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This recipe is sponsored by the American Heart Association the opinions and text are all mine. The end.

February is #HeartMonth and what better way than to start a healthier lifestyle and create healthy habits that work best for you by learning how to cook easy healthy recipes. Cooking meals at home is an important component when adopting a healthier lifestyle. This Chicken Stir-Fry with Snow Peas and Mixed Bell Peppers recipe is a great example that healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring or complicated.

Deciding to start a healthier lifestyle can be daunting Having the right mind set is everything, however not having the right tools can make it complicated. 

@american_heart wants to help you create healthy habits that work best for your life, to give you the best chance at life during #HeartMonth. You can visit this link to help you navigate tools and “Reclaim your Rhythm” by making one simple change, to live a longer, healthier, fuller life.

• Feed Your Soul, Rock Your Recipe https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/

Now more than ever it is very important to maximize your health. Healthy foods to keep in mind are vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, healthy fats, and omega-3 fatty acids. Unhealthy foods to avoid are red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, trans fat, and sodium. 

When adopting a healthier lifestyle, you can start with small steps at first. Rather than changing everything at once, try to make small changes and switch bad lifestyle create healthier habits one at a time. Something as simple as starting to cook your own meals can greatly make a big impact . Cooking meals yourself helps you control what is in your food.Also, exercising whenever possible, walking, running, swimming, biking, will help your heart health. When it comes to hydrating yourself,water is the best choice. In addition, getting enough rest and sleep can also improve the new you. 

 “Reclaim Your Rhythm” and start the new you!

Enjoy!

Chicken Stir-Fry with Snow Peas and Mixed Bell Peppers

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons plain rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce (lowest sodium available)
• 1 teaspoon grated peeled gingerroot
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Cooking spray
• 2 cups fresh or frozen snow peas or sugar snap peas, trimmed if fresh or thawed if frozen
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium orange bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 2 teaspoons canola or corn oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, all visible fat discarded, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 tsp sesame seeds, optional

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together the broth, water, corn starch, vinegar, soy sauce, gingerroot, and pepper. Set aside.

Lightly spray a large skillet or wok with cooking spray. Over medium-high heat add the chicken and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the bell peppers and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add the snow peas, green onions, and cook further for 1 more minute, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the broth mixture. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 1 minute, stirring occasionally or until thickened. If using sprinkle the sesame seeds. Serve over rice or as is.

The post Chicken Stir-Fry with Snow Peas and Mixed Bell Peppers appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

Have you thought about your Thanksgiving recipes yet? This orange balsamic chicken is what I will be serving family and friends for the main dish. If you’re hosting guests, it can also be served as a meal ahead of the holiday or after, if you’re ready for something other than turkey!  For a protein option, I always use chicken instead of turkey. However, you can still make this recipe with turkey. We just enjoy chicken better!

The acidity of the marinade in this recipe allows the chicken to get tender and juicy, so once baked you will not have dried chicken. The end result is a flavorful, tasty, juicy chicken recipe!

The marinade is key in this recipe. It’s a combination of orange juice, balsamic vinegar and spices. The cinnamon and nutmeg bring a subtle flavor that is indicative of the holidays. The perfect flavor combination!

When you use orange juice in this recipe, opt for Florida’s Natural® Brand Orange Juice which is made from one simple ingredient — Florida oranges. And only Florida oranges. No water, sugar or preservatives are added.

• Florida’s Natural orange juice comes from pure Florida oranges. There are no artificial flavors or ingredients.
• Florida’s Natural doesn’t fuss with their growers’ oranges — they’re simply squeezed, gently pasteurized and poured into cartons that ensure a straight-from-the-grove taste that my family loves.

Serving this orange balsamic chicken can be done with any veggies of your choice. I opted for brussels sprouts, since they are in season, and potatoes, but any baked vegetables will do. Other popular options if you prefer, are green beans and mashed potatoes.

I hope you get to try this orange balsamic chicken recipe. The orange juice and balsamic vinegar mixture together with the spices gives this recipe the perfect flavor combination for the upcoming holidays. It is a very simple, yet delicious recipe that I am sure your friends and family will love.

