A few times a month I like to try new recipes and food items. This month I wanted to make this avocado egg salad sandwich and be able to try it with this new bread I saw at my local supermarket. Given the fact that it is suppose to be higher in calcium and vitamin D, which I am low on, I figured, why not?

The bread was free of high fructose corn syrup and trans fats, which are ingredients I do not eat. After making my recipe I was very please with the results. The mixture of ingredients was superb and the bread itself was very tender and soft.

The best part is that Sara Lee’ Soft & Smooth White made with Whole Grain Bread  delivers an excellent level of calcium—25% daily value—in just two slices.

For someone like me, this is quite important. I am one of those people that always visits their primary physician every year. Being a clinical dietitian and physician assistant student, I always have to keep my health in check.

Anyways, every single year my labs are always remarkable except my Vitamin D and sometimes my calcium which are normally low. I don’t know why that is. However, knowing that there are certain items at the store I can purchase that will help me bring my values up is something that I will for sure try.

Also, when you have a child who doesn’t like or can’t tolerate milk, calcium-fortified baked goods can be a lifesaver. It’s important to build healthy and strong bones during childhood—and maintain them into adulthood—and consuming recommended amounts of calcium is key to doing so.

I have found that there are certain packaged goods, like the bread you’d buy at the grocery store that are calcium fortified. You will also be able to find baked goods like bread, flatbread, muffins, buns, rolls, etc. that are also calcium fortified. Venturing to your local  grocery store to find these items at the bakery isle can be fun and also beneficial to your health.

According to the FDA, a product with 10% of the daily value of calcium per serving is considered to be a “good source of calcium”.

If you are one of those people that also like to eat out, you will find that Subway’s sub bread contains the same amount of calcium as a glass of milk in just a 6″ piece of bread, and is fortified with vitamin D.

Well I hope you find a good source of calcium with the type of bread you will find to make this avocado egg salad sandwich.  I am sure you will be pleased with the taste and simplicity of it.

Enjoy!

Avocado egg salad sandwich

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs
• 2 tbs mayonaise
• 1/4 tsp celtic salt
• 1/4 tsp crushed black pepper
• 4 oz alfalfa sprouts
• 2 avocados, peeled and sliced
• 8 slices calcium fortified bread

Directions:

In a large pot boil  enough water enough to cover the eggs. Boiled the eggs for about 5-8 minutes. Let them cool.

Peel the eggs and transfer them to a mixing bowl and chop roughly. Add the mayo, salt and pepper. Combine.

To arrange the sandwich, place a few slices of avocado on over 4 slices of bread. Divide the egg salad between the 4 slices of bread. Top with the alfalfa sprouts and another slice of bread. Serve.

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Lately I have been on a kick to make sandwiches. I have been using avocados most of the time to make spreads or add to salads but I have just discovered that they are great on sandwiches. I was so happy with the taste of this avocado, cucumber, goat cheese sandwich I made it 3 times on a row.

I have made it my mission to add more avocados into our diets. I love the fact that avocado contributes nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant compounds that can enhance the nutrient quality of the diet.

Also, avocados, which are a fruit although most people think of them as a vegetable, contain less than one gram of sugar per 1-ounce, the least amount of sugar per serving of any other fresh fruit.

Do you have a family member that suffers from heart disease? Avocados are a nutritional power house especially given that they contain naturally good monounsaturated fat and are cholesterol free. Naturally good fats are an important part of a healthy diet.

My family love avocados. Not matter how I prepare them they devour them at once so it was no surprise that they really enjoyed these avocado, cucumber, goat cheese sandwiches. I have packed these sandwiches for their lunches. It is one of the sandwiches they have been asking for most lately.

In October 2016, Hass Avocado Board (HAB) and the American Heart Association (AHA) announced its four-year strategic alliance to encourage Americans to eat the daily recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables, an endeavor that has the potential to limit deaths from cardiovascular diseases, stroke and diabetes.

February,  HAB and AHA are teaming up to host a recipe contest called Take Avocado to Heart. Make sure you enter.

• February is American Heart Month. The contest will run February 9-27, 2017.
• The official hashtag is #addavocado.
• Consumers can enter recipes in the categories of appetizer, entrée and dessert.
• Recipe entries much adhere to the AHA nutrition criteria.

