Meal Prep

Try this in your own favorite chili recipe, our Chili (page 190), or Eggplant Mexicana (page 244).

It won’t take you long to do the actual preparation for this aromatic bread. During its resting and baking times, you can take a walk, fix dinner, or just relax.

Use this spicy mix in Zesty Oven-Fried Potatoes (page 250) and any other recipes that call for Creole or Cajun seasoning blends.

Get back to basics, and take pleasure in baking your own nourishing bread.

Serve this delightful Indian-inspired raita (RI-tah) to cool down a spicy entrée or use it to top Wine-Poached Salmon (page 109).

Banana, cranberries, and orange zest give this bread a lively flavor that will get your day off to just the right start.

Because it doesn’t contain mayonnaise, this slaw is a good picnic dish. It keeps well in the refrigerator for several days, so you can make it in advance.

Lemon-scented muffins with plump blueberries really hit the spot for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

Assemble the ingredients for this oatmeal in the slow cooker before you go to sleep, and a heart-healthy breakfast reminiscent of apple pie will await you in the morning. Unless you have a large family, you’ll even have enough left over for another breakfast later in the week.

Adding fresh apple gives this gingerbread a deep sweetness.

For a flavor change, replace beef or chicken broth with this tasty, so-easy-to-make broth. If you have extra broth, see the Cook’s Tip on Freezing Broth (page 51).

Beef broth is good “as is” and for adding flavor to many dishes. Roasting the bones adds both flavor and color to the broth. Keep some broth in the freezer so you’ll have it whenever you need it (see Cook’s Tip on Freezing Broth, page 51).

With this big batch of broth, you’ll have plenty to serve as a first course and to freeze for later use in a variety of recipes. Save the cooked chicken for Chicken Salad (page 91) or Chicken, Barley, and Spinach Casserole (page 160).

Get hooked on this crunchy, low-salt snack mix and use it to replace high-sodium potato chips.

Lower in sodium than commercially baked chips, these crunchy snacks are very easy to make, especially if you have a mandolin or a food processor to slice the veggies quickly and uniformly.

Creamy texture, pretty green color, and assertive taste—this dip has it all!

For a double dose of spice, serve this “scent-sational” dip with crisp gingersnaps. The combination is perfect as a slightly sweet appetizer or a bite of quick dessert.

This vibrant green dip is perfect for serving with fresh vegetables. You can make it up to three days in advance and refrigerate it in an airtight container—the lime juice keeps the avocado from turning dark.

These smoky flavored olives are always the first thing to disappear off an antipasti platter or hors d’oeuvres spread. The brightness of the orange zest enhances the earthy flavors of the olives; you can use freshly squeezed orange juice if you don’t have zest. I love to serve these straight from the oven, still warm.