Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

Archives for February 2017

Spinach and basil ricotta baked lasagna. Vegan. Gluten free.

by Filed Under: Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Italian-inspired, Pasta, Sauces, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vinaigrette, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

Spinach & basil ricotta baked lasagna.  This recipe is both gluten and dairy free – along with being completely vegan.

As you all know, I’ve been experimenting quite a bit with vegan lasagna lately.  I made my own tofu ricotta here and as wonderful as it turned out – this one has taken first place.  I recently tried Kite Hill nut-based ricotta that I picked up at Whole Foods.  I was so excited to try it.  My first recipe was this Ricotta Mousse.  My daughter devoured the entire thing!   My faith had immediately been restored in ricotta that wasn’t dairy based.  Next up, I started pondering my next recipe, after all I had bought a case of it because we loved it so much.  What to do?!

Spinach and basil ricotta is very classic combination in Italian cooking.  I knew I wanted to go down that road but stuffed shells or lasagna.  My family voted… & lasagna it was.  And from there this super easy recipe was born.  Don’t stress the quantities, but taste as you go and adjust to your preference.  The joy of cooking is the flexibility that you have unlike in baking, which is more exact.
[Read more…]

— Knead to Cook

Vegan cheeses that don’t suck. Really.

by Filed Under: Best Vegan..., Cheese, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Notable mentions., Nuts, Product Review., Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free 4 Comments

Vegan cheeses all suck, right?  They don’t melt.  They taste horrible.  Ummmm….  No!  Today I’m sharing the best of the best out there & these vegan cheeses will convert even the most hard-core cheese lovers.  Trust me, I’m a reformed dairy lover converted over to the favorites I’ve named below & I’m not sad at all!

Now this has been a 3 year journey of many, and I mean MANY, sub-par even disgusting (actually making me sick), pathetic excuses for “vegan cheeses”.  Each of these named below are staples in our kitchen & we use them for grilled cheese sandwiches, pizza and lasagna or stuffed shell recipes.  I’m going to share my tips and tricks for the ooey gooey cheeses below that will have you swoon.
[Read more…]

— Knead to Cook

Banana walnut muffins. Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: Breads, Breakfast, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Muffins, Nuts, Quick Bread, Running/Races, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free 2 Comments

Banana walnut vegan & gluten free muffins. These muffins were inspired by a recipe from the Minimalist Baker.  In my house of 5, I’m constantly in an uphill battle with making healthy snacks to have on hand.  Breakfast on-the-go before school, pre or post workout fuel, snacks with lunch or after-school.  Sound familiar?  I’m always on the hunt for new recipes to work with & after the day I had yesterday (sore from my Monday TRX workout then falling on my run)… I wasn’t in the mood to get creative in the kitchen.  I wanted a tried and true recipe and this recipe hit that target.  I did make some modifications as noted below.

These muffins are packed with protein, omegas and fiber.  Each one has about 326 calories, 16 grams of fat, 7.2 grams of protein and sugars at 12 grams.  These muffins will rival your favorite coffee shop counterpart but without the overload of fats/sugars and gluten/dairy.

These muffins are perfect food gift ideas for friends, new moms or someone in need.  Hearty and quite filling.  

[Read more…]

— Knead to Cook

Vegetable chickpea savory pancake/omelette. V. GF.

by Filed Under: Beans, Breakfast, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Mexican, Running/Races, Salsas & Guacamole, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vegetarian, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations 2 Comments

Vegetable chickpea pancake.  Vegan.  Gluten free.

Happy President’s Day!  I will admit I was due for a long, restful weekend after many busy weekends. The weather on the east coast warmed up, unseasonably of course for PA, to around 70 and we spent most of our time outside enjoying.  AND if you follow me on Insta or Snap – you know we celebrated our oldest daughter’s 18th birthday.  We even got to run/ride on trails yesterday and it was heavenly.  Today, after an aggressive TRX HIIT workout  I kicked off my Monday with a bit of a departure from my normal tofu pudding breakfast.  Lately, I’ve been craving more savory foods & this chickpea pancake was perfect.

