The South Beach Diet Supercharged: Faster Weight Loss and Better Health for Life (34 page)

Prep time: 15 minutes • Cook time: 30 minutes

Escarole is a hearty green that is just as delicious served raw in salads as it is cooked into soups or sautéed with olive oil and fresh lemon juice. Meatball lovers can replace the sausage with mini chicken or turkey meatballs made with lean white meat.

Lightly coat a large heavy-bottomed nonstick saucepan with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add sausages and reduce heat to medium; cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer sausages to a cutting board.

Add oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add onion, rosemary, and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 2 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, cut sausages in half lengthwise, then cut widthwise into ½-inch pieces.

Add escarole to the pan, in batches if necessary, and stir just until wilted. Add sausage and broth, bring to a simmer, and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve warm.

Makes 4 (1½-cup) servings

Nutrition at a Glance

Per serving:
182 calories, 11 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 15 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 513 mg sodium

This recipe can also be prepared for Phase 1 meals
.

Prep time: 15 minutes • Cook time: 25 minutes

Reduced-fat cream cheese adds richness to this quick chicken soup. To save time, purchase chopped frozen spinach rather than whole leaves.

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 7 minutes. Add chicken and spinach; stir for 1 minute. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Add broth, bring to a simmer, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Makes 4 (1¼-cup) servings

Nutrition at a Glance

Per serving:
197 calories, 7 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 24 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 615 mg sodium

This recipe can also be prepared for Phase 1 meals
.

Prep time: 20 minutes • Cook time: 25 minutes

Deceptively simple, this tasty chicken dish works just as well for company as it does on a busy weeknight. Make extra for lunch or dinner the next day: Thinly slice the chicken and serve it cold over simply dressed salad greens, or roughly chop the chicken and toss it with fresh spinach, a little olive oil, and warm whole-wheat pasta.

Heat the oven to 425°F.

In a small bowl, combine cheese, tomatoes, garlic, and basil. Season with pepper and mash together well with a fork.

Butterfly chicken by carefully slicing horizontally along the long edge of each breast, three-quarters of the way through. Open up each breast and spread inside with one-fourth of the feta mixture. Close breast over filling and press edges together to seal. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

In a large ovenproof skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve warm.

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition at a Glance

Per serving:
232 calories, 6 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 42 g protein, 1 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 326 mg sodium

This recipe can also be prepared for Phase 1 meals
.

Prep time: 20 minutes • Cook time: 15 minutes

Try celery or bell peppers in place of mushrooms here for variety.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook noodles according to package directions.

While noodles are cooking, in a medium bowl, combine chicken with scallion whites, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes; season lightly with salt.

Drain noodles and transfer to another medium bowl. Add scallion greens, soy sauce, and sesame oil; toss to combine. Season lightly with salt.

In a large nonstick skillet or wok, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.

Return the pan to the heat. Add cabbage, mushrooms, and water. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are wilted, about 4 minutes. Return chicken and noodles to pan, stir, and cook to heat through, about 1 minute. Toss with lemon juice and serve warm.

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition at a Glance

Per serving:
359 calories, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 46 g protein, 29 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 349 mg sodium

Prep time: 15 minutes • Cook time: 25 minutes

This hearty, quick-cooking stew tastes as if it had been simmered for hours. Double the recipe; it freezes beautifully.

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, basil, oregano, pepper, and a pinch of salt; reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook 3 minutes longer. Stir in chicken and cook for 1 minute. Add lentils, tomatoes and their juices, and broth. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in spinach, cover, and cook 1 minute longer, or until spinach wilts. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm.

Makes 6 (1-cup) servings

Nutrition at a Glance

Per serving:
311 calories, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 32 g protein, 36 g carbohydrate, 17 g fiber, 326 mg sodium

This recipe can also be prepared for Phase 1 meals
.

Prep time: 15 minutes • Cook time: 16 minutes

Look for whole-wheat Italian bread crumbs, which are flavored with herbs, in the natural-foods section of your supermarket or at a health-food store. Or use plain whole-wheat bread crumbs and add any combination of dried basil, marjoram, thyme, and rosemary.

Coat turkey cutlets with two-thirds of the garlic and lightly season with salt and pepper.

In a large shallow bowl, whisk together egg and milk. Spread bread crumbs on a large plate. Dredge cutlets in egg mixture, then dredge both sides lightly in bread crumbs, pressing to make sure the crumbs stick.

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Cook cutlets, in batches if necessary, until lightly browned and crisp, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the parsley, and loosely cover with foil to keep warm.

Add oil to the skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, remaining garlic, and remaining 2 tablespoons parsley. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until mushrooms are tender, about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Transfer cutlets to 4 plates and top with warm mushrooms.

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition at a Glance

Per serving:
230 calories, 4 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 40 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 170 mg sodium

Prep time: 10 minutes • Cook time: 10 minutes

Butter beans, a smaller cousin of lima beans, add a decidedly creamy texture to this dish. If you can’t find them, use limas instead. We prefer vine-ripened tomatoes, sold in most supermarkets, as they tend to be juicier than the average beefsteak variety. To save time, ask the fish seller to skin your halibut fillets for you.

Heat the oven to broil.

In a medium saucepan, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, salt, basil, and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and peas; cover and cook 4 minutes longer. Stir in beans, cover, and cook 2 minutes longer. Remove pan from heat and leave covered to keep warm.

While ragout is cooking, place halibut fillets on a broiler pan, season with salt and pepper, and brush with remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Broil until opaque and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes.

Divide ragout among 4 serving plates. Serve fish warm on top of ragout.

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition at a Glance

Per serving:
304 calories, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 42 g protein, 22 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 547 mg sodium

This recipe can also be prepared for Phase 1 meals
.