Soft Cutout Sugar Cookies

These cookies are wonderful all year round but I thought I’d show you how magical they are in the spring! They are so much fun to decorate with the family!

They are nice and soft in the center, golden on the edges, they are perfectly buttery and you’ll love them!

I like to make these on the thicker side because that’s where I get the ultimate softness but not too thick- they still need to be cookies 😉

• Servings: 24 cookies
• Time: 6 hours
• Difficulty: easy
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INGREDIENTS:

• 2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Icing Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
• 2 – 2.5 Tablespoons room temperature water
• pinch salt
• Food coloring as needed

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DIRECTIONS:

• Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the egg, vanilla, ground nutmeg and and beat on high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Dough will be soft. If the dough seems too soft and sticky for rolling, add 1 more Tablespoon of flour.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Place each portion onto a piece of lightly floured parchment paper or a lightly floured silicone baking mat. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use more flour if the dough seems too sticky. The rolled-out dough can be any shape, as long as it is evenly 1/4-inch thick.
• Lightly dust one of the rolled-out doughs with flour. Place a piece of parchment on top. (This prevents sticking.) Place the 2nd rolled-out dough on top. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours.
• Once chilled, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Carefully remove the top dough piece from the refrigerator. If it’s sticking to the bottom, run your hand under it to help remove it– see me do this in the video above. Using a cookie cutter, cut the dough into shapes. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used. Repeat with 2nd piece of dough.
• Arrange cookies on baking sheets 3 inches apart. Bake for 11-12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Allow cookies to cool completely before decorating.
• Make the icing: Mix all of the ingredients together, divide into bowls or piping bags with different colors if you want to make colorful glazed cookies!
• Decorate the cooled cookies with the glaze.
• Enjoy cookies right away or wait until the icing sets to serve them. Plain or decorated cookies stay soft for about 5 days when covered tightly at room temperature. You can also refrigerate up to 10 days.

Recipe adapted by Sally McKenney*

Enjoy!

-Hilda

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Sticky Crumble Sourdough Coffee Cake

Ahh, this is the kind of coffee cake I’ve always dreamed about eating! Light and moist, not too sweet, and with some texture on the top. It is marvelous!

I should also mention that I make this cake with sourdough starter discard! YES! no more throwing away your starter discard. If you don’t have sourdough starter “discard” then by all means, sour cream or yogurt would work heavenly here as well! However, I highly recommend the starter discard because I firmly believe that funky, fruity, smelly starter really helped achieve that UMPH in this lovely cake 🙂

About sourdough starter/ starter discard:

If you’re not sure what sourdough starter is- allow me to explain (even though I’m no professional he he). Sourdough starter is simply a combination of warm water, and flour. It is mixed together, then placed in a large enough jar to ferment in the course of about a week. Everyday that week, the starter rises overnight (ferments) and requires “feeding” which means you “throw away” about half of what has risen and then feed it with more warm water and flour. Now, I HATE throwing away food…it hurts…so when I found out there’s actually a way to use that “discard” I was very pleased! And let me tell ya, it’s GOLD :). You can actually use that “discard” to make a lot of delicious baked treats! Pancakes, waffles, pizza, heck…even bread! I used this sourdough starter recipe in case you’re interested in making some of this gold too!

• Servings: 6
• Time: 45 mins
• Difficulty: easy
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Yields 6 slices

INGREDIENTS:

For the sticky crumble:

• 5 tablespoons butter melted
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 packet instant apple cinnamon oatmeal (can sub for 1/3 cup rolled oats or an extra 1/3 cup nuts)
• 1/3 cup pecans or nuts of choice
• For the coffee cake:
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cups white granulated sugar
• 1 cup starter discard (or sour cream/ yogurt)
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 3 tablespoons canola oil

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease your round pan (I used a springform pan but a 9×9 works) with butter and dust with flour (to prevent cake from sticking).

Melt the butter in a small saucepan then add brown sugar, maple syrup, instant oatmeal, and salt. Pour the caramel to the bottom of the buttered pan then sprinkle with nuts. Set it aside while working on the cake batter.

In a medium sized bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Add the rest of the ingredients – sugar, starter, egg, melted butter (cooled), and oil. Mix until everything is just combined. The batter will be slightly sticky and thick.

Spoon the batter by spoonfuls on top of the caramel until you’ve spooned it all then spread it evenly with a spatula or the back of a spoon.

