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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…No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake Parfait, my new go-to quick and easy summer treat! Perfect for a last minute dessert when there is no time for baking. They look elegant enough to serve to guests, but they are ridiculously easy. No bake desserts, like these no bake blueberry cheesecake bars, are a lifesaver in warm weather months.
We are watching what we eat, but I’m not about to deprive myself of a sweet treat. These no bake blueberry lemon cheesecake parfaits are low carb, lower in sugar and at only 2 ounces, they won’t sabotage your diet.
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…A coconut rum slush with fresh cherries is a delicious summertime adult drink. With only 3 ingredients, it is easy to make and takes about 5 minutes to blend together.
Slushies are basically a summer staple. Whether they are kid-friendly, or made for the 21+ crowd, they are a great way to stay cool in the blistering summer heat. This is one of the easiest drinks to make with coconut rum. This drink is one of our favorite summer sips.
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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.
…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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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.
If you make a purchase through one of the affiliate links, I make a few pennies at no extra cost to you. Questions? Please see disclosure for info.
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Thai turkey meatballs are an easy weeknight dinner. This 30 minute meal is just the slightest bit spicy and full of flavor. Tender, juicy turkey meatballs flavored with green curry, ginger and garlic served with peanut sauce for a delicious midweek meal. They are also really tasty on top of soba noodles with stir fried vegetables.
Ground turkey is a staple in our house, so these are always just 30 minutes away. This recipe is also perfect for meal-prepping, so make a double batch.
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This Instant Pot beef and beer chili recipe is one of our favorites. It’s a crowd pleaser for a reason and it just got even better. With the addition of a good dark beer, it’s magical. If you prefer to leave out the beer, don’t worry, it’ll still be delicious! It’s chili that tastes like it lazily simmered away half of the afternoon in 30 minutes.
We are big fans of chili in our house. This simple turkey chili is one we make at least a few times a year, along with this turkey pumpkin chili made in the slow cooker.
My original intention with this chili was bison instead of ground beef, however I didn’t embrace the idea of a $12 serving of chili. I’m used to paying a little more for food, but the price of bison has gone up quite a bit since the last time I purchased it. Once I regained my composure and wiped away my tears, I set off toward the ground beef.
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It’s winter and that means comfort food. But, we’re also trying to eat a little healthier. We’re making an effort to eat more vegetables because we want to get more bang for our buck in the nutrition department. This winter vegetable soup is nearly fat free, it’s low in calories and contains a ton of vitamins, minerals and fiber. 
Speaking of healthy comfort food, this vegan vegetable soup would be perfect for cold winter evenings. It doesn’t hurt that the broth is the color of sunshine; which is what we need on chilly, gray days.
This post is sponsored by Idaho® Potatoes. As always, all opinions are my own.
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