A Life in Food by real-life Chef Cheryl Bennett
This colorful Beet Salad Recipe will quickly become one of your new favorite salads. Spiralized beets, apples and carrots on a bed on baby spinach, lightly dressed with a tangy vinaigrette. I’ve added a sprinkle of roasted pepitas for crunch and a handful of crumbled feta for extra deliciousness.
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…This easy recipe for zucchini fritters is a perfect low calorie side. They are quick and easy, plus they are great for making ahead. Veggie cakes of any kind make a tasty light lunch and it is a delicious way to get more vegetables into your diet.
Top with an egg for a nutritious and filling breakfast, serve as a side with your favorite chicken recipe or these Baked Chicken Meatballs. They are just the right size for little hands and for tucking into lunchboxes.
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…This Bourbon Blueberry BBQ sauce will soon be your go-to for ribs. The sweet jamminess of the blueberries, the smokiness of the bourbon and the heat from the peppers come together to make this bbq sauce out of this world. Blueberries and bourbon, like my blueberry bourbon jam recipe, are a match made in heaven.
Bourbon BBQ sauce with the sweetness of blueberries pairs well with any kind of pork, especially ribs. It also goes really well with chicken thighs.
…Black and Blueberry Freezer Jam is quick, easy and delicious. It is a great recipe for those new to canning, as it doesn’t require much fussing about. For a quick tutorial on traditional jam, check out my strawberry key lime jam recipe.
I like the simplicity of freezer jam because you still get all the flavor of summer fruit, but it is quicker and easier than sealing everything in a water bath.
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…Quinoa Salad with black beans, mango and lime is one of my summertime go to recipes. It is light and refreshing on a hot day and lasts for days in the refrigerator so I can eat it all week long for lunch. Gluten-free quinoa salads like this Mediterranean quinoa are perfect for meal prepping.
This delicious side is not only gluten-free, it is also vegan. It is dressed with a light vinaigrette, which makes it perfect for taking to the park or the beach for picnics or bringing to backyard cookouts.
Quinoa and black beans are tossed with vegetables and herbs for a light and delicious summer salad.
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Chicken fajita bowl for lunch? Don’t mind if I do! This delicious, low carb salad will have you looking forward to lunch again. A bit of light chopping and grilling makes this meal feel like you had lunch at your favorite Tex-Mex place, but with half the calorie count. Like these Mediterranean chicken meal prep bowls, healthy eating doesn’t have to be bland or boring.
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Bulgur wheat salad with chickpeas, red onion and pine nuts is packed with flavor. It’s also fast and easy, making it a hit for weeknight dinners. This tasty side dish is ready in less than 30 minutes.
Chewy, roasted chickpeas and toasted pine nuts are tossed with bulgur or cracked wheat, sauteed with sweet red onions and finished with fresh herbs.
This vegan side dish, or meatless main, uses pantry items like canned chickpeas to make this a quick and easy dish. It is also a great option for meal-prepping, as it will keep in the fridge for days.
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Roasted chicken and vegetables sheet pan supper cooks together on one pan for a super easy dinner with minimal cleanup. Meals like this are a lifesaver during hectic evenings when you need to get dinner on the table without a lot of effort.Plus, one pan meals are a great way to use up what you already have.
Also known as “clean out the fridge dinners” around here. Onions, potatoes and tomatoes are usually on hand, so you are halfway there. If you have a bell pepper sitting in the fridge, or a few carrots that are starting to look like they’ve seen better days, don’t waste them.
All of those miscellaneous bits of veggies can be chopped up and used for this simple pan roasted chicken and vegetables.
If you don’t eat meat, or if it’s a “meatless Monday”, you’re done. Otherwise, a couple of chicken breasts thrown on with the veggies and some seasoning makes this a slam dunk in record time.
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Blueberry bundt cake is the kind of cake I serve guests. It’s easy, delicious and not fussy at all. It is perfect for beginner bakers as well as more experienced bakers. Buttermilk bundt cakes, like this one and also this chocolate bundt have great flavor.
Making a cake from scratch is barely more work than making it from a box and you will be rewarded with something so good, you’ll be glad you put in the extra few minutes of time. The glaze is made with three ingredients and takes less than a minute to make.
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Banana pancakes make the best weekend breakfast. These easy pancakes use basic ingredients you already have in your pantry. Mashed banana give the pancakes a hint of banana flavor, without being overwhelming. If you have an abundance of overripe bananas, try these banana muffins with cinnamon streusel.
Topped with a pat of butter, maple syrup and a few slices of fresh bananas, these pancakes are our absolute favorite weekend indulgence.
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