Bake it in the oven for 20 -25 minutes until it has set and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let it sit on a cooling rack for 5 minutes.

• Loosen edges of cake with a knife and invert a large platter over the cake. Using hot pads, grasp edges of cake pan and flip over. Remove pan and spoon any topping in pan back onto cake.
• Let cool 5-10 minutes before serving. It’s best eaten the day of but can be left in the fridge for a couple days or the fridge for a couple weeks. Simply pop it in the microwave and heat up 10 seconds or so.

Enjoy!

Hilda

Kale Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Are you ready for an amazing, healthy, delicious lunch recipe? This is my FAVORITE salad, and i’ve been making it for YEARS…that’s right…YEARS. It’s fresh, healthy, and keeps me full for hours.

Not to brag but I do get complements on how pretty this salad looks when I go out to eat with my office colleagues! It’s quite funny actually. It’s as delicious as it looks, and perfect all year round.

You can easily assemble 4-5 of these salads in tightly sealed tubs for that busy week meal prep! They store beautifully in the fridge all week long.

To make this an easy meal prep:

1. Chop and roast a couple lbs of sweet potatoes. I drizzle olive oil on them, sprinkle some salt and pepper, and bake them in a cookie tray at 450 degrees F for about 30 minutes. Store them in a freezer bag in the freezer making it easy to just add on top of this yummy salad or any dish!
2. Grill your chicken in advance, and then chop it up. I love buying chicken tenderloins and marinating them with lemon juice, cilantro, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper then grilling them for about 6-8 minutes on each side until juices run clear and internal temp is about 365 F.
3. To assemble- grab a 7-8 cup plastic storage tub, and place the greens first, then the rest of the ingredients on top (except for the nuts).
4. Roast the nuts in advance then divide them individually into snack baggies or wrap them in foil and then pour on top of the salad before eating.
5. Put the dressing in 1/4 Cup containers individually as well so you can drizzle onto the salad just before eating.

• Servings: 1-2
• Time: 15 mins
• Difficulty: easy
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Recipe: Yields 1 Big Salad or 2 Side Salads

INGREDIENTS:

For the Salad-

• 5 oz. Roughly Chopped Raw Kale (or 2 Cups)
• 1/4 Chopped Avocado
• 1/2 Cup Roasted Diced Sweet Potato
• 2 Tablespoons Crumbled Feta Cheese
• 4 oz. Chopped Grilled Chicken Breast (about 1 Cup)
• 2 Tablespoons Nut and Raisin Trail Mix

For the Dressing-

• 1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 Teaspoons Spicy Brown Mustard
• 1 Tablespoon Honey
• salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS:

• Start by making the salad dressing. In a small bowl whisk olive oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, salt and pepper until creamy and dressing consistency.
• Next, remove the tough stems from the kale leaves and chop them into small pieces, so that the salad is easy to eat. Add the kale to the bowl of dressing, and use your hands to “massage” the dressing into the kale. The kale should soften and shrink as you do this.
• Add the rest of your ingredients on top, and mix everything together! For an extra kick of flavor, you can roast the nut and raisin mix over some foil in the toaster oven until they are nice and golden. Let them cool, chop them up, then add them to the salad.

Hope you enjoy this recipe!

Hilda ❤

Healthy Banana Bread

I have gone bananas for this delicious sweet bread! It’s perfectly moist, flavorful from all the spices and the ripe bananas. Every bite is truly delightful. This makes an excellent to-go breakfast or snack all week long. Just pair it up with your favorite cup of tea or coffee. 😉

Careful not to eat it all while you store it! It’s dangerously delicious, and without the guilt!

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

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Cups Oat Flour (rolled oats blended into flour)
• 1/4 Cup Almond Flour
• 2 Tbsp Coconut Flour
• 1 scoop whey protein (I used Hammer’s vanilla flavor- it’s the best)
• 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 Cup Greek Yogurt
• 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Almond milk
• 1/2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 Large Egg
• 2 Mashed Bananas
• 2 Tbsp Peanut Butter
• 2 Tbsp Chocolate Chips for Topping
• 2 Tbsp Nuts of Choice for Topping

