Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

Pumpkin Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins. V. GF.

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


Hi everybody!  Happy almost fall, well –end of summer.  The weather has been so perfectly fall-like, and that leaves me endlessly happy.

So if I had pumpkin, these would’ve been pumpkin oat muffins but I had pumpkin applesauce, so you get the gist.  I was inspired once again by Alexis, aka Hummusapien, that I was dying to try another one of her incredible creations.  This  recipe screams fall & is a heavenly snack, breakfast on-the-go option for you or your kids and has a teeny amount of maple syrup added.   Such a healthy muffin packed with essential nutrients to kick off your day.  Oh and if my girl crush on her wasn’t enough… I’m a huge fan of her restaurant, Alchemy in Columbus, Ohio.  Stop by if you ever get a chance!

I’ve had the pleasure to meet Alexis and she is just as bright, beautiful and charming as I expected.  I look forward to seeing her again on my next driving trip out to Indiana.  Okay, so I’ll stop girl-crushing now.  So this recipe… super easy and of course, I made some modifications to match my ingredients I had on hand.  These freeze perfectly and are so incredibly hearty and delicious.  Yum!
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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

Super Easy Kale Falafel. Vegan & GF.

by Filed Under: Beans, Breakfast, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegan Burgers, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

Kale falafel patties.  Vegan. Gluten free.

Happy second Monday of the week (ha!).  Hope you had a lovely holiday weekend with family & friends.  Ours was productive & relaxing, which is exactly what we needed.  We got to eat out a lot & enjoy some really awesome vegan food in Philly so that’s a win to me.

Today when I got home from the gym, I knew I had to mentally  start prepping menus for the week.  While going through some social media I saw that my favorite Minimalist Baker was promoting her e-book and that all sales today (you name the price) were being donated to a food bank in Houston… needless to say, I jumped all over that and lovingly devoured her recipes.  This recipe stood out to me as my garden is bursting with enormous kale leaves.  See pic below for evidence.

So I got started and adapted as I went along.  The recipe turned out great, the falafel is tender and crunchy.  The recipe made a nice batch with some to freeze for a quick dinner idea in the future.  All made in the food processor so clean up is a cinch too!  I hope you give this recipe a whirl.  Perfectly served up on a bun, pita or straight away.  I love adding one to my salad.  Top with vegan mayo, hummus or whatever you like.

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— Knead to Cook

Tofu Açaí & Red Currant Protein Breakfast Bowl. Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Fitness., Tofu, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

Happy hump day friends!  Well we aren’t in Philadelphia for jury duty… at least not yet.  Stay tuned for more updates if anything changes.  So I figured I would jump on documenting & photographing this beauty.  If you’ve followed my blog for any time… you’ve seen that my tofu pudding recipe has had quite an enthusiastic following.  I’ve had friends clean out the silken tofu stash at their local grocery or Target stores (ahhhem Keenan).  But in all seriousness, this recipe started it all and still remains one of my all time favorites.  If you have a big appetite or like to snack (yes, okay this is ME!), this breakfast will halt your hunger in its tracks.  It’s magic!

So this time I switched the recipe up and used Açaí & beautiful red currants.  Red currants are so high in Vitamin C and Açaí is a nutritional powerhouse with fiber, protein, the antioxidant anthocyanin, abundant in acai berries, may lower oxidative stress and inflammation, promoting brain health.  Just to name a few.  And let’s not forget that this bowl is chock full of plant based protein!  So easy & delicious.

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— Knead to Cook

Cast Iron Skillet Peach and Berry Crumble. Vegan. Gluten Free.

by Filed Under: 4th of July/Patriotic, Breakfast, Desserts, Fruit, Gluten Free, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Nuts, Party Foods, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free 4 Comments

Oh this recipe has been long & coming.  I’m sorry for the wait if you follow me on Instagram, mainly my instastories.  I shared this 2 weekends ago and then life happened.  I’m finally dedicating my afternoon to re-creating it, changes made and photographing it. It is heavenly & I may have eaten this for lunch today (no shame in my game).

Peaches are plentiful and work perfectly in this crumble however you can adapt this recipe to use seasonal fruit that you have on hand.  Think apple crumble next month through the fall.  I’m still secretly hoping I can get cherries at a good price tomorrow at my farmer’s market to make a cherry version. Whatever you have… it will work!

This dish is perfect right from the oven and topped with either vegan ice cream or as we did, So Delicious coconut whip. Warm and absolutely bursting with flavor.  I also love using super ripe fruit so you don’t have to use a lot of extra sugar.  Who’s with me?

I’m still surprised that we are in the last few days of August.  School has started for both of my girls and life is settling in. I really do love fall & look forward to cooler temps, cozy sweaters and big mugs of tea around the fire.

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— Knead to Cook

Coconut Ginger Asparagus Soup. Vegan. Gluten free.

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

Coconut ginger asparagus soup. 

As I sit here typing this recipe up, in my very quiet house… I realize it’s still very much summer and a steamy 90 plus degrees outside.  However, after my very early gym session, I rushed off to take my youngest to Starbucks & then to school.  She started back today.  My oldest had her first classes of her college career yesterday & therefore by default… I’m wishing for fall to start now.  If only Mother Nature would follow suit.

