Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

Archives for January 2012

Crock Pot Beef Stew.

by Filed Under: Beef, Crock Pot 2 Comments

We don’t normally eat a lot of red meat in our home but when the cold weather rolls in, as it has, there is something about a pipping hot bowl of beef stew that just warms you up.  I served this stew over whole wheat egg noodles.  The family loved it!  Another benefit, it was made in the crock pot so dinner was remarkably easy.  I served this with the crusty bread I made yesterday.  Great pairing!

Ingredients:

2 tbl of olive oil
5 carrots, finely cubed or run through your food processor grater attachment
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced or run through the food processor as well
3 celery stalks, finely chopped (or use the food processor)
3 lb beef chuck roast, fat trimmed and then cubed into bite-sized pieces
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 c of beef broth
5 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 bag of whole wheat egg noodles

Directions:
In a skillet over medium flame, add the olive oil.  Add the carrots, onion & celery & cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often.  Then remove and add to the crock pot.  Add the cubed chuck roast along with tomatoes, broth, garlic, pepper flakes, salt & pepper.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.  If you have less time, cook on the high setting for 4-6 hours.  Right before serving, cook the pasta according to the manufacturer’s directions.  Drain and plate.  Pour the beef stew over top and serve with a good crusty bread.

— Knead to Cook

Chocolate Chip Nutella Banana Muffins.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Desserts, Muffins, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

Dare I say it?  Yes!  These are heavenly!  I kept thinking that I wanted to make a muffin with Nutella for my kids.  One child just had a yucky orthodontic contraption put in her mouth & she’s barely eating.  The other child, eats to live unless it blows her away… & this will!  Okay so Nutella reigns king in my house.  I grew up eating this, it is after all an Italian staple.  My kids enjoy it just as much as I did growing up.  So it starts there… okay but what to pair it with?  Banana, of course!  And mix in a few Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips & how bad could it be?

Again.  Heavenly!

Ingredients:

1/2 c of granulated sugar
1/2 c of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter or Butter
2 eggs, at room temperature
1c of whole wheat flour
1c of unbleached all purpose flour (I use King Arthur)
1/2 tsp of kosher salt
1 tsp baking powder
3 ripe bananas
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 c of non fat, plain Chobani
1/2 c of Nutella
1/2 c of chocolate chips or chopped up chocolate bar

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Spray your muffin pan with non stick baking Pam.

In your mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together.  Beat in eggs.  In a separate bowl, whisk together both flours, salt & baking powder.  Add to the sugar mixture.  Blend together until incorporated.  Add bananas, vanilla, Chobani & Nutella.  By hand, mix in the chocolate chips.

Fill each chamber 3/4 of the way full.  Bake for 18-20 minutes.  Insert a toothpick and when it comes out clean… they are ready.  Remove and let sit on the counter for 4 minutes.  Then remove and place on a platter & enjoy!

Yum.

— Knead to Cook

Minestrone ~ Vegetarian Style.

by Filed Under: Soups, Vegetarian 1 Comment

This is the perfect soup for a cold winter day when you crave warmth.  The aroma is intoxicating & the unique flavor will satisfy the carnivores in your family.  Although this soup is not vegan, it is vegetarian.  It can be adapted by opting not to simmer the soup with the Parmesan rind or adding the cheese.

Ingredients:

3 tsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes
5 c of chicken stock
4 carrots, sliced on a diagonal
1 Parmesan rind + 2 tbl of grated cheese
2 handfuls of baby spinach leaves
1 zucchini, sliced thinly
1/2 c of frozen green peas, or fresh if you have them
1 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and washed
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 bag of small pasta (shells, twists, orzo etc.)

Directions:
In your Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over a medium flame.  Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 6 minutes.  Add the garlic, cook for one minute.  Then add the diced tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes.  Add the broth, carrots & Parmesan rind and grated cheese.  Cook this for about 30 minutes.  Remove the rind carefully after that.  I simmer this on the stove all afternoon, covered.  20 minutes prior to serving, I add the zucchini, peas, washed chickpeas and spinach.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a separate pot, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cooking the pasta.  Drain and add to the bowl.  Pour the minestrone over top & enjoy!

 

— Knead to Cook

Fresh Mango Banana Smoothie

by Filed Under: Beverages, Breakfast, Desserts, Fruit, Smoothies, Snacks, Vegetarian 2 Comments

My daughter had a herbst appliance put in her mouth today by our orthodontist & knowing how painful this must be, I decided to make her a liquid after-school snack to help.  I took my mango pitter – the best tool for removing a mango pit by far – & peeled the remaining flesh.  Toss that in your blender with 4 scoops of low or non-fat vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt, 1 ripe banana & 3/4 c of low fat milk or almond milk.  I also throw in some flaxseed meal (2 tbl).  Blend that in your blender (mine has a smoothie setting).  And pour into glasses with a straw.  This makes two large servings.

