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.

All it took to makes this tasty salad was a few fresh ingredients and a few minutes. Just chopping away some ingredients for 5 minutes and mixing them in a large bowl was all it took.

To dress the salad and give it some taste I used Marzetti^® Simply Dressed^® Balsamic Dressing which is made of simple ingredients that enhances the freshness of any salad’s flavor. Simply Dressed Dressing is a choice you can feel good about.

Their products can be found in stores near the classic dressings in the refrigerated produce section. You will be able to find a variety of flavors so make sure you use your favorite. This shrimp Mediterranean salad however goes great with the balsamic variety.

I have made this shrimp mediterranean salad multiple occasions and even adding pasta to it is great. You can also swap any of the veggies, as this recipe is very versatile. Anything goes, you can’t go wrong with your own choice.

If you would also like to keep this recipe strictly vegetarian you can omit the shrimp. I always have my freezer stocked with cooked shrimp, as I prefer seafood and fish than poultry or meat.

GIVEAWAY

I am pleased to inform you that The Marzetti Brand is providing Eat Good 4 Life readers with a $50 gift card. All you have to do is comment in the section below and let me know what variety of Marzetti^® Simply Dressed^® Balsamic Dressing you would love to use for your salad and why. Very simple!

Rules:

• You must be 18 yrs old to enter

• Only US resident

• I will announce the winner 7/7

I love how convenient salads are, how versatile and easy they can be. They make the perfect to go recipes for me and my family especially when I am super busy and I want something light and fresh.

I hope you get to make this refreshing shrimp mediterranean salad. The combo of ingredients is just out of this world and the fresh herbs takes it to the next level.

Enjoy!

Shrimp mediterranean salad

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb cooked peeled shrimp
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 8 oz pitted kalamata olives, sliced
• 1 large red onion, sliced
• 1 large cucumber, sliced
• 6 oz Feta cheese
• 2 oz fresh dill, chopped
• 1/2 cup Marzetti^® Simply Dressed^® Balsamic Dressing

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl and all the ingredients. Add the salad dressing and toss to combine.

Serve immediately.

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

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

Brussels sprouts are currently in season so if you like this vegetable I suggest you take advantage of it. It is great for many things. You can prepare it in a multitude of ways. For the most part I have added it to rice dishes, however, today I just pair them with caramelized onions and they were the bomb.

I have seen them prepared with bacon, which I am sure it is really good, however, I don’t like bacon that much so I figured caramelized onions will give the brussels sprouts the flavor they deserve.

All in all the prep time for this Brussels sprouts with caramelized onions is just about 5 minutes. It is rather a quick and simple recipe that you can make to pair it with your main protein over the holidays.

Anyways, I leave you with this Brussels sprouts with caramelized onions recipe that is sure to satisfy any veggie eater.

Enjoy!

Brussels sprouts with caramelized onions

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb brussels sprouts, cut into halves
• 2 large red onions, sliced
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 2 tbs dried cranberries
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 1/2 tsp Celtic salt
• Pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a large skillet, over medium to high heat, add the olive oil and onions. Cook stirring occasionally for 5-8 minutes until you see them they are starting to brown.

Add the brussels sprouts and salt and continue to cook until they are tender. About another 5 minutes. Add the almonds, cranberries and stir.

Serve.

The post Brussels sprouts with caramelized onions appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I am not a big meat eater but once in a while I prepare meat and chicken recipes for my family since they really do enjoy them. I recently purchased some nitrate free bacon so I decided to use it on pizza. It was my first time adding bacon to it and to be honest, it was quite good, especially with the caramelized onions.

The bacon I used was Canadian bacon, which was nitrate free. I am sure you can find other varieties which don’t have unwanted chemicals. I bought mine at Costco but I have been told that not all Costco chains carry the same items so I am not sure if yours will.

For the pizza crust you can use your preferred pizza crust. If you want to make your own crust you can use this homemade whole wheat pizza crust recipe. You can buy store bought, like I did, or just use what ever you like.

I also use pizza stones for baking my pizzas. Ever since I bought mine I have never turned back. I love how my pizza stones make the pizza dough nice and crunchy and not soggy. They are heavy but so good for baking the pizzas!

On another note, I have just gotten done with the manuscript of my cookbook. It will be coming out September 2015. I am super excited for you guys to get your hands on it. I have worked really hard so I hope you like it. If you want to get a sneak peek of some of the recipes you can go here.

Well, I leave you with this amazing whole wheat caramelized onion bacon pizza that I hope you like. It is sure to satisfy any pizza lover and now this version is my son’s favorite!

Enjoy!

Whole wheat Caramelized onion bacon pizza

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 whole wheat pizza dough, store bought or homemade
• 2 large onions
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 lb low-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 6 oz bacon, diced

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425F. If you have a convection oven use 400F.

On a cast iron skillet, or any other skillet of your choice, over medium to high heat place the onions and olive oil and cook stirring occasionally until the onions are caramelized. This will take about 5-7 minutes.

On a flat surface, like your kitchen counter, place some whole wheat flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Roll out your pizza dough with a rolling pin until nice and thin.  Place the pizza dough onto the pizza stone, or any other baking pan you are using to bake the pizza in, making sure you reach the edges.

