Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

The easiest triple nut butter. Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: Condiments, Gluten Free, Nuts, Pantry, Vegan, Vinaigrette, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations Leave a Comment

While testing some breakfast cookie recipes yesterday I ran out of almond butter. Needless to say, I whipped out my food processor and got to work. Any nut butter is truly so simple to make and I’m a huge fan of controlling what ingredients go into my food so this one is super clean and oh so tasty, with the help of a simple tip listed in the recipe below. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 cups of nuts (your choice) I used raw walnuts, almonds and cashews. Pecans, pepitas or sunflower seeds also work beautifully too!


Optional mix-ins:

1 tsp Celtic or himalayan salt
Medjool date
maple syrup
chia seeds
flax seeds

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place a single layer of your nuts onto a baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until fragrant and lightly golden. Remove and allow to cool completely.

Place the cooled nuts into your food processor and blend for about one and a half minutes. The mixture should be creamy (if you want chunkier, check after 45 seconds). If you’re adding salt or any other mix-ins, add and blend again quickly.

Store in an airtight glass container in your pantry. Enjoy!

No need to pre-soak your nuts of choice.

Allow the nuts to cool before processing.
Still a bit chunkier for me, I blended to 1:30 minutes for the perfect creamy texture.

— Knead to Cook

The easiest red cabbage quick pickle.

by Filed Under: Appetizers, Brunch, Condiments, Gluten Free, Party Foods, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free 8 Comments


Look at that color!  So we eat with our eyes first, right? Ha.  This weekend I was a bit determined to make my first batch of pickled red cabbage.  I love kimchi, anything fermented or pickled for my salads.  Plus add a big bonus for gut health. I’m a big fan of controlling what ingredients go into my food and when buying mass produced products, typically the salt levels are off the charts in conjunction with sugar overload.  No thank you!

This recipe is super simple – seriously, you can’t screw it up for all those recipe phobic. Add this or remove that (referring to the jalapeño) and then let it do its thing.

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— Knead to Cook

Spicy Beet Ketchup. Vegan. Gluten Free.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Condiments, Gluten Free, Holiday, Sauces, Side dish, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free 4 Comments

If you’ve ever eaten at By Chloe, you’ve had the pleasure of trying beet ketchup.  I had never even heard of it prior to eating at Chloe’s restaurant but once taste… and Bill & I were head over heels.

So that’s where the inspiration for this yummy recipe started.  I researched several recipes online and this was the final creation.  Pretty easy.  I also went the spicy route but you can easily omit if you don’t prefer spice.  This ketchup is perfect with roasted veggies, especially sweet potatoes!  My husband loved it on his vegan burger as well.

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— Knead to Cook

Lemon kale hummus. Vegan and GF.

by Filed Under: Beans, Brunch, Condiments, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fitness., Gluten Free, Health & wellness, Party Foods, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations 1 Comment


Learning that photoshoots on rainy, dark, dismal days need to be avoided.  After hundreds of images, this was my only acceptable lead photo.  Sorry about that BUT this recipe, it’s seriously OH SO GOOD!

Now I know many, I mean MANY, people despise the rough, hearty texture of kale.  I get it.  I don’t like it raw either.  But massaging it with oil, salt or lemon juice for a salad like this one can change your mind.  With that being said, sautéing kale can also transform it into a lovely version of itself.  See where I’m going?  Don’t judge a book but it’s hard exterior.

I have a lot of kale (many different versions) in my garden.  I was cooking for a client and knowing I wanted to use up some of my kale… hummus came to mind.  This hummus takes a different spin, because your cooking it, but the end result is simply amazing.  I love hummus for salads, Buddha bowls, mixed with ACV for dressing or classically styled with raw veggies.  You choose, but you have to try this recipe.

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— Knead to Cook

Maille FlavorHero Dijon Recipes. Vegan. Gluten free.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Condiments, Dips, Dressings, Gluten Free, Raw, Rubs, Salads, Sauces, Side dish, Snacks, Sponsored, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vegetarian, Vinaigrette, Vitamix 4 Comments


Incorporating flavor into existing recipes or food preparation can seem daunting but going to back to basics can be quite impactful and so simple to do.  I’ve long loved Maille Dijon and have created many recipes using their flavorful Dijons.  And let me digress by saying not all Dijons on the market are created equal.  La Maison Maille has been producing for more than 267 years. The tradition is kept alive by the team of experts who create the products today, preserving the excellence that defines La Maison Maille in a continual quest for innovation and perfection. It is the attention to detail that sets La Maison Maille apart – the carefully selected ingredients, the nuances of the recipes, the expertise in the methods used and the elegant black and gold packaging.

Maille is currently running a Flavor Heroes Contest that you can enter.  All you need to do it tell them how you use a Maille product to enhance your favorite dishes and you can be featured in a recipe video along with winning  a 5 piece signature Le Creuset cookware.  Click here to enter!  And now let me share some ways I incorporate their products into 3 of my favorite dishes.

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— Knead to Cook

Roasted Red Beet Hummus. Vegan. Gluten Free.

by Filed Under: Appetizers, Beans, Brunch, Condiments, Dips, Dressings, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Party Foods, Running/Races, Sauces, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

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Roasted red beet hummus.

