Archives for February 2013

Cabot Cheddar Cheese Crackers.

February 18, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Cheese, Party Foods, Snacks, Vegetarian 1 Comment

Cabot Cheese was gracious enough to send me a care package of their incredible cheeses to create some fun recipes and that’s just what I’ve been doing. Last week I made Tuscan cheddar biscuits. This week, I wanted to whip up some cheese crackers. I had an old hand-written recipe for cheese crackers (not sure of the origination or the age of it) but I now know why I kept it. These are knock your socks off good! I had to step away from them… they are addicting!

Ingredients:

1 cup of All-purpose flour (I used King Arthur’s)
1 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of finely ground pepper
4 tablespoons of ice cold butter (I keep it in the freezer prior to use)
1 – 8 oz block of Cabot cheddar cheese, grated (medium sized grater)
3 tablespoons of ice water

Directions:

In your food processor pulse the flour, salt and pepper. Then add all of the butter and pulse till the dough looks like coarse meal. Add the grated cheese. Pulse until incorporated. Then through the spout opening located at the top of the lid, add one tablespoon of ice water at a time and while the machine is running (not pulsing here). Keep adding one tablespoon of ice water until the dough forms a large ball and comes together (then stop adding additional water). Wrap this in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or if using the same day, at least for 1-2 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and let stand for about 10 minutes or more until pliable enough to roll out. Slice the dough into two halves, working with one at a time. Lay out two sheets of wax paper. Place one piece of the dough in the center of the wax paper and top it with the other piece. Roll the dough to about 1/8 of an inch thick. That equates to about half of a pencil. Cut the dough with small cookie cutters, pastry knife or just a regular knife. Then refrigerate for another 10 minutes to chill. If you’re trying to have these resemble the Cheez-It look – poke a small hole in the center of each cracker prior to baking.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your cookie or baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper. Transfer the crackers to your prepared sheet and bake for 12-16 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. You can place the crackers close together as they puff up and not grow outward like cookies do. Remove and let cool. Store in an airtight container.

— Knead to Cook

Almond or Peanut Butter Cereal Bars.

February 18, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Breakfast, No bake/cooking required!, Snacks, Vegetarian 3 Comments

My daughter found this recipe and asked me to make it for her. Well certainly!!! How could I ever refuse her?! I prepared this recipe with my own twist, making them a bit healthier, of course. They are a great snack! However, I felt like they didn’t cut perfectly into bars but large shards of cereal goodness which works for me and more importantly for her snacking. Plus, no nasty preservatives or ingredients that I can’t pronounce.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup of either almond or peanut butter (creamy)
1/3 cup of honey (I used raw)
2 cups of whole grain cereal flakes (I used Kashi)
2 cups of oat O’s (whatever brand you prefer)
2 tablespoon, dried cherries or raisins, apricots etc. Whichever you prefer
1/4 cup of slivered almonds
1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal (ground)

Directions:
Spray with baking spray a 9 inch square glass pan. In a microwave safe bowl, combine the nut butter and honey for about 30 seconds. Whisk until creamy and well blended. In a larger microwave-safe bowl, blend the cereals, dried fruit of choice almonds and flaxseed. Microwave for about 1 minute, stirring mid-way through to warm the ingredients.

*Adapted from Health magazine.

Combine the wet ingredients into the cereal mixture gently tossing to coat. Then pour into the prepared pan. Press the ingredients into the bottom of the pan so it’s firmly packed. Then refrigerate for at least one hour. Slice into bars – mine broke into larger shards, which works too. Enjoy!

— Knead to Cook

Chocolate Chobani Mint Muffins.

February 14, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Breakfast, Desserts, Muffins, St. Patrick's Day, Vegetarian, Yogurt 1 Comment

Today, while out discovering this amazingly huge kitchen store that I didn’t know even existed near me – I found these awesome Guittard Mint Chips and just knew I had to buy them! I’m a huge fan of Guittard chips and these green little treats had my name written all over them.

So I took my famed Double Chocolate Chobani muffin recipe and morphed it into these fabulous little treats. They are the quintessential after-school snack. How cute would these be for St. Patty’s day too!?!

