Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

Archives for March 2016

Avocado Cilantro Taco Sauce. V. GF.

by Filed Under: Appetizers, Brunch, Condiments, Dips, Dressings, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fruit, Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Nuts, Running/Races, Salads, Salsas & Guacamole, Sauces, Side dish, Vegan, Vinaigrette, Vitamix, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

 

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Yep.  It’s not Taco Tuesday yet hump day. I know but don’t really care because I’m in a mood for tacos.  Truthfully, I’ve been craving avocados a lot lately.  So tonight we will have walnut meat (recipe coming) tacos with this sauce that will have you drooling at first bite.  Avocados: provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins, and folic acid. They also act as a “nutrient booster” by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit. They are a powerhouse and really should be consumed every single day in my humbled opinion.

This chunkier sauce can be made spicy, medium or mild.  Can be thinned out for a dressing for salads.  It serves as the perfect dip in lieu of your typical guac.  Heavenly… period.  And the best part – whips up in seconds.
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— Knead to Cook

Chocolate Chunk Banana Walnut Muffins. V. GF.

by Filed Under: Breads, Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fitness., Gluten Free, Lucy Let's Go Post, Product Review., Quick Bread, Running/Races, Sponsored, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free 6 Comments

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Returning to reality yesterday after a weekend away with family celebrating Easter was hard.  Training.  Laundry.  Dogs.  Grocery shopping.  You know the drill.  My oldest was off Monday and my youngest is off till mid-week.  I knew I needed a good healthy snack to grab when the munchies hit.  They requested banana bread and I whipped up these up to satisfy teenage hunger.

These are refined sugar-free.  Gluten free and completely vegan.  You can use mini chips or chunks for the vegan chocolate aspect.  I made some without for my husband and topped with banana slices.  These are hearty enough for breakfast or pre-run.  You can also half this recipe for 6 regular muffins or prepare as is for 12 large muffins.
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— Knead to Cook

Curry Purple Potato and Cauliflower Soup. V. GF.

by Filed Under: Beans, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Indian-inspired., Potatoes, Running/Races, Soups, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free 1 Comment

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I’ve honestly come to the conclusion that my Sunday suppers have seriously transitioned from Italian to Indian cuisine lately.  I’m obsessed with curry and vegetables.  I cannot get enough.  Plus everyone will happily eat it so it makes my life, admittedly, so much easier.  After picking up a huge head of cauliflower and beautiful purple baby potatoes at the farmer’s market on Saturday – I knew they would be critical to my curry creation this week.  I hope you all love Indian food as much as I do.

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— Knead to Cook

Chickpea Chocolate Chip Bars. V. GF.

by Filed Under: Beans, Brownies, Brunch, Cookies, Easter, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Holiday Baking Ideas, Running/Races, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free 7 Comments

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Every single Friday I breathe a sigh of relief lately.  I survived!  Training.  College tours. Dogs.  Teenage daughters.  Politics. Life in general.  I’ll admit lately it’s been life is just hard.  I managed two nights that were in excess of 10 hours of sleep.  My body is showing the fatigue lately and I’m embracing it.

I was up for a nice little easy treat that was healthy for for my girls.  My husband, as I’ve shared, is allergic to chocolate – still cannot imagine that curse.  But these little cookie bars I sliced into bite-sized pieces.  They are packed with chickpeas and almond butter so YES on the protein!!  These are a totally tricky food that you can smile about as your kids gobble them down.  Perfect for after school snacking on in their lunches for school.  Plus they have a great soft inner texture like a gooey cookie.   My daughter even warmed them and put pieces in her nice cream – points for creativity!
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— Knead to Cook

Roasted Aloo Gobi. V. GF.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Indian-inspired., Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vegetarian, Wheat Free 2 Comments

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My go-to, favorite dish when we go out for Indian is Aloo Gobi.  It’s a cauliflower & potato dish served with rice.  I love spicy food and always order it off-the-charts hot.  I think if I could, I would eat this pretty much every day of my life. I do prefer, however, not to eat out and to make my own food.  My stomach isn’t a fan of a lot of oil or grease and typically kills me on my next day of running.  So with that, I wanted to create a clean, less-than-normal oil in the recipe. Plus, you can control the spiciness of the dish yourself.

This recipe prep takes the longest – once the potatoes and cauliflower are ready – the dish takes minutes to make.  I served it to my dad first (someone always eats the photographed dish) and he loved it!  He’s always my barometer being the old-school Italian carnivore who fears all my vegan dishes 😉
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— Knead to Cook

Lucy Blog Post Sham Rockin’ Shake. V. GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Lucy Let's Go Post, Smoothies, St. Patrick's Day, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix Leave a Comment

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It’s that time of year again and that famous fast food restaurant has emerged with their seasonal green-colored mint shake.  I’ll be honest, I remember these fondly from when I was a teenager enjoying the frosty treat with my friends after school.  Once I became a parent, my girls always clammered for one as we would pass by on our travels and inevitably end up getting one as St. Patrick’s day approached.  Once I became more health conscious, I opted to start making them at home and of course, making them a much healthier version from the original.  The green part was easy and a bonus for me – a tricky way to sneak more veggies into my their diet without anyone knowing.  Spinach is such a great vehicle for adding a nutritional punch without adding a detectable (to any kids) taste.  Spinach is a powerhouse as it packs iron, magnesium, vitamin C, potassium… I could go on and on but I won’t.

