I think this is one of my favorite combos. Granted I have made quite a few pizza recipes before and I like pretty much all of them that I have made but this one was so different and tasty….truly a winner!!

I used to make my own pizza dough before but with the time constraints from being in school I tend to buy whole wheat pizza dough already made. It is actually not bad at all but I can’t wait when I have more time so that I can really spend more time in the kitchen and make my own.

On another note, I have just finished rotation number 4 of Physician Assistant school, which I am pretty proud of myself for. It is extremely hard for me because I have a family and my own business to take care off so trying to do everything all at once it is pretty stressful. I just can’t wait to be done with school….7 more months.

So this weekend, to celebrate finishing my 4 rotation I spent most of my time in the kitchen cooking up a storm, besides trying to catch up on working out too though. I have a few recipes that I have coming up that I can’t wait to share with you guys. Lots of salads and some healthy sweets.

Anyways, I hope you get to make this amazing whole wheat goat cheese fig arugula pizza recipe. The balsamic reduction I actually made myself this time. I couldn’t believe how easy it was so next time I make more I for sure will quadruple the batch.

Until my next recipe,

Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Goat cheese fig arugula pizza

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 whole wheat pizza dough, homemade is best
• 5 oz goat cheese
• 5 oz Asiago cheese, grated
• 10 oz fresh figs, cut in half
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3-4 oz fresh arugula
• Pinch of celtic salt
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar reduction
• Pepper flakes, optional

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.

To roll the pizza dough, sprinkle some flour on your work surface where you will roll out the pizza. With a rolling pin roll out the dough and transfer the rolled dough onto the pizza stone, or baking sheet previously lined with unbleached parchment paper or any other pizza baking tray you are using.

Spread the shredded Asiago cheese over the pizza dough followed by the goat cheese. Arrange the figs and sprinkle the salt and pepper flakes if using. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until golden.

Once the pizza is baked, arranged the arugula and drizzle the balsamic vinegar reduction over it. Serve immediately.

The post Whole Wheat Goat cheese fig arugula pizza appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

If you are press for time you can do what I have been doing lately which is to buy whole wheat pizza dough. After that, you will take even less time to prepare the pizza. As always, homemade is best, however, once in while is ok to use store bought dough, or at least it is for me.

Last week I was able to make another pizza that was a total success so for the weekend I wanted to make another one just slightly different. Because I love goat cheese, I mixed mozzarella and goat cheese, however, I have noticed that ricotta also works well.

Sometimes I order out but they are never the same so I try to make my own as much as possible. Even my kids like my pizzas better. Variations are endless but if you would like to have a few more ideas here is the link for my pizza recipes. I am sure you will find one that you like.

On another note, I have just started my clinical rotations at school and so far so good. If feels so good to put into place what I have learned for the past year, however, there is still much more to learn. I am just afraid of the end of rotation exam. All I have to do is study my behind off and I guess I will be fine.

Anyways, If you like pizza I am sure you will like this  caramelized mushrooms arugula pizza combination.

Enjoy!

Caramelized mushrooms arugula pizza

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 whole wheat pizza dough, homemade is best
• 5 oz goat cheese
• 16 oz mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1 lb mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3-4 oz fresh arugula
• Pinch of celtic salt
• Pepper flakes, optional

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.

In a non-stick pan, over high heat, add the olive oil and mushrooms. Cook for about 3-5 minutes or until caramelized. Set aside.

To roll the pizza dough, sprinkle some flour on your work surface where you will roll out the pizza. With a rolling pin roll out the dough and transfer the rolled dough onto the pizza stone, or baking sheet previously lined with unbleached parchment paper or any other pizza baking tray you are using.

Spread the shredded mozzarella cheese over the pizza dough followed by mushrooms and goat cheese. Sprinkle the salt and pepper flakes. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until golden.

Arranged the arugula over the pizza and serve immediately.

NOTE: I used a little bit of reduced balsamic vinegar for my pizza.

The post Caramelized mushrooms arugula pizza appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

Right now I am still in Spain. I have been here for a few days now and it feels great. I have come to visit family and friends as well as search for a piece of land. It is great to be back to the place where I grew up.

I am planning on building a house and be able to own little piece of Spain. At some point I would like to come back, who knows, so having something here will make it a lot easier. Anyways, I will probably let you know somewhere along the way how the construction is doing and update you on the process in case someone is interested in investing here. Prices are very friendly and the quality of life is something very different to the US.

Grass feed beef is really popular already since people are picking up on the nutritional benefits it offers compared to conventional beef. This in terms is also prompting people to start consuming grass feed dairy. A much better alternative especially for the little ones.

Onto the recipe now.

If you search in my blog, I have plenty of pizza recipes that I am sure you will like. I have some classic ones but also some unconventional combinations.

I used to make my own pizza dough but now I just buy whole wheat pizza dough since it is so cheap, good and saves a lot of time. You can still make your own pizza dough if you prefer though.

To make this variation just make sure that your frozen spinach is drained and thawed other wise your pizza will get really soggy and wet. As far as the cheese is concerned, you can add any type of cheese you like. I choose a mixture of mozzarella and goat cheese but anything goes.

I have also used fresh and frozen kale before in place of frozen spinach so add whatever veggies rocks your boat.

Anyways, I leave you with this amazing, tasty and easy whole wheat spinach goat cheese pizza that I hope you get to make. Let me know how you like it.

Enjoy!

Whole wheat spinach goat cheese pizza

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 whole wheat pizza dough, homemade is best
• 10 oz goat cheese
• 16 oz Mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1 lb frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• Pinch of celtic salt
• Pepper flakes, optional

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.

To roll the pizza dough, sprinkle some flour on your work surface where you will roll out the pizza. With a rolling pin roll out the dough and transfer the rolled dough onto the pizza stone, or baking sheet previously lined with unbleached parchment paper or any other pizza baking tray you are using.

Spread the shredded mozzarella cheese over the pizza dough followed by spinach and goat cheese. Sprinkle the salt and pepper flakes. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until golden.

Serve immediately.

The post Whole wheat spinach goat cheese pizza 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.