I’ll admit, I was never a beet fan.  It wasn’t until I was at a party & my friend Julianne implored me to try one that I realized — I loved it!  I always play around with them. Roasted, pickling & eating raw.  Beets are a wonderful anti-inflammatory food, which in my world is very necessary.  My husband always jokes that they taste like dirt but they don’t and this hummus is a fun way to transform a beet.  Plus, hummus is one of the most versatile and protein-packed food for plant-based eaters.

So you think hummus is just for dipping chips or veggies?  Umm no.  Here are some ideas of how you can eat hummus every single day… you can add a dollop of hummus to your salad in lieu of dressing.  Use it as a spread on your sandwiches instead of mayo or mustard.  Spread on Romaine lettuce leaves and top with veggies for a fun snack. You can also thin hummus out with a tablespoon of water and use it as a creamy sauce.  Of

Beets are a very economical food especially if purchased at a local farmer’s market.  Roast several up in the oven and they keep perfectly in the fridge all week.  Okay so let’s get started on this recipe – I’m so captivated by that color!

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— Knead to Cook

Lima Bean Garlic Hummus. V. GF.

by Filed Under: Beans, Brunch, Condiments, Dips, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fitness., Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Side dish, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

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Lima Bean Hummus. Vegan & gluten free.

I love to cook seasonally.  I shop at farmer’s markets at least 2 times a week and love buying local seasonal produce.  I’ve been seeing tons of lima beans popping up & wanted to put a spin on their preparation v. the traditional boiling method.  Plus my girls will eat hummus but not a lima beans.

We consume a lot of hummus in our house.  I love it on my daily monstrous salad as an extra boost of protein & because I don’t use dressing – I like the flavor punch hummus provides.  My husband uses it daily on his veggie sandwiches he takes to work.  Plus of course, dipping veggies, crackers and chips is a must.  Lima beans are buttery in texture and are a wonderful source of Thiamin, B6 and folate.  The blend down to a lovely consistency in hummus… and if you like to mix up your beans, and plant based proteins – you will love this one.
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— Knead to Cook

Smoky Vegan Cheese Sauce.

by Filed Under: Appetizers, Breakfast, Brunch, Cheese, Condiments, Dips, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free 1 Comment

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Ahhhh the last official long weekend of summer.  I’m so ready for fall.  In fact, today we woke up to a brisk 60 something degree morning & I couldn’t be happier.  This all despite the fact that our rare beach day left me fried on my back (because I forgot to take care of sunscreening after coating everyone else).  I love fall so much more than summer… I know, most of you are probably in disagreement.  But the pumpkin has emerged in my kitchen & heartier dishes are on my mind.

Case in point… this sauce.  I often get asked what inspires me.  Recipes I eat, I read about, research & inevitably the nay sayers who truly believe that vegan food is disgusting.  Dare I say… so not the case.  This recipe base is not nut based like my other cheesy sauce recipes here or here.  This recipe is vegetable based and oh so creamy good.  And that color is natural versus the mass-produced, chemically-laden counterpart you purchase at the grocery story.   This sauce is perfect for nachos, taco night, dipping, spreading or as a sauce over pasta.  Totally kid-friendly & parent approved.
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— Knead to Cook

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde. Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: 4th of July/Patriotic, Appetizers, Breakfast, Brunch, Chili, Condiments, Gluten Free, Grilling/Rubs/Sauces, Mexican, Party Foods, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vegetarian, Vitamix 3 Comments

 

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Roasted tomatillo salsa verde.  If you’re anything like me, different foods at the grocery store are intriguing but  not enough to get me to purchase.  Tomatillos are that to me.  I always marvel at how adorable they are but I never manage to actually purchase them.  This week I was feeling a bit more courageous, I suppose, and grabbed about 2 lbs of them thinking I would make some salsa verde.  I love salsa and pride myself on my Italian/Mexican salsa that my friends and family clamor for… so why not take a stab at this version.

This recipe is pretty easy but a bit more time consuming than traditional salsa.  The flavor is also vastly different – more on the sweet/slightly bitter side.  Totally different but absolutely lovely.  Looking forward to having this beautiful salsa on my taco bar Tuesday for my family to try.  What kind of salsa is your favorite?  I would love to know.
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— Knead to Cook

Kale and herb hummus. V. GF.

by Filed Under: Beans, Breakfast, Condiments, Dips, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vegetarian, Vitamix, Wheat Free 2 Comments

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This kale & herb hummus embodies all things summer. I love making hummus because it’s one of those recipes that is protein-packed (thanks to the mighty chickpea) and it’s so adaptable.  You can use whatever herbs you have growing in your garden or picked up from your local farm stand or market.

We use hummus on sandwiches, in lieu of a spread, for snacking and my personal favorite – as a salad topper instead of dressing.  I absolutely love it and it’s a wonderful avenue to eating more greens and beans. But you may not be convinced.  Many people still believe kale is merely a garnish but you’ve heard all the hype surrounding this veggie.  Kale has so many health benefits for the body.  Just take a look:

Kale is…

~Excellent source of iron
~Vitamins A, C & K
~Packed with fiber – helps to detox the body
~Omega 3’s which help reduce inflammation in the body due to arthritis/training
~Reduces cholesterol
~Wonderful calcium source for vegans
~Protein

… but you don’t care for the fibrous texture, well this recipe will convert you.  Blending kale into smoothies and hummus make it much easier to eat for picky palates.  Plus, this is a great way to incorporate healthier options into your diet.  So let’s get to it!
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— Knead to Cook