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a loaf pan ( I used a small one) with parchment paper or simply spray with non-stick spray so the bread doesn’t stick.
• In a medium bowl mix all of the dry ingredients.
• Next, throw the wet ingredients into a blender ( yogurt, milk, vinegar, egg, bananas, peanut butter), or just mash them separately then incorporate them into the dry ingredients.
• Mix gently until it just combines. Do not over mix 🙂
• Pour the batter into the loaf pan, and sprinkle the chocolate chips, nuts, and maybe some extra oats! The approach is yours 😉
• Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean and the edges are slightly golden.
• Let the bread cool completely then gently take it out of the loaf pan (this should be easy with the parchment paper). If you don’t have it lined with parchment paper, you can run a knife around the edges then flip over once it completely cools! Careful because the chocolate chips might stick to the surface of your hands if not cooled completely.
• Spread some nut butter on these, some greek yogurt, or just enjoy them as they are!

NOTES:

*These store well in the fridge for about a week or in the freezer for about two months. Wrap each slice individually in plastic wrap then defrost the night before you want to eat these! Such an easy and quick to-go breakfast or snack.

*You can also add the chocolate chips to the batter itself, but I absolutely love the goodness on top!

Hilda ❤

Sausage Stuffed Zucchini

This is such a quick, easy, and delicious recipe! It’s full of flavor from the sausage and the tomato sauce, and screams full comfort. It’s also low in carbs and perfect for dinner paired up with mashed potatoes, a salad, and a glass of wine. Yum! Leftovers are also perfect for lunch.

Definitely give these a try, they are absolutely DIVINE.

Salt and pepper = flavor flavor flavor!

Meat & cheese mixture

More sauce and cheese then in the oven she goes!

• Servings: 4
• Time: 35 mins
• Difficulty: easy
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INGREDIENTS:

• Olive Oil or Cooking Spray
• 4 Zucchini
• 1 Lb Chicken Sausage (casing removed)
• 1 Cup Marinara Sauce
• 1 Garlic Clove Minced
• 1/3 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste 

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a large casserole dish with non-stick spray or olive oil.
• Trim the ends off the zucchini’s. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving 1/2-in shells. Finely chop pulp. Place the zucchini halves into the casserole dish and sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper.
• In a skillet, cook the sausage, zucchini pulp, and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add in 1/2 of the marinara sauce, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat, add mozzarella cheese and mix well. Spoon the sausage mixture into the zucchini shells and top with parmesan cheese.
• Bake for about 25 minutes until the cheese has melted, and the zucchini has cooked.

NOTES:

• These keep well in the refrigerator for about 5 days.
• You can make these vegetarian by adding soy meat instead of sausage, or other veggies!
• You can also substitute any kind of cheese or meat here but I HIGHLY recommend the sausage…it’s just packed with so much flavor!

Enjoy! 🙂

Hilda ❤

Kale Frittata

I love me a good frittata for so many reasons. It packs a punch of healthy nutrients and you can eat it for pretty much any meal. It transports really well for picnics or work lunches too! I love making these ahead for the week to make it an easy grab and go meal. It also pairs beautifully with a side of toast smothered in peanut butter, a muffin, or fruit! The possibilities are endless.

I hope you enjoy this healthy and delicious dish as much as I do!

• Servings: 4
• Time: 40 mins
• Difficulty: easy
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Yields 4 Slices

INGREDIENTS:

• Olive Oil or Cooking Spray
• 1/4 Cup White Onion
• 1/2 Shredded Zucchini 
• 1/2 Cup Sliced Mushrooms (Optional)
• 1/4 Cup Bell Pepper Strips
• 1 Garlic Clove Minced
• 5 oz or 2 Cups Chopped Raw Kale
• 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk or Milk of Choice
•  20 Egg Whites or 10 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese
• 1/4 tsp Chili Flakes (Optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat the oven at 425 F.
• Start by drizzling an oven safe pan, and adding the kale. Cook for about a minute then drizzle a little bit of water to allow it to steam and wilt. Cover it with a lid, and add the rest of the veggies until they’re partially cooked through.
• Meanwhile whisk the egg whites (or eggs), and the milk.
• Add the wisked egg whites into the pan with the cooked veggies and with a wooden spoon move it around a little bit.
• Add in the salt, pepper, cheese evenly then put it in the oven.
• I usually bake for about 8-10 minutes until the top is bubbly and set. Then I cool it completely and slice it with a pizza cutter into 4 slices!

NOTES

• It keeps well in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
• Use any veggies you want here, or add some chicken or sausage for an extra punch of protein!
• You can substitute eggs for egg whites, or any kind of cheese or milk in a pinch. (I’ve made it with feta cheese as well- so tasty!)

