How are your new year resolutions going so far? New eating habits are one of the most popular new year resolutions, so I decided to share this roasted vegetable salad with orange vinaigrette. The dressing is what makes this salad superb. It’s a perfect pairing in this recipe, but you can get creative and use it on others!

In short, the dressing is simple yet flavorful. I think it has become one of my favorite dressings to use across salads because of its citrus flavor profile. I’ve all together quit buying dressing at the grocery store because of the long ingredients list. Store bought salad dressings often have a long ingredients list, with some being artificial. Making your own and keeping it in the fridge for future consumption is perfect.  And, salad dressings keep well. I have had homemade salad dressings for over two weeks in the fridge and they are still good. Making your own is a win-win. Since making your own dressing is super easy, I would rather do that because it also allows me to get creative.

For this roasted vegetable salad with orange vinaigrette, I used vegetables that are in season, but you can use any vegetables you prefer. I thought the butternut squash, red onions and beets made for a great combination. I am usually not a fan of butternut squash or beets, but I am striving to introduce new and different vegetable combinations into our family meals this year.  We really enjoyed how the salad came together.

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 farmers’ oranges — they’re simply squeezed, gently pasteurized and poured into cartons that ensure a straight-from-the-grove taste that my family loves. I feel good about using Florida’s Natural as a key ingredient in many of my recipes and dressings.

If your new year resolution is centered around your diet, try for small changes at first. For example, try to incorporate one new veggie each week, have one less drink, or even try a new kitchen hack to keep you inspired and enjoying meal prep. Starting right now, you can make your own salad dressing!

Try this roasted vegetable salad with orange vinaigrette. Swap any veggies of your choice, the dressing is truly what makes the recipe, so I hope you like it.

Enjoy!

Roasted vegetable salad with orange vinaigrette

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 red beets, cubed
• 2 large red onions, cubed
• 1 lb butternut squash, cubed
• 6 oz fresh spinach
• 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 8 oz goat cheese
• 1 tsp Celtic salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

For the dressing

• 1/2 cup Florida's Natural orange juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tbs raw honey
• 2 tbs rice vinegar

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F

Place the sliced beets on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

In another baking sheet, place the sliced butternut squash and red onions. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Roast the veggies for 20 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool for at least 10-15 minutes.

While the beets are roasting, prepare the dressing. Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the roasted veggies. Add the fresh spinach and salad dressing, then toss to combine. Divide salad among four plates and sprinkle the goat cheese over the salad. Serve immediately.

I like to store my salad dressings in salad dressing jars. So convenient!!

The post Roasted vegetable salad with orange vinaigrette. appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I have never ever been fond of diets. As a clinical dietitian and now almost to be physician assistant it perplexes me how many medical professionals have no idea about healthy eating and still advice patients wrong when it comes to healthy eating. Very sad to say the least.

Diet are something that have never work and will never work, that is, if you want lose some pounds temporarily and then gaining all back!

There is no diet, pill, trick in the world that you will find that will aid you to lose the weight for ever. Diets are not sustainable, that is why they are called diets. A change in lifestyle is a different story so I hope you come to that realization and know that diets don’t work. A change in lifestyle is 100% the only healthy and sustainable way.

I will tell you the secret and the things that I have seem to work for those that are ready to take the step. I will list a few pointers here but if you are interested in more detail visit my page here and here.

My food philosophy in a NutShell:

• Eat without depriving yourself of anything. (Processed and junk food does not count though). When eating things such as rice, pasta and bread try to eat the whole grain counterparts.
• Eat food of highest quality. EAT REAL FOOD. If you want ice cream, eat real ice cream. If you want a cookie, eat a real cookie, and if you want cake, eat real cake. A cake made with 30 ingredients and fake frosting from the supermarket does not count.
• Eat from scratch. Cooking meals yourself helps you control what it is in your food allowing you to increase its quality to include less sodium, bad fats and tons of sugar.
• Don’t skip any meals, especially breakfast. You need to get your metabolism going and start burning calories!! (If you have any questions about this go to the FAQ section for more info)
• Moderate your servings. This doesn’t mean you have to eat bird portion sizes or gigantic ones either. Use your common sense :-)
• Exercise when ever possible, walk, run, swim, bike etc If you can get a routine even better, what ever works for you.
• Try to avoid fake foods and try to buy organic and natural foods when ever possible. Do what you can.
• Try to avoid soda, even diet versions, and when drinking juices make sure they are 100% juice. Just don’t over drink juice though, 1/2 cup to 1 cup per day is plenty. You don’t want to drink your calories now do you?
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate with H2O and nothing else!!
• This is not food related but it is very important. You need to make sure you get enough sleep. This is crucial to have your body in balance and allow your immune system and hormones to do their job well.
• AVOID trans fat, high fructose corn syrup and olestra at all costs. If you want more detail as to why visit my link.

Well, I hope this information was of some value to some of you. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask.

I hope you like this power quinoa kale salad. It is fulfilling, easy, healthy and delicious. Note that you can use any type of dressing of your choice, anything goes.

Enjoy!

Power quinoa kale salad

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 10 oz fresh kale
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cups cooked quinoa
• 14 oz cooked white beans
• 1 lb butternut squash, cubed, roasted
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup golden raisins

Dressing

• 1 cup tahini
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbs sesame oil
• 1 inch fresh ginger, cubed

 

Directions:

For the dressing, place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Add the butternut squash to a baking tray with 2 tablespoon of oil. Toss to combine with the oil and bake for about 15-20 minutes. I like my butternut squash on the crunchy side but you can bake it more if you like. (You can also microwave the squash for an easier quicker way).

While the butternut squash roast, in a large pan, add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil and kale. Saute for 3-5 minutes just to wilt.

In a large mixing bowl add all the salad ingredients including 1/3 cup of the dressing. Toss to combine and serve.

NOTE: You can use any type of dressing you like.

The post Power quinoa kale salad appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I am purchasing the butternut squash already chopped, which saves me a lot of time. We all know how tricky butternut squash can be being so hard and all. The extra dollar to buy it already prepped is worth every penny for me.

This time around the brown rice turned out quite tasty. I used College Inn broth instead of plain water to make it. It gave the recipe a better flavor, especially with the other veggies in the recipe. It complemented the recipe rather well.

Just a little bit about College Inn:

• College Inn helps me make meals that matter
• College Inn uses the highest quality ingredients, has home-style flavor, and delicious aroma
• College Inn has premium quality ingredients (farm-grown vegetables, perfect balance of seasoning)
• College Inn has been around for nearly 100 years, since 1923, it’s #1 selling brand of broth in northeast

You can purchase it at your local Wal-Mart and you can use any flavor for the rice. Anyone will work perfectly, I used the vegetable kind this time.

Because I can’t live without my rice cooker, given the fact that we eat a lot of rice in my house, this is what I used to make my rice in. Alternatively, if you don’t have a rice cooker you can cook the rice in your stove top in a separate pan.

Well I hope you like this brown rice butternut squash brussels sprouts pilaf. For us it was rather delicious and perfect for the holidays ahead so I might make it again this coming week. It was a hit and everyone enjoyed it!

Enjoy!

Brown rice butternut squash brussels sprouts pilaf

Miyram's original recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups brown rice
• 4 cups College Inn vegetable broth
• 2 lbs butternut squash, chopped
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 20 oz shaved brussels sprouts
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• fresh rosemary
• 1/2 tsp celtic salt

Directions:

Add the rice and broth to your rice cooker and cook until tender.

On the meantime, add the butternut squash, salt, fresh rosemary and olive oil to a large skillet. Cook for 5 minutes over medium to high heat stirring occasionally. Add the brussels sprouts and cook for another 2 minutes.

Turn heat off and add the cooked rice, pecans and dried cranberries. Stir and add serve.

NOTE: If you don't have a rice cooker you can cook the rice in your stove top.

