Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

Archives for June 2018

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

S’mores Popcorn. Vegan. Gluten Free.

by Filed Under: 4th of July/Patriotic, Desserts, Gluten Free, Holiday, No bake/cooking required!, Popcorn, Snacks, Sponsored, Wheat Free 2 Comments

S’mores popcorn.

Hi friends!  I’m excited to say I’m starting the next chapter of my life, an exciting job I’ve been dreaming of for  along time.  With that being said.. I’m promising to posting one new recipe per week as I’m not ready to step away from blogging and enjoy the interactions with you all.  Recipe creation.  The creative outlet.  All of it.  I hope to still educate, share and inspire you in the kitchen to eat whole, real vegan foods.

This week’s recipe is a fun take on s’mores.  We’ve been in a serious Seattle-ish band of weather with quite a bit of rain.  S’more in our fire pit have been far and few between.  I thought this would be a super fun take on what we all love – popcorn, chocolate, roasted marshmallows and graham crackers.  You can make as much as you need, perfect for a party or movie night, and I promise… leftovers will not exist.  Even my 80 year old father devoured it!

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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

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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