When I set out to create this recipe, I tested out 4 different versions.  I had everyone taste test them and vote.  I added avocado, spinach, protein powder, frozen bananas, room temperature bananas, etc.  This was the winning recipe for both texture and flavor overall.  I hope you love it as much as we do.
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— Knead to Cook

Vegan Chocolate Nice Cream. GF.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fruit, Gluten Free, Ice cream, No bake/cooking required!, Party Foods, Raw, Vegan, Vitamix, Wheat Free 2 Comments

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It’s been in the 70’s and sunny the past few days giving us a glimpse into spring.  It’s been lovely.  Amazing how the sun and warm temps just boost your mood.  I also have truly missed running without layers and layers and hand warmers tucked into my mittens.  Suffering from Raynaud’s is hard during the colder winter months.

I made this recipe last week, forgetting how much I loved it but fully knowing I would never really get to enjoy it as my daughter would consume all that I made – and I was, of course, proven right again. I found a rare stash of overripe bananas at the store – seems to be a really hard thing to do lately.  And I immediately bought them all up.  I think I purchased 22 bananas for $3.oo or something.  Oh and they were organic to boot.  I immediately got home, peeled them and got them into ziploc baggies and in the freezer.  The next day I knew my mission… and there is something for simplicity.  I even gave my dad a tiny bowl and he said it was the best ice cream he’s had in a long time.  I won’t bother telling him what it was… enjoy the ignorance of the situation.  LOL. I just love him but if I told him it was just bananas I would’ve gotten an eye roll.

This recipe is so easy.  Totally kid-friendly and so good sans any guilt, GMO’s or any funky ingredients.
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— Knead to Cook

Lentil Mulligatawny with a Cilantro Onion Salad.

by Filed Under: Beans, Fitness., Gluten Free, Indian-inspired., Running/Races, Soups, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free 2 Comments

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Before I even go into the background of this soup… my entire family was channeling Seinfeld when I told them what I was making for dinner.  Do you remember the episode with the Soup Nazi?  Ha.  Fond memories… Thankfully there is soup for you!
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This recipe is a variation from the very fabulous Vedge Restaurant in Philadelphia.  If you ever find yourself in Philadelphia be sure to make a reservation at this acclaimed restaurant.  The husband and wife duo are vegan powerhouse chefs.  This soup is hands down one of my family’s favorites (even the meat eaters) and I love it because it takes only about 30 minutes to put together.  From there I let it simmer for hours before serving.  Leftovers are incredibly flavorful as the spices develop more intensity.  Our preference is to serve it over jasmine rice for a heartier meal.  It’s a great soup to prepare on Sunday for dinner, with leftovers being perfect for lunches or dinner on the fly during the week.  This recipe is a variation from their recipe.  
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— Knead to Cook

Key Largo Vegan Getaway.

by Filed Under: Holiday, Sponsored, Travel & eating, Vegan, Vegan proteins 2 Comments

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Our amazing sunset from our hotel.

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I’ve had wonderful opportunities to travel to the Keys multiple times as a child right up through my adult life.  I always enjoy either a week-long sojourn or a weekend away from the snow and frigid temperatures of Pennsylvania. My girls love it.  My husband and I find it very tropical and relaxing.  Honestly, how could you not?  We had a recent, quick, secret get-a-way and I’m excited to share some background and travel info with you all for planning your holiday getaway.  I also am thrilled to share my vegan recommendations that are musts on our dining lists while in they Keys.
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— Knead to Cook

Carrot Pear Oat Muffins. V. GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fitness., Fruit, Giveaway!!!, Gluten Free, Nuts, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free 4 Comments

Carrot Pear Oat Muffins. V. GF.

Carrot Pear Oat Muffins. V. GF.

Happy Friday Eve!  I’m looking forward to the weekend.  The weather is looking up this weekend and next week – like 70’s!  No projects.  No college tours.  I’m hoping for some downtime.  I’m looking forward to a vegan date for breakfast and the farmer’s market.  I’m very simple and maybe even boring but I love our rituals.

I started working on this recipe a few days ago and finally nailed it.  Great success for a blogger. I’ve made no bones about it… I much rather cook than bake.  Baking requires precise measurements and I don’t think my brain works well in those parameters.  I love flexibility.  These turned out so moist and delicious that I made a dozen and in less than 20 hours one lone muffin remains.  So I guess I will call these a victory!  I hope you enjoy them too!
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— Knead to Cook