Ingredients:

1 c of all purpose flour
1/2 c of good quality dark cocoa powder (I used Wilbur)
2 tsp of baking powder
1/4 tsp of salt
3/4 c of sugar
1 c of non fat vanilla Chobani yogurt
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1/2 tsp of mint extract
1/2 c of canola oil
1/2 c of mint chips (I used Guittard) or more if you like 🙂

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray your muffin pan (I used a mini muffin pan) with non stick floured baking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, sift you flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Then add sugar and mix to combine. In your stand mixer, paddle attached, add yogurt, eggs, vanilla and oil. Combine. Then add the dry ingredients to the wet. Combine, avoid over-mixing. Then fold in the mint chips by hand.

Using a small scoop (I use a melon baller) add batter to the muffin tins. Fill 3/4 of the way allowing room for the muffin to grow. I baked mini muffins for 18-20 minutes. I inserted a toothpick to ensure the muffins were done baking. Some chocolate from the chips may be on the toothpick but as long as the batter isn’t present, they are done.

— Knead to Cook

Bolognese Sauce.

February 14, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Beef, Pasta, Sauces, Turkey 2 Comments

I remember traveling to Bologna, Italy with my husband. It was a very quaint, calm area after we had been to Florence, Rome and Venice. We enjoyed all of the wonderful culinary treats and especially their Bolognese sauce. From this, is my inspiration.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 carrots, finely diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 rib celery, finely diced
6 cloves garlic, diced
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 pound pork, ground
1/4 pound pancetta, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 tablespoon of Italian Seasonings
1 bay leaf
1 cup of water
1 cup red wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmigiano-Reggiano (grating)

Directions:

In your large Dutch oven (large pot), over medium heat, add the olive oil. Once hot, add your carrots, celery and onion. After about 4 minutes, when the onions are translucent, add the garlic. Cook for one minute then add the meat. Once no longer pink and properly cooked through, add the tomato paste. Then add the seasonings, water and wine and cover. Simmer over low heat. I simmer this for several hours to develop the flavors. Adjust the seasoning to your preference.

Typically people add ground lamb, I do not but that’s my taste. If you do, add 1 lb to the mixture. Serve this sauce over a substantial pasta that can hold up to this thicker sauce.

— Knead to Cook

Cabot Cheese Tuscan Cheddar Biscuits.

February 13, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Breads, Holiday Baking Ideas, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

Cabot Cheese was so generous to ship me a lovely care package of their products, which I love, and I wanted to whip up a fun new recipe to serve along with dinner. I came up with small, bite-sized biscuits that can be easily used as an appetizer idea too! Best served hot from the oven.

Ingredients:

4 cups of bread flour (I used King Arthur’s bread flour)
2 tablespoons of sugar
1.5 tablespoon of baking powder
3/4 teaspoon of salt
3/4 stick of room temperature butter
2 beaten eggs
1 cup of full fat milk
1 egg beaten, for the egg wash
1 8 ounce block of Cabot Cheddar Tuscan Cheddar cheese (shredded)

Directions:

Place parchment or a Silpat on your baking sheets (2). In your stand mixer with the dough hook attached, blend flour, sugar, powder, salt, butter, eggs and milk. After mixing for about 2 minutes, add 3/4 of the block of shredded cheese to the dough. Knead it in with the dough hook on for an additional 6 minutes.

Remove the dough and place on a floured surface. Roll out to about 1 inch thick or slightly thicker. Using your biscuit cutter, or whatever cutter you wish, cut out the dough and gently place the biscuits on your baking sheet. Brush the top of the biscuits with the egg wash then top with the remaining shredded cheese. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Remove from the fridge and place into a hot oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes or longer depending on the size of biscuit you select. Make sure the cheese is melted and the biscuit is a light golden brown. Serve.

— Knead to Cook

Quinoa Turkey Meatloaf Muffins. Wheat-free.

February 12, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Beef, Chicken, Ground Turkey, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

I have a few recipes I still wanted to try and review for my dear friend Lauren. Her wheat-free cookbook is fabulous. Last night I tried the Quinoa Turkey Meatloaf and made it in a muffin pan for easy serving. Everyone loved it! It was so tasty and she was right… didn’t miss the breadcrumbs at all!

