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.

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I have been obsessed with kale lately making all sorts of recipes using this ingredient. I think I am using it at least three times per week using it in all sort of different recipes.

This kale salad is an example. My kids actually enjoyed this kale salad. They like corn a lot so I made sure I added plenty of it to the salad to make sure they would eat. They sure did. They even asked for seconds!

For this kale salad you can add any other veggies of your choice. Chopped peppers and cucumbers would work really good, even peas would work rather well. For my salad version, to add some extra protein, I used sunflower seeds but pumpkin seeds will also work if you like that better.

As far as the dressing, we like our salads with simple dressing flavors so we went ahead and used theKraft balsamic version.

You can use any other flavor though, the sky is the limit.

This kale salad is suitable for those on a cholesterol free or diabetic diet. It is also perfect for those following a vegetarian, gluten free or vegan diet. Its all about the veggies with this salad recipe which is nothing but healthy.

Let me know if you get to try this recipe and if you make a different variation. I would like to know what sort of version you came up with.

For similar and other recipes visit Kraft.com

Enjoy!

Kale salad

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 5 oz fresh baby kale
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed out
• 3 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
• half onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup baby carrots, chopped
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar dressing
• 1/4 tsp Himalayan salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl add all of the ingredients. Mix through with a large spoon and serve immediately.

You can prepare the salad in advance but add the salad dressing just right before eating the salad otherwise if you let it sit the salad will wilt and the veggies will become mushy.

Change up your dinner routine with Kraft. Visit KraftRecipes.com for great recipes and meal ideas, featuring Kraft. Because food deserves delicious.

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

The post Kale salad appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I love this Farro Mediterranean Salad. The warm weather is just upon us and I am craving nothing but refreshing, colorful and light food. This Farro salad is just perfect. It is hearty and super feeling. It is also great on the go and packs really well.

I have teamed up with Nuts.com to develop healthy and hearty recipes using top of the line ingredients such as nuts, grains, powders, flours, seeds, dried fruits and more. They sell an array of products that are excellent quality. Go and check them out. For your everyday healthy cooking and baking you will find a lot of the ingredients you are looking for at Nuts.com

Be ready for more salad recipes. I know I haven’t got that many in the blog but I will work on adding some very soon.

For the Farro Mediterranean Salad recipe check out Nuts.com

Enjoy!

The post Farro mediterranean salad appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I have teamed up with Sunshine Sweet Corn for this post in partnership with Kitchen PLAY.

I have developed this sweet corn salad recipe using sweet Corn. Sweet corn peak season is spring so this salad is perfect to start the corn season. Sweet corn not only contributes fiber but it also contains great amounts of folate and Vitamin B1, so while it is still available, try to incorporate it into your cooking. There is nothing better than using in-season produce.

As part of this sponsored post, Sunshine Sweet Corn will be providing a $50 VISA gift card to a randomly selected Eat Good 4 Life reader on 4/15. In order to participate you will have to pin corn recipes to my “Sweet corn Pinterest board”. The more corn recipes you pin the more chances you will have to win.

This sweet corn salad recipe is perfect, not only because it is extremely easy to put together, but because it is healthy, refreshing and budget friendly. Using fresh herbs, like cilantro, enhances the flavor of the ingredients. If you don’t like cilantro, any other fresh herbs will also work well. Fresh parsley, mint and dill come to mind, which I am sure will be great alternatives for this salad.

This sweet corn salad is also great for on the go, like for picnics or even to take to the beach. It is really convenient and can be packed really easily.

For the salad dressing I used sesame oil and rice wine vinegar, however, you can use any other dressing of your choice. I happen to love sesame oil and rice wine vinegar but extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar would be a great option as well.

I don’t know how much sweet corn I am going to be buying this season but I can anticipate buying quite a lot. My kids are in love with this vegetable so I will find different ways to prepare it.

Let me know if you get to try this sweet corn salad. I am sure all your family members will love it.

Enjoy!

GIVEAWAY RULES: Giveaway is currently closed

WINNER RESULTS: Pinner #10: The winner of the $50 Visa gift card is ALICIA KEEN, congratulations!!

This sweepstakes is sponsored by the Florida Sweet Corn Exchange in partnership with Kitchen PLAY. One prize of a $50 Visa gift card will be awarded randomly to one eligible entrant. To be eligible to win, you must do the following:

• You must request to be added to the Sweet Corn Pinterest group board maintained by Eat Good 4 Life, via the comments on this post.
• If you would like to be invited to pin please leave your email in the comments section below and I will invite you via email. Please make sure that is the same email you use for Pinterest.
• You MUST be following my boards in order for the invite to go through.
• You must add at least one pin featuring sweet corn to the group board during the sweepstakes period. (Pinning from the Florida Sweet Corn Pinterest board (http://www.pinterest.com/freshsweetcorn/) is allowed.)

This promotion begins at 9:00 AM ET on 04/07/2014 and ends at 11:59 PM ET on 04/14/2014. Winner will be selected randomly on 04/14/2014 from all eligible entries and notified by email.

