Semi-Sweet » Recipes

Stop the 5 O’Clock Freakout!

Sarah — Fri, 06 Feb 2015 22:15:23 +0000

Attend my workshop

Mastering Meal Planning: Solving the “What’s for Dinner” Challenge

We’ve all been there – what I call, “The 5 p.m. Freakout.” You realize that you have three potential menu options at home, but you’re missing key ingredients in all three. Out comes the takeout menu. Again. You want to plan meals, but figuring out that process is just another flippin’ thing on your to-do list.

You’ve heard the research: Planning and prepping meals at home will save you time, money, help you eat more healthfully and can bring your family together. But it’s almost impossible to prep healthy meals every day with zero plan in place. The fix? Creating and following a simple system to use over and over again. Meal planning gets easier every week when you’ve got a system. The result? You provide delicious, healthful foods for your family without getting frustrated, overwhelmed, or stressed out. Sound too good to be true? It’s not. Come find out how.

You’ll learn:

How meal planning can reduce your stress and help you reach your health and fitness goals, while saving you time and money
How to develop good menu planning habits
Resources that simplify the meal planning process
Tips and tricks for maximizing your efficiency at the market and in the kitchen
How to stock your kitchen for quick and healthy meals in a pinch

You’ll take home:

All the tools to start planning your meals immediately, including a handy checklist and template to get you started
A bonus, done-for-you weekly meal plan with recipes and a shopping list

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!!

Print This!

Where you’ll find me . . . .

Sarah — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 01:55:43 +0000

Hey there! If you take a look below, you’ll see my last post here was quite a while ago . . . wondering what I’m up to lately? Check out my latest gig!

Print This!

UPDATED! FLF Cheesecake Variations – Low Carb, Sugar-Free, High Protein!

Sarah — Wed, 05 Feb 2014 07:00:59 +0000

I’m not going to lie. I can get crazy around sweets. Sugar does bad things to my joints, though – once I started down the anti-inflammatory diet road, I noticed that when I went on a sugar bender (which USED to be a fairly regular occurrence), I’d get all swollen and achy again. So I revised my position on stevia and started to use it to get my “fix” once in a while. And I’m proud to say that I’m not nearly as beholden to the sweet stuff as I used to be – cutting down on carbohydrates generally and upping my protein has evened me out enough that I don’t have those highs and lows that left me trolling the cupboards for ages-old Halloween leftovers.

But. I still love a lil’ somethin’ somethin’. And here’s a great solution. This cheesecake takes a few minutes to throw together and bakes up quickly. No springform pan, and only an improvised water bath. Once it’s done, it can sit in your fridge for several days, ready to rescue you when you’re feeling munchie. One slice of this will only set you back about 140 calories – NOT a bank-breaker. It is what we call a buffer food, sweeties. Something that feels indulgent but is not going to undo your good work. Something that keeps you from running to Cinnabon or The Cheesecake Factory. You could bring this to your book club, to your family’s weekend get-together . . . and use it to practice “dessert defense,” a term coined by the strong and wise Jill Colman.

I got the inspiration for this recipe from The New Rules of Lifting for Women, but of course have tweaked it. I’ve developed a nasty Quest Bar habit, and thought this might take the edge off after a meal, when I crave a sweet. It works.

UPDATE!!! I have since added chocolate & peanut butter cup variations in the notes . . . and if you want to bring the cal/fat counts down a notch, you can use 1 c. fat-free ricotta and 1 c. part-skim. I do that all the time and it is still fantastic!

Bon appetit, Sweeties!

Save Print

Luscious Lemon Cheesecake

Author: Sarah @ Semi-Sweet

Serves: 8

Ingredients

2 c. part-skim ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
½ c. non-fat Greek yogurt
½ c. vanilla egg white or whey protein powder
¼ c. granulated stevia
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
1 t. lemon extract
1 t. vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375.
Put all ingredients in the blender and process until very smooth.
Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
Place pan on top rack of the oven and place a flat pan of water on the bottom rack. Bake 30-40 minutes.
Chill well before serving.

Notes

For Sliky Chocolate Cheesecake, do this: Omit all the lemon ingredients, add 4 T. unsweetened cocoa powder, up the stevia to ⅓ c. and if you like, add a teaspoon of almond extract for added depth and richness.

For Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake, follow the directions for the silky chocolate variation, above, but omit the almond extract. Add 4 T. powdered peanut butter, a la PB2 or Betty Lou’s Just Great Stuff.

