I know cheesecake is not one of the healthiest desserts to consume but to be honest, since I don’t eat full fat desserts too often I am ok with eating such desserts once in a while. I don’t get to over eat any type of food so when the time comes I like to enjoy and indulge.

I must say, this is by far one of the best cheesecakes I have made thus far. Granted I haven’t made a cheesecake in forever but the combo of the ricotta cheese and cream cheese was just sensational. It gave the cheesecake a very creamy consistency.

I don’t know, I think you just have to try it for yourself. I mean…look at the pictures, doesn’t this lemon cheesecake look the bomb? I promise, you won’t be disappointed, and yes it is the best cheesecake I have ever made.

One word of caution, do not try to use half fat or reduced fat cream cheese or ricotta cheese, the cheesecake will not turn out the same. For starters, it will crack on the top and the taste will not be the same so I suggest you just eat a smaller piece and call it a day.

I plan of making different versions of this lemon cheesecake. Now that I found my favorite batter for cheesecake the sky is the limit. Maybe a vanilla raspberry version would be just perfect.

On another note, sorry I haven’t been to active posting recipes in the blog. It turns out that I am on my third rotation of PA school, emergency medicine to be exact, which is actually one of the hardest rotations. I have been studying most of the time when I am not in the hospital to be able to pass my exam but the minute it is over in 2 weeks I should be up and running like normal.

Wish me luck!

Well, I leave you with this super awesome lemon cheesecake recipe that I hope you get to try soon. You are not going to be disappointed.

Enjoy!

Lemon Cheesecake

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

• 16 oz cream cheese, full fat
• 15 oz ricotta cheese, full fat
• 3/4 cup unrefined sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp arrowroot powder, or cornstarch

Base

• 1 tbs coconut oil, melted
• 4-5 oz Graham crackers, pulverized

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit.

On a removable 9 inch by 3 bottom cheesecake pan place the graham crackers and melted coconut oil (this is actually the cheesecake pan that I used) Combine the crackers and coconut oil to obtain a semi moist mixture and with your fingers spread it and cover the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

Combine cream cheese, ricotta cheese and sugar in a stand mixer. Add the eggs one at a time and combine in between adding each egg. Add arrowroot powder, and lemon juice. Combine. Do not over mix trying to make the batter smooth, this prevents cracking when baking.

Bake for 1h and 30 min, depending on the oven. I normally bake mine for about 1h and 40 minutes.

After turning off the oven leave the cheesecake inside for at least another  30-45 minutes to cool. Cool at room temperature and chill in fridge for at least 6-8 hours before serving. Best to chill over night.

Before taking the cake out of the baking pan, loosely run a sharp knife around the edges. Serve.

The post Lemon Cheesecake appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I love making quick, healthy pasta dishes that my kids enjoy. I figured, the lemon dill sauce will give the pasta a refreshing touch since it is really hot these days. It was just the perfect sauce for it also because the pasta absorbs some of the flavor and makes the recipe even more tasty.

One thing I love is that pasta recipes are very versatile. If you don’t like some of the veggies I used go ahead and use any of your choice. Anything goes.

This lemon dill pasta recipe will also keep well in the fridge so if you have left overs  like I did they will be great the next day.

For this recipe I used this new chickapea pasta that was nothing but sensational. This chickapea pasta is made with only 2 ingredients. Lentils and chickpeas, how awesome is that! Thus it is vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and suitable for everyone and anyone. The nutrition content is far more superior than regular pasta so from now on I think I will consuming it more often. Some key facts about this pasta:

• Nothing artificial. No added sugars. Only chickpeas & lentils.
• Chickapea Pasta contains 27 grams of protein and 13 grams of fiber per 3.5oz serving.
• It is gluten free, vegan, organic, kosher and non-GMO, making it a healthy addition to any meal.
• Chickapea Pasta tastes like pasta – the stuff you love and crave.

If you want to find out where to buy the chickpeas pasta make sure you visit this link to find out a source near you.

Enjoy!

Lemon dill pasta

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 16 oz chickapea and lentil pasta
• 9 oz shredded red coleslaw
• 8 oz fresh broccolini
• 16 oz cherry tomatoes
• 1 oz fresh dill, chopped
• 3 tsp olive oil

Sauce

• 1 cup half and half
• 2 tbs dijon mustard
• 4 lemons, juice
• 1/2 tsp celtic salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh crushed pepper

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to package instructions.

While the pasta cooks, in a small mixing bowl add the sauce ingredients and combine. Set aside.

In a large saute pan add the olive oil and tomatoes and cook for 3-5 minutes until they start to char. Set aside. Add the broccolini and coleslaw to the pan and saute for 3-5 minutes.

In a large bowl add the pasta, tomatoes, coleslaw mixture and sauce. Combine and serve immediately.