This was my first attempt at making a chickpea pancake/omelette type recipe and after a failed first attempt… the second one was a winner.  I’ll share my lessons learned below.  The flavor profile of this was very Mexican in nature.  I’m looking forward to experimenting more with different seasonings and veggies.  I topped this one with avocado, tomatoes and lots of hot sauce.  I’m seriously smitten with my latest creation.
[Read more…]

— Knead to Cook

Banana Walnut Oats Instant Pot. Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fruit, Gluten Free, Nuts, Pressure Cooker, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations 7 Comments

Banana walnut steel cut oats for the Instant Pot. Oh how I love my Instant Pot & steel cut oats.  Seriously, they are the easiest breakfast going and oh so healthy.  I love making a big batch earlier in the week and have them for quick snacks or breakfasts on the go.  My daughter warms a bowl up before heading out to school and eats hers on the bus.

Steel cuts oats are nutritional powerhouses.  Per 1/4 cup of steel cut oats – they are packed with 7g of protein, 4g of fiber and 10% of your daily allowance for iron.  They take forever to digest in the stomach -helping keep you fuller longer without snacking all morning long.  These oats prep so easily and make for super simple mornings all week long.  I spoon 1/2 cup into reusable containers and warm in the morning.  Top with your favorite berries, nut butter or seeds and you’re good to go!

Let’s get this started & oh Happy VaLEnTiNE’s Day!!
[Read more…]

— Knead to Cook

Chocolate Ricotta Mousse. Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Holiday, Nuts, Party Foods, Raw, Running/Races, Snacks, Valentine's Day, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free 1 Comment

Chocolate ricotta mousse (vegan and gluten free).  Sharing one more decadent, super easy, recipe to prepare for Valentine’s Day tomorrow.


I’ll admit, I normally don’t get wrapped up in all the to-do surrounding Valentine’s Day. I’m more of a practical mind & we just wrapped up Christmas gift-giving, right?  Plus my focus has been hard and fast surrounding my oldest, who turns 18 this week, university decisions and all that.  How did I ever get this old so quickly? Ha.

I do normally get tiny, albeit thoughtful, presents for my girls and my husband.  I found these super cute felt envelopes at Target and instantly was smitten.


I filled them with fun little goodies from lip gloss, vegan chocolates etc.  I did buy several things for my husband but I can’t share quite yet as he reads my posts.  But today, I also picked up some of his favorite snack items (think nut/berry/seed blends to snack on, seaweed wasabi strips etc. and a cute Valentine to leave in his car tomorrow morning for his drive to work.  I like the thoughtful little presents that spread love.

As for dinner… I don’t really like going out to restaurants that aren’t vegan.  PLUS going out on the busiest day of the year – getting less than adequate service, being overcrowded and sub-par food isn’t our style.  SO… I’ll be cooking at home for my entire family. Not sure of the menu yet.  May go super cheesy and make heart-shaped pizzas or some other themed dinner.  Who knows.  But this will be on the dessert menu for sure.  I whipped this up on Saturday to test it out and my daughters couldn’t wait to dive in.  They both loved it.  It reminds me of a cannoli cream filling… & we all know that can’t be a bad thing.  Totally vegan and gluten free.  I was happy I special ordered a case of this vegan ricotta from a local market.  Toppings are optional.  Enjoy!
[Read more…]

— Knead to Cook

Almond cutout cookies. V. GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Cookies, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fitness., Gift ideas, Gluten Free, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Nuts, Party Foods, Running/Races, Snacks, Valentine's Day, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

Almond cutout cookies that are vegan, gluten free and oh so delicious.  Looking for some simple Valentine’s Day treat to share with your Galentine? Valentine?  Or some special people in your life?  These are perfect!  You can get fancy and cut the dough out into BIG or little hearts, I didn’t use a cookie cutter just my knife, or roll into traditional rounds.  Top with melted chocolate or icing and sprinkles or leave plain. These cookies are my new favorite!