Enjoy!

Orange balsamic chicken

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 2-3 hrs

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 4 hours

Ingredients:

 

• 3 lbs. chicken wings and thighs, trimmed of excess fat
• 1 lb vegetables of choice, quartered
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

For the marinade

• 1 cup Florida's Natural orange juice
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• ½ tsp Celtic salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg

Directions:

Place the chicken pieces in a large dish.

Whisk together all of the ingredients in the marinade. Place the chicken in a large dish, pour marinade over the chicken and mix. Place in the refrigerator and let sit for 2-3 hours, tossing every 30 minutes. Save the marinade.

After marinating, place the chicken pieces, skin side up, on a baking dish and arrange vegetables around the chicken. Bake in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for about 50-60 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken pieces. After the first 25 minutes of roasting time, you can begin to brush the chicken with the leftover marinade every 10 minutes or so. I did about three times to keep the chicken moist and flavorful.

After the chicken and vegetables are baked, sprinkle chopped parsley over the top and serve while warm.

The post Orange balsamic chicken appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

The holidays are just around the corner. For me, it is a tradition every year to prepare a Christmas menu in advance. For the 2018 menu, I am choosing this baked orange rosemary chicken as the main dish for the holiday dinner. To be honest, I can’t wait to prepare this recipe for my family gathering.

The perfect thing about this baked orange rosemary chicken recipe is that not only it is easy to make but it is the perfect protein dish to pair with any type of grain or vegetable.

For me, I have decided to serve this with quinoa as well as baked potatoes and green beans. The gravy that comes out from this recipe after baking is just out of this world so I think the quinoa, potatoes and green beans will be perfect.

For the delicious taste of orange in this recipe, I used Florida’s Natural^® Brand Orange Juice which is simply the best orange juice you can use for the this dish.

Florida’s Natural^® Brand Orange Juice is made from one simple ingredient — Florida oranges. And only Florida oranges. No water, sugar or preservatives are added. This orange juice comes from pure Florida oranges. There are no artificial flavors or ingredients. Florida’s Natural^® Brand Orange Juice is made entirely in Florida, using the citrus that their growers produce.

Cooking at home allows you to be able to choose the best quality ingredients when making recipes. I think this is also very important when wanting to obtain an exceptional dish. It is something that I take very seriously because I always want to end up with the best possible version to whatever it is that I am cooking or baking at home.

In my experience, chicken turns out with a much better flavor when marinated. It is always juicer and more tender. I don’t know what it is about marinating chicken but my family and I prefer how it turns out, especially when baking it.

I think this recipe is going to be a total success with my family members. The orange, rosemary and garlic flavors go really well together so I was extremely pleased with the end result.

Anyways, I hope you get to try this amazing baked orange rosemary chicken. It is the perfect main recipe dish to serve family and friends over the holidays.

Enjoy!

Baked orange rosemary chicken

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 whole chicken breasts, bone-in
• 4-6 chicken thighs
• 4-6 drum sticks

Sauce

• 1 cup Florida's Natural^® Brand Orange Juice (I used the No Pulp variety)
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 oz fresh dried rosemary
• 6 cloves of garlic, chopped, more if you like
• 2 tbsp unrefined sugar
• 1 tsp arrowroot powder, or cornstarch

Directions:

In a medium mixing bowl add the sauce ingredients and combine. Set aside.

Place the chicken in a large dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken and cover the dish. Refrigerate overnight or at least 6-8 hrs. Rotating the chicken partway through marinating ensures an even marinade.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Place the chicken in one layer, skin side up on a baking dish or large cast iron pan. Roast the chicken for 40 minutes, basting the chicken with leftover marinade while it cooks. The chicken is done when it reaches 165 degrees in the thickest part or when the chicken is lightly browned. Baking times will vary depending on how thick the breasts and chicken pieces are.

Remove chicken from the oven and serve immediately with roasted vegetables, rice, quinoa or with whatever you like.

