High-Protein Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Cups

by Sally Rychlak

I had a package of gluten-free graham crackers in my pantry that was rapidly approaching the end of its honorable life, which is really the entire reason these cheesecakes exist.

I didn't want to throw them away, but I also wasn't particularly interested in just eating a sleeve of graham crackers. Cheesecake felt like the better option.

I crushed the graham crackers with a rolling pin, mixed them with a little melted butter and pressed everything into parchment-lined muffin tins. From there, I wanted to see if I could make a higher-protein cheesecake filling without turning it into one of those desserts that tastes aggressively healthy.

The filling is incredibly simple: cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, an egg and vanilla protein powder. I blended everything with my immersion blender until completely smooth.

My first taste of the filling, though, was very... dairy. That's the only way I know how to describe it. It was just a lot happening at once until I brought in the lemon. The zest of an entire lemon completely changed it. It brightened everything up and made it taste much more like an actual cheesecake filling. I wouldn't skip it.

At the last minute, I pulled some wild blueberries out of the freezer, scattered them over the tops and swirled them into the filling. And thus, the pantry clean-out cheesecake became blueberry lemon cheesecake.

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These are baked individually in a muffin tin, which makes them easy to portion and honestly a lot less intimidating than making an entire cheesecake. Let them chill completely before eating them. Straight out of the oven they're good, but cold from the refrigerator is when the texture becomes reminiscent of cheesecake.

They're gluten free if you use gluten-free graham crackers, higher in protein thanks to the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt and protein powder, and just sweet enough to still feel like dessert.

All because I refused to let a package of graham crackers go to waste.

Lean Bison Burgers - a Healthy Twist on Burger Night

by Sally Rychlak

Lean and Indulgent Burger Night

Bison burgers are one of my favorite ways to switch things up when I’m tired of ground turkey or chicken but still want a dinner that feels healthy and protein-forward.

Bison is naturally very lean, especially compared with most traditional ground beef blends, while still giving you that rich, satisfying burger flavor. It’s also a great source of protein, iron, vitamin B12 and zinc. Basically, it feels a little more substantial than my usual weeknight proteins without actually being a particularly heavy meal.

The only downside to lean bison is that it’s easy to overcook since there simply isn’t a ton of fat there to save you. The solution is not to add a bunch of ingredients or turn your burger into meatloaf. Keep it simple, handle the meat gently and pay attention while it cooks. This is where my handy dandy meat thermometer reminds me that its my favorite kitchen tool.

avocado oil gives the burgers a beautiful brown exterior

I add Dijon, Worcestershire, garlic powder and onion powder for flavor and a little extra moisture. You also do not need an egg. Ground bison will hold together perfectly well on its own, and I prefer the texture without one.

these hold together so well

I usually make these in a cast iron skillet, but they’re equally easy to throw on the grill.

What to Serve with Bison Burgers

You can obviously go the classic burger route with a gluten-free bun, lettuce, tomato, pickles and whatever cheese you like. For a lighter weeknight dinner, I love turning this into a burger bowl with arugula or mixed greens, tomatoes, red onion, pickles and avocado.

Sweet potato fries or roasted sweet potato wedges are an easy side and make the whole thing feel like burger night without being particularly heavy. It’s simple, high protein and an easy way to work a different lean protein into the week.

I opted for a lettuce wrapped burger

If I’m making bison burgers, I’m not going to pretend a side salad is always what I want with them. Sometimes you want burger sauce and fries.

In-N-Out style sauce with caramelized onions

I make a quick In-N-Out-inspired sauce with Greek yogurt, ketchup, pickle relish, Dijon and a few seasonings. It gives you that creamy, tangy burger sauce situation without needing much mayo, although you can absolutely do half Greek yogurt and half mayo if you want something closer to the real thing.