Once you have boiled the corn cool it for 20 minutes. This will make it easier to handle. Once the corn has cooled down a bit, run a knife downwards to remove the kernels and place them in a large serving bowl.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Sunshine Sweet Corn. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own and I speak from personal experience. The end :-)

Sweet Corn Salad

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 ears Sunshine Sweet Corn, husks on, or frozen corn thawed
• 1 lb canned chickpeas
• 8 oz cherry tomatoes, half
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
• 4 oz shredded carrots
• fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Celtic salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

In a large pot, filled with hot boiling water, boil the corn ears for 5-10 minutes or until tender. Let the corn cool for 20 minutes. Remove husk and silks. Remove the kernels by running a knife downwards to remove the kernels and place them in a large mixing bowl.

To the large serving bowl, add the remainder of the ingredients including the salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients through and adjust seasoning to taste. Refrigerate the salad, covered, for at least two hours. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.

 

 

The post Sweet Corn Salad appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I have been experimenting with this Tex Mex Quinoa Casserole recipe for a couple of weeks now. I think it is a superb recipe. I am loving making one pot dinners in which you mix everything in a large baking dish and bake until it is done and ready to eat.

For this Tex Mex Quinoa casserole version I didn’t add any chicken to my casserole and kept it strictly vegetarian but if you like you can add some chicken chunks to it for some added protein.

This recipe makes quite a bit, I think at least 6 servings, which you can keep leftovers in the fridge or freeze for future consumption.

This Tex Mex Quinoa Casserole is going to be a recipe that I am going to make quite often. Lately I have been experimenting with recipes that are easy because come May I won’t be able to spend too much time cooking. Plus my husband is going to have to learn a few easy recipes since he is going to have to take over. Let see how that goes…

I used taco seasoning that I purchased at Trade Joes. You can use your own or any other varieties of your choice. Just make sure that the ingredients are herbs and nothing else. The food industry like to add caking agents and other crap to herb mixtures so be careful which ones you purchase if any.

When you bake the Tex Mex Quinoa Casserole make sure you cover it with aluminum foil the first 45 – 1 hr so the top doesn’t burn. I also think this allows the quinoa to cook better.

Anyhow, I hope you guys try this recipe and I hope you like it as much as we do.

Enjoy!

Tex Mex Quinoa Casserole

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

3 cups quinoa, dry and uncooked
8 oz frozen corn kernels
15oz canned black beans
1 lb canned chopped tomatoes or marinara sauce
6 green onions, chopped
16 oz skim mozzarella, grated
4 cup hot water
1 1/2 tsp Celtic salt
1 tbsp taco seasoning
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350F.

In a 9 x 13 rectangular baking dish, about 5qt capacity as the quinoa will expand and need more room, add all of the ingredients and mix through. Save some of the grated mozzarella cheese, cilantro and green onions to sprinkle over the top. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake covered for 1 hour.

Remove the aluminum foil and sprinkle the rest of the cheese all over the quinoa and bake uncovered for another 30 minutes or until the quinoa is completely cooked. You may want to use your broiler for 2 minutes to brown the top a bit when the quinoa is done cooking. I normally don't do this step though. When the quinoa is done sprinkle the rest of the green onions and cilantro over the top and serve while still warm.

The post Tex Mex Quinoa Casserole appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

As I mentioned a few weeks back, I have been using my slow cooker quite often lately. I have actually made this Slow cooker bean and quinoa chili  twice this week not only because it is super easy to put together but because it is actually very nutritious and delicious.

For this time around, I kept my chili version vegetarian but if you like you can add some organic ground beef or turkey.

I also used a couple of different types of beans for my chili. You can do the same or just make it with one kind of beans. The end result will still be good and not that much different from mine.

Adding the quinoa was genius in my opinion. If you don’t like quinoa you can certainly omitted, I just thought it went well with the chili. Also, I made quite a large quantity because I normally freeze half of it for future meals since it freezes quite well. I like to have a few meals where I can just freeze and have a week or two after making it. It sure helps me with my super busy schedule.

Anyhow, there is not much that I can elaborate on this slow cooker bean and quinoa chili  . Feel free to add any other veggies or protein to it like I mentioned above.

Enjoy!

Slow cooker bean and quinoa chili

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6-8 servings

Total Time: 6 hours

Ingredients:

• 16 oz dried red beans, pre-soaked overnight
• 8 oz dried black beans, pre-soaked overnight
• 28 oz canned chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp natural taco seasoning
• 10 oz frozen organic corn
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 tbsp organic tomato puree
• 2 tsp Celtic salt
• 6 cups hot water

Directions:

Add all of the ingredients except corn and quinoa to the slow cooker. Set on high for 5-6 hours.

After the time has past, check to see if you need to add more liquid and how tender the beans are. If they are still too hard cook further for another hour otherwise add the quinoa and corn and cook further for 30 minutes. Leave slow cooker on warm setting until ready to serve.

Nutrition facts calculated based on the recipe giving 6 servings.

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