: | 75 calories (10% calories from fat), 2 g protein, 1 g total fat (0.1 g saturated fat), 16 g carbohydrate, 4 g dietary fiber, 0 cholesterol, 53 mg sodium | | Diabetic exchanges: | 1 carbohydrate (1/2 bread/starch, 1/2 fruit) | |
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