After the carpooling this morning it hit me that a farmer’s market that I haven’t been to in almost a year, or it has been over a year, was open & I needed some goodies.  I found so many bargains.  I filled 6 grocery bags for $50!  Asparagus was nice & thin & bargain priced at a $1 a bunch.  Needless to say, I knew soup would be on our menu.  This is a brand new recipe that I created this morning.  The end result, luscious and creamy perfection. It took no time and freezes nicely.  Perfect time to whip up and freeze for a quick dinner in the fall or winter.  I hope you enjoy this as much as we do.

And I do want to digress a moment & share the nutrient benefits of the mighty green asparagus:

Asparagus is an excellent source of vitamin K, folate, copper, selenium, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin C, and vitamin E. It is a very good source of dietary fiber, manganese, phosphorus, vitamin B3, potassium, choline, vitamin A, zinc, iron, protein, vitamin B6, and pantothenic acid.

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— Knead to Cook

The Easiest Roasted Herbed Vegetables. Vegan. Gluten free.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Gluten Free, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations Leave a Comment


Easy roasted vegetables.  

This is one dish I make week in & week out.  It’s that versatile, food prep idea, that you can easily adapt to what you have on hand in your garden or in your fridge.  Plus, add some fresh garden herbs and this is one of those fail-safe side dishes that you will go to over & over.

So if you’re thinking these are only good for a side dish think again. If you prep these on Sunday, store cooled veggies in an airtight container in your fridge.  Add these to quinoa or rice bowls with your chosen protein.  You can top these with hummus or use them in your favorite hummus recipe.  Add them to a garden salad for lunch.  My husband loves adding roasted veggies to sandwich with hummus.  These are also great for breakfast as a side for avocado toast.  Okay, so let’s get onto this recipe.  I hope your inspired to hit up your farmer’s market this weekend and stock up.
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— Knead to Cook

The best easy almond cookies. Vegan. Gluten free.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Cookies, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Nuts, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations 4 Comments

Hello there my friends!  The weekend is in sight & I’m so ready for it to arrive.  It happens to be our last weekend, sadly, with our oldest before she heads off to college.  She moves in early because she’s part of a early job program and then 5 days later all of the students arrive for their week long orientation.  As excited as I am… the sadness is creeping in a bit.

So what better way to nurse some sadness than with cookies 😉  Ha.  I’ve been making this recipe for a good long time, originally found here, but with a modification.  They are vegan, gluten free and paleo.  Simply one of the best cookies you will ever eat, simple ingredients and they seem to be virtually impossible to screw up.  Winner!

These cookies freeze nicely and I’m stashing this recipe aside for a future care package or two this fall.  Are you a fan of Italian almond cookies?  If so, brace yourself for a healthier version.

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— Knead to Cook

Instant Pot Vegan Bean Étouffée.

by Filed Under: Beans, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fitness., Gluten Free, Pressure Cooker, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Your Life Edit Foundations Leave a Comment

 

Vegan bean Étouffée made in the Instant Pot.  

Happy Monday my friends!  Hoping you had a lovely and restful weekend.  As we start up with a brand new, fresh week – I’m all about making a big pot of something delicious for the week.  Bill will take leftovers for lunches, I’ll use it on nights when dinner prep is lacking.  Hey it happens to me too! To optimize this recipe, and boost up the protein substantially, I used quinoa instead of rice as the base layer.  Easy swap but substantial benefits for recovering muscles.

A friend of mine shared the inspiration for this recipe with me a few weeks ago from this cookbook.  After testing it a few times, I tweaked it and amped up the flavor.  I’m planning on making this dish a lot during the cooler months of fall and winter.  I cannot wait!
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— Knead to Cook

Easy Dill Yogurt Dip Sauce. Vegan. Gluten free.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Dips, Gluten Free, Party Foods, Raw, Sauces, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vinaigrette, Vitamix, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations Leave a Comment

Easy dill yogurt sauce/dip. Vegan. Gluten free.

This has been one hell of a week.  No joke.  I got hit with some weird virus that is like someone is manipulating a crazy voodoo doll of me minute to minute.  Every morning I’ve felt good, not great.  I’ve been able to cook and prep food for clients and my family.  But then by 3 every afternoon… nausea, aches, pains, fatigue hits like a ton of bricks.  Then put that record on repeat… So today I’ve managed to eat 2 whole meals and feel decent.  May the healthy body gods be shining their light upon me.  I’m not a good sick person.  However I did manage 14.5 hours of sleep last night (insert shocking face emoji here).  Onward & upward.

I am the queen of roasting all the veggies – seriously, all the time.  I’ve been using a mixture of ACV and hummus to dress them but have been craving dill lately.  So I grabbed some fresh dill at the market Saturday and the gears went into high gear. This is not a Tzatziki but similar type of sauce.  I love this on salads in lieu of dressing, adding a drizzle on roasted or raw veggies… my husband was even dipping veggie chips into it.  Whatever floats your boat. Super easy recipe and the flavors develop nicely the next day.

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— Knead to Cook