Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

Super easy and fast barbecue tempeh.

by Filed Under: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Your Life Edit Foundations 2 Comments

Vegan & gluten free.

With working outside of the house since May, quick dinners on busy nights are a must for me!  This protein is ready in less than 30 minutes and pairs beautifully with some quinoa or brown rice and some roasted veggies.  Leftovers make an awesome lunch idea and tempeh is a great source of plant-based protein which is low in carbs, if you’re watching your macros.

Ingredients:

1 block of packaged tempeh
1 bottle of your favorite vegan & gf barbecue sauce you have on hand

Method:

Begin by adding a pot with a steamer basket inside over a medium flame (you only need a few inches of water).  Bring to a boil and then add your unpacked tempeh block.  
Steam for 12 minutes which removes the bitterness.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Once done, remove and slice however you prefer.
In a baking safe dish, pour your barbecue sauce and then add your sliced tempeh.
Spoon the sauce over each piece to ensure coverage.
Cover with lid or foil.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Serve immediately.


Enjoy!

 

This tempeh is very common in most grocery stores.

— Knead to Cook

Italian marinara with sausage. Quick and easy! Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: Gluten Free, Italian-inspired, Pasta, Sauces, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free 1 Comment

Looking for a super easy, cheat Italian sauce/gravy/marinara sauce recipe on the fly?  Look no further.  This is my oh crap I have no dinner ready and what can I make fast so everyone will be happy?  I started working in May (outside of the house) and juggling my schedule/dinner/life has been a struggle on some days, I will not lie.  Despite this being super easy, I wanted to share because let’s face it… we all need a quick go-to that will impress your family while saving you a ton of time.  Let’s get started!

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— Knead to Cook

Dragonfruit Protein Smoothie. Vegan.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Smoothies, Sponsored, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free 2 Comments

Happy August friends! Yes, I’ve been on a bit of a blogging hiatus lately since starting to work outside the home, taking my oldest back to college and training.  No excuses though, I’m back with a fun summery protein smoothie.  I love protein smoothies post training session or even for dinner with these very hot temperatures lately.  Great way to get your protein and fiber into your diet!  Plus this color?  I love it.  I will admit my smoothies are typically a lovely shade of green/gray due to all the veggies I pack in.  Fear not, these are veggie free but still so good for you.  Shall we get started?
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— Knead to Cook

The best zucchini brownies ever. Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: Brownies, Brunch, Desserts, Gluten Free, Holiday Baking Ideas, Nuts, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free 4 Comments

These brownies came out so unbelievably awesome… and I’m not even a brownie fan.  The best & only recipe you’ll ever need.  Seriously.

My dad harvested a behemoth zucchini from our garden yesterday and I wanted to do something different with it instead of bread or grilling it.  The key with baking anything with zucchini is removing every last bit of water from it. Be patient and these delectable brownies will reward you, pinky promise!  I’m not wasting anymore time chatting… we need to get to this, now!  Happy Monday friends ~ ox.

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— Knead to Cook

Simple rainbow Swiss Chard recipe. Vegan. Gluten free.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Gluten Free, Side dish, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations 1 Comment

Have you ever tried Swiss Chard?  Our garden is brimming with it.  I love it.  Its truly just lovely in color, which admittedly, why I’m drawn to plant it each spring.  Nutritionally it has a strong nutritional profile.

  • 18 milligrams (mg) of calcium.
  • 0.65 mg of iron.
  • 29 mg of magnesium.
  • 17 mg of phosphorus.
  • 136 mg of potassium.
  • 10.8 mg of vitamin C.
  • 110 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin A.
  • 0.68 mg of vitamin E

We’ve been prepping chard this way for about 20 years and we just love it.  Fast and quite tasty. I’ll admit that I eat a big of serving of this for dinner many nights.  Swiss Chard is quite similar in a lot of ways to other greens like spinach.  And yes, it’s one of those veggies that cooks down to pretty much nothing.  The recipe is a mere guideline for portions.  Feel free to use more if you have more on hand.  Okay, let’s get cooking!  And happy weekend.

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— Knead to Cook

The easiest vegan pesto sauce. Gluten free.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Dips, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Holiday, Italian-inspired, Party Foods, Raw, Sauces, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

This recipe is so easy. Pesto is one of our favorite sauces to make because we grow so much basil in our garden.  Pesto is perfect in lieu of marinara sauce on pasta or on pizza crust.  It’s also great on new potatoes in a salad, drizzled on roasted veggies or as a condiment on a sandwich or panini.  So versatile and unbelievably easy to make.

If you’re new to cooking… try this recipe out.  Seriously.  We also use this as a dip for raw veggies.  Plus with no dairy, it’s a great summer bbq recipe idea.  I can go on and on… but I won’t.  Take the recipe amounts as mere guide.  I typically do handfuls versus cups.  I do want to share this tip before I get into the specific recipe… when using this as a sauce on pasta, reserve some cooking liquid from the noodles.  Once you’ve drained the noodles, add the pesto to toss along with 2-3 tbl of the cooking water to thin the sauce out.  That’s it folk.  Love you, enjoy!

