To be able to see the content in Spanish, click on the translator on the right side of the page, selecting the correct language.

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.

This leaves me with not much time left to try and develop new recipes. I am trying to keep the blog going but getting more time for it has been a real struggle.

Anyways, today I was able to make this quick 15 minutes Asian vegetables. The recipe sauce comes from this Asian beef rice bowl recipe I made before which we loved. Since I am trying to cut down on eating meat and chicken, even though we only eat it once or twice a month, I wanted to try the Asian Beef rice bowl sauce to use with just veggies.

I haven’t had much time to myself lately so whenever I am home and get some downtime I try to take advantage of it and relax for a bit. This gives me peace of mind and keeps me sane to keep going and pushing through until I graduate from PA school.

I have had a few bumps on the road, to put it lightly, while in PA school, however, I do see a little light at the end of the tunnel. For now, I just have to keep pushing and make it through since there is much as stake.

Anyways, I can not see the day when I graduate and don’t have to devote much of my time to school. I have a few awesome projects on the works and I can’t wait to put all my energy, time and effort on them. They are going to be quite something.

In the next few months I will be revealing my plans and projects here in the blog but until I graduate I don’t want to spill the beans. Just to be safe. I don’t want any type of negativity!

This 15 minutes Asian vegetables is truly one of my favorite recipes I have made in the past few months. You can add any other type of veggies you may like as this recipe is quite versatile so make your own version if you wish.

Until my next recipe,

Enjoy!

15 minutes Asian vegetables

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 red peppers, sliced
• 2 large red onion, sliced
• 1 large eggplant, cut into large chunks
• 2 cups fresh Thai basil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce, gluten free version if needed
• 1/3 cup sweet and sour sauce
• 2-3 tbs red curry paste
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup peanuts
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Directions:

 

In a large skillet, or wok, over medium to high heat place the olive oil. Add all the vegetables and cook until they are almost cooked stirring occasionally. It should not take more than 8 minutes or so.

Add the soy sauce, sweet sour sauce, water and red curry paste. Cook further for another two minutes until sauce is incorporated and warm.

Add the peanuts and thai basil and server over rice or any other grains you desire.

The post 15 minutes Asian vegetables 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.

When making smoothies, I like to switch things around and try different ingredients. I normally use frozen fruit, bananas and milk but today I wanted to create something with an orange base. I made this immune boosting orange smoothie and my kids loved it.

Some nutrients that are particularly important for immunity include: Vitamins A, B2, B6, C, D, and E, as well as minerals such as selenium and zinc. I decided to add about ½ inch chunk of fresh ginger to the smoothie because it has amazing health and detoxifying properties. Also, consuming citrus fruits that are high in Vitamin C during the winter months helps boost your immune system and quickly clears out any cold/flu viruses. Thus, I also wanted to incorporate a high-quality orange juice into the smoothie base. I used Florida’s Natural® Brand Orange Juice, which is not-from-concentrate and made entirely in the United States. Not only is it extremely convenient, but it’s also very high in vitamin C. Since liquid is needed to blend the smoothie, it is the perfect ingredient to add.

Whenever I purchase orange juice, I make sure to buy Florida’s Natural because it’s made entirely with oranges grown by real, Florida citrus farmers who care deeply about the quality of their crops. With Florida’s Natural, you get the best quality juice that actually tastes real—not artificial like many other brands.

If you haven’t started making your own smoothies, I urge you to start. It is extremely easy and very economical. I have purchased smoothies before at smoothie bars, as well as gyms, to find out that not only they are very expensive, but the taste and ingredient quality isn’t very good.

Making your own smoothies is great because you can add an array of ingredients and make endless combinations. You can pretty much add type of vegetables, fruits, protein, nuts etc. My kids tend to love any combination I come up with. (Plus, they are already used to drinking any concoction I make, so I am thankful for that!) Sometimes I even freeze smoothies as popsicles. Try freezing this smoothie recipe for a healthy, refreshing snack.

Enjoy!

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

Immune boosting orange smoothie

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 4 smoothies

Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3-4 cups not-from-concentrate Florida’s Natural^® Orange Juice
• 1 yellow or orange pepper
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 apple, peeled
• 2 inch cube Ginger, peeled

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

The post Immune boosting orange smoothie appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

Typically, around the holidays, foods that we enjoy the most are finger type foods. Tapas style is most predominant in our culture, especially in the South. Rather than sit around the table people stand and walk around interacting with family members.

For us, food is a huge component around the holidays. Everyone is always excited to gather around and enjoy the company and food. It is most definitely one of the ways we like to strengthen bonds with family and friends around this time.