The post Lemon dill pasta appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I have grown up in Spain eating seafood.  One of my favorite things to eat while eating seafood has always been mussels. Mussels are very versatile and there are many ways in which you can prepared them. Often times I like to use them with pasta. This mussels Marinara recipe was easy and quick to put together. If you are like me and like healthy, comforting food you will love this recipe.

My kids have also grown eating seafood. When ever I prepare recipes with any type of seafood, especially mussels, they go crazy so I tend to double the batch when making such recipes so that we an enjoy it at least a couple of times.

People seem to think that cooking mussels is hard. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Once you place the mussels in the pan they take just about 5-8 minutes to cook. Steaming mussels is super quick once the steam environment is secured. They are tasty, healthy and something I like to even serve as an appetizer when ever we have company.

The mussels I always use are PEI mussels. These are processors based in the Province of Prince Edward Island who produce 80% of all the fresh mussels sold in North America! If you go to their website you will find tips on how to steam and cook mussels, how to choose mussels when buying and much more!

The Prince Edward Island aquaculture industry is known to be one of the most sustainable industries in the world. Specifically, PEI Mussel farming is a shining example of how nutritious and delicious food can be raised in a sustainable way.

PEI Mussels feed on natural food particles, which are present in the water column and do not require feed. They get all their nourishment naturally, from the pristine ocean waters that surround them while they grow.

If you are going to consume mussels, PEI mussels is the way to go.

There is also a context that will be running from (3/27 – 4/17).  One lucky voter will win a TRIP FOR 2 to PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND!

Prize Details: The Grand Prize Winner will receive a trip for 2 to Prince Edward Island, Canada. The Grand Prize includes:

• Flight for 2 up to $1,000 Cad each including tax
• 5 nights hotel up to $1,500 Cad
• Car rental up to $500 Cad
• $1000 cash Cad

How to Enter:

• During the Giveaway Period, enter the Giveaway by visiting 1 (one) of the 12 (twelve) Mussel Industry Council sponsored blog article URLs (the “Websites”) and following the embedded instructions.
• To enter the Giveaway, each entrant must vote by selecting their favorite #PEIMusselsOnTheMenu Recipe photo, and complete the entry by signing into the voting feature via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram on the entry submission form and agreeing to the Official Rules.

#PEIMusselsOnTheMenu

This is a pretty sweet context so let’s see who wins. You can visit this link for the Official Rules.

Good luck.

If you are like me and love to consume seafood, especially mussels, you will love this Mussels Marinara recipe. From start to finish it just takes about 20 minutes. Super easy, fast, tasty, and healthy. You can even make this recipe gluten free  by using gluten free pasta so make sure you use which ever pasta you like best. Anything goes.

Until my next recipe

Enjoy!

Mussels Marinara

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 20 minutes

Total Time: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 lb whole wheat spaghetti
• 1 (25.25 oz jar) marinara sauce
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bay leave
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 tsp celtic salt
• 3 lbs live mussels
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package instructions.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add garlic, bay leaf and crushed red pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the wine and boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Stir in the marinara sauce, salt and bring to a simmer.

Stir in the mussels, cover and cook until the mussels open, about 5 minutes; discard any mussels that do not open. Add the cooked pasta and combine.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately.

 

The post Mussels Marinara appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I am a huge fan of pasta recipes. Many people refrain from eating pasta because they are afraid that carbohydrates will make them fat. Carbohydrates always get a bad wrap and the reality is that carbohydrates should actually make up at least  55% of any regular diet. When eating good complex carbohydrates in place of simple carbohydrates as well as a variety of other foods there is nothing wrong with consuming them. So go ahead and it your pasta.

For this recipe you can use any type of pasta you like. You can even chose a gluten free variety, which I use often when making pasta recipes. Any type will work for this recipe so don’t be afraid to choose your favorite type.

To make this recipe I also use Bolthouse Farms Cilantro Avocado Yogurt Dressing. It is pretty much all I needed to use to give this recipe tons of flavor. My daughter actually loved it so much she had second servings.

I love the fact that this is a recipe that I can easily make with my kids. I have been introducing my kids to cooking lately. I try to use easy, simple recipes that they could tackle on their own so when I got to make this recipe they were more than happy to help. They are only 7 and 10 years old but I think this is the perfect time to get them involved so that they can acquire a few cooking skills.

If you are like me and have very little time to spend in the kitchen this recipe would be the perfect dinner recipe for you. This easy avocado shrimp pasta recipe literally takes just about 15 minutes to put together. If you like to get creative you can even add any other type of protein and sliced avocados, anything goes.

I hope you get to make this easy avocado shrimp pasta and like it as much as we did.

Enjoy!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bolthouse Farms. The opinions and text are all mine. The end!

Easy avocado shrimp pasta

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb whole wheat spaghetti
• 1 lb cooked shrimp, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cup Bolthouse Farms Cilantro Avocado Yogurt Dressing
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• Red pepper flakes, optional
• Chopped fresh cilantro, optional

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package instructions.

Transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Combine well making sure the pasta is coated with the dressing.

Serve with extra parmesan cheese and chopped cilantro if you like.

The post Easy avocado shrimp pasta appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I am not a big meat consumer but once in a while, since my family craves it, I try to incorporate it with pasta. I feel this is one of the best ways to do this. When ever I make sauces when making pasta I always make sure I use top quality ingredients.

This time around I used Mutti Parma Tomato sauce, “Passata” and finely chopped tomatoes, “Polpa”. Their products are top notch and their taste is superb. Their ingredient lists doesn’t include any type of artificial flavors or fillers. Just natural ingredients, which is right up my alley. In addition:

• • Mutti is Italy’s #1 canned tomato and all Mutti tomatoes are grown in Italy from the best producers/farmers.

• • Tomatoes are canned fresh to capture the most authentic color, flavor and aroma.

This spaghetti Bolognese recipe can also be done with turkey or chicken if you like. If you don’t like beef or prefer poultry instead you can make it that it that way. I have made it with poultry in the past and it works really well.

Another thing I have done before while making the same recipe is make a larger quantity for the sauce. Then what I do is freeze some batches so that I can have the same meal later on. This way the only thing I have to do is boil the pasta and have a meal done in about 10 minutes. Super convenient!

Well I hope you like this spaghetti Bolognese. Super easy to make, delicious and comforting.

Enjoy!

Spaghetti Bolognese

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb whole wheat spaghetti
• 3 tsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 16 oz ground beef
• 1 tbs dried oregano
• 14 oz can Mutti finely chopped tomatoes
• 24 oz Mutti tomato sauce
• 1 tsp celtic salt
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• Red pepper flakes, optional
• Chopped fresh basil

Directions:

Cook pasta to aldente stage and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a 12 inch nonstick pan. Add ground beef and onions and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes if using and cook the meat for about 5 minutes.

Add the white wine and cook until the wine is reduced, about 3-4 minutes. Add tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, salt and stir to combine.

Let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes or until the meat is cooked. Turn the heat off and add the grated parmesan cheese, chopped basil and served over the pasta.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Mutti. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Spaghetti Bolognese appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I have tried shrimp scampi before, however, never got a chance to make it until today. For my recipe I actually used a mixture of butter and extra virgin olive oil to make it a tad healthier. The recipe turned out superb and even leftovers were gone in no time.

October is National Seafood Month. I have always loved seafood since very little. I grew up in Spain eating the Mediterranean diet so seafood is a big part of it. From shrimp, mussels, tilapia, tuna, salmon, pollock etc you name it. I truly couldn’t live without seafood.

If you are like me and love seafood I invite you to visit dishonfish.com Here you will find tons of recipes using fish and seafood. Recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Fish is packed with protein, B vitamins and omega- 3’s so get creative or follow a recipe and start incorporating healthier protein into your diet.

Seafood, which includes fish and shellfish, received particular attention in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines because of evidence of health benefits for the general populations as well as for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. In the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans seafood has actually received the attention it deserves. The health benefits have been thoroughly outlined.

For the general population, consumption of about 8 ounces per week of a variety of seafood, is associated with reduced cardiac deaths among individuals with and without preexisting CVD. Similarly, consumption by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding of at least 8 ounces per week from seafood choices that are sources of DHA is associated with improved infant health outcomes.

I also have a few seafood recipes that you can find in this link to start experimenting. Instead of using meat and poultry switching to seafood would be an healthier option so give it a try. My kids love fish so I tried to have it at least twice a week. They rather have fish than meat anyways so that is better for me!

I encourage you to try this shrimp scampi pasta with sun dried tomatoes that you can make in just a matter of 15 minutes. It is extremely easy and the taste is just superb. My family enjoyed it and even asked for seconds. I wish I doubled the batch, next time I will.

I leave you with this amazing shrimp scampi pasta with sun dried tomatoes recipe that I hope you get to try soon.

Enjoy!

Shrimp scampi pasta with sun dried tomatoes

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 16 oz whole wheat spaghetti
• 16 oz shrimp
• 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 4 oz butter, cubed
• 3 oz sun dried tomatoes
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp celtic salt
• 1/2 tsp whole red dried chilis or pepper flakes
• Chopped parsley
• 4 cloves or garlic, chopped

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package instructions.

In a large skillet add the olive oil with the whole chilis and cook for 1 minute until the oil obtains some of the fragrance. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the shrimp and if the shrimp is already cooked just saute for another minute or so. If the shrimp is uncooked just cook further for another 3 minutes or until it is cooked. Add the sun dried tomatoes toss and turn the heat off. Add butter, grated cheese, salt and cooked pasta.

Toss and sprinkle the chopped parley. Serve immediately.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of National Fisheries Institute. The opinions and text are my own.

The post Shrimp scampi pasta with sun dried tomatoes appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.