The post Baked orange rosemary chicken appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

Korean food is something that I have been eating lately. I have visited a few restaurants in my area and tried a few awesome Korean recipes. I really like their flavors so I thought it was time for me to experiment and try out my own takes. Today I made this Korean beef with vegetables that was plain sensational. So easy and so tasty.

For those that have been following me for a while know that I always go for quick, easy and healthy recipes. When it comes to adding protein to my recipes I always add the best quality possible and grass fed beef is what I always good for when consuming beef.

Lucky for us, Walmart is committed to providing more locally grown produce and better quality meat to its customers, thus they are offering a great selection of high-quality products like Grass Fed Organic ground beef, which is leaner, with no added hormones or antibiotics.

When you want meat, poultry or seafood to feed your family, you can count on Walmart for a great selection of high-quality products at affordable prices. When you do your family’s shopping, don’t forget to check out the fresh meat at your local Walmart store. Their fresh meat will satisfy even the most discriminating tastes, delivering a tender, juicy and flavorful experience.

For this Korean beef with vegetables recipe you can add other vegetables of your choice. You can add, mushrooms, onions, eggplant…whatever veggies you like most. The recipe is very versatile so you can count on making your own variations.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it literally takes about 15-20 minutes to make. My family was over the moon eating this for dinner the other night. It is really flavorful, satisfying and good for you.

I hope you get to try this Korean beef with vegetables. You are not going to be disappointed with this recipe.

Enjoy!

This post has been sponsored by Walmart®. I received product and compensation. All opinions are my own. “Thank you for continuing to support the brands that make Eat Good 4 Life possible”

https://youtu.be/W9pjn3oYE6E

Korean beef with vegetables

Miryam's Original recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Sauce

• 3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 brown sugar
• 1/4 cup Korean chili paste, Gochujang
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/3 cup water

Stir-fry

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb ground grass fed beef
• 5 oz grated carrots
• 2 red bell pepper sliced thin
• 12 oz fresh spinach
• 1 lb udon noodles
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• Fresh cilantro chopped

Directions:

In a bowl whisk together sauce ingredients. Set aside.

Cook noodles according to package directions.

Heat a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add olive oil, once hot add ground beef and toss for about 2 minutes. Add in the carrots, red pepper to the pan. Stir-fry the veggies and beef until veggies are just tender, about 2 more minutes. Add the sauce and cook, stirring occasionally until the sauce has coated the veggies and sauce has thickened slightly. Add the noodles and coat with the sauce.

Add the spinach and stir. Sprinkle the sesame seeds and cilantro. Remove pan from the heat and serve.

The post Korean beef with vegetables appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

It’s been ages since I’ve made a sandwich as awesome tasting as this one. I used NEW Heinz Mayonnaise which really brought the flavors to life! This past weekend I had the honor and pleasure of attending Vegas Uncork’d with Heinz® which is where I first tried this pastrami watercress tomato sandwich. The event was crazy busy, exciting, exhilarating and a lot of fun. There were dozens of booths where celebrity chefs and amazing restaurants offered their recipe creations to the public. It was truly a fine dining experience.

Vegas Uncork’d was the perfect event to showcase and taste NEW Heinz Mayonnaise. For those that don’t know, NEW Heinz Mayonnaise is made with high quality ingredients like 100% cage free eggs, lemon juice and hand-selected vinegars and oil. You can really taste the subtle tanginess that comes from the lemon which is one of my favorite differences. The great taste and deliciously creamy texture make Heinz Mayonnaise the perfect condiment to upgrade any homemade sandwich.

All sandwiches at the Vegas Uncork’d Heinz Deli were custom created for Heinz by chefs from some of the best sandwich shops around the country. Each sandwich was very unique, delicious and tasted out of this world.

Here is the spicy grilled chicken sandwich by Cutty’s in Boston. It was made with marinated skinless chicken breast, petite arugula and Heinz Mayonnaise on soft baguette. It was simple, yet delicious.

I always think using high quality ingredients brings out the best in any recipe.

The next one was the PLTM by Fred’s Meat & Bread, Atlanta. It was made with pastrami, watercress, heirloom tomato and Heinz Mayonnaise on rye bread.