OMG.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: ⅛ Calories: 140 Fat: 6 Carbohydrates: 7 Sugar: 4 Protein: 16

Print This!

On the Side: Kale & Apple Saute

Sarah — Thu, 16 Jan 2014 11:00:50 +0000

This simple but delicious kale prep was a hit alongside Nom Nom Paleo’s Slow Cooker Kalua Pig - I mean, everyone knows how well pork and apples go together, right? Using pre-chopped kale in this makes this recipe even faster, and sauteing the ingredients in chicken broth instead of oil means reduced fat and calories. Whip it up and let me know what you think!

Save Print

Apple and Kale Saute

Author: Sarah @ Semi-Sweet, inspired by Whole Foods Market

Serves: 4

Using chicken broth to steam/saute these ingredients means you use much less oil.

Ingredients

1 large sweet onion, halved and sliced
2 medium apples, cored and cut into bite-size pieces
2 t. apple cider vinegar
1 (10-oz.) bag cleaned Tuscan kale (or equivalent amount, stemmed & chopped)
Low-sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Place a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and a bit of chicken broth and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is tender, about 4 minutes (add more broth as needed to keep the onions from burning). Add apples, vinegar, and a bit more broth; cover and cook until apples are just tender, 3 to 4 minutes more.
Meanwhile, if you’re using whole kale, remove and discard tough stems from kale and roughly chop the leaves into large pieces. Add kale and even more broth to the pan, stir and cook, covered, until kale is tender, about 5-7 minutes longer.

Print This!

Slow Cooker Choco Chili

Sarah — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 11:00:43 +0000

This is stupid easy, makes a ton, and is flexible – so you can tweak this according to your tastes . . . want to crank up the heat? Add cayenne pepper. Want to lighten it up a bit? Use ground turkey, or a combo of ground beef & turkey. Have veg you want to use up? Chop it up and throw it in. Love beans? They’d be great in here too. Whatever you do, make this soon – it’s tasty & quick & feeds a crowd.

Save Print

Slow Cooker Choco Chili

Author: Sarah @ Semi-Sweet, inspired by The Clothes Make the Girl

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

coconut oil spray
1 14.5-oz. container of Trader Joe’s Mirepoix mix (onion, carrot & celery)
4 cloves garlic, minced (about 4 teaspoons)
2 lbs. ground beef (preferably grass fed)
1 t. dried oregano leaves
2 T. chili powder
2 T. ground cumin
1½ T. unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder
1 t. ground allspice
1 t. Kosher salt
1 jar (6-7 oz.) tomato paste
1 box (26 oz.) chopped tomatoes
3 c. low-sodium chicken or beef broth
optional – 1 (10 oz.) bag of cleaned, chopped kale (I like the Trader Joe’s Tuscan kale)

Instructions

Spray a large skillet with coconut oil spray and set it to heat over medium heat. Add the mirepoix mix and the ground beef. Gently break up the ground beef and cook the mixture until the beef is no longer pink and the vegetables are softened.
Put the mixture into a colander and run warm water over it to remove the fat from the beef. Add this mixture to the slow cooker.
Add all the other ingredients except for the kale into the slow cooker and stir. Set to cook on low for 5-6 hours. If you are using kale (or other hearty greens, anything will do, really), add those about 45 minutes before you’re going to serve the chili.
Serve with toppings, if desired: diced avocado, grated cheese, sour cream/Greek yogurt, Tabasco sauce, etc. etc.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 225 Fat: 6 Carbohydrates: 16 Sodium: 300 Fiber: 3 Protein: 27

Print This!

Curried Crustless Quiche (Paleo, Gluten-Free and Dairy Free)

Sarah — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 11:00:02 +0000

Oh my darlings, this is a goodie. Make this, then let it cool for a few, then cut it into 8 slices. Throw it into the fridge and eat off it for days. If you’re nice, you’ll share with your family. If you’re a mean-meanie like me, you’ll know they won’t eat it because it contains a dreaded ingredient: mushrooms. So you can keep it all. for. yourself.

