Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

Single serving chia pudding. Vegan & GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Gluten Free, Raw, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free

For years I’ve been a diehard overnight oats fan. Still am. But I work extremely crazy hours and sometimes the oats aren’t leaving me satiated a long time and I need that. Still one of my favorite breakfast go-to items but lately, I’ve been dabbling with an overnight chia pudding recipe. Simple. Easy. Packed with fiber, healthy fats, omega 3’s, protein, antioxidants and the net carbs are pretty low. With all that said, this breakfast has staying power. Tested it out last week when I had 4a shift and this kept me filled until noon! NOON! What?! Yep. So let’s go!

Ingredients:
3 tbl of black or white chia
3/4 cup of a unsweetened plant based milk
1/2 tbl of maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:
Into a glass jar add your ingredients. Close with a lid securely and shake vigorously. I leave it on my counter for about 10 minutes shaking often. Once everything is blended well, place in your fridge. The next day, or whenever, dump into a bowl and top with your favorite fresh or frozen fruit, nut butter & whatever else you love. You can easily double or triple this recipe for the week. I’ve also added some vegan yogurt to my bowl with the chia pudding. It’s so good! Enjoy.

~0x

— Knead to Cook

Antioxidant-Packed Protein Smoothie without banana

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Fruit, Gluten Free, Smoothies, Vegan proteins, Vitamix

I’ve decided that I need to share of my really simple, go-to recipes I eat daily but just assume everyone is familiar with how to make. Not true. I hope this recipe serves as a basis for your own creativity when it comes to your pre-workout, breakfast, snack or recovery smoothie bowl. Quickly the why I make this dish: Antioxidants are compounds that inhibit oxidation, a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals and chain reactions that may damage the cells of organisms in the body.

This recipe is creamy, thick and ice cream-like. I love it super thick as it satisfies my sweet tooth! Okay, let’s get started!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup of unsweetened vegan milk of choice (I barely cover the blades of my Vitamix)
1 cup frozen wild blueberries
1 giant handful of greens (baby greens like spinach or kale or a mix)
Pinch of salt
1 tbl raw cacao powder
1 scoop of your favorite vegan protein (I prefer Vega Sport vanilla)
3-4 ice cubes
If it doesn’t blend, add a touch of water incrementally until it just starts to blend.

Method:
Add the ingredients in order into your blender. Start to blend on low, if it has trouble blending I add a touch of water as needed to just get it to blend. The key to thickness is the lack of excessive liquid. A must to a frosty, smooth smoothie bowl is to blend for 2 minutes. Then spoon into the bowl and top with your favorites.

That’s a wrap for now!

— Knead to Cook

Lemon Protein Bites. Vegan & GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Nuts, Snacks, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free

So our sweet Meyer lemon tree went from our old house to our neighbor’s house while we lived in a hotel and then moved into our new home. During that time, he traveled a lot and the tree didn’t get watered or loved. She lost most of her lemons and the 2 that did survive – my husband gave him one as a thank you. I’ve resisted picking it as long as I could but she was ready. I knew I had to use it for a good recipe and here it is. A fun little protein, fat bomb kinda lemon bite. Refreshing. Quite filling. Heart healthy. So good! We keep these in the freezer for a quick and easy dessert or pick-me-up!

Ingredients:
12 Medjool dates, pitted
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw cashews
Juice and zest from 1/2 lemon
1 tbl hemp hearts
1/2 cup shredded coconut
Pinch salt
1/2 cup + 2 tbl almond meal

Method:

Begin by adding your pitted dates, almonds & cashews into a jar or bowl and add hot water. Allow to soak for 30 minutes. Then drain. Add that along with your other ingredients to your food processor. Blend. You may need to scrape the sides down occasional to blend well. Then scoop (I used a small cookie scoop) balls out and place on a plate or tray. I freeze for 30 minutes then transfer to a container. I prefer to keep these frozen or refrigerated for freshness. Last 1 week in the fridge or 30 days in the freezer.

Enjoy!

— Knead to Cook

Simple 4 ingredient almond flour vanilla cookies.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Cookies

In a pursuit to keep my chatting to a minimum, because let’s face it you’re here to get the recipe ~This super easy recipe is a tiny diversion from this recipe I created years ago. Super easy, one bowl recipe. Quite tasty with a soft interior that is reminiscent of a macaroon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 cups of almond flour
1/2 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extra
1/3 cup of maple syrup
Optional: almond slivers for topping

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake on a lined cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden. Remove and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes to firm up. Enjoy!