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

The post Brown rice butternut squash brussels sprouts pilaf appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I know the holidays are just around the corner. For thanksgiving I am planning on having at least three vegetarian side dishes. One of them is going to have butternut squash of course, the other two, well, it is still on the works. I just haven’t decide yet.

This coming Sunday, two days from now, I am going to post one of the recipes that I will be serving for Thanksgiving. It is going to be a healthy vegetarian casserole so I suggest you stay tuned for that recipe. I really think you are going to love it.

For this butternut squash barley salad recipe I used butternut squash that was already chopped. I have been buying it this way to save time. The only thing I have to do is coat it with a little bit of olive oil and roast for 15 minutes. That is it!

For this salad I also used barley, however, you can use any type of grain you like. Barley is not gluten free so if you need a gluten free option quinoa will work as well.

Also, for the salad dressing, I used simple extra virgin olive oil and rice wine vinegar. This is the vinegar I always use to make salad dressings. I believe any other salad dressing will work as well so if you want to get creative be my guess!

Well, I am still really busy trying to develop more healthy recipes for you guys. Lately I have been into salads so I hope you like the few I have posted so far.

Enjoy!

Butternut squash barley salad

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs butternut squash, chopped
• 1 1/2 cup dried barley, uncooked
• 6 oz fresh spinach, chopped
• 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
• 5 oz fresh pomegranate seeds
• 2 tbs olive oil
• pinch black pepper
• pinch celtic salt

Dressing

• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the butternut squash, olive oil and pepper in a baking sheet and coat the butternut squash with the olive oil. I use my hands for this step. Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes and cool.

On the meantime, cook the barley. I do this in my rice cooker. Let the barley cool once it is cooked.

In a large bowl add the cooled butternut squash and barley and the rest of the salad ingredients including the olive oil and vinegar. Combine well and serve.

The post Butternut squash barley salad appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I love Thai curries so I thought, why not incorporate the flavor into a salad? I have seen salad dressing recipes using coconut milk but in my version I used a mixture of coconut cream and almond milk because that is what I had on hand. It turned out better than I thought. This salad dressing is one of the ones that I am going to keep stocked in my fridge for when ever I make a salad. Together with my honey mustard dressing this dressing has become one of my favorite ones.

By using Silk unsweetened almond milk I kept the dressing dairy-free. I like using this type of milk mostly because it is very neutral in flavor, has no added sugar, it is Non-GMO, and has no artificial colors, or flavors. This is my to go type of milk not only for when I bake and make desserts but I also use it when making smoothies and eat cereal. In addition, almond milk is lactose free and it has 50% more calcium than dairy milk.

I purchased the butternut squash already chopped so the only thing I had to do was to roast it in the oven with some olive oil and black pepper. Surely you can peel and chop it yourself but getting already prepared butternut squash save me a bit of time.

I am in love with butternut squash lately. I think I am going to make a macaroni and cheese version using this vegetable. It will give the pasta such a beautiful color and flavor. I think my kids are going to love it too.

If you like Thai flavors you are going to love this salad. I have a couple more salads in store for you using butternut squash, like I said, I am obsess with it lately.

If you are looking for a heathy dish for your Thanksgiving table this butternut squash black rice bean salad will make a great contender.

I hope you like it.

Enjoy!

Butternut squash black rice bean salad

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried black rice
• 2 lb butternut squash, chopped
• 6 oz fresh spinach, chopped
• 15 oz white beans, cooked
• 10 oz sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 2 tbs olive oil
• black peeper

Dressing

• 1  cup coconut cream
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp red curry paste (I used panang curry paste)

 

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the butternut squash, olive oil and pepper in a baking pan and coat the butternut squash with the olive oil. I use my hands for this step. Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes and cool.

On the meantime, cook the black rice. I do this in my rice cooker. Let the black rice cool once it is cooked. In a small bowl mix the dressing ingredients and set aside.

In a large bowl add the cooled butternut squash and black rice and the rest of the salad ingredients. Combine. Add the dressing and mix through. Serve.

 

This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Butternut squash black rice bean salad appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.