Enjoy!

Hilda ❤

Avocado Spread

This is my go to spread for sandwiches, omelettes, frittatas, toast, tacos, burritos, bowls…it’s SO GOOD I put it on everything. You simply throw everything in a blender and voila- easy peasy.

This recipe calls for a full jalapeño with seeds (no stem of course). I love leaving the seeds for an extra kick but if you want it less spicy you can leave the seeds out. This is such an easy recipe and such a hit at our home!

• Servings: 6
• Time: 10 mins
• Difficulty: easy
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Recipe: Yields 1 1/4 Cup (2 Tablespoons)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Ripe Avocado
• 1 Big Handful Cilantro
• 1 Juice of Lime or Lemon
• 1 Jalapeño (stem cut off but leave the seeds)
• 1/4 Onion
• 3/4-1 Teaspoon Fine Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Water

Directions

• Pour all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until it’s a chunky consistency!
• Pour the speed into a mason jar and store it in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Enjoy! 🙂

-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 🙂

The Best Healthy Tuna Salad

I am not kidding when I call this “The Best Healthy Tuna Salad” EVER! I was always convinced that tuna salads were never going to be the same without mayo…and don’t get me wrong…those are childhood favorites! But this one may just be my ALL TIME favorite. It has no mayo, but has full healthy fats. It’s satisfying, has amazing texture, wonderful sweetness from the sweet potato, and creamy! You can also skip the bed of greens and add this to a wrap or put it on 2 slices of bread for the best sandwich! I’ve made this a weekly staple in my house 🙂

• Servings: 2
• Time: 10 mins
• Difficulty: easy
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Recipe: Yields 2 Servings

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 5 oz Can of Albacore White Chunk Tuna
• 1/4 Cup of Hummus
• 1/2 Avocado Diced into Cubes
• 2 Chopped Hard Boiled Eggs
• 1/4 Cup of Finely Diced Celery
• 1/4 Cup of Finely Diced Onion
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 1 Tablespoon ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar)
• 1/4 Cup of Roasted Sweet Potato
• 1/4 Cup Mixed Roasted Nuts with Raisins
• 2 Cups Mixed Greens or Baby Spinach
• Vinaigrette of choice or extra ACV for finish

Directions

• Start by mixing the tuna with the hummus, avocado, eggs, celery, onion, salt, pepper, and mustard until it’s nice and creamy. You can now make two servings out of this mixture or save half for the next day!
• Place half of the mix into your bed of greens or spinach. Top with roasted sweet potato, nut mix, and drizzle your favorite vinaigrette for that extra flavor or ACV.

Hope you enjoy this recipe!

-Hilda ❤

Gingerbread Loaf

This is such a wonderful bread – it smells like the holidays there’s no doubt about that but it’s special all year round. I am sitting here on a cozy, rainy, spring morning sipping on my coffee and enjoying the perfect slice as we speak. It makes you happy, it tastes nostalgic, it’s delightful. Go ahead make this delicacy for your perfect cozy morning, afternoon treat, or just because ;).

• Servings: 8
• Time: 1 Hour
• Difficulty: easy
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Recipe: Yields 1 loaf (8 Slices)

Ingredients

• 1 ½ Cup of All Purpose Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
• ½ Teaspoon Salt
• 1 ½ Teaspoon Ground Ginger
• ¾ Teaspoon Ground  Nutmeg
• ¼ Cup of Sugar
• ½ Cup of Molasses
• 1 Cup of Buttermilk
• 2 Eggs
• ⅓ Cup of Melted Butter (Cooled)
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• Powdered Sugar For Dusting

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, and grease your loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter (I used a 3×9 which is smaller than your standard pan).
• In a small bowl, mix the dry ingredients ( Flour, BP, BS, Salt, Ginger, Nutmeg).
• In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients (Sugar, Molasses, Buttermilk, Eggs, Butter, Vanilla).
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix it with a spatula until it is just combined (do not over mix – the dough will be lumpy). 
• Pour the mixture into your loaf pan.
• Bake it for 46 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean
• Let it cool for about 20 minutes, then you’re ready to take it off the pan! Run a knife around the edges then turn it into a plate.
• Let it cool completely, then dust it with powdered sugar.

Enjoy! 🙂

-Hilda