Save Print

Curried Crustless Quiche

Author: Inspired by Nom Nom Paleo

Serves: 8

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
coconut oil spray (Trader Joe’s has it!)
6 oz. portobello mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 bag organic broccoli slaw (again, Trader Joe’s!)
1 lb. of grass fed ground beef (get the leanest you can)
2 heaping T. of curry powder (more to taste. I LOVE curry, I probably put 4T in mine!)
6 large eggs
6 oz. egg whites
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375. Spray a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with coconut oil spray and set it aside.
Spray a 10-inch skillet (you KNOW I luv cast iron, right?) with coconut oil spray and heat it over medium heat. Add the onions and the ground beef and cook them together – breaking up the ground beef and sautéing the onions at the same time. Cook until the onions are translucent and the ground beef is no longer pink. Optional step: At this point you can skip to the next step, or you can dump your onion/beef mixture in a colander and rinse it with warm water to remove any extra fat. Wipe your skillet out and return the drained beef and onion mixture to the pan.
Over medium heat, add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook them down, stirring frequently. Then add the slaw and sauté until the slaw is softened. Add the curry powder, salt & pepper and taste to adjust your seasonings.
Whisk together the eggs and the egg whites. Place the beef mixture into the pie plate, then carefully pour the egg mixture over the top – it’ll fill the pie plate to the brim. If you like, place the pie plate on a foil-lined baking sheet before you put it in the oven, to catch any overflow.
Place in the oven and bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the top is slightly golden in color and the center of the quiche is firm.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 slice Calories: 174 Fat: 7 Saturated fat: 3 Carbohydrates: 7 Sugar: 3 Sodium: 131 Fiber: 2 Protein: 20 Cholesterol: 193

Print This!

A Delicious, Nutrient-Dense, Make-Ahead Snack: Spicy Tuna Cakes

Sarah — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 14:00:15 +0000

These little guys are delicious, nutritious, easy to whip up and will keep in your fridge for several days. I have eaten them for breakfast, post-workout and snacks! What are they? Spicy tuna cakes via Nom Nom Paleo’s new cookbook. Speaking of – have you visited the Nom Nom Paleo site? Michelle Tam’s recipes are fantastic! Many have an Asian element, all I’ve tried are fairly easy (and she gives you warning if they’re not, she’s a mother, she understands) and HIGH in flavor. I am addicted to her cauliflower rice, her Asian meatballs (always do mine with a combo of pork & beef) and her Slow Cooker Kalua Pig recipe is PHENOMENAL. The new cookbook was one of the first things on this year’s Christmas list!

If you are into macros, these have equal amounts of carbohydrate and protein (8 g. each for every 82 calorie cake) . . . making them a perfect post-workout snack to feed your muscles. I think these would work great with salmon, too, if you’re not a canned-tuna fan. In any case, these only take a few minutes to prep, about 20 minutes to bake, and will (hopefully) keep you snacking healthy through the holidays . . . .

Save Print

Spicy Tuna Cakes

Author: Inspired by Nom Nom Paleo

Ingredients

Coconut oil spray (or olive oil spray will do), for greasing the muffin tin
11 oz. canned albacore tuna packed in water, drained
3 scallions, thinly sliced (about ⅓ c.)
4 T finely minced fresh cilantro
1⅓ c. mashed sweet potatoes (I used a 15 oz. can of unsweetened sweet potato puree – find a brand with a BPA-free liner!)
2 large eggs
1 T minced jalapeño pepper
½ t. red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle position, and use the spray oil to grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
In a large bowl, gently mix together the tuna, scallions, cilantro, mashed sweet potato, eggs, jalapeño, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Scoop a quarter cup of the mixture into each greased muffin cup (a large cookie scoop works great for this), and flatten with the back of a spoon. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool.

Notes

They’re fantastic right out of the oven or cold from the fridge (would be great in a packed lunch!), but if you want to get fancy, you can also pan-fry them in some melted fat in a skillet over medium heat to crisp the edges and give ‘em some crunch.

Print This!

Fat-Loss Sausage

Sarah — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 18:13:30 +0000

What? This sausage will help you lose fat? Well, that’s not entirely true, but eating plenty of lean protein and limiting your fat intake is one of the ways to lose fat . . . remember, healthy foods aren’t necessarily fat-loss foods. Not that you’d think sausage is a health food. You wouldn’t think that, right? But if you know me off-blog, you know I love sausage. Even from those vendors outside sporting events, or on the streets of NYC. Yup, I’d go there. Spicy, juicy, greasy . . . all the way up to homemade, couture sausage in little restaurants where everything is locally sourced. Yes, I’ve dined along the whole sausage spectrum and enjoyed every lip-smackin’ minute.

But right now I’m trying to keep my physical gains and take them further, and sausage is not on the list of foods that’ll get me there. Until now.

