Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

White bean chili in the crock pot.

by Filed Under: Chili, Crock Pot, Gluten Free, Mexican, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wheat Free 10 Comments

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Three days into the flu and I’m starting to feel human again.  Race day is Sunday and I’m still torn if I’m doing it or not.  I’m hoping to do it just at a slower pace but get back out there.  Who has ever heard of getting the flu in April?  My doc thinks that I have a milder case and that the Tamiflu will help but he wasn’t sure about race day either.  I’m done with my meds on Saturday.  We shall see.  Fingers crossed.

Well I whipped this quick white bean chili recipe up on Tuesday after I saw the doc.  It was so easy and I knew that way my family would have a nice dinner on the table even if I buried under the covers in my bed warding off the chills.  The dinner was really tasty – I had it for lunch yesterday.  Perfect Meatless Monday idea or anytime you need a quick dinner without a lot of effort.

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— Knead to Cook

Tortilla Soup. Meatless Monday.

by Filed Under: Chili, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Mexican, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wheat Free 2 Comments

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Happy Monday!  I cannot believe it’s the last day of March!  Seriously, where did this month go?  Wow.  Well it looks like I’ll be battling my husband’s cold he shared with me as we approach April, which is fine as the weather looks to be improving on the East Coast.  I have so many recipes that I have backlogged to share with you all.  Make  sure you check back often as a new recipe will be posted each day Monday through Friday.

Today I thought I would pick a Meatless Monday selection that I made last week.  It was a cross between a soup I make and one from my newly purchased cookbook Oh She Glows (which I highly recommend if you are vegan or are looking for delicious plant-based recipes).  This recipe is super easy and flexible.  You can add or delete as you go and customize to your needs.  This soup is great for Meatless Mondays if you try to do a meatless day during the week.  If not, cook some ground turkey or beef and add it for a meat version.

Super filling and protein/vitamin rich!  I served this with sprouted sweet potato tortilla chips for dipping and crunching.  My family (kids included) all loved this!

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— Knead to Cook

Healthy corn bread.

by Filed Under: Breads, Chili, Mexican, Snacks, Vegetarian 8 Comments

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Corn bread is one of those things that just pairs up with chili so perfectly.  Nothing else really fills that void.  Like chocolate and peanut butter – there is no better match.  So on Monday I made a batch of vegan veggie and bean chili and that coincidentally meant that I had to whip up a batch of my healthy corn bread.  I’ve been mixing this recipe up trying to make it healthier v. my standard I’ve always used and this one was good enough to “blog” about.  Plus with the addition of Greek yogurt… it has protein, which as a vegetarian, I really focus hard on getting enough in my diet.  No oils, butters necessary!  

This comes together pretty fast and then you need to bake.  I like it a bit on the toastier side of golden but you can certainly adjust your baking time and once the bread is done (insert a toothpick to check) you can remove it.  Let it cool for a few minutes then serve it up.  My family loves it with honey butter (mix butter with a few teaspoons of raw honey or maple syrup) until blended.  I’ve always loved corn bread muffins… the graininess and texture captured my attention during a college internship many years ago and I’ve remained a devout fan.  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we have and make it the next time you whip up a batch of your favorite chili.

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— Knead to Cook

Crock Pot Vegan Bean Chili.

by Filed Under: Chili, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Mexican, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wheat Free 11 Comments

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Chili is one of those super comforting meals for me and I have many, many recipes for different versions.   To me… it’s the perfect Monday meal – I have no idea why… probably because I can fix it and walk away.  I love dinners that are ready when you are with little fuss.  Yesterday I woke up thinking it was Sunday -admittedly, this was NOT good as it was Monday and the start of the week.  I lost a weekend day because Sunday our swim team hosted the longest Championship meet (or what seemed to be) and it was just draining after months of preparation.  

So yesterday was Meatless Monday and I was really craving a big bowl of chili.  Monday was also our very first night since September that we didn’t have swim practice or commitment so it was lovely to make dinner, do homework and just chill out for the night.  Tonight we celebrate our freshman swimmer at her high school banquet and her earning her very first letter  and once again, off we go.  Very thankful we have leftovers from last night!  This recipes yields about 10 servings.  

This recipe can easily be adapted if you wish to have it with meat by adding ground turkey or beef (cooked) to it.  It is already protein-packed with beans and was so filling that you honestly won’t miss the animal protein if you go that route.  This recipe took me about 8 minutes to prepare and I let it slow cook in my crock pot for 4-6 hours and just served it up once everyone was home.  Also makes great leftovers.

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— Knead to Cook

Easiest Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili.

by Filed Under: Chicken, Chili, Crock Pot, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Mexican, Party Foods, Wheat Free 2 Comments

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My husband made this dish on Saturday prior to our swim meet.  We recently got a new slow cooker that allows you to sauté in the insert and it makes life so much easier.  This recipe came about from what we had on hand and whipped up in under ten minutes before we were out the door.  Perfect for busy mornings and using up leftovers!  You can add or subtract what you have on hand to make this work in your kitchen.  This would be a great dish if you’re hosting a super bowl party of playoff game get-together.  Insanely easy!