Place the cheese over the pizza dough followed by the caramelized onions and diced bacon.

Bake the pizza in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes. Serve immediately.

The post Whole wheat Caramelized onion bacon pizza appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I love how making salads is so versatile as you can add any type of veggies, grains and protein. For this Quinoa Kale and pea salad I added some sunflower seeds which I love. I add nuts to most salads I make for the simple reason that they are nutrient dense. Not only they have an array of vitamins and minerals but they also have healthy fats, protein, and great taste.

The vegetables I used are almost always organic too. I know that organic food can be a bit more costly sometimes but the little difference in price is well worth it for me and my family. It gives me piece of mind plus organic products taste way better.

One of the most reliable companies I like to purchase my products from is Cascadian Farms. I actually was able to visit one of their farm locations in Seattle not long ago and it was truly awesome. I was able to see first hand how they grow their produce. Not only they do sustainably but their principles on doing so should really be modeled by many food manufacturing companies out there. They are also enrolled on their non-GMO project. I love supporting companies such as this one and purchasing their products.

They not only have organic fruits and vegetables but they also have granola bars, fruit spreads and much more. You can browse their many products here.

For this salad I used their organic peas. I have gathered a few more products from Cascadian Farms when going to the grocery store so stay tuned for more awesome recipes. I think I have a sweet treat coming your pretty soon.

Well I hope you like this healthy, gluten free, super easy and nutritious salad. You can use fresh arugula, spinach or any green leafy greens of your choice.

Enjoy!

I love Cascadian farms many products. Not only they are enrolled in the GMO-project but the way they grow their many products is sustainably. I loved when I visited their farm in Seattle a few months back and saw for myself.

The only thing you have to do to make this salad is chop the tomatoes and onions and you are good to go. Then you just have to mix all the ingredients. A very simple salad to put together and you can add any other veggies of your choice if you like.

Quinoa Kale and pea salad

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4.5 oz baby kale
• 2 cups quinoa, cooked
• 2 oz pea shoots
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 4 oz cherry tomatoes, diced
• 10 oz Cascadian Farm organic sweet peas, frozen
• 1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds

Dressing

• 1 tbs Dijon Mustard
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp honey, maple syrup for a vegan version
• 1/2 tsp ground fresh black pepper

 

 

Directions:

In small mixing bowl mix the dressing ingredients and set aside. Place the sweet peas in a microwave safe bowl with a tablespoon of water and microwave for 2-3 minutes on high.

In a large mixing bowl place the salad ingredients including the peas and mix through. Add the salad dressing and combine. Serve immediately.

NOTE: Use maple syrup for a vegan version.

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

Friday night is actually pizza night but this past Friday I was so busy I couldn’t find time to make pizza.  Yesterday it was the day though and before going to the gym in the morning I took the pizza dough out of the fridge and this is what I came up with when I arrived.

My husband liked this caramelized onion kale goat cheese pizza with balsamic drizzle so much I think he ate half of one pie. He said it was gourmet pizza so I will take it!

I kind of cheated a little bit with this pizza. I normally make my own pizza dough but ever since my local Trader Joe’s started carrying whole wheat pizza dough I have not bother making my own. If you can’t get your hands on store bought whole wheat pizza dough here is the recipe I used to make.

I also used stored bought balsamic cream. The balsamic cream I used is like none other. It is actually from my mom’s town in Spain-Moriles, which is very famous for their vinegars, extra-virgin olive oil and wines. Most of my family in Spain is what they actually do. They all have vineyards and have their wine and olive oil business. It is awesome each time I go because I am in culinary heaven.

Also, ever since I bought my pizza stones I have never turned back. I always make my pizza dough on these beauties and I think it makes a world of difference. The dough truly comes out fantastic and crunchy which is what we like.

I have seen similar pizza variations but always with arugula. You can use arugula if you like, the pizza will be as good. I think I am going to be making this pizza quite often.

I hope you like this caramelized onion kale goat cheese pizza with balsamic drizzle, we sure did so I hope you give it a go.

Enjoy!

caramelized onion kale goat cheese pizza with balsamic drizzle

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 2 large pizzas, 16 slices

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 prepared whole wheat pizza dough, or store bought
• 3 large onions, sliced
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 4 oz fresh baby kale
• 11 oz goat cheese, crumbled
• Red pepper flakes, optional

Balsamic cream

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp unrefined sugar
• or you can buy it here

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425F.

On a cast iron skillet, or any other skillet of your choice, over medium to high heat place the onions and olive oil and cook stirring occasionally until the onions are caramelized. This will take about 5-7 minutes.

For the balsamic cream, place the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to a low flame and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until liquid reduces by about half. Set aside to let the cream cool and thicken.

On a flat surface, like your kitchen counter, place some whole wheat flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Roll out your pizza dough with a rolling pin.  Place the pizza dough onto the pizza stone making sure you reach the edges. You can also use a pizza baking sheet or a cookie sheet. Repeat this with the second pizza dough.

Place 1 lb of shredded cheese over each pizza followed by the caramelized onions and crumbled goat cheese.

Bake the pizzas in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes. When baked, top the pizzas with the baby kale and drizzle the balsamic cream and pepper flakes. Serve immediately.

The post caramelized onion kale goat cheese pizza with balsamic drizzle appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.