— Knead to Cook

Chocolate chip cookie baked oatmeal.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brownies, Brunch, Gluten Free, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Muffins, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free

Baked oatmeal is trending big time but this recipe is a twist on that traditional, more textured counterpart. Think oatmeal meets cake! I’ve made this recipe 3 times now and each time it lasts a hot second in my kitchen. It a great on-the-go breakfast or snack… or for us, dessert after dinner. I hope you give this one a whirl!

Ingredients:
2 small, very ripe bananas
1 tbl flax meal
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 c almond milk (unsweetened)
5 tbl nut butter
1 tbl vanilla
2 cup rolled oats
2 tbl baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup of chocolate chips or cabob chips (I did half and half because my husband is allergic to chocolate)

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray your 8×8 pan with baking spray and set aside. Then to your high powered blender, add your bananas through cinnamon. Spoon the batter into your prepared pan. Add your chocolate chips to the top. If you prefer to have them mixed in, use a knife to mix them around gently. Bake for 20-22 minutes. The baked oats will resemble a cake-texture and be soft yet firmer to the touch. Interior will be heavenly -basically a cross between a muffin and a lava cake!

I got a aggressive with the chocolate 🙂
Final product – this is the carob chip side.



Enjoy!

~ox

— Knead to Cook

The easiest chia jam

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Easter, Fruit, Gluten Free, Holiday, Vegan

Happy March sweet people! I’m finally returning back to work post hand surgery and quite excited. Plus I’m finally able to type with a bit of ease again so hallelujah. So with my commitment to not babble too much on my recipe posts… let’s get to it!

Just an fyi… you can add as much sweeterner as you prefer. I’m not a sugar fan – which is why I prefer to make my own because most commercial brands are overloaded. Plus adding chia seeds makes this nutritionally superior to its store counterpart. Fiber, omega 3’s, antioxidant and minerals rich.

Ingredients:

2 bags of frozen fruit (I used Whole Foods organic raspberries/blackberries)
Juice of 1/2 of lemon
1 tbl of sweetener (I used maple syrup)
2 tbl chia seed

Method:
Into a small sauce pan add your 2 bags of frozen or fresh fruit, lemon juice and sweetener over low heat. Once the berries are broken down, mash with a whisk or potato masher to break down further. The cooking takes about 4-8 minutes. Then turn the heat off and add your chia seeds. Mix and allow to cool. It will thicken as it cools. Once completely cooled, add to a glass jar with a lid and store in the fridge.

Happy Monday friends! ~ox

— Knead to Cook

Easy homemade granola. Vegan & GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Gluten Free, Holiday Baking Ideas, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free

Granola is one of those things we mindlessly buy but can easily make and YES a healthy, not-sugar laden version. My recipe below is flexible and totally customizable to what you have on hand in your pantry and what you love. So let’s get started 🙂

Ingredients:
3 cups of rolled oats (I prefer One Degree as they are certified glyphosate free because no one wants to eat Round up!)
2 cups of your favorite nuts
1 cup of large coconut flakes
1/2 cup of your favorite seeds (I used hemp, sunflower and chia)
4 tbl of oil of your choice (walnut, avocado, coconut or olive)
4 tbl of maple syrup
1 tbl of ground cinnamon (Ceylon is best)
Pinch or two of a coarse salt
Optional: Dried fruit* see notes.

Method:
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.
Into a large mixing bowl, add all of your ingredients and stir really well. Spread the mixture out on your baking sheet and place in the middle rack of your oven. I bake for 45 minutes or so or until golden, stirred every 15 minutes or so. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before storing.
*If you wish to add dried fruit, add it to the cooled granola before storing.

I used a combination of spicy maple syrup and classic.
Store in an airtight container or a glass jar with a lid for optimal freshness.

Hope you try this one out and put your own twist on it! Let me know how it turns out. ~ox

— Knead to Cook

One bowl Pumpkin bread. Vegan.

by Filed Under: Breads, Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Nuts, Quick Bread, Vegan

With listing & selling our house last week, I’ve had no bandwidth for recipe testing to be quite honest. I wanted to make something different and landed on this lovely recipe from Nora Cooks. I made this oil free and adjusted a few things from her original. See notes below.