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— Knead to Cook

Zucchini banana muffins. Vegan and gluten free.

by Filed Under: Breads, Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Gift ideas, Gluten Free, Muffins, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free 3 Comments

Vegan & gluten free zucchini banana muffins.

After harvesting a behemoth zucchini from our garden this week… I quickly pondered a new recipe idea to use it up fast. I love to add zucchini to my smoothies, yes – it’s perfect for adding bulk and fiber without a ton of flavor to smoothies.  But I always have muffins, bars or cookies on my counter for grab and go snacking so I opted for muffins.  These muffins are so moist, not overly sweet and very filling.

Zucchini is a great veggie to sneak into food without kid-detectives seeing or tasting it.  It’s virtually flavorless.  Okay, so let’s get on with it.  See below for pics and the recipe.  Enjoy!

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— Knead to Cook

Pumpkin Protein Pancakes. Vegan. Gluten Free.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fitness., Gluten Free, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Lucy Let's Go Post, Vegan, Vegan proteins 7 Comments

IMG_8647

I know, it’s summer Robin (or almost) but the one ingredient I never stop using is pumpkin! Pumpkin is chock full of vitamins and is very low calorie.  Vitamin A, potassium and antioxidant rich.  Plus vitamin C & fiber which help promote a healthy blood pressure & heart.  So many benefits in this vibrant-colored ingredient.  Plus along with everything else that grows, it has protein.  Protein!  Never has one ingredient been so controversial for people.  If you’re vegan like me – the typical question is… “Where do you get your protein?” to “How much is necessary in a diet?”  At the vegfest this weekend…. this was a very popular question on the panel I was speaking on.

So how much protein do I need?

The US Department of Agriculture recommends that all men and women over the age of 19 should get at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (or 0.37 grams per pound). That means a woman who is 130 pounds should get at least 48 grams of protein but some recommend 70-80 grams if you’re athletic.  Depending on your daily activities, you still may not be getting enough to help your muscles recover from your workouts.

If you get too little protein, you can suffer from fatigue, weakness or muscle loss. Your metabolism slows down and you put yourself at risk of gaining weight. It also weakens your immune system. This breakfast can be made ahead on the weekend so that you can refrigerate or freeze them and defrost as needed.  Plus this makes a perfect quick & healthy breakfast for your kids too.  And let’s face it… homemade trumps store-bought daily.  These are vegan & gluten free.

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— Knead to Cook

Instant Pot Coconut Steel Cut Oats. V. GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Gluten Free, Pressure Cooker, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free 5 Comments

Instant Pot Coconut Steel Cut Oats. Vegan. GF.

Steel cut oats are the super food that you can prep on the weekend and enjoy all week long.  Serve hot or cold!  You may have heard of them but steered clear because they differ from the traditional rolled oats you’re so accustomed to seeing.  Well steel cut oats are from the same plants but they aren’t rolled in their processing.  They are also not steamed like regular oats before they are sliced and rolled to flatten.  Rolled oats cook much faster and can be used in the raw form of overnight oats.  Steel cut oats take about 10 minutes to cook but are so worth it because the benefits outweigh it’s flattened counterpart.

Steel cut oats are considered a power food.  They are an exceptional source of protein, soluble and insoluble fiber, vitamins and minerals.  Steel cut oats help improve blood sugar levels thanks to the beta-glucan and also help assist in lowering cholesterol.  I partnered these powerhouse oats with coconut which is excellent for one’s immunity as we quickly approach flu & cold season.  Coconut’s saturated fat also doesn’t impact cholesterol.  Its antioxidant properties are known to slow down the aging process by protecting the body from harmful free- radicals. It supports healthy hair, bones and teeth.  The benefits are vast!

This tasty breakfast can be prepped on Sunday and it can be warmed up quickly in the morning for up to 5 days.  Perfect quick breakfast idea!
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— Knead to Cook

Breakfast oatmeal chocolate chip muffins. Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Gluten Free, Holiday Baking Ideas, Muffins, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations Leave a Comment

Hello dear friends!  Happy Monday, fresh new week and hopefully beautiful weather.  Pennsylvania has converted over to Seattle last week & I started to think the rains were never going to end.  However, the sun finally came out today, beautiful temps and everything is so lush and green!  Doors are opened and we are breathing in all the wonderfully clean air till the allergens pop back up. Ha.

Today, as it is every Monday, the day to refresh snacks for the week.  These oatmeal muffins are a long-time fave. The recipe morphs a bit each time I make them, depending what I have on hand, but they are delightful nonetheless.  Packed with fiber and healthy fats to keep you satisfied for hours.  My kids love these when running out the door to school, work or babysitting jobs.  They also make a nice, healthy dessert after dinner.  Pack up well in lunches.  Great on-the-go snack.

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— Knead to Cook