There are many recipes you can try with avocados. I have an array of recipes in my blog that you can take a look at and get creative. There are many recipes for you to get inspired so make your own takes and enter the contest.

I hope you like this Avocado, cucumber, goat cheese sandwich. It is one of our favorite vegetarian sandwiches to date.

Enjoy!

Avocado, cucumber, goat cheese sandwich

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 4 sandwiches

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 slices whole grain bread
•  4 egg whites, optional
• 2 oz goat cheese, at room temperature
• 1 large cucumber, sliced (about 1 ¼ cup)
• 2 fresh Hass avocados*, halved, pitted, peeled and sliced
• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup alfalfa sprouts
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

Spread the goat cheese evenly on all of the slices of bread. Take one of the slices of bread and top with cucumber and avocado slices. Drizzle fresh lemon juice over the avocado.

Add sprouts and season with black pepper.

Place the other piece of bread, goat cheese side down. Repeat with the other sandwiches. Serve immediately.

Nutrition facts include egg whites:

Nutrition Information Per Serving: Calories 360; Total Fat 19 g (Sat 3.5 g, Trans 0 g, Poly 3 g, Mono 12 g); Cholesterol 4 mg; Sodium 290 mg; Potassium 840 mg; Total Carbohydrate 34 g; Dietary Fiber 12 g; Sugars 5 g; Protein 14 g; Vitamin A 1540 IU; Vitamin C 18 mg; Calcium 100 mg; Iron 1 mg; Vitamin D 0 IU; Folate 165 mcg.

The post Avocado, cucumber, goat cheese sandwich 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’ve partnered with Florida’s Natural this year, and their juice is what I used as a base for the vinaigrette on this salad. As someone who cares about where my food comes from, I love that not-from-concentrate Florida’s Natural® Orange Juice is made entirely in the U.S. by citrus farmers who care deeply about the quality of their product. Other companies import their oranges, and I love that with Florida’s Natural, I know where the juice is coming from. Something like that gives me peace of mind.

Citrus ingredients go really well in salads, but up until today, I had never tried them myself. Boy, was I missing out.

The orange honey vinaigrette turned out superb. It literally took just 1 to 2 minutes to make. All I needed to do was combine the ingredients in a small glass jar I had on hand and I was done. So super fast to whip up your own homemade salad dressing right in your kitchen!

You can keep this vinaigrette in your fridge and use it with other salad combinations. I actually made triple the batch myself because, like I said, we have started to eat salads pretty often. I like to change my salad dressings from time to time, so having this salad with this salad dressing was just perfect.

I love the fact that I have partnered with Florida’s Natural and that I’m able to experiment in the kitchen with their delicious-tasting juice. Through my partnership with them, I’ve learned that their juice is made from 100 percent Florida-grown oranges, which gives it that fresh-from-the-grove taste.

If you like oranges and orange juice as much as I do, be prepared. I am going to be bringing some more awesome, healthy, original recipes your way. There are so many different recipes that I can create with this amazing ingredient!

If you are into refreshing, tasty, easy salad recipes, you have to try this Avocado Orange Salad with Orange Honey Vinaigrette. It literally takes a very short time to put it together, and the best part is the salad dressing, so I hope you get to try it soon.

Enjoy!

This recipe is sponsored by Florida’s Natural. The opinions and text are all mine. The end.

Avocado orange salad with orange honey vinaigrette

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 avocados, peeled and sliced
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 10 oz fresh salad mix, any greens of choice
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 2 fresh oranges, peeled and sliced
• fresh cilantro, chopped

Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup not-from-concentrate Florida’s Natural^® Orange Juice
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp crushed black pepper
• 1/4 tsp celtic salt

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl add the salad ingredients. Set aside.

In a small bowl or glass jar add the vinaigrette ingredients. With a wire whisk mix together until combined. Add half the salad dressing to the mixing bowl and toss to combine with salad ingredients.

Serve immediately with some extra dressing if desired.

NOTE: You can store leftover dressing in the fridge for up to 1-2 weeks.

