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Fourth of July

Fresh Melon Platter
Blackened Grilled Grouper or Salsa Burgers
All American Potato Salad
Fresh Tomato Salad
Two-Bean Salad
Old-Fashioned Blueberry Cobbler or Berries & Cream Cake

Serves 6-8 (Recipes Below) - 20 Total Points (everything without melon)

Blackened Grilled Grouper

This dish is equally delicious when made with swordfish, fresh tuna, mahi mahi,
amberjack, orange roughy, or any other firm-fleshed fish.

Makes 9 Servings

Ingredients

9 grouper steaks, 5 ounces each
Lemon wedges (garnish)

Coating
1 medium yellow onion, cut in pieces
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 Tbsp plus 1 1/2 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp ground dried thyme
3/4 tsp ground dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Place all of the coating ingredients in a food processor or blender, and process until finely ground.
 Set aside.  Rinse the fish steaks and pat dry.  Rub 2 tsp of the coating on each side of each steak.
 Set aside for 10 minutes.  Grill the steaks over medium heat, covered, for about 5 minutes on each side,
or until the meat is easily flaked with a fork.  Garnish with the lemon wedges, and serve.

POINTS:  3

PER SERVING:  142 Calories, 1.8 g Fat, 0.6 g Fiber, 68 mg Cholesterol, 27 g Protein, 175 mg Sodium

Salsa Burgers

Makes 10 Servings

Ingredients

2 lbs. 96% lean ground beef
1 cup soft bread crumbs
2/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup prepared salsa
2 tsp chili powder
8 multigrain burger buns

Toppings (optional)

1/4 cup nonfat sour cream
1/2 cup prepared salsa
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
8 lettuce leaves
1 cup nonfat or reduced-fat shredded Cheddar cheese

Combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, salsa, and chili powder in a large bowl.  Use a potato
masher or fork to mix the ingredients thoroughly.  Gently shape the mixture into 10 (4-inch) patties.  
Grill the burgers over medium heat for 7 to 9 minutes on each side, or until the meat
is thoroughly cooked.  (There should be no traces of pink inside.)  
Serve each burger on a multigrain bun with your choice of toppings.

POINTS:  5

PER SERVING:  243 Calories, 4.6 g Fat, 2.7 g Fiber, 33 mg Cholesterol, 19 g Protein, 514 mg Sodium

*An alternative would be to use Turkey Burgers, Garden Burgers or The Original "Boca" Burger
(vegetarian and my favorite with only 1 point per burger) which would save on points!

All American Potato Salad

Makes 8 Servings

Ingredients

2 pounds medium-sized red potatoes, unpeeled
1/3 cup thinly sliced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup grated carrot
1 Tbsp plus 1 1/2 tsp sweet pickle relish

Dressing

1/3 cup nonfat or reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/3 cup nonfat sour cream
2 Tbsp spicy mustard
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Cut the potatoes into 3/4 " pieces, and place in a microwave or stove-top steamer.  Cover and cook at
high poweror over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender.  Rinse with cool water and drain.
 Place the potatoes in a large bowl.  Add the celery, onion, carrot, and relish, and toss gently to mix.
 Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, and stir to mix well.  Add the dressing to the potato
mixture, and toss gently to mix.  Cover the salad and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

POINTS:  2.5

PER SERVING:  139 Calories, 0.2 g Fat, 2.9 g Fiber, 0 mg Cholesterol, 3.5 g Protein, 185 mg Sodium

Fresh Tomato Salad

To keep the tomatoes bright and firm, make this salad no more than 2 to 4 hours before serving.

Makes 9 Servings

Ingredients

4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 medium sweet onion, cut into thin wedges
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into thin strips

Dressing

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil

Place the vegetables in a shallow dish.  Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl,
and pour over the vegetables.  Toss to mix well.  Cover the salad and chill
for several hours, stirring occasionally, before serving.

POINTS:  0.5

PER SERVING:  29 Calories, 0.3 g Fat, 1.3 g Fiber, 0 mg Cholesterol, 0.9 g Protein, 7 mg Sodium

Two-Bean Salad

Makes 8 Servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans
1 can (1 lb) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

Dressing

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Cut the green beans into 1-inch pieces, and place in a microwave or stove-top steamer.  Cover and
cook at high power or over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, or until tender.  Rinse with cool water
and drain.  Place the green beans in a large bowl.  Add the kidney beans, onion, and green pepper, and
toss to mix.  Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, and stir to mix well.  Pour the dressing
over the bean mixture, and toss to mix.  Cover the salad and chill for several hours or
overnight, stirring occasionally, before serving.

POINTS:  1

SERVING SIZE: 3/4 cup

PER SERVING:  81 Calories, 0.3 g Fat, 5 g Fiber, 0 mg Cholesterol, 4.6 g Protein, 38 mg Sodium

Old-Fashioned Blueberry Cobbler

Makes 8 Servings

Fruit Filling

6 cups fresh or frozen (thawed) blueberries
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

Topping

1/3 cup oat bran
2/3 cup unbleached flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk

1 quart nonfat vanilla ice cream

Coat a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Combine the filling ingredients in a
medium-sized bowl, and set aside for 15 minutes to allow the juices to develop.  Then stir gently to
mix well, and transfer to the prepared dish.  Combine all of the topping ingredients except for the
buttermilk in a medium-sized bowl, and stir to mix well.  Add the buttermilk, and stir just until the
dry ingredients are moistened.  Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the batter onto the blueberry mixture
to make 8 biscuits.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the
topping is golden brown.  If the topping starts to brown too quickly, cover the dish loosely with
aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes of baking.  Remove the cobbler from the oven, and let it
sit for10 minutes.  Serve warm, topping each with a scoop of the nonfat ice cream.

POINTS:  4.5

SERVING SIZE:  1/8 of Cobbler with scoop of  Ice Cream

PER SERVING:  248 Calories, 0.9 g Fat, 3.9 g Fiber, 2 mg Cholesterol, 5.6 g Protein, 137 mg Sodium

Berries and Cream Cake

Makes 8 Servings

Ingredients

1 angel food cake (1 pound)
3 cups nonfat vanilla, strawberry, or blueberry ice cream, slightly softened
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

With a serrated knife, cut a 2 inch deep channel in the top of the angel food cake, leaving 3/8 inch of cake intact
on either side of the channel.  Spoon the ice cream evenly into the hollowed-our channel.  Wrap the cake
tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and freeze for at least 12 hours.  Up to 2 hours before assembling the
dessert,combine the strawberries and blueberries in a large bowl.  Cover and chill until ready to serve.
 Place the frozen cake in the center of a 12 inch round platter.  Arrange 2 cups of the fruit mixture over
the top of the cake to cover the ice cream.  Arrange the remaining fruit around the base of the cake.  Let the
cake sit for 5 minutes before slicing and serving, accompanying each piece of cake with some of the mixed fruit.

POINTS:  3.5

PER SERVING:  188 Calories, 0.4 g Fat, 2 g Fiber, 1 mg Cholesterol, 5.1 g Protein, 160 mg Sodium