Keeping Healthy With the South Beach Diet

I have a slight problem with diets ? no, I have several problems with diets. Firstly, lack of will power. Secondly ? Either everyone has to go on the diet or no one. I refuse to get into the trap of cooking separate meals for each member of the family. With the South Beach Diet both these objections are easily overcome. The food used is easily available and fits so well into a normal, healthy lifestyle that no one need even know. Whether you enjoy fast food or gourmet dining ? and lets face facts most of us do both at some time ? there is something to enjoy.

Roast Beef Wrap serves 4 as a light lunch or picnic meal

1 ? cups low fat cream cheese

4 flour tortillas (9? or 10?). You could substitute home made flat breads such as chappattis

? red onion, sliced

4 spinach leaves or other salad greens

Roast beef, 8 thin slices

Spread a small amount of cream cheese over the tortilla. Layer the spinach, onion, and roast beef, roll up, and fold. Serves 4 I would spread my beef with the smallest amount of mustard to give it a bite.

Lemon Couscous Chicken for 4

1 ? cups water

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 cups broccoli or cauliflower florets

2 cups couscous

? teaspoon of garlic powder

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

? teaspoon lemon zest

In a large pan, bring water, oil, broccoli and garlic powder to a boil. Meanwhile cover the couscous with boiling water and let it stand until all the water is absorbed. You will need enough boiling water to cover it and then be about a finger thickness higher than the couscous. Add the couscous, the cooked chicken, lemon juice, and lemon peel to the broccoli mix. Simmer until heated through and then remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Using a fork, fluff lightly, then chill and serve cold. I like to add some chopped mint or coriander (cilantro) to mine.

Chocolate Dipped Apricots

I find it hard to believe that these are in a list of diet recipes, but they are there. I suppose it just depends upon how many you eat. Some of the longest lived people on earth live high in the Himalayas on a diet with huge amounts of dried apricots in it.

2 oz, 50 grams dark chocolate

24 dried apricots

1 Tbsp chopped pistachios

Melt the chocolate. In a microwave it can be easy to burn it , so you are perhaps better off doing it over a pan of hot water, stirring halfway through until completely melted. Dip the apricots halfway into the chocolate. Let the excess drip off. Place the apricots onto wax paper. Sprinkle the pistachios over the chocolate-covered portions, and place them in the refrigerator until the chocolate is set.

Grilled Salmon with Rosemary serves 4

1 pound , 500 grams salmon

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

1 clove of garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried, crushed

Fresh rosemary sprigs (optional)

Cut the fish into 4 portions. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic, and rosemary in a bowl and use this to brush onto the fish.

To grill, arrange the fish on a grill rack or use a grill basket sprayed with olive oil cooking spray. Grill over medium-hot coals until the fish flakes easily (allow 4-6 minutes per 1/2" of thickness). If the fish is more than 1" thick, gently turn it halfway through grilling. Don?t over cook or your fish will be dry however good its quality to begin with. To broil, spray the rack of a broiler pan with olive oil cooking spray and arrange the fish on it. Broil 4" from the heat for 4-6 minutes per 1/2" of thickness. If the fish is more than 1" thick, gently turn it halfway through broiling.

To serve garnish with rosemary sprigs if available. Serve with a green salad. Those not on a diet could have rice or couscous with this.

Fore more tips on cooking please visit our cooking recipes website. For dessert lovers we have easy chocolate dessert recipes