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I’m still learning the science of perfectly caramelizing onions, but I try, and even my less-than-perfect batches are a very good addition to burgers, especially on an In-N-Out-style burger night. In addition to onions, I include tomato, pickles, red onion, lettuce, and even avocado on my bun. See how I Build-A-Burger:

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  Toasted Wheat Brioche Bun

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  Bison Patty + Reduced Fat Cheese

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  Caramelized Onion

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  Burger Sauce

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  Dill Pickles

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  Red Onion

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  Tomato

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  Butter Lettuce

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  Avocado

As for the fries, keep this as simple or as involved as you want. Frozen fries are perfectly fine, and cutting a potato into wedges with a little avocado oil and salt is hardly difficult.

That said, I recently acquired a waffle fry cutter, and I find the process of cutting my own waffle fries to be wildly entertaining. You simply make one cut, rotate the potato 90 degrees, make another cut and repeat. Somehow this creates actual waffle fries and is significantly more satisfying than it has any right to be.

waffle fries after their cold plunge

After giving them an ice bath to release the starches, I toss them with a little avocado oil and salt, then air fry at 400°F until golden and crispy, about 15 to 20 minutes depending on thickness. Shake or flip them a few times while they cook.

Between the lean bison, a lighter homemade burger sauce and an appropriately reasonable pile of waffle fries, this is my version of a healthier burger night that still very much feels like burger night.

Whole Wheat Brioche Bun (not GF) from Whole Foods was a big hit according to my sources

Baked Pesto Salmon with Blistered Tomatoes

by Sally Rychlak

easy but elevated weeknight salmon dinner

There are very few circumstances in which I am going to complain about a dinner that requires one pan and about 20 minutes. This baked pesto salmon with blistered tomatoes is exactly that. Salmon, pesto, tomatoes, lemon. Put everything in the oven and dinner is essentially handled.

I make salmon pretty regularly, and pesto is one of the easiest ways to change it up without actually creating more work for yourself. It gives the salmon plenty of flavor, keeps the top from drying out in the oven, and requires no marinade or advance planning.

And yes, you can absolutely use pesto from a jar.

salmon baked in so much flavor

Jarred Pesto vs. Homemade Pesto

I love making pesto when I have a ridiculous amount of fresh basil that needs to be used, but I am equally happy opening a jar on a weeknight. This is not a recipe where homemade pesto is required for success.

If you're buying it, look for a pesto with a relatively simple ingredient list and use whatever brand you already like. If you're making it yourself, you can also make pesto a little lighter without ruining the entire point of pesto.

Traditional pesto gets a lot of its richness from olive oil, Parmesan and pine nuts. All good things, but you don't necessarily need quite as much oil as many recipes call for. I use plenty of fresh basil, a smaller amount of olive oil and then loosen everything with lemon juice and a little water. A spoonful or two of Greek yogurt also makes it creamy while adding some protein.

It is not traditional Genovese pesto. I am not claiming that it is. It is, however, very good on salmon.

Don't Overcook Your Salmon

My meat thermometer makes another appearance here. Salmon can go from perfectly cooked to dry surprisingly quickly, especially when you're working with individual fillets. Cooking time will depend heavily on how thick your pieces are, so I start checking before I think they're done.

For food safety, the USDA recommends cooking fish to an internal temperature of 145°F, which is when I usually pull it.

quinoa or rice is my favorite side for salmon

The Blistered Tomatoes Are Worth It

The tomatoes aren't just there because they look nice next to green pesto, although they certainly do their part. At 425°F, cherry tomatoes start to soften, burst and release their juices onto the pan. Those juices mix with the pesto, lemon and salmon and essentially create their own sauce without requiring you to make one.

If my salmon is ready before the tomatoes have enough color, I remove the salmon and give the tomatoes another couple of minutes under the broiler.

the juiciest blistered tomatoes

What to Serve with Pesto Salmon

This works with almost anything you would normally serve alongside salmon. I particularly like it with roasted vegetables, asparagus, a simple arugula salad, quinoa or rice.

And if there is leftover salmon, don't overthink lunch the next day. Flake it over greens with the leftover blistered tomatoes and call it a salad.

Easy, healthy, very little cleanup. Exactly the amount of effort I want from a weeknight salmon recipe.

one pager recipe for baked pesto salmon