 

— Knead to Cook

Cranberry Cider Steel Cut Oats.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Crock Pot, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

Oh how I love my crock pot!  It turns the simplest ingredients into magic.  This recipe is without a doubt, one of my favorites to make, especially when I have an early morning run. I come home sweating/freezing & the smells fill the kitchen.  I melt into a bowl & it refuels me.  I’m ready for the day.  Who doesn’t want that?

This recipe is super easy!  If you have a small crock pot, use that, if not, use the big daddy version.  Spray the inside vessel with a nonstick spray.  I use Pam – butter flavor.  Coat it well.  Then to that I add 1c of steel cut oats (not oatmeal).  4c of Trader Joe’s Cranberry Cider **You can use apple juice, apple cider, cranberry juice… the options are limitless.  I just use what I have on hand.  A pinch of salt.  1/8 tsp of nutmeg.  1 cinnamon stick.  1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon.  Stir it up and put the lid on.  I usually make this around 730-8p and won’t eat until 630-7a.  When I get home from my run at around 6:20 or so, I remove the lid & give it another stir.  Leave the lid off for about 10-15 minutes.  This will help thicken the oat mixture.  Ladle into bowls and top with whatever nuts you love.  I also top with Chia Seeds & dried fruit.

Chia Seed information you should know.  These seeds are known as one of nature’s  perfect foods.  They contain essential fatty acids (an excellent vegetarian source of omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid), protein, soluble fiber, protective antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and more.  Great in smoothies as well!

This breakfast will fill you up & get you ready to battle whatever comes your way 🙂

 

— Knead to Cook

Cherries.

by Filed Under: Fruit, Snacks Leave a Comment

This is my go-to snack!  I tend to eat them more at night & after a bit of research, now I’m glad I do.  I’ve always known that they are great for muscle inflammation, which I have training for a marathon, but check out all of these amazing OTHER benefits.

~It is nature’s most powerful anti inflammatory!  This is due to the anthocyanins that block free radical damage better than many anti-inflammatory drugs.

~It lowers the risk factors of heart disease including inflammation, fat and cholesterol according to a University of Michigan study.

~Cyanidin is a natural organic compound that gives berries it’s bright red color.  Cyanidin has been found to greatly reduce oxidative damage to cells, research has suggested that it may also be an important factor in fighting heart disease & cancer.

~Provides a memory boost thanks to the anthocyanin!  Anything to help me improve memory is a benefit!

~They have a ton of beta carotene!  19 times more than blueberries or strawberries!

~They contain melatonin, which helps regulate your body’s sleep cycles.  So glad I snack on these at night!

— Knead to Cook

Peppercorn encrusted filet mignon topped with gorgonzola with a side of asparagus zucchini risotto*.

by Filed Under: Beef, Side dish, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

Okay so not every meal I eat has to be over-the-top healthy! 😉  My filet was thinly sliced & oh so good.  We had leftover filet mignon from the holidays that we wanted to cook.  So we encrusted the filet with peppercorns (on one side) and grilled it over a gas flame.  Once it was almost cooked to our preference, we topped it with a tablespoon of gorgonzola crumbles and covered the grill.  Once melted, remove promptly, place on a platter & tent with foil for about 5-6 minutes for the juices to return back into the meat.

Risotto is one of the fabulously decadent foods that I love but despise making because you need to babysit it the entire time.  I’m a bit of a multi-tasker in the kitchen so I prefer not to sit and watch a pot but I made the sacrifice.  The recipe is as follows:

2 tbl of olive oil
1/2 of a medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 c of Arborio rice
1/3 c of white wine, preferably dry
4 c of chicken broth
1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced

First, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Place the asparagus in the pot & cover. Cook for 4 minutes.  While that’s cooking, get a large bowl of ice water prepared for blanching.  Once 4 minutes is up, drain & place the asparagus in the ice bath to stop the cooking process.  Remove once the stalks are cold and bright green.  Slice in half and keep off to the side.

In your large dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion & garlic.  Stirring constantly.  After 3 minutes, add the rice and constantly stir.  This will toast the rice up nicely.  After about 4-5 minutes of toasting, add the white wine.  Stirring, constantly.  This should evaporate in 1-2 minutes.  Once that has, add 1.5c of the chicken stock to the rice.  Keep stirring until the rice absorbs all of the liquid.  This takes a few minutes.  Then repeat with another 1.5c of chicken stock.  Stir until absorbed.  Finally, add the final cup of chicken stock.  Stirring for about 2-3 minutes.  Then you will add the zucchini disks to cook.  At this point I added a splash more of the stock and covered the pot for about 2 minutes.  (Add more broth or water if necessary).  Uncover an stir again.  Then add your asparagus to heat through.  Serve immediately.  *Can be served alone for a vegetarian dish as well!

— Knead to Cook