Ingredient:
1 tbl ground flax or chia seeds
3 tbl water
1 can 15 ounce of canned pumpkin puree
1 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of applesauce (I used pumpkin apple sauce from Whole Foods) or 1/2 cup of coconut or other neutral oil
1/4 cup of plant based milk
1 and 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tbl ground cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin spice

Optional:
1/2 cup of vegan chocolate chips or walnuts for mixing in
For topping: walnuts, pecans, hemp hearts, pepitas etc.

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray you loaf pan with oil and set aside. In a small bowl or measuring cup, add your ground flax or chia seeds with 3 tbl of water. Stir and allow to congeal for 6 minutes or so. It will thicken up and replace the need for eggs.

In a large bowl, add pumpkin puree, sugar, oil and milk. Whisk to combine. Sift, flour, powder, soda, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin spice into the wet mixture. Whisk to just combine.

If wishing to add chocolate chips or nuts, add to the batter. Pour into your prepared pan. If using pepitas, walnuts etc. – add to the top of your batter. Bake for 75 to 85 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Every oven is different, I baked closer to 77 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 30 minutes prior to slicing.

Happy weekend!

— Knead to Cook

Kale or Spinach Flatbread.

by Filed Under: Appetizers, Breads, Breakfast, Brunch, Quick Bread, Snacks, Vegan

In a wonderful attempt to start cleaning out our garden, my husband had harvested a ton of kale. I made several dishes including this massaged kale salad and a big batch of sautéed kale for bowls. But when I woke up on Monday, I thought I would attempt to use up some of the cooked kale in a flatbread recipe. It turned out so good – we used the flatbreads as pizza crusts and as a side bread for soups, pastas and salads. I’ve since made 3 batches of these and they hold up nicely in the fridge all week or can easily be frozen. Let’s get started!

Ingredient:

2 cups of greens (you can use cooked or raw)
2 cups of ap flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1 – 2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp salt
2 tbl avocado oil
1/2 cup of water
Oil for cooking

Method:

Into a food processor, add your greens through water. Process until a sticky dough forms. In the meantime, heat up a cast iron pan with a drizzle of your favorite oil. Turn your dough out onto a floured rolling surface. Coat the dough ball with flour (it will be sticky) and roll out until about 1/3 inch thick or slightly thicker depending on your taste. Divide into 4 sections. Roll until you achieve a flatbread looking oval. Add to your hot pan, working with one flatbread at a time, allow to cook until golden on one side. Then flip. Cooking took me about 3 minutes or so on each side. Remove and allow to cool.

You can use these as a pizza crust by topping with sauce and cheese and baking at a 450 degree oven until the cheese is melted.

We also used on sandwiches, as a bread side for bowls, salads and soups. Also incredible topped with hummus for a snack.


Can’t wait to hear what you think! This recipe can be adapted to most greens or a combination of what you have on hand. Spinach, chard, dandelion etc. would all be fantastic.

~ox

— Knead to Cook

Oatmeal blender pancakes. Vegan & GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Vegan, Wheat Free

Every once in a blue moon, I flat out crave blueberry pancakes and with an abundance of them in my fridge, I went for it. These came out perfectly, are gluten free if you require that and are so hearty and delicious. I ate 2 plates post a long ride on my Peloton and it was pure heaven.


Ingredients:

2 cups of rolled oats
2 cup of plant based milk, 1 or 2 tbl if the batter is too thick
1 ripe banana
2 tbl of your choice of sweetener (maple syrup or sugar)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbl of ground flax seed
1 tbl hemp hearts
2 tsp of ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
2 cups of fresh blueberries but whatever berries you wish to use
Method:

Place all of your ingredients through salt into your blender (start with 2 cups of milk). Blend on high for 1.5 minutes or so. Remove and you can easily add berries to the blender and gently stir with a long spatula or spoon.

Preheated a cast iron pan on the stove and sprayed with oil. Once hot (medium heat) ladle some batter into your pan. Cook for a minute or 2 (you’ll see bubbles start to surface) and flip. Cook until your desired color is achieved. If your batter gets too thick, simply add a tbl or two of your chosen milk to loosen the batter up.

I prefer to use organic, certified Glyphosate free oats by One Degree.

I cook until a lovely golden brown and serve. You can also freeze but allow to cool prior to packing up and freezing.

Happy weekend friends! ~ox

— Knead to Cook