A Life in Food by real-life Chef Cheryl Bennett
Apple cranberry chicken salad is full of crunchy apples and sweet tart dried cranberries. It makes a great lunch, perfect on a sandwich or on lettuce for a lower carb option.
This is the chicken salad for people who like tons of flavor and texture. It has plenty of crunch from celery and apples, pecan and almonds, and flavor from the scallions (green onions), parsley and dill.
The chicken is cooked in a slow cooker, so you can get on with your day.
…Honey Chipotle Salmon, ready in under 30 minutes! A little sweet, a little spicy and a LOT delicious! This sheet pan dinner is great for weeknights. One pan means quick and easy clean up. Bake as many pieces as needed, this recipe is easy to scale up or down to fit your family’s needs.
Weeknight recipes need to be quick, easy and fairly light on effort. This sheet pan salmon checks all of those boxes and is also a great meal for meal prepping.
I actually prefer cold salmon over warm, so I make a few extra pieces for tossing in salads during the week.
…Lamb meal prep meatballs made with feta, mint and dill have amazing flavor. Mediterranean recipes provide tasty, nutritious lunches or dinners to help you meet your goals. One of our favorite meal prep recipes are these Mediterranean chicken meal prep bowls.
Meal prepping is easy, once you establish a routine. Try something new for your meal prep lunches or dinners with juicy, flavorful lamb meatballs.
Whether you are trying to be more mindful of what you are eating or simply trying to pack delicious work week lunches, planning ahead is key.
…Israeli salad is the perfect summer bite. It takes the absolute best of summer’s bounty and combines it into a light and refreshing salad. It makes a great side or light lunch during the warmer months when we all crave tomato salads and lighter meals.
I first had this salad about 25 years ago. A friend introduced me to it and I fell in love instantly.
It is refreshing on a hot summer day and it’s also good for you! If you have a garden or you happen to have salad ingredients in your fridge, you likely have almost everything you need already.
…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.
…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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Sheet pan chicken and vegetables 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.
…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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Classic Chicken Noodle Soup is the epitome of the “cure all soup”. It is comforting and delicious, it reminds us of childhood, it is what we crave when we’re under the weather and knowing how to make a good pot of soup from scratch is a good skill to have in your arsenal. From easy lentil soup to langostino chowder, you’ll be able to create anything.
Once you master the basics of making a good pot of soup, it opens up infinite possibilities to all of the variations you can make.
Homemade chicken noodle soup isn’t exactly groundbreaking, earth-shattering, cutting-edge haute cuisine, but something everyone should have in their arsenal. When it’s good, it’s really good and it possesses inexplicable magic.
A good bowl of classic chicken noodle soup can make you feel so much better when you’re not feeling your best. It satisfies your soul and can warm you to the core on a bone-chilling day.
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Classic minestrone soup is a great weeknight meal. Rich tomatoey broth full of fresh vegetables, hearty white beans and pasta is topped with a sprinkling of fresh herbs to make this soup a nutritious and delicious dinner.
Minestrone is an easy soup recipe for dinner, it is full of nutrients and fiber and it’s always a crowd-pleaser, making it a great option for family dinners.
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