The post Avocado orange salad with orange honey vinaigrette appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I used whole wheat bow tie pasta for this recipe but you can use any shape pasta you like. Also, the dressing is dairy free. I was able to use the new Silk Plain Dairy-Free Yogurt Alternative 24 oz. This variety is simply the best. You can use it for anything really, parfait, smoothies, salad dressings…I think you will love it. This new yogurt is

• 11 grams of plant-powered protein
• Delicious taste and creamy texture
• Free of cholesterol, dairy, lactose, gluten, carrageenan or casein
• Non-GMO Project Verified
• No high-fructose corn syrup

If you would like to make this recipe gluten free you can also use gluten free pasta. This recipe would work perfectly with it. Any type of pasta goes!

The salad dressing I came up with was really delicious. I happen to love anything with cilantro and avocados so I thought mixing them both together for the salad dressing would work well. I am thinking of making another yogurt dressing using pesto. I love pesto too so will see how that one turns out.

You can visit Silk’s website and get a coupon to try the yogurt for yourself. I am sure you are not going to be disappointed.

Also, you can take the Taste the Goodness challenge at Silk and let them know what you think about their new dairy free yogurts!

While this pasta salad with yogurt cilantro avocado dressing is very versatile, as you can add any veggies of your choice, I just pretty much used what I had on hand. Cucumbers, tomatoes, corn and a few fresh herbs. If you don’t like certain veggies you can tailor it to your liking so swap any ingredients you see fit.

I know spring is just around the corner and this recipe is great for it. The colorful veggies are very appetizing and the fact that you can eat it cold or at room temperature makes it rather convenient. You can bring this recipe to any gathering or pack it for your kids lunch box.

Well, I hope you get to make this easy pasta salad with yogurt cilantro avocado dressing. If you like avocados you are going to love this dressing. It is nothing but delicious.

Enjoy!

pasta salad with yogurt cilantro avocado dressing

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb whole wheat bow tie pasta
• 8 oz cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 1 large cucumber, pealed and chopped into small pieces
• 8 oz frozen corn kernels, thawed out
• 1 oz Fresh mint, chopped

Dressing 

• 1 cup Silk Plain Dairy-Free Yogurt Alternative 24 oz
• 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar, or any other vinegar
• 1 avocado, pealed
• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/4 tsp celtic salt
• 1/4 tsp black ground pepper.

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Cool the pasta for 15 minutes.

To make the dressing, to your blender, add the dressing ingredients and pulse until you obtain a homogenous mixture. Set aside.

In a large bowl add the cucumbers, corn, and tomatoes. Add the pasta and dressing and toss to combine. Add some more seasoning if desire.

Serve.

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

The post pasta salad with yogurt cilantro avocado dressing appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

For these cauliflower vegetable tacos I used my homemade blue cheese dressing I made a few days ago, however, you can use any other sauce of your choice. I used both blue cheese dressing and buffalo sauce for these tacos. So good…

Have you made your own tacos before? I couldn’t believe how easy these cauliflower vegetable tacos were to make. I actually found cauliflower really cheap at the grocery store so I wanted to try a new recipe with them. I love cauliflower so I am going to try to incorporate it into some of my recipes.

I have seen tacos done with large lettuce and cabbage leaves instead of soft flour tortillas. A much healthier version if you ask me. I have had them at restaurants before and to be honest I do prefer the vegetable wrap version. Will see what I can come up with all these choices.

On another note, fall season is just around the corner so I have device a menu plan to post plenty of pumpkin recipes this coming September. I hope you like pumpkin otherwise I think you are going to hate me this September. Pumpkin up and down left and right here in EG4L!

Anyhow, I hope you like this recipe. Of course you can use any sauce of choice as well as any veggies you may like. Tacos are super versatile so get creative and make it your own.

Enjoy!

Cauliflower vegetable tacos

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 soft corn tortillas
• 1 cauliflower head, cut into florets
• 6 oz shredded coleslaw
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1/3 cup blue cheese dressing
• 1.3 cup buffalo sauce

 

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375F.

Place the cauliflower onto a baking sheet and roast for 20-30 minutes stirring the cauliflower around once. Bake until soft and until it become brown around the edges (like in the picture)

Place the tacos on a Taco holder and place a tablespoon of blue cheese dressing followed by some shredded coleslaw, roasted cauliflower and avocado. Drizzle with more blue cheese dressing and buffalo sauce and serve immediately.

NOTE: You can use any other sauce of your choice.

Each serving equals to two tacos.

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