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— Knead to Cook

Vegetarian Chili.

by Filed Under: Chili, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Mexican, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

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Today was a rainy, dreary day.  Now, it has turned into a lovely, sunshine-filled afternoon.  Once again, this fall weather has me perplexed.  It is however the beginning of my rest days as I prepare for my half marathon this Sunday.  I admit, I’m not a fan of “rest” days as I get very antsy and prefer to keep myself active either running or at the gym but for now – I’m taking it a bit easier, hydrating and eating lots of protein in preparation.

If you’ve been a follower of my blog, you know that about seven months ago I opted to change my diet and focus on becoming more vegetarian based foods.  To my chagrin, I haven’t missed the meat at all.  Actually, I’ve felt better without it.  Now my family however, are quite the carnivores.  My kids especially.  They swim a lot and I realize that the best option for protein (as they don’t consume the amount of beans/veggies I do) is lean meats (organic).  I do have one caveat and that is that a few times a week, everyone eats vegetarian or vegan.  No one seems to mind or really even miss the meat as I make hearty options that are super filling.  Plus the homemade cornbread is always a hit/distraction.

This recipe is very versatile using up whatever veggies you have on hand or like in your chili.  Adjust the spices to your taste as well.
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— Knead to Cook

Pumpkin Turkey Chili.

by Filed Under: Chili, Gluten Free, Ground Turkey, Mexican, Soups, Vegetarian, Wheat Free 1 Comment

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September is here and I may be jumping the gun but it’s pumpkin time to me!  I know I’ve gotten a lot of heat about jumping on the pumpkin bandwagon too early but I am a pumpkin fanatic and once school starts… GAME ON!  This recipe can be made with or without ground turkey if you’re looking for a vegetarian option.  I made this for my family so I went the meat route (total carnivores) – if I were making this for me, I would’ve omitted it and added more beans.

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— Knead to Cook

Red Wheat Berry Vegetarian Chili.

by Filed Under: Chili, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Vegetarian 2 Comments

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I found this recipe years ago and saved it.  When I was in Vermont a few weeks ago, King Arthur Flour had awesome red wheat berries so I bought them.  When they were delivered, I knew exactly what recipe I wanted to try them out on.  This recipe was originally in Eating Well magazine or their cookbook, again, it was years ago.  I made some adaptations to it and it smells phenomenal.  Can’t wait for dinner!  My father, a big carnivore, loved it and never noticed the meal was sans meat!  LOVE that!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped

  • 1 large red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
    1 tablespoon chili powder
    2 teaspoons of smoked paprika

2 teaspoons of ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed (low sodium)
2 14-ounce cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups vegetable broth
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
2 cups Cooked Wheat Berries (soak them for 24 hours and cook according to package details)
Juice of 1 lime
1 avocado, diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Optional:  Chobani plain yogurt
Jalapeños, sliced garnish

Preparation:

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4-6 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, broth and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.

Stir in cooked wheat berries and heat through, about 5 minutes more. (If using frozen wheat berries, cook until thoroughly heated.) Remove from the heat. Stir in lime juice. Garnish each bowl with avocado and cilantro.

— Knead to Cook

Pumpkin Turkey Chili.

by Filed Under: Chili 3 Comments

My pumpkin kick continues.  Fall is here that gives me free reign to start making delicious chili and I couldn’t be happier.  This is a healthy option to traditional beef chili but if thats all you have on hand, feel free to use it.  I always encourage you to use what you have on hand or what your family loves to eat.

Ingredients:

2 tsp of olive oil
1 lb lean ground organic turkey (I used 94% lean)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (whatever color you have on hand)
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 – 15 oz cans of dark red beans (low sodium)
1 – 28 oz can of chopped or crushed tomatoes
2 cups of pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1/4 c of water
1 tsp of chili powder (I used a chipotle chili pepper)
2 tbl of ground cumin
2 tsp of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional:  I throw in one jalapeño chopped with seeds.

Toppings:
Low fat cheddar cheese
1 red onion, diced
1 jalapeño, chopped
Diced avocado
Chobani non fat plain yogurt (lower calorie and protein-packed option over sour cream)

Directions:
In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil.  Once hot, add the onions, peppers and ground turkey.  Cook until no longer pink.  Add the garlic & the remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil.  Turn down, cover and let simmer for 1-6 hours.  Stirring, of course, occasionally.

The spoon was made for me by Carrie.  Here is the link to her Etsy page 🙂

http://www.etsy.com/people/pumpernickelandwry

 

 

— Knead to Cook

Sweet potato & bean vegetarian chili.

by Filed Under: Chili, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

Who doesn’t love chili?  It’s filled with fiber-packed beans, veggies and it’s a one pot meal!  I made this after lunch and let it simmer all afternoon.  And in honor of meatless Monday – it is totally vegetarian!

Ingredients:

1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 gigantic sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces (or you can use 2 medium sized potatoes)
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbl chili powder
3 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt and black pepper
1 28-ounce Cento (use whatever tomatoes you have) diced tomatoes, including the liquid
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1.5 c vegetable broth
Veggie tortilla chips, spicy monterey jack cheese and avocado slices for garnish/toppings

Directions:

In your Dutch oven, sauté all of the chopped vegetables & garlic with one to two tablespoons of olive oil, stirring occasionally. Once the onions start turning translucent and the veggies begin to soften, reduce heat to medium-low.

Add all of the spices and canned ingredients, and stir. Cover and let it simmer, stirring occasionally.  I let this simmer for hours – but you can serve it as soon as 1-2 hours if needed.

— Knead to Cook