This was my own favorite. I love pastrami and the mixture with the tomato and mayonnaise I always thought to be a winner. It was juicy, creamy, tasty and very unique.

The Mean Dip by Mean Sandwich, Seattle was made with roast beef, sauteed mushrooms and Heinz Mayonnaise on homemade pretzel bread. I think this was one of the all-time favorites among events goers.

Here you can see a glimpse of the Heinz Deli at Vegas Uncork’d. It was truly and awesome set up and even though you can catch a little site of the sandwiches served at the event. They literally were flying off the shelf. I wonder why…

Out of the sandwiches presented at the Heinz Deli, for me, the pastrami watercress tomato & mayonnaise sandwich was one of my favorites, thus, I decided to recreate this one.

When it came time to get busy in my kitchen I was glad I made a few more sandwiches than needed since everyone in my family came back for seconds. For my pastrami watercress tomato sandwich version I used a different type of bread and tomatoes. The original recipe calls for rye bread and heirloom tomatoes, however, I used a multigrain sliced bread and red tomatoes. The flavors were still consistent with what I remember tasting at Vegas Uncork’d. This is the beauty about recreating recipes, as long as you keep the main ingredients consistent with the original recipe, you will always have a very similar result.

I think in the next few days I will be trying the spicy grilled chicken sandwich and I will also be creating my own sandwich variations with the Heinz Mayonnaise. It is truly a new and improved mayonnaise that my family really enjoyed. If you are looking for a mayonnaise that will bring your sandwiches to the next level you must try NEW Heinz Mayonnaise – you are not going to be disappointed.

Enjoy!

pastrami watercress tomato sandwich

Yield: 4 sandwiches

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 oz uncured pastrami
• Rye bread (or any other bread of choice)
• 4 heirloom tomatoes, red tomatoes will also work
• 2 oz fresh watercress, any other greens will also work
• 8 tbs New Heinz Mayonnaise

Directions:

Regardless on the bread you are using spread one tablespoon of New Heinz Mayonnaise on each slide of bread. (You will need  slices of bread for 4 people)

Top 4 slices of bread with layers of pastrami, tomatoes, and watercress. Place the other piece of bread previously spread with mayonnaise over the pastrami, tomatoes and watercress.

Serve immediately with any sides of your choice.

The post Pastrami, Watercress, Tomato and Heinz Mayonnaise Sandwich appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I have seen several versions of this recipe so I just kept it simple, added a little twist and used whatever veggies I had on had. I love the fact that you can use any type of vegetables you like so swapping for your own favorite ones will work just fine.

On another note, I have been a bit exhausted lately driving back and forth to my rotation site, studying and trying to maintain the blog. All I want to do is relax in the couch, cook and bake without having the stressor of having to take pictures and make the food look pretty, and be with the kids. Soon I will be have more time…

Yesterday, for some reason, I felt like eating cheesecake so I went to the store and gather a few ingredients to make one. I ended up making a lemon cheesecake that turned out spectacular. Unfortunately, I didn’t document the recipe from start to finish but in the near future I will make another one so I can actually add the recipe to the blog.

I think it was by far one of the best cheesecakes I have ever made so I hope the results get duplicated exactly on my next try.

I have about 9 1/2 months to be done with my Physician Assistant studies. I truly can’t wait for that day to come fast enough. I am tired to have to study 24/7 and have to deal with the pressures of everything else.

Anyways, there is not much to elaborate on this baked balsamic chicken recipe. It is extremely easy, versatile and super tasty. If you get to make it I am sure you will be very pleased.

Enjoy!

Baked balsamic chicken

Yield: 8 servings

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

 

• 2 lb breast chicken tenders
• 2 red peppers, cut into large chunks
• 2 yellow peppers, cut into large chunks
• 2 red onions, cut into large chunks
• 8 oz fresh broccoli florets
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 oz fresh rosemary
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp celtic salt

 

Directions:

 

Combine all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Let the ingredients marinate in the bowl for 30 minutes to 1 hour turning around 2-3 times.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Spread the chicken and veggies in several baking trays.

Bake about 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are roasted.

Serve immediately.

 

The post Baked balsamic chicken appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.