Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

I know I say this a lot…but this WILL be the easiest recipe you will ever make. It’s also absolutely delicious!

This is now my go to breakfast in the morning. I personally love a healthy delicious grab and go breakfast on days when I don’t feel like whipping something up from scratch and this is perfect. You can heat this up and serve it…or even eat it cold. It’s delicious both ways!

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal

• Servings: 6
• Time: 45 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
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Yields: 6 Slices

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 banana (half mashed, half sliced)
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1 1/2 cup almond milk (unsweetened is my preference)
• 5 egg whites or (1/2 cup liquid egg whites)
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup *optional
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and grease a baking sheet with nonstick spray or grease with coconut oil/ butter.
• Pour the two cups of uncooked rolled oats evenly at the bottom of the baking sheet. Cut your banana in half and slice that half (if you haven’t already).
• Place the slices on top of the oats, and then aesthetically place all of the blueberries evenly around then set the baking sheet aside.
• In a separate bowl, mash the other half of the banana and add the almond milk, egg whites, maple, vanilla, cinnamon, and baking powder. Beat the ingredients together then pour it directly on top of the baking sheet with fruit/ oats.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes or until the top is set. Allow it to cool completely, then slice and serve with yogurt, more berries, and a drizzle of nut butter, or maple syrup. Endless topping possibilities 🙂

*Notes*

*These store well in the refrigerator 5 days, you can also individually wrap and freeze/ defrost for up to 2 months*

Enjoy!

Hilda<3

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Brown Sugar & Cinnamon Hand Pies

How about the iconic pop tart pastry? Such a classic delight! Well, I call these hand pies. They are just the tastiest little treats any time of day.

I didn’t make them perfectly rectangular and that’s okay. I prefer the more rustic look…I think it tastes more authentic that way 😉

The flaky pie crust, the ooey gooey brown sugar and cinnamon buttery goodness is the absolute best! You also can’t beat that wonderful glaze to seal the deal.

Give these a go! They are SO EASY to make. PS. If you have store-bought pie crust…these will take NO TIME at all 😉

• Servings: 6
• Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
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INGREDIENTS:

For the pie crust-

• 2 cups white all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/4-1/2 cup iced cold water

For the filling-

• 1/2 cup packed dark or light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• egg wash (for the end): 1 large egg mixed with 2 teaspoons milk

For the Glaze:

• 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 Tablespoon milk (can use more if needed)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

• Make your crust: In a food processor or by hand with a pastry cutter, mix the flour, salt, and sugar together, vegetable shortening and pulse everything together until you have pea sized pieces throughout the dough.
• Add the ice cold water little by little, until you form a the dough.
• Take your dough and cover in plastic wrap tightly, and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours.
• Make your filling: Mix all of the filling ingredients together (except for the egg wash) and set aside.
• Assemble your hand pies: on a floured surface roll out the dough into a large square or triangle, and cut your dough into even rectangles. Note- it’s okay if they aren’t perfect! I personally prefer the rustic look 😉
• Make your egg wash: simply beat your egg with milk in a small bowl
• Brush each rectangle bottom with some egg wash (this will help everything stick) and fill with the brown sugar filling ( I like filling a generous amount) then cover with another rectangle (that isn’t brushed with egg wash). Crimp the edges of the pastry with a fork and then poke three wholes on top (so the filling doesn’t explode). Transfer into a lined baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Continue until you’ve assembled all your pastries. Refrigerate your pastries for at least 20 minutes (highly recommend if you can) while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Brush the pastries with the remaining egg wash and pop them in the oven for 25-28 minutes or until golden brown.
• Make the glaze: mix all of the glaze ingredients and set aside until the pastries have cooled, and are ready to be glazed. Once glazed, pop them back into the refrigerator so the glaze hardens 🙂

*notes*

*These keep well at room temp 2-3 days or in the fridge 6 days. You can also freeze before glazing and store in an airtight container up to 3 months. Simply defrost the night before in the refrigerator and bake.*

-Enjoy!

Hilda<3

Grapefruit Poppy Seed Loaf

This is bread is just delicious. It has such a nice flavorful zing from the grapefruit but it isn’t bitter. It’s summer in one bite- a delightful summer that is!

The glaze is a must! It’s perfect on it’s own but the glaze kicks it up a notch. Give this one a go! My husband loves it so much he asked for more after the loaf was finished. Ha!

• Servings: 5
• Time: 45 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Yields 6 slices

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 1/3 cup greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1 tablespoon grated grapefruit zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• juice of 1 1/2 grapefruit

For the glaze

• Juice of 1/2 grapefruit + zest (optional but extra yummy!)
• 1/2 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, and egg white one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in yogurt, poppy seeds, grapefruit zest and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture.
• Transfer to a small greased loaf pan. Bake 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix grapefruit juice and powdered sugar to make the glaze.
• Remove bread from oven. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Drizzle grapefruit glaze over bread and slice or chill in the refrigerator.

