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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.

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.

For this peanut chicken stir-fry you can add any protein of your choice as well as your favorite veggies. The combinations are endless, so if you prefer to use fish, tofu, or beef in place of chicken, go ahead.

When it comes to Asian flavors, I like to try different sauces and experiment with them to add my own twist. This peanut chicken stir-fry sauce is very indicative of Asian cooking. If you haven’t tried peanut flavor dishes yet, you are truly missing out. It is one of my greatest discoveries when it comes to preparing Asian food.

When making the peanut sauce I normally make 2-3 extra batches so that when ever it comes time to make this recipe again I can throw it together even faster. The sauce will keep in the fridge for at least 1 week so don’t be afraid to double the batch.

This peanut chicken stir-fry is a recipe I recently chose to cook at the Bon Appétit kitchen for a Samsung project. I used Samsung’s cook top and wok ring to make this stir-fry that was nothing but sensational. The wok grate aids positioning the wok to make sure it stays in place.

I love Samsung’s new cook top. With the power heat-boosting feature it allows the chicken’s cooking time to be reduced to about 3 minutes rather than 5-7 minutes when cooked on a conventional cooktop.

The veggie mixture will also cook much faster due to the heat-boosting feature, making this step shorter as well. A win-win situation when I am busy taking care of other things.

If, like me, you like quick, healthy, tasty dinner recipes, you will enjoy this peanut chicken stir-fry. It is one of my family’s favorites.

Enjoy!

Peanut chicken stir-fry

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb chicken breast, cubed
• 4 oz carrots, julienned
• 1 red pepper, julienned
• 5 oz snow peas (or sugar snap peas)
• 1 red pepper, julienned
• Peanut sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp pepper flakes, optional

Sauce

• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup warm water
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for 3 minutes or until no longer pink.

Reduce temperature to medium heat and add the carrots and red pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until vegetables are tender but still crunchy.

Add the snow peas and green onions and pour Peanut Sauce into the wok.

Toss sauce, chicken, and vegetables until sauce is thoroughly incorporated. Sprinkle some sesame seeds and pepper flakes if desired.

Serve over rice.

Note: If the sauce is too thick for your taste, add water a little at a time until desired consistency is reached.

 

The post Peanut chicken stir-fry appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I love making sandwiches especially because they are so convenient and easy to make. Today I wanted to change things up and make something more elaborate and substantial so I decided to make these chicken caesar sandwiches.

These chicken caesar sandwiches came out so good my family wanted me to make them again the following day. I always make sure I keep my recipes on the healthy side and this sandwich was an example. This sandwich was full of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Using Bolthouse Farms Caesar Salad Dressing allowed for the sandwich to be packed with flavor. In addition, by using their products you can lighten up your favorite meals and snacks with these simple swaps. A win win situation.

These sandwiches are also great to pack on the go. They would make an awesome lunch, a healthy meal for a post workout or a light dinner.

The chicken can be prepared two different ways. You can grill it or cook in a saute pan, thus if you don’t have a grill pan you can always use a skillet and cook the chicken breasts 3-4 minutes on each side.

You can also use any type of vegetables you like. I used avocado, and fresh greens by you can’t go wrong with using your own combo and getting creative.

I know I will be making these chicken caesar sandwiches for time to come. A great quick healthy recipe that I am sure you will like.

Enjoy!

Chicken caesar sandwich

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 4 sandwiches

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breast
• 1/3 cup Bolthouse Farms caesar salad dressing
• 2 oz fresh green
• 2 avocados
• 8 slices whole grain bread
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

Preheat your grill pan. Brush 1 tbsp olive oil over each side of the chicken breast. Grill the chicken breast 3-5 minutes on each side depending on thickness. Alternatively you can heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat and cook chicken flipping once, until cooked through.

Let the chicken rest 5 minutes before slicing across the grain.

On the meantime, grill the bread on each side until you see grilled marks and the bread is toasted. Spread 2 tbsp of caesar dressing over one slice of bread. Arrange chicken breast, avocados and greens over 4 slices of bread. Add more caesar salad dressing if desired over the greens and place the other slice of bread.

Serve.

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