Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

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…

[Read more…]

— 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…
[Read more…]

— 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…
[Read more…]

— Knead to Cook

Maple Coconut Caramel Macaroons. V. GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Candy, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Product Review., Snacks, Sponsored, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free 5 Comments


Occasionally, I receive packages of food to try, test out and review. Two weeks ago I received this wonderfully adorable Cake in a Crate kit from Bob’s Redmill. I’m an ambassador for them and love their gf products & use them often.  I hadn’t heard of Cake in a Crate but when I finally had a chance to look them up – what an adorable and fantastic idea.  Basically you can buy yourself or someone else a kit to make a lovely vegan and gluten free treat/dessert – slice of decadence.  See below for the recipe I used and a discount code off your first kit.

I originally shared this on my Insta stories and had several people email me that they ordered the kits as gifts.  The packaging is absolutely adorable!  Every single thing you need is measured out and packaged perfectly.             
Isn’t this the prettiest gift idea? Plus no butter or eggs and the package is completely shelf stable!
[Read more…]

— Knead to Cook

Birdseed crackers. Vegan. Gluten free.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Running/Races, Side dish, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vegetarian, Wheat Free 2 Comments

These birdseed crackers have been a longtime favorite in my house & now that I’m focused more on eating healthy fats – they are a weekly staple.  Even my clients love & request them, often!  They are filled with heart healthy fats. Great as a bread replacement – think smashed avocado or hummus (my faves) and you have a perfect snack or side dish to a big salad.

As the holiday quickly approach, I’ve been working on sharing healthy food ideas for you and your family as well as gift ideas for those on your holiday gift list.  Not everyone cherishes the endless plates of cookies or treats.  I always love to share something different, of course healthier, and it always is received with great joy.  This recipe makes a lovely batch that could easily serve, wrapped up with a pretty plaid ribbon, to 2 or 3 friends/co-workers or special people in your life that you don’t necessarily buy for but appreciate.  Plus homemade gifts come with great heart and love.

This recipe has many substitutions that you can make & I’ll note in the recipe.  I hope you give these a try.  They will most certainly be on a appetizer buffet during Christmas.

[Read more…]

— Knead to Cook

Lucy Let’s Go Vegan Eggnog Bread with a Spiced Rum Glaze.

by Filed Under: Breads, Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Lucy Let's Go Post, Quick Bread, Snacks, Sponsored, Vegan 4 Comments

img_6801

Eggnog bread was a creation of mine from about 15 years ago-  long before I was plant based or an athlete.  Truth be told, it was my go-to holiday food gift for friends/teachers & neighbors for years.  Everyone I shared it with clamored over the flavor and moist texture of this treat.  Plus, it was a nice disparity from the sea of cookies everyone had in their kitchen.  You can find the original, vegetarian recipe here.

As time has passed, I’ll admit, I hadn’t made this treat in several years.  Going plant-based, I never quite found an equal counterpart to a traditional eggnog until now.  I’ve tried this recipe with several vegan eggnogs and I found success with most brands.  I’ve suggested the versions below, in the recipe, that worked best in my opinion.  I prefer to make small loaves for gifting.  They are the perfect size and let’s face it, most people are drowning in other holiday sweets & treats.  However, this recipe would work perfectly in a regular size loaf pan.

This recipe can be subbed out with traditional products like butter and eggnog but I wanted to take a healthier approach as much as possible while keeping with the integrity of my original recipe. I hope you give this recipe a try.  Also perfect on Christmas morning amidst the wrapping paper flying and children giggling for a fun and easy breakfast or brunch idea.

Happy holidays!

[Read more…]

— Knead to Cook

Fruit Sparkling Chia Seed Drink. Vegan. Gluten free.

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

img_7428

If you follow me on Insta-stories or my snapchat (kneadtocook), you know I’ve been seeing a registered dietician for the past several months.  She has been changing my view on food, macro nutrients, when and how to eat and fuel all my fitness activities.  My biggest change or revelation is increasing my plant based fats.  Adding tons of them to my diet.  I’ll admit, before now I’ve been fat phobic but after crazy results, dropping 10 lbs., I’m embracing this new eating style.

So increasing fats? Why?  Well the fat myth after much research has been debunked.  Clean and healthy fats, like chia, hemp, avocado, nuts, seeds are good for your hormonal balance, don’t spike insulin levels like sugars do, keep you satiated longer, hair and nails beautiful etc.  This summer I went super low fat and my hair, skin and hormones were a mess…. needless to say I’m enjoying the fats lately.