*Note: this bread can keep well in the fridge for 5-6 days. If you want a thicker glaze, you can add more powdered sugar, or extra juice or water to thin it out.

I hope you enjoy this lovely summer recipe!

Cheers ❤

Hilda

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Meal Prepping!

I’ve meal prepped for just about 6 years, and found that it helps keep me motivated to stick to my healthy eating habits throughout the week. It doesn’t have to be complicated! Even cutting up some vegetables, and fruits makes the world of a difference. I find that it really saves so much time since as for me- I’m busy working from home all week.

I felt that this was the perfect opportunity to share different ways that you could meal prep at home. The beautiful thing here is that you can customize this whichever way you’d like.

A couple of tips to help you get started (not required but highly recommended):

1. Create a grocery list of the food you’ll need. This helps minimize waste.
2. Make sure you have plenty of clean, air tight containers or zip lock bags
3. Once you have all your ingredients create a quick strategy such as cooking/ baking what ever takes the longest to cook first. That way we use time wisely.
4. Make sure you have plenty of storage in the fridge or freezer. I have a tiny fridge/freezer so I have to make sure I make plenty of space.

Meal prepping in bulk:

This method of meal prepping is my current FAVORITE. Why? because it takes no time at all and it still allows me to eat what I want- just with healthier choices. If I feel like making a salad, I throw it all together. If I feel like eating a sandwich, I throw it all together in my sandwich, pasta, etc. You catch my drift, right? It’s so easy.

1. GRILLED VEGETABLES: asparagus, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, corn, zucchini, mushrooms, eggplant etc.
   • The char these veggies get from the grill gives them so much flavor in bowls, sautes, scrambles, soups, salads, and pizzas. I like to slice em up, coat them with some olive oil, season with salt and pepper, then throw them on the grill for about 6-8 minutes until they get nice grill marks. I then transfer them into my airtight container and they keep well in the fridge 4-5 days.
2. ROASTED VEGETABLES: potatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli.
   • I drizzle some olive oil, top potatoes with salt & pepper, and roast them in the oven at 450 for about 30 minutes. Broccoli is seasoned the same, but takes about 15-20 minutes (keep an eye on those).
3. GRILLED CHICKEN
   • I like to marinate the chicken breast overnight with lemon, minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of mustard, salt, pepper, olive oil. If I don’t have time to marinate overnight, I marinate at least 30 minutes then I grill them up about 8 minutes per side or until the temperature reaches about 165 degrees F.
4. FRESH FRUIT: sliced strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries
   • A great way to clean your berries is by putting all of them in a big bowl, covering them with cold water and 1 tsp or so of apple cider vinegar or white distilled vinegar (not too much) and letting them sit for up to 5 minutes. No more – or else they’ll get soggy. Drain them, dry them up with a cloth or paper towel just a little bit, then transfer them into an airtight container and put them in the fridge.
   • It makes it so easy to just grab these clean berries, put them in cereal, oatmeal, or just as a quick snack!
5. FRESH VEGETABLES: cut celery, cucumber, carrots
   • I typically just cut the ends off of celery hearts, peel cucumbers and slice them into coins or strips, and rinse them along with the celery and baby carrots and place in airtight containers and put them in the fridge.
   • They make such a great snack with hummus, or guacamole!
6. BAKED GOODS: Healthy muffins, donuts, snack balls/bars
   • I make baked goods every week, or every couple weeks to make sure I satisfy my sweet tooth 🙂 I have a few recipes on the blog you can check out!
   • They are excellent for a snack, dessert, or breakfast.
7. GRAINS/LEGUMES: cooked quinoa, brown rice, black beans, lentils, chickpeas
   • Cooked grains are amazing in burrito bowls, buddha bowls, or in a saute. I even add them to salads to add a bit of satiety.
   • Cauliflower rice is also an amazing alternative even though it’s not considered a grain/legume but rather…a veggie!
8. SAUCES/DIPS/SPREADS: guacamole, tahini sauce, pesto, peanut sauce, hummus
   • Store bought hummus is excellent, but sometimes I like to switch it up and make my own sauces like my avocado sauce. I put this on everything! This is a great way to add flavor to your veggies, or dishes.
9. EGGS: Hard boiled eggs, frittatas, egg muffins
   • I find eggs to be such an essential source of protein! To make perfectly hard boil eggs, fill your pot with water and leave about 3 inches of space, bring the water to a boil, then carefully place the eggs into the pot and boil on high for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat, drain the eggs, and run them in cold water or an ice bath until cool enough to peel. Peel them up, then store them in airtight containers. It’s an amazing snack, breakfast, or amazing in my tuna salad recipe!
   • Check out my this Kale Frittata you can make ahead and store in the fridge 4-5 days! Just warm up in the microwave or oven until it’s warm and delicious.
   • Egg muffins are also delicious for a quick grab and go breakfast! Just spray muffin tins with cooking oil, beat eggs with some milk, and pour into muffin tins, sprinkle cooked bacon, turkey, or sausage, and cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 16-20 minutes and ta-da! Let them cool, then store them in the fridge 4-5 days.