Because my food philosophy involves trying to keep things healthier, rather than deep frying these potato croquettes, which would have been the conventional way of preparing them, I decided to bake them instead. I was a little bit skeptical at first but with the ingredients I choose, especially Land O’Lakes® Salted Butter, it made the croquettes taste out of this world. I also made sure to add plenty of garlic and together with the butter together this was a match made in heaven. We Spaniards love garlic!

Land O’Lakes® Butter always makes everything taste better so I was very pleased at how they turned out. Not only I was pleased but so was my family, which are the toughest critics. In the end, there were no croquettes left so that was a good sign as well.

You could also serve these potato croquettes with a dipping sauce. In Spain we tend to eat croquettes plain, since they are already tasty enough, but if you like some sort of sauce go ahead. I am sure they will still taste terrific!

I am looking forward to the rest of the holiday season and to see what else my family and I can share around the table. These potato croquettes have definitely been a huge success so I hope to match whatever I make for them next.

Enjoy!

This recipe is sponsored by Land O’Lakes® Butter. The opinions and text are all mine. The end.

Potato Croquettes

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 24 croquettes

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lb potatoes
• ¼ cup milk
• 1/4 cup Land O’Lakes® Salted Butter
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 cup fresh parsley
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2-3 tsp olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups Panko bread crumbs

Directions:

Boil potatoes until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain potatoes and let them cool. Peel potatoes and add to a large mixing bowl. Mash potatoes with milk, butter, and salt. Set aside.

Add olive oil to a nonstick skillet. Add the carrots, peppers and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes until they soften, 2-3 minutes. Add the vegetable mixture to the potatoes and mix until combined. Also add the chopped parsley. At this time you can preheat oven to 450F.

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Measure out approx. 2 tbsp of potato mixture, roll it into a ball and flatten into a patty. Arrange patties on parchment paper.

Place panko bread crumbs in a plate and bitten egg on another. Dip each croquette on the beaten egg followed by the panko break crumbs. Place them back into the prepared baking sheet already breaded.

Repeat this step with the mixture until you are done using it all. Bake croquettes for 10 minutes on each side. Serve while they are still warm.

The post Potato Croquettes appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

Believe or not grilling on a charcoal grill it is easier than you think.

I decided to use Kingsford® Original Briquets. These are ready in just 15 minutes and have long burn time which allows for more edges for faster lighting.

Before you light the briquets in your charcoal grill just make sure:

• If you have any leftover ash in your grill dispose of it.

• Clean the grill grates.

• Place the briquets in a mountain shape, just like in the picture below and light them up.

• Once the briquets have been burning for 15 minutes and are a pale grey color they are ready to be used. Spread them out and place the grill grate over the briquets.

• Preheat your grill grates and oil them slightly to make sure your food won’t stick to it. Now your grill is ready for action!

This grilled chicken kebab recipe it is so simple yet just plain amazing. The recipe for the marinade was passed down to me from my aunt. It is one of her grilled marinade recipe staples so be sure you will like it. She is also a great cook and she knows her stuff.

If you have any leftovers you can just leave it in the same plate you served the kabobs in and use Glad Press‘n Seal to cover them. I love this product because not only it is BPA free but because it seals tightly on a variety of surfaces including paper, plastic, metal and wood. It is so convenient.

You can buy all of these products, Kingsford Original Briquets and Glad Press‘n Seal and your local Walmart. I love how Walmart makes it easy to get everything you need to throw the perfect summer BBQ.

I really hope you get to make this grilled chicken kebabs. You can use any other veggies like onions but I wouldn’t recommend tomatoes or mushrooms, as these get cooked rather quickly and they might disintegrate in the process. You can certainly also use beef in place of chicken but for us chicken is just the best.

Enjoy!

Grilled chicken kebabs

Carolyn's original recipe

Yield: 5 servings 10 kebabs

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3-4 lbs chicken breast, cubed
• 3 peppers, colors of choice, quartered
• 2 large zucchinis, quartered

Marinade

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs Italian seasoning

 

Directions:

Place the kebab ingredients in a large bowl. You are going to need a pretty large bowl.

Add the marinade ingredients and toss to combine. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes tossing every 10 minutes or so. Alternatively you can marinade overnight covered in the refrigerator.

Alternate chicken and 2-3 pieces of veggies repeating until you have about 3-4 pieces of chicken on each skewer. Repeat until you have run out of veggies and chicken. I got 10 skewers.

Once your grill is ready place skewers in the grill and cook on each side for 4-5 minutes depending on how far you have placed the grill grate from the heat.

Serve immediately.

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

The post Grilled chicken kebabs appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.