This recipe is inspired by Marco Borges.  Refined sugar-free.  Really simple to make and totally kid-friendly. Would be fun with some red or pink (even a few drops of beet juice for natural coloring) to make pink!  These cookies will replace the old butter cookie recipe ANNNNND won’t blow your gym efforts.  1 cookie is around 60-70 calories and has 2 grams of protein!

Okay without further adieu… let’s get started!
[Read more…]

— Knead to Cook

Cashew Banana Blender Muffins. V. GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fruit, Gluten Free, Holiday Baking Ideas, Muffins, Nuts, Quick Bread, Running/Races, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations 11 Comments

 
Cashew banana blender muffins.  I swear I may have an addiction to making muffins in my Vitamix.  NO joke!

Once you whip up a batch of muffins in this manner, I promise, you will not want to go back to using your stand or hand mixer.  It’s literally the easiest thing on the planet and they come together instantaneously.  With a family of 5 that I cook for… we require healthy snacks to have on the counter when running late/pre or post workout, with coffee or tea & breakfast on the fly for teenagers.  I have a batch cooking in my oven right now as I type this 🙂

These muffins are refined sugar-free.  Although I use maple syrup, the banana adds a nice sweetness.  The flax/chia and hemp add omega’s and necessary fats for your diet.  Fats are critical for hormonal balance and to help keep you full longer! The benefits are endless.  Okay onto this recipe so I can go and grab mine out of the oven.

[Read more…]

— Knead to Cook

Lucy Let’s Go Blog Post – Coconut Butter Protein Bites. V. GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Raw, Sponsored, Valentine's Day, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vegetarian, Vitamix, Wheat Free 2 Comments

Ah it’s the month of love.  Love for your boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, kids, friends and yes – even yourself!   I know tradition dictates that enormous heart-shaped box of chocolates & roses but let’s be honest here.  Homemade treats to me are best and honestly, most of those chocolates in the box aren’t even favorites.   I prefer to spend time creating a special treat from my heart to share.  If you wish to have chocolate – feel free to dip these bites into melted dark chocolate.

So recently I’ve learned & embraced coconut manna (aka butter) thanks to my dietician.  It’s a medium-chain fat & is used by the body for energy. Coconut manna is available at most grocery stores near the coconut oil.  Manna is known to helps you burn more calories & is an appetite suppressant. And the fatty acids can help boost brain activity!  Food is powerful.  So what is it actually? Coconut manna is made from the meat of the coconut, very similar to the consistency of a nut butter.  It’s decadent and heart-healthy.  It’s a lovely alternative to your normal nut butter routine so think topping toast, oatmeal or just out of the jar.  As for this recipe, these bites are chock full of protein & healthy fats leaving you satiated unlike those chocolates.  This recipe yielded 15 bites & took about 10 minutes to make.  Store perfectly in the freezer or fridge.

[Read more…]

— Knead to Cook

Vegan nachos. GF.

by Filed Under: 4th of July/Patriotic, Brunch, Dips, Giveaway!!!, Gluten Free, Holiday, Mexican, Party Foods, Running/Races, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

Vegan & gluten free nachos.  My final recipe in my week long vegan Super Bowl party food fest.  I wanted to share several plant-based football watching foods that were easy to prepare for hosting or taking to a party.  This is quintessential football food for sure.

This recipe is super flexible, allowing you to add or remove whatever you have on hand or prefer.  Add beans in lieu of the meatless crumbles, mix up the vegan cheese, add pickled jalapeños for extra spice.  Also top with salsa, hot sauce or guac for extra food fun.  The other wonderful thing about this recipe is that you can make a small or large tray depending on the amount of food you need.  You simply cannot go wrong with this dish.

My recipe gives you what I used along with substitution ideas.  I hope you enjoy!
[Read more…]

— Knead to Cook