I hope you found these meal prep ideas super helpful! Sometimes I do more, sometimes I do less. This just gives you an idea of how much you can do for the week ahead. It saves so much time, and you’re able to customize the meals as much as you want.

Cheers!

-Hilda ❤

Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl

This bowl is so delightful for lunch. It can be eaten either cold or hot. I personally prefer to heat it up before eating it. I meal prep the ingredients ahead of time which makes it SO EASY to throw together in the morning for lunch in the afternoon. It’s easy to whip up if you have the roasted sweet potato cooked.

You can substitute pretty much any kind of meat, or veggies here! But this combination is heaven.

• Servings: 1
• Time: 15 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
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Recipe: Yields 1 Buddha Bowl

INGREDIENTS:

• 4-6 Cups Baby Spinach
• 1/4 Chopped Avocado
• Micro Greens * (optional but helps boost nutrients)
• 4 oz. Ground Turkey
• 1/2 Cup Roasted Sweet Potato
• 2 Tablespoons Hummus
• Coconut or Olive Oil for Cooking

DIRECTIONS:

• Start by heating a non-stick skillet, and adding a little bit of oil.
• Add your spinach. It won’t take too long for it to cook and wilt. It may seem like a lot of spinach but it will get smaller once it’s sauteed. You can add bell peppers, or mushrooms here to boost the flavor and a little bit of salt and pepper if you wish.
• Next, assemble the bowl. Place the cooked spinach, then the rest of the ingredients and top with hummus.
• If you meal prep this recipe, simply heat it up in the microwave for 1:30-2 minutes and then stir it all up and eat it.

*Note – this recipe stores well in the fridge for about 3-4 days!*

Bon apettite!

Hilda ❤

Healthy Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner! I have a delicious/ easy recipe that you and your family will love all without the bazillion calories of the delicious traditional recipe you grew up with ;). I absolutely love the flavor of these enchiladas- I am an enchilada lover and these remind me of the traditional ones (healthy doesn’t have to lack on flavor). You won’t believe how easy these are! They are packed with protein, healthy carbs and fats.

If you don’t have flour tortillas, I highly recommend trying my Oat Tortilla recipe! You won’t believe how easy these are to make…only ONE ingredient, healthy and they work beautifully with this recipe!

These also pair beautifully with a side of refried beans, cauliflower rice, or simply on a bed of greens if you want to keep it light and fresh. Top it off with cilantro, pico, guacamole, and greek yogurt or sour cream for even more deliciousness!

• Servings: 4
• Time: 30 mins
• Difficulty: easy
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Recipe: Yields 4 Servings

INGREDIENTS:

For The Chicken Filling

• Olive Oil for Pan Coating
• 1 Finely Minced Garlic Clove
• 1/4 Cup Diced Onions
• 1/4 Cup Diced Tomatoes
• 2 Cups Spinach
• 1/4 Cup Green Enchilada Sauce
• Ground Salt
• Ground Black Pepper
• 1 LB Chicken Breast or Shredded Cooked Chicken

For The Enchilada Assembly:

• 4 7-inch Flour Tortillas (I Used my Homemade Oat Flour Tortillas but you can use any kind)
• 1 Cup Green Enchilada Sauce of Choice
• 1 Cup Shredded Cheese of Choice (Mexican Blend, Cotija, or Jack Cheese)
• Cilantro for Garnish

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Start cooking the vegetables in a little bit of olive oil until they are nice and the onions are translucent. Transfer the cooked veggie mixture into a medium sized bowl and set aside.
• Meanwhile, cook the chicken breast until it’s no longer pink and the juices are running clear. The internal temperature should be 165 degrees F. Once the chicken is done, you can shred it using two forks, or simply dice the chicken (careful because it will be hot), and then transfer it back to the pan. You can now mix the the cooked vegetables, 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, salt and pepper with the chicken. Transfer the chicken and vegetable mixture back to the medium bowl and set aside while you assemble the enchiladas.
• In a separate bowl, add the 1 cup of enchilada sauce. Dip up to two tortillas in the sauce and place it at the bottom of your baking dish.
• Add the chicken and vegetable mix, then 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese evenly distributed on top.
• Top it off with another two tortillas that are dipped in the enchilada sauce, and top it off with the remaining sauce, and shredded cheese.
• Bake it for 8-10 minutes until the cheese is nicely melted.

*You can substitute or leave the chicken out completely if you prefer to make it vegetarian and add more veggies to your liking.

*You can also broil the enchiladas the very last 2 minutes if you want the to char the cheese a little bit.

*For a little extra flavor, you can also cook the tortillas with a little cooking spray in the pan or butter before dipping it into the enchilada sauce… 😉

*You can store these in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to one week, or in an airtight plastic bag in the freezer for up to two weeks.

Enjoy!

-Hilda 🙂