So I do eat more fats, and less calories.  Fats take longer to break down in your body and require much more energy – hello increased metabolism.  A great resource is Eat Fat, Get Thin by Dr. Mark Hyman.  Other benefits to eating this way… well paired up with my intermittent fasting – eating more fats allows me to exhaust my glycogen stores much faster and burn fat for energy on my runs/cross training/lifting days.  We all have infinite fat stores so we won’t ever bonk while working out.  Becoming fat adaptive has allowed me, with the right fuel, to run 17 milers with no gels, Gu’s or any other carb fuel.

So I created this festive drink to keep you powered up right through the holidays and beyond.  Takes a few minutes to make and you can sub whatever juice you love.  I teamed two of my favorites in this recipe.  Plus, these are super hydrating and great post sweaty workout. Hope you give this one a try.
[Read more…]

— Knead to Cook

Candy Cane Green Tea Chocolate Muffins. V GF.

by Filed Under: Breads, Breakfast, Brownies, Brunch, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Muffins, Snacks, Sponsored, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free 4 Comments

img_3549

Candy Cane Green Tea Chocolate Muffins. V GF.

As December approaches, we transition from all things pumpkin spice into the crisp & refreshing flavor of peppermint. It’s rather coincidental how it aligns with the seasonal temperatures.

I wanted to take a different, albeit, healthier spin to a minty treat that would be perfect during the holiday season especially for snacking or your holiday breakfast, brunch menu or a gift-giving idea.  Let’s face it, cookies will be everywhere so why not take a different & healthier approach.  These muffins have a secret special ingredient – Peppermint Green Tea from Celestial Tea.  Green tea has been known to improve blood flow and lower cholesterol. Studies found green tea helped prevent a range of heart-related issues, from high blood pressure to congestive heart failure as well as many other health benefits.  Healthy and heart happy makes this little treat even better.

Through much recipe testing, I’ve found that adding the tea to warm coconut oil also makes this unique combination more flavorful and it yields a muffin that rivals a moist brownie in texture & flavor.  Plus these muffins are grain and gluten free as well as vegan.  Freeze nicely and are perfect prep ahead for the holidays.

[Read more…]

— Knead to Cook

Spicy Thai Peanut Hummus. Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: Beans, Dips, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Party Foods, Raw, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free 2 Comments

img_7284
Spicy Thai Peanut Hummus.

First, happy December!  Are you ready for the onslaught of holiday parties, shopping, school events and family?  I’m going to be focusing on posting many recipes that will make your holidays a bit easier – perfect make-ahead dishes, healthy snacking or the perfect homemade gift ideas.  Check back often for all the goodies!

Lately, I’ll admit, I’ve been quite fond of hummus.  I mean I always loved hummus but for some reason lately, I cannot live without it.  It’s an easy protein.  I thin it out with water or lime juice and use in as as dressing on my salads, eat it as a dip, top homemade tortillas in it, raw green beans are my favorite!  I also have been taking Romaine leaves, washed and smearing hummus on top – wrapping like a taco.  My husband uses it on his sandwiches in lieu of Dijon or dressing.  It’s one of those versatile foods that is incredibly versatile.

I have a client that has a penchant for spicy food like I do.  I’m excited for her to try this recipe.  Just enough kick to satisfy your heat seeker.  Not a fan of spicy foods?  Remove the jalapeño seeds for a mild version.  This recipe is perfect to whip up and have in your fridge when a snack craving hits.  Post workout or to take to a holiday party.
[Read more…]

— Knead to Cook

Walnut & Chocolate Muffins. Vegan. Gluten Free.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fitness., Gluten Free, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Muffins, Nuts, Quick Bread, Running/Races, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

img_7032

 

Walnut chocolate chip muffins.

These muffins were inspired by The Minimalist Baker’s Banana Chocolate Pecan muffins.  I’m admittedly not a fan of pecans so I made a few adaptations.  Mainly, I reduced the sugar necessary in the original recipe and increased the baking time a bit.  These muffins are insanely tasty and a perfect morning muffin or snack on the go!

As my oldest heads back to school this week, her final year of varsity swimming is upon her.  I obsess about her nutrition each week because she does many double practices a day and I love to have plenty of options at her disposal.  These muffins will be perfect – transportable, packed with protein and healthy fats along with great nutrition to keep her moving throughout her day & prepared for thousands of meters in the pool.

As I mentioned, I reduced the sugar from the original recipe.  The bananas and chocolate chips, I find, add plenty of sweetness.  These are dense muffins and quite filling.  I store these on my countertop in my cake stand but the fridge would also work well.  Plus freezing these in a ziploc would also work well.  This recipe yields 11 muffins.
[Read more…]

— Knead to Cook