Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

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 6 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.

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— 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 Leave a Comment

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.

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— Knead to Cook

Vegan Queso Dip. GF.

by Filed Under: Appetizers, Brunch, Cheese, Dips, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Mexican, Nuts, Party Foods, Raw, Running/Races, Side dish, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free 7 Comments

Vegan queso dip.  Are you planning your menu for your Super Bowl party?  Or you attending a party & need a recipe to take with you?  We will having an intimate little party with lots of yummy food – just the way I like it.  This week I’m sharing recipes for the big day that won’t blow your fitness/healthy eating.  My recipes are all super easy and most of the time with ingredients you have stocked in your pantry.  This recipe is everything.

When you migrate over to a plant-based diet, the main thing I struggled with was the lack of cheese.  I’m not a dairy/milk fan, could care less about missing bacon or hamburgers but cheese?  Yes!  I missed it.  Thankfully nowadays there are so many incredible nut-based cheeses to curb the cravings.  This dip is a spin on a classic party dish – queso dip. This dip can be incorporated into a 7 layer dip or like this, served straight up with veggies, lentil or tortilla chips.  It has a lovely smokiness & a bit of spicy kick.  Perfect paired with a cold beer for football viewing!
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— Knead to Cook

Chocolate Chunk Cookies. Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Cookies, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Holiday, Nuts, Party Foods, Running/Races, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free 4 Comments

   

Chocolate chunk cookies hot from the oven. Vegan & gluten free.

This recipe was adapted from Oh She Glow‘s one bowl chocolate chunk cookies.  I revamped this recipe to prep all in a food processor and with less ingredients/sugars.  I’ve been making these cookies for what seems to be FORever!  My girls drool over these when they’re in the oven & safely assume that they don’t last very long on the counter.  I also adapted these sans chocolate chunk so that my husband, who is allergic to chocolate, can enjoy as well.  Both versions work perfectly.

This week I’ll be sharing a recipe a day for your super bowl party this weekend.  All will be vegan and gluten free but oh-so-delectable that none of your guests will know.  I’m all about healthy options that don’t look like celery sticks and throw everyone into a tizzy.  Super Bowl parties are supposed to be filled with stick to your ribs kinda food… my food line-up this week promises to do just that!

So no time to waste… let’s get this week started!
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— Knead to Cook

Hearty Sweet Potato Teff Pancakes. Vegan and GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Running/Races, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free Leave a Comment


Hearty and wonderful, sweet potato teff pancakes.

I feel like I’m always on the hunt for a really hearty, not sugar-filled, pancake that will fill me up and last for hours.  I created this recipe on the weekend for an endurance athlete who is in the midst of training for the Boston Marathon. I knew the complex carbs would be perfect to fuel her and me post run/weightlifting session or HIIT training.  Another benefit, my daughter could eat these post swim practice during the week before she had classes.

My daughter’s tried these out, refined sugar-free & all, and they both loved them.  One had them with almond butter & raspberry jam, the other had them with maple syrup.  Both girls, who normally eat many 4-5 each, only needed 2 each — I said these are super hearty.  Both loved them very much & requested I make more.  Winner!

The sweet potato with pumpkin puree, butternut or acorn squash 1:1 ratio.  This recipe is loosely based on the Run Fast Eat Slow Teff pancake recipe.
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— Knead to Cook

Vegan and GF “Meaty” Lasagna.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Italian-inspired, Nuts, Pasta, Running/Races, Sauces, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free 6 Comments

Vegan & gluten free “meaty” lasagna.  I grew up with horrible lasagna.  I mean HORRIBLE!  From my childhood on I’ll admit, I would shy away from this Italian dish with every fiber of my being.  My Italian side of my family, that knew how to cook, never made it.  We always ate ravioli.  So going vegan and gf, this wasn’t a dish that I was going to miss out on.

My oldest asked for lasagna recently.  I was a bit taken aback because I wasn’t sure where she ever developed a penchant for it.  I’ll be honest, I blew her request off.  Then while shopping in a local grocery store that I never really frequent, I spied some gluten free noodles.  Perhaps the universe was sending me a signal.  I embraced it and gave it a whirl.

If you follow me on Snapchat or Insta stories, you saw my over-the-top review over the recipe.  I knew I had to recreate it for you all after over 200 requests.  My disclaimer:  it may not look “picture perfect” but you will be swooning over this one!  I pinky promise.