Enter this recipe. I’m amazed at how sausagey and delicious it is. You can dial the red pepper up or down, depending on your spice preferences. You can brown the turkey & spices for a sausage crumble (how amazing would this be with refried beans & cheese, rolled up in a tortilla??), make it into little breakfast-sausage-sized patties, form it into burger-sized disks (this is what I did), make it into meatballs. Whatever. It’s damn good and is sure to satisfy a hankering for sausage, without blowing your plan. Enjoy!

Save Print

Fat-Loss Sausage

Author: Inspired by a recipe in Living Without Magazine

Ingredients

1 lb. ground turkey breast
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 heaping t. ground sage
¾ t. red pepper flakes (or to taste, this does give a kick)
½ t. celery salt
½ t. ground cumin
½ t. Kosher salt
½ t. freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Place all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Form into patties, meatballs, etc. or place in a skillet and break it apart to brown. Cook until no longer pink.

Notes

If you want to make little breakfast patties to have on hand, you can form them, place them raw on a cookie sheet, and freeze. Then transfer the frozen patties to a plastic freezer bag – voila! Remove however many you need the night before and defrost in the fridge.

Print This!

Lemon-Basil Zucchini Bake

Sarah — Sat, 20 Jul 2013 00:06:24 +0000

I’m here! Actually here. Cooking, enjoying summer, but not blogging. ‘Til tonight. A few folks have requested this recipe . . . so here we go. Got zucchini? This is a GREAT way to use it up, deliciously. It’s high-protein, low-carb and gluten-free. Eat up!

Save Print

Lemon-Basil Zucchini Bake

Author: Sarah @ Semi-Sweet

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 1 hour

Serves: 6

Ingredients

24 oz. Zucchini, raw, with skin, sliced into ⅛-in. rounds
¼ c. Crumbled Feta cheese
¼ c. Grated Parmesan cheese
2 c. Egg whites
1 c. Low-Fat cottage cheese
5 Large Eggs
1 Bunch lemon-basil, roughly chopped
1 T. Lemon zest
1 T. Freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Kosher salt

Instructions

Heat oven to 375F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Place the zucchini rounds in a colander and sprinkle liberally with Kosher salt. Let sit for 15 minutes while you prep the remainder of the recipe. (This will draw some of the moisture out of the zucchini). Rinse the rounds well and pat them dry with a paper towel. Set aside.
Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, whisking to combine.
Layer the zucchini rounds evenly in the bottom of the pan; pour the egg mixture over, making sure it’s evenly distributed.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until set and slightly golden-brown on top.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: ⅙th of recipe Calories: 197 Fat: 9 Saturated fat: 3 Trans fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 6 Sugar: 5 Sodium: 430 Fiber: 1 Protein: 23 Cholesterol: 188

Print This!

Lebanese Seven Spices Seasoning

Sarah — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:00:39 +0000

When you’re eating a lot of lean protein, keeping things interesting is a challenge. Since becoming the chicken breast whisperer, I’ve been on a quest to liven things up, without salt. Sometimes, it’s hard to stay inspired and interested.

Enter this spice blend – you can sprinkle a bit on your chicken breasts before searing, sprinkle a little over your ground turkey breast and onions . . . it’s great with ground lamb, beef, or even a new-to-me fav, buffalo (try making meatballs, or kofta). Think garlic, olive oil, onions and this . . . serve over rice with veg on the side and you have a quick and easy Middle Eastern meal.

Save Print

Lebanese Seven Spices Seasoning

Author: Sarah @ Semi-Sweet

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Ingredients

5 T. ground allspice
3.5 T. black pepper
3.5 T. ground cinnamon
5 T. ground cloves
4 T. ground nutmeg
4 T. ground fenugreek
4 T. ground ginger

Instructions

Mix all the spices thoroughly and store in an airtight container.

Notes

Yields approx. 7 oz. spice mix

I browned up a pound of ground turkey breast, added chopped onion and about a tablespoon of this blend . . . voila! A tasty lean protein source to have on hand for easy meals and snacks. 3-4 oz. of this and a non-starchy vegetable side will keep you full and satisfied for a few hours. Try this ground turkey mix atop mixed lettuces, add a chopped orange and a drizzle of pomegranate vinegar for a super-healthy, protein-packed meal (salads, not just for lunch or dinner anymore!).

Who said eating like a bodybuilder has to be boring?

Print This!