INGREDIENTS | SERVES 6
1⁄4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
1⁄2 cup chicken broth (low sodium)
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (20-ounce) package ground chicken (or turkey or lean ground beef) -I used lean turkey
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 egg, and 1 egg white
1⁄2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground rosemary
1 teaspoon ground basil
3⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated (I used Feta)

Directions:

Bring the quinoa and broth to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed, about 15–20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute; remove from heat to cool.
Inalargebowladdthechicken,cookedquinoa, onions, garlic, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, egg and egg white, salt, pepper, seasonings, and Parmesan cheese. Mix until well combined. The mixture will be very moist. Shape into a loaf on a foil lined baking sheet. I scooped my mixture into muffin pans and baked it that way. I did spray the tins with olive oil.
Bake until no longer pink in the center, 50–60minutes (muffins took about 30 minutes). An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160°F. Let the meat loaf cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

— Knead to Cook

FUNfetti Cookies.

February 11, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Cookies, Valentine's Day, Vegetarian 2 Comments

Friday night’s typically involve me making a carb-loaded pizza dinner for my family as my girls swim most Saturday mornings at their dual meets. In conjunction with that, I always make a special treat to share with our awesome coaches and as a concession stand contribution. This week I knew what I wanted to make, birthday cake batter cookies, to celebrate our dear coach Nikki’s birthday! I didn’t have time to play around with creating a recipe so I searched the internet and found a great one from Cookin’ Cowgirl. I adapted the recipe from their inspiration.

Made about 25-26 cookies (normal sized)

Ingredients:

1 box Funfetti cake mix (going to use the powder)
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1.5 cup color sprinkles, separated in 2 – 1/2 cup bowls

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. In a small mixing bowl, combine the cake batter mix (powder) and the baking powder. Whisk until combined. Then in your stand mixer, blend the eggs, oil and vanilla. Add the the dry mixture to the wet and blend. Add 1/2 cup of the sprinkles to the dough and mix again. Then, using a melon baller, scoop out the dough into small balls and roll in your hands. Then coat with the remaining sprinkles all over. Place on a silpat or parchment paper. Bake for 12 minutes and remove. Let cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Then remove and let cool completely. Package up in cute bags, serve or place in tupperware. The cookie dough is very soft when it comes out of the oven- don’t panic. Just let them cool on the cookie sheet as noted. They will firm up.

— Knead to Cook

Chocolate–Peanut Butter Chobani Smoothie. Wheat-free.

February 7, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: No bake/cooking required!, Smoothies, Vitamix, Wheat Free, Yogurt 2 Comments

I made another fantastic recipe from Lauren’s book! The giveaway is tomorrow night (check my Facebook page for how to enter). My daughter and father guzzled this one down faster than I blink. Glad I snapped some pics first!

This smoothie is so delicious, you won’t even believe that it is healthy!

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until thick and creamy. Serve immediately.

Looking to Add More Protein to Your Smoothie?
Protein powder is an easy way to increase your protein, especially in smoothies. There are many varieties of protein powders. Read your labels carefully to make sure the protein powders have no ingredients containing wheat.

INGREDIENTS | SERVES 2

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons natural creamy peanut butter
1⁄2 banana, frozen
1⁄2 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)
1⁄2 cup vanilla Chobani yogurt
1⁄2 teaspoon wheat-free vanilla extract 4–5 ice cubes

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until thick and creamy. Serve immediately.

— Knead to Cook

A loving giveaway! <3

February 7, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Giveaway!!! 17 Comments

Welcome to A Loving Giveaway!

Hosted by:

Ground Beef Budget, Cookin’ for my Captain, Noshing With The Nolands, Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends, and Knead to Cook.

Five Bloggers have come together to bring you one huge giveaway! Below you will find 10 wonderful Gifts, for 10 lucky winners! We have a diverse assortment of goodies, so we are sure you will find something you want to win! US Residents only (sorry!).

Prize #1

                Old Farmer’s Almanac Everyday Baking $9.99 US Yankee Publishing Inc.
              

Prize #2

Noshing With The Nolands Apron $28.95

                Prize #3
              

                Silpain Half Size, Measuring 11 5/8 by 16½ inches, $26.70 US
              

Prize #4

One case of single serving Chobani yogurt $15.00

Prize #5

                Taste of Treme Cookbook $21.95 US Ulysses Press
              

Prize #6

                Savory Pies Cookbook $16.95 US Ulysses Press
              

Prize #7

                Fresh and Healthy Dash Diet Cooking Cookbook $17.95 US Ulysses Press
              

Prize #8

OXO Cookie Press $29.99 US

Prize #9

$25 Walmart Gift Card

Prize #10

$50 Williams Sonoma Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway starts 2/7/13 at 12:01 AM, and ends 2/15/13 at 12:01 AM.

All of the prizes are listed on the Rafflecopter form below, and all winners will be chosen at random. Entering the giveaway qualifies you to win any of the prizes. There is not a way to enter to win a specific prize. a Rafflecopter giveaway Mandatory Entry must be completed, or all optional entries will be rendered invalid. The number of eligible entries received, determines the odds of winning. By entering, you are giving permission to use your email to contact you in regards to prizes. Your information will be protected and never shared. Giveaway is open to US residents only. All entries will be verified. Winner will be selected in a random drawing. Winner will be notified by email, and have 24 hours to respond with shipping information. If no response after 24 hours, a new winner will be selected. The winners of this contest will be announced within 14 days after the contest end date. This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or in associated with Twitter, Facebook or any other entity unless otherwise specified. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Disclosure: All prize shipments will be handled independently by the contributors and/or sponsors.

Can you say pretty cookie overload??!! I can!

My review on the OXO cookie press~~~OXO sent me some foodie swag this week and I have to tell you, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it and use it in the kitchen. I have a an older cookie press I believe from Williams Sonoma that isn’t that easy to use. I’ve honestly always shied away from using it because of that fact, again, it’s old. The OXO Good Grips Cookie Press tube for the cookie dough is huge! That makes life so much easier! It comes apart easily for cleaning. The disks for shapes are so varied and awesome. I’m in love… like I am with all of their products! I went with a Valentine theme today in making over 100 cookies. Yes, I’ll be sharing these with my friends! I used the recipe for Butter Cookies that comes with the manual. I made only two adaptations that I note below. The retail value on the press is around $29 and they did send me their springtime shapes kit as well, which can be purchased separately. Packaging was phenomenal. The hard case that holds all of the shape disks is lovely. Top notch! Five star review.

Here is the link to my original posting with the recipe included:

https://kneadtocook.com/?p=2918

— Knead to Cook

Indian Style Chicken with Lentils and Chobani.

February 6, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Chicken, Gluten Free, Wheat Free, Yogurt 13 Comments

I always feel the need to apologize for not taking pictures (when I do this) during daylight hours but with winter time here and some late night dinners… I have to work with what I’ve got.

As you know, I’m doing a joint giveaway with my awesome friend Lauren Kelly who wrote the following book:

Our giveaway is this Friday and the details are listed on my Facebook page on how to enter. I jumped at the chance to try some recipes from this book. So far, both recipes have knocked my socks off! Yesterday I made her oatmeal cookie bars – to die for. Last night for dinner, I made this Indian Style Chicken with Lentils and my all time fave Chobani. Everyone loved it and we had no leftovers! {good sign.}

INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4–6

1 cup lentils (I used pre-cooked lentils from Trader Joe’s last night.)

3 cups water

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (I used 4 but I love garlic)

1 medium onion, peeled and finely minced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon cumin

1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1⁄2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup plain Chobani Greek low fat yogurt

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (I used Sriracha)

Directions:

Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Place the lentils and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer.
Just before the lentils are cooked (when barely tender, after about 25 minutes), add 1⁄4 teaspoon salt, pepper, garlic, onion, lemon juice, cumin, red pepper flakes and parsley.
Toss the chicken with the yogurt, curry powder, remaining salt, and Tabasco sauce. Place chicken on foil-lined baking sheet and broil for 5 minutes per side.
Mix the chicken into the lentils and serve with rice.

— Knead to Cook