I do want to apologize for the lack of staging the perfect photos but light was dwindling and I was rushing to get each step documented for you.  Plus lasagna is not the most photogenic food out there.
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— Knead to Cook

Skillet Beer Chili Mac. Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: Beans, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Mexican, Pasta, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free 3 Comments


This recipe is from Thug Kitchen’s 101 cookbook.  Skillet Beer Chili Mac.

Does anyone else feel the need to whip up a batch of chili on Sunday?  I mainly feel the need during football season.  It’s one of the one pot meals you can make and let simmer on the stovetop all day long.  My family comes and grabs a bowl whenever the need strikes them.  Because it’s vegan and gluten free (remember to use GF beer) everyone in my family can eat it.  My daughters and husband always eat chili, regardless of the pasta, with tortilla chips for an extra crunchy texture.

This chili is packed with healthy fiber and protein to keep you filled up for hours.  Plus, today’s real feel temp was 1 degree when we ran and this chili was exactly what we needed to warm our bones on this chili winter day.  Leftovers can be stored in the fridge all week and just get better with time.  This would also be a perfect option for Meatless Monday – which coincidentally will be our dinner tonight too!

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— Knead to Cook

Instant Pot Double Protein Lentil Chili. Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: Chili, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Lentils, Mexican, Pressure Cooker, Soups, Stews, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free 2 Comments


Double protein lentil chili.

Guys!!!  We made it to 2017 & survived the holiday season.  I hope your holidays were incredibly fun!  We had the best 10 days.  My husband & kids were all off, minus swim practice… we had all the free time.  I stopped cooking for clients on the 19th and enjoyed a much-deserved respite as well. I wish I could say it was relaxing and easy going but hosting company, cooking, parties and attempting to keep up my fitness did take its toll.  Plus both of my girls and father all managed to get sick right over Christmas/New Years.  Never fails, right?

We hosted this year, as we always do.  We had a lovely Christmas and then headed to NYC to get out of town. We’ve made it our tradition to go and visit the tree at Rockefeller Center, eat all the vegan food and check out the incredible window displays.  It was a lot of fun.  But today, reality hit and everyone headed back to school, swim and work – including me.  I got up at 4a and got my run in and then began prepping food.

Today I wanted to get a jump start on dinner early because we have a swim meet after school.  The timing always falls over dinner prep time.  I typically stress the entire meet thinking of what to make for dinner – but not today.  Taken care of and quickly in my Instant Pot.  Did you happen to get an IP for the holidays?  If you did… this is a must-try, easy plant-based recipe.  This recipe has a huge protein punch with two types of lentils and the heartiness is perfect for a chilly winter dinner.  I also love serving this over rice or quinoa.  Makes a great lunch idea if you have any leftovers.

Let’s get started…

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— Knead to Cook

Christmas Gingerbread Granola. V. GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fruit, Gluten Free, Nuts, Running/Races, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free Leave a Comment


Christmas gingerbread coconut granola.

Today’s task… workout then prep all the food that I can.  My first menu item was this gingerbread granola for Christmas breakfast.  It’s the one breakfast food in our house that everyone will eat.  Some will top their vegan yogurt with it… some will eat it solo or mixed with cashew milk (even vegan egg nog).  The aroma is absolutely heavenly and screams Christmas.  This also makes the perfect hostess or food gift in case you’re in a pinch.

No time to waste today so let’s get started…
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— Knead to Cook

Cutout Sugar Cookies. Vegan. Gluten free.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Cookies, Dressings, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fitness., Gift ideas, Gluten Free, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Party Foods, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wheat Free Leave a Comment


Cutout sugar cookies that are vegan & gluten free… ummm yes, please!  I found this recipe after a quick google search over at Unconventional Baker.  I have no time this week to play around with sugar cookie experimentation and I needed a full-proof recipe that would save me time & yield the perfect cookie.  I did make some minor adjustments to the original recipe -please see below.

Okay so everyone is in a mad dash this week.  Finish shopping.  Wrapping.  Shipping.  Whatever.  I’m done with all of that but need to get cooking/baking done.  You see every year I make (crappy sugar) cut out cookies for our annual ugly Santa cookie contest.  Everyone decorates them… we choose the winner, normally my husband, and the winning cookies are left out for Santa on Christmas Eve.  The rest get pitched.  This year, avoiding waste and opting to use the finished cookies for dessert on Christmas – I knew I needed a good cookie that was both vegan and gluten free.  This recipe was super easy & required no chilling.  Baked up perfectly and they’re in my freezer till Saturday when they will be unveiled & decorated for our contest.  Okay… let’s get on to the recipe without further delay…
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— Knead to Cook