Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

Air fried banana peel bacon.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Fruit, Gluten Free, Holiday, Snacks, Vegan proteins

Yes that’s what I said, banana peel bacon! We’ve been on a kick to reduce waste in our home for years but now that we live in the city we don’t compost as much as we like so I’ve been seeking ways to use every part of fruits and veggies that we can. I found this information quite beneficial and wanted to share.

Depression Relief

The high levels of tryptophan in bananas, combined with the B6 in banana peels, can help relieve some symptoms of depression and other mood disorders. Tryptophan turns into serotonin as it breaks down, which can improve your mood. Vitamin B6 can help improve sleep, which has a positive impact on mood over time.

Digestive Health

Fiber-rich banana peels can help regulate the digestive system, easing both constipation and diarrhea. This can be a particularly important benefit of banana peels for people with Crohn’s disease or irritable bowel syndrome.

Better Eyesight

Vitamin A can help keep your eyes strong and healthy. This vitamin is abundant in both bananas and banana peels.

Ingredients:
2 banana peels (larger)
3 tbl of liquid aminos (if you prefer less sodium use a low sodium soy or liquid aminos)
1 tbl of maple syrup
2 tsp liquid smoke
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
Pinch smoked salt if you have it

Method:

I rinsed the banana peels thoroughly and remove and stickers. Scrape the inside of each banana peel as photographed. Discard what you’ve scraped.

Repeat until every banana has been scraped clean. In a large mixing bowl add your ingredients and toss the banana peels in that. Allow to marinade at least 30 minutes.

I placed in my air fryer, single layer, at 375 degrees for 8 minutes, start watching closely at 5-6 minute mark. Remove and use on avocado toast, along side your tofu scramble or whatever you love!

Please, let me know what you think! Have a fantastic day. ~ox

— 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

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

Vegan frosty smoothie bowl.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Fruit, Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Nuts, Raw, Smoothies, Snacks, Vegan, Vitamix

I’m admittedly not a summer weather fan. It’s been an oppressive 90+ degrees for an endless stretch of time. For dinner most nights, I’ve been opting for this very chilly & refreshing bowl. It’s protein-packed, flavor packed and it tastes so indulgent! I hope you enjoy 🙂

Ingredients:

Skant 3/4 cup of unsweetened nut or oat based milk of choice
1 scoop of your favorite protein powder (I use either vanilla or chocolate)
1 tbl of your favorite nut butter OR 2 tbl of an organic powdered nut butter if you prefer
1 frozen banana
Pinch of salt
8 – 10 ice cubes
Optional:
1 tbl of raw cacao (if using a vanilla protein but want chocolate flavored)
If using vanilla protein and you want a strawberry bowl (add 1 cup of fresh or frozen strawberries).

Method:
Into a blender add your milk through ice cubes (see notes about optional flavors). If using additional berries, add them too!

Blend, you may need to stop and scrape the sides down often. Blend until smooth and creamy. Spoon into a bowl and top with whatever you love!

My faves:
Organic bran flakes
Granola
Pomegrante seeds
Cacao nibs
nut butter
berries
seeds
nuts
Enjoy immediately!


~ox

— Knead to Cook

Blueberry Oatmeal Bake. Vegan.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fruit, Snacks, Vegan

Summer means an abundance of fresh fruit in my house. We love eating seasonally and it is one of the most affordable ways to navigate your grocery list. With blueberries constantly on sale, I’ve been stocking up. This recipe serves as an easy breakfast, snack or dessert topping with a little whipped cream or vegan ice cream on the side. I would recommend keeping it stored in the fridge versus on the counter as it would get moldy rather quickly in the warmer temps. I hope you enjoy this one as much as we did!

Ingredients:
1 tbl ground flax meal
3 tbl water
2 cups of rolled oats (organic)
1.5 cups flour (I used 1/2 cup whole wheat and 1 cup of ap flour)
1 tbl ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 cups of plant based milk
1/4 cup of a neutral oil (I used avocado and coconut)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup maple syrup*
3/4 cup blueberries washed and tossed with a bit of flour to coat
Nut of your choice for topping (almonds, walnuts, pecans, hemp hearts, pepitas).

Method:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and spray a 8×8 or 9×9 pan with cooking spray. Set that aside.

Start by making your flax egg by mixing flax meal with water and allow to sit for about 4-6 minutes until thickened.
Into a stand mixer bowl or large mixing bowl, add all of your dry ingredients oats through salt. Whisk to combine. In that bowl, add your flax egg and plant based milk, oil, extract and syrup. Combine until just blended.

In a separate bowl, add freshly washed berries and toss with a tbl or so of your flour. Coating will allow the berries to be suspended in your bake versus sinking to the bottom of the bake. By hand, gently mix the blueberries in the batter. Then gently spoon into your prepared pan.

Top your batter with whatever nuts or seeds you like then pop it in the oven for 38-40 minutes. When the top is more solid, the color is golden, it’s done. Mine took about 40 minutes. Allow to cool before slicing. Enjoy!

*This recipe is NOT overly sweet. Feel free to adjust the sweetness by adding additional maple syrup or 1/4 cup coconut or brown sugar.

~ox

— Knead to Cook

How to make sun tea.

by Filed Under: Beverages, Fruit, Vegan, Wheat Free

Today was our first really hot day, therefore I immediately thought to make some sun tea. Super easy and I love having a pitcher in the fridge for a cool treat instead of water. I’m going to share the basics with a bunch of different options that you can take. Sun tea is super easy to make so fear not, you can totally do this!

So let’s get started…

Into a pitcher, add filtered water. My pitcher holds about 1 gallon of water.
For each gallon of water you want to add 8 tea bags.
I did complimentary flavors of mint and ginger. Please experiment and use flavors you love.
Because I went with mint – I added a sprig of fresh mint from my garden to the pitcher as well.
Allow the tea to sit in direct sunlight for 3-6 hours.

Once the tea is done, remove the tea bags and you may wish to add sweetener. If you do, you can add agave, honey (if you use it) or a simple syrup. Simple syrup is made by heating equal parts sugar and water to the stove over low temp. Stir until the sugar is melted. Allow to cool and you can add as much to your tea as you prefer. We drink it with some fresh lemon and muddled mint leaves with ice. Your choice! Store leftovers in the fridge.


Some other flavors that work really well together:
Fennel and lemon
Turmeric and lemon
Lemon with basil leaves
Breakfast tea with lemon
Mint and ginger
Turmeric and ginger
Berry tea with lemon
Green tea and citrus (orange or lemon slices) or lemongrass
Oolong with a fruitier/berry tea

Can’t wait to hear what combinations you create! Enjoy.

x~

— Knead to Cook

The super easy raw Asian salad. Vegan. Gluten free.

by Filed Under: 4th of July/Patriotic, Asian inspired, Brunch, Fruit, Gluten Free, Party Foods, Salads, Side dish, Vegan, Vegan proteins

This is one of my all-time favorite salads ever. But the trade off is that your kitchen will be quite messy due to the prep work but in the long run… it’s totally worth it! If you prefer, check your local market for sliced/chopped veggies that would make this recipe prep faster/easier.

I’ve been on a mission to eat as many different veggies and fruits in each meal I make. This one is packed with tons of veggies and the flavor – perfection! So less chatting and more sharing… can’t wait to hear what you think! Please leave me a comment if you make this salad. And please know that this dish makes a ton! Perfect for a big family gathering or as a meal prep on the weekend for the week. Please note if you wish to meal prep this salad for the week – prepare and store the dressing in a separate container and dress when needed.

Ingredients:

4 tbl of rice vinegar
4 tbl of liquid aminos or soy sauce
2 tbl of tahini paste
1 tablespoon of maple syrup
1-2 larger mandarin orange segments, peel and set aside
1 larger nub of fresh ginger, peeled and grated finely
1 tsp of chili paste
3 cups of Napa cabbage, finely chopped
3 cups of red cabbage
1 cup of shelled edamame, I used frozen and defrosted
1 bag (about 2 cups) of shredded carrots
1 lb of Brussels Sprouts finely grated or sliