So excited to announce that the winner of the Coco Lite Pop Cakes giveaway is . . . .

Jennifer!

Congratulations, Jennifer! Please send me your full name and mailing address so we can get you that case of tasty deliciousness.

© 2012, Sarah. All rights reserved.

The other day, I did a group presentation on “superfoods.” You know, nutrient-dense, health-promoting foods? And when we came to a pause, I asked the crowd, “What is your biggest barrier to eating healthy?” “Time” was the overwhelming answer.

The women there talked about not being organized with their meal planning and grocery shopping, their kids not buying into new foods being prepared, about trying to avoid mutiny at 6 p.m. on a Wednesday, etc. And I told them, as I tell anyone who’ll listen, that it’s a misconception that cooking with real, healthful foods must be a time-consuming process. I’m not talking about making your own condiments – I’m talking about throwing together a few healthy ingredients to make a complete meal in a matter of thirty minutes or fewer. I can’t guarantee your kids’ll like the recipes. I can’t guarantee you will, either – but unless you try (and isn’t this what you’re always telling your kids, if you have them?), you’ll never know.

And I assure you: It. Can. Be. Done. We have the technology, my friends . . . and in the case of this recipe, it’s dried whole wheat pasta, pre-cooked lentils and pre-washed baby spinach. This is an amazing meal that tastes fresh, is good  for you, and all you have to chop are a few leeks. My 8-year-old did that part – I KNOW you can do it. Have some faith in yourself!

Now did my 8-year-old eat this? No. I won’t lie, and I didn’t to that group, either. L. picks and chooses what she eats from a range of healthful options, but she almost never eats the meal exactly as I make it for me and D. When I made this, she ate, as usual, a component of the meal – the pasta – and she had it with jarred spaghetti sauce and ricotta cheese slopped on top . Apple and sliced strawberries on the side.

Pasta with Lentils, Spinach & Leeks (adapted from the Power Foods cookbook)

Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 c. cooking liquid.

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and thyme and cooking, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are soft but not browned; about 5 minutes. Add the cooked lentils and garlic and a sprinkle of salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook for another minute.

Add the spinach and about 1/4 c. of the reserved pasta cooking liquid to the pan. Toss the spinach to wilt, about 2 minutes. Add more water if needed. Add the pasta to the pan, toss to combine. Serve immediately, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Serves 2, but easily double for 4.

So how ’bout you? What’s your biggest barrier to eating more healthfully? Did you know that I can help? Email me and learn how I can take you through meal planning and marketing, step-by-step, to help you create a system that’ll work great for your family (kids or no kids) and your lifestyle. I’ll even escort you to the supermarket and help you navigate the maze . . . and/or go through your cupboards and fridge and help you weed out the junk, make room for delicious time-savers and health-promoters and leave you with a customized shopping list so you can do it all on your own. Want to start cooking with some new-fangled ingredients and not sure how? I can show you that, too, and even pull together recipes that’ll meet your taste preferences and dietary restrictions. All with the down-to-earth, no-nonsense attitude you’ve come to love from Semi-Sweet!

© 2012, Sarah. All rights reserved.

The other day, I was crowing about Coco Lite Pop Cakes on Facebook. What are they, you ask?  Think rice cakes that look like tortillas, about 5″ in diameter. These pop cakes from CocoFoods are available locally at Whole Foods, and by mail order from CocoFoods.  Each bag contains fifteen pop cakes that are 16-calories each (or 20 cal. for the whole wheat version).  Pop Cakes are light, crispy and literally melt in your mouth.  If your store makes them fresh, it’s worth trying to see the special machine in action – the cakes are literally popped like pop corn!

Nutritionally, the cakes are fat-free, sugar-free, preservative-free and are made with real ingredients. Nothing artificial. The good folks at CocoFoods have come out with two new flavors of pop cakes recently – Maui Onion (think of a healthy Fun Yun) and Blueberry Cinnamon. They are delicious additions to an already healthful, tasty lineup. The challenge is to find your favorite toppings – here are some ideas to get you started:

So here’s the really exciting part. I wanted to share the Coco Lite loooove, so I emailed the CocoFoods folks and asked them if they’d sponsor a giveaway here on Semi-Sweet . . . and they said “of course!” The winner of this giveaway will receive, fresh and direct from CocoFoods, a CASE of Coco Lite Pop Cakes! You’ll have plenty of pop cakes to experiment with, because you’ll receive three packages of each flavor – you can have a Pop Cakes Party!

All you need to do to enter is:

1. Leave a comment below, telling me what your favorite crunchy snack is;
2. Subscribe to Semi-Sweet updates via email (it’s free!); and
3. “Like” Semi-Sweet on Facebook (if you’re already a fan, let me know in your comment).

{Legal mumbo jumbo: I was provided with a sample case of Coco Lite Pop Cakes in order to try out their new flavors, but my opinions are my own. By commenting below, you certify that you’re over 18, a resident of the U.S. that you’ve reviewed the Official Giveaway Rules.}

© 2012, Sarah. All rights reserved.

I get asked, a lot, about what’s in my pantry and what others should stock in theirs. In fact, I’ve been asked so often, I offer a service called the “Pantry Raid,” where I come into your kitchen and rifle through your fridge and cupboards, help you to clean out the junk and give you personalized recommendations for things to stock depending on your lifestyle, family habits and tastes and dietary restrictions.

But today’s advice is free! Here’s my top-eight-great-go-to items to help you take your at-home meal prep to a new level . . . An easy, more carefree level! With these goodies in your arsenal, there’re a lot of choices when it comes to whipping up vittles on a whim. Be the master of your domain and stock these this weekend!

1. Prepared pesto: Sure, you can have it on pasta, but that’s trite. How about a dollop on some steamed or sauteed vegetables? Over a piece of fish? Whisked into a vinaigrette? What about swirled into mashed potatoes or polenta? Used as a sauce for pizza? Now you’re talking. Extra points if you make up a giant batch of your own pesto this summer and free portions – but if you’re not that kinda guy or gal, the supermarket has lots of varieties to choose from. We love this one I get at Whole Foods – spendy, but a little goes a LONG way.
2. Apricot Jam: Slather it on a chicken breast before broiling, or serve with pork chops after they’ve been cooked. Add a schmear to a turkey sandwich and add thin slices of brie and some arugula. You’ll feel so fancy! Use it instead of syrup on pancakes or waffles, or stir some into a bowl of unflavored yogurt and top with nuts or granola. Buy some pre-prepped crepes and layer jam and creme fraiche for a delicious sweet treat, topped with berries.
3. Roast Chicken: Takes minutes to prep and an hour or so to cook – but having one at the ready in your fridge during the week yields endless possibilities. Add it to soups, use as a base or a topping for salads, throw it into quesadillas, or serve it over brown rice. And don’t you dare throw away that carcass! Remember my Roast Chicken Twofer? Make stock and freeze it up for future use!
4. Lentils and Canned Beans: Lentils, white beans, black beans, kidney beans and chickpeas are super EZ to toss into salads, use in quesadillas, mix with sauteed greens, chicken sausage and pasta, or throw into soups. They’re all high in fiber and protein. Try to find beans that are packed in BPA-free cans, like Eden Organics.
5. Pre-prepped Pizza Dough:  From pizzas to flatbreads to calzones, breadsticks, pretzels, foccacia, rolls . . . the sky’s the limit for sweet or savory applications. Refrigerator leftovers seem a lot more fun if they’re atop a pizza or at the center of a pillowy calzone, don’t they?
6. Bagged/Boxed Baby Spinach:  The ultimate convenience food! Pre-washed and ready to serve raw as the base for salads or in smoothies. Or take 2 minutes to saute some, swirl it into your favorite soup or risotto, or use it to bulk up your favorite jarred pasta sauce with extra nutrition.
7. Whole Wheat Couscous: The fastest side dish in the East OR West. Heat up your liquid (use chicken or veg stock for extra flavor), throw in the couscous, take it off the burner, let it rest, and in a mere 5 minutes, it’s done. Whole wheat couscous is a great intro. to whole grain pastas because it’s still so mild in taste and the texture is the same as regular couscous – and yet, you’ll get health a boost from its fiber and protein content.
8. Quinoa: Either as a side dish, or as in our house, the main dish, quinoa cannot be beat for its versatility and nutritional profile. Cook a big batch and use it throughout the week for quick lunches and dinners: add some pre-cut veggies, a squeeze of lime or lemon, some soy sauce, some beans or tofu or edamame, and you’ve got a vegan lunch that’s packed with fiber and protein. Use some of that shredded roast chicken to whip up a salad with greens and quinoa and a light vinaigrette. Warm it in the micro with your favorite milk and top it with dried fruit and nuts for breakfast.

Ok, your turn! What do you have on hand all the time, and how does it save you time in the kitchen?

Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

© 2012, Sarah. All rights reserved.

© 2012, Sarah. All rights reserved.

I made this last Friday night, and its simplicity and flavor blew both me and D. away. What’s more, it’s very low in fat and calories, if you’re concerned with things like that . . . this is a perfect weeknight meal – it takes no time to whip this, rice and a veg up, so try it this week!

Five-Spice Fish

1 lb. tilapia or cod fillets
1 1/2 t. Chinese five-spice powder (see Note below)
1/2 c. reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 T. light brown sugar
4 scallions, thinly sliced

Prepare enough rice to feed your family – frozen, pre-cooked brown rice (either pre-cooked by you or found at the market) is a real time-saver! Sprinkle both sides of the fish fillets with five-spice powder.

Combine soy sauce and brown sugar in a small bowl.

Pour the soy sauce mixture into a medium-sized skillet and heat over medium-low heat. Immediately add the fish fillets upside down and cover – you’re beginning to steam your fish and it’ll happen quickly. After 3-5 minutes (depending on how thick your fillets are), turn the fish over and recover. After 3-5 more minutes, sprinkle the scallions over the fish and recover and steam for 2 more minutes. Check to make sure your fish is cooked through – it should be opaque and flake easily. Remove the fillets from the pan and tent with foil to keep them warm.

Reduce your heat to low.

This is where I’d add steamed veg to the pan, to swirl it around in all that juicy goodness – I did steamed asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces. It’s already cooked, so you’re just looking to get some of that good flavor all over it.

Remove that and turn off the heat. Plate this up with some rice, followed by the fish fillet on top, and then your cooked veg. Take a little of the pan sauce and drizzle it over each plate.

Serves 4.

Note: Don’t have your heat too high or you’ll burn your sugar. Better on the low side and have your fish take a couple minutes more to cook, than on the high side and have the burned taste. If you take the time to be careful, you’ll be rewarded with a party in your mouth: sweet & salty & delicious!

What is five-spice powder, anyway? Five-spice powder is a blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns. Look for it in the spice section at the market or with other Asian ingredients.

© 2012, Sarah. All rights reserved.

Hey friends – just a reminder that today is THE LAST DAY to sign up for this workshop!

And what if you want to come, but can’t? Why not contact me about setting something up? I’m available to talk to your school group, at your mom’s night out – to any group you want to assemble, on a wide variety of health- or food-related topics. We can tailor something to your needs/interests – curious about some new foods and not sure how to incorporate them into your meals? How ’bout a cooking class? Want to understand how to make small changes in your life to reduce your toxic body burden? I can help you understand plastics, BPA, and all that jazz. Look me up and let’s chat.

You know you need to eat more “healthful foods,” but how the heck do you prepare them? Flummoxed? Or, are you on top of your superfood prep, but looking for some new recipes? Come and be inspired on May 3, 2012 from 7-8:30 at Healthy Habits Kitchen in Wellesley. I’ll show you easy ways to prepare kale, quinoa and sweet potatoes – three popular “superfoods.” You’ll be treated to dinner and dessert, plus samples of a few of my favorite recipes using these three nutritional powerhouses. We’ll discuss why you should incorporate as many superfoods as you can into your diet, along with quick ‘n’ easy tips from me on how to do it. You’ll leave with a recipe booklet so you can super-charge your meals at home.

Would love to meet you in person, share some grub and chat! View the flyer here, and sign up here!

Why HHK? I’ve had a long love-affair with this place, starting back in ’09. HHK’s food is tasty, easy to prep, and healthful to boot! HHK is the ONLY Semi-Sweet-endorsed meal prep service around. It’s not “prepared food,” it’s real food, prepped for you. You order up your HHK meal kits and stow them in your fridge or freezer . . . then pull one out when you need a meal on the table fast. Everything you need’s included. Heck, you can even get home-made cookie dough to bake off for dessert! When you sign up for this seminar, you’ll receive a $10 credit toward any meal kits purchased that night.

So grab a friend, or three, and come out and join me! Register by April 27th, ’cause space.is.limited!

Never miss a Morsel! Subscribe to Semi-Sweet by email.

© 2012, Sarah. All rights reserved.

Hey Sweeties! Here’s another way to follow Semi-Sweet – I’m now on Bloglovin’ – a reader to help you keep track of all your favorite blogs in one place.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

© 2012, Sarah. All rights reserved.

It’s springtime and here in the Northeast, things are greening and leafing and my thoughts are turning to locally grown vegetables. After a long winter of trucked- and flown-in produce, I’m ready for locally-grown: It’s flavorful, fresh-picked and fabulous. How to get your hands on some of that? Your local farmer’s market is a great source, and you might like strolling around, talking to the merchants and picking out your produce each week. Or you might want to join a CSA.

We’ve belonged to at least one CSA for the past four years now – starting with the Shared Harvest CSA for late fall shares and then joining up with the Picadilly Farm CSA for summer shares. CSA stands for “community supported agriculture.” Farmers have locally-grown crops they would like to make available to the public. You sign up with a farm, and every week you get a box filled with local veggies (and sometimes fruits). If the farm is nearby, you might be offered the chance to visit, meet the farmer(s) and pick out some of your own veg. Different farms have different delivery options – if once a week is too much for you, look for once a month. Another option is to split a share with another family. There are organic, conventional and IPM options available.

There is a potential downside – by joining a CSA, you share the risk of crop failures – if the vegetables get eaten by insects, for example, your delivery will be smaller. A drought or too much rain can wipe out a farm’s yield for a particular crop. On the flip-side, if the farm has a good year, you’ll be supporting local agriculture and enjoying some of the tastiest, most nourishing food available in your community.

Why do we love our CSA so much?

1. Everything tastes better. Instead of a zillion-mile journey, CSA produce travels less than 50 miles to get to you. Short of growing your own, it’s the freshest produce you can get, full of vitamins, minerals and enzymes. You’ll taste the difference, honest.
2. It’s a veggie party in a box, every single week. You never know what you’re going to get! Did you know that most people eat fewer than a dozen vegetables regularly? Cooking with new veggies broadens your horizons and helps you expand your repertoire. I’d never had kohlrabi before my CSA, and I love it. Ditto celeriac. Google is your friend for finding good-looking recipes to use, as is your friend, Semi-Sweet!
3. You and your family will develop a closer relationship with food. Belonging to a CSA will enable you to form a relationship with your farmer, understand how your food is planted, grown and harvested and how it gets to your table. It will take you back to a much more simple way of eating – one that dominated before processed foods and rapid-transit. Many farms will have opportunities for you to visit – why not go to the source, and if you have them, take your kids? Nothing like pulling a fresh carrot out of the ground or seeing row upon row of bright leafy lettuce to inspire future generations of great eaters.

If you think you’re interested, check out Local Harvest to find a CSA that’s near you – but get on it quickly. Popular CSAs may have sold all their shares for this summer already . . . if you identify one you like and it’s full, email the farmer and get on a waiting list, just in case – and make sure you calendar the signup for next year so you don’t miss an ounce of veggie goodness.

Image: dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

© 2012, Sarah. All rights reserved.

I got crazy today and made a lil’ video for you – check it out, and leave your thoughts in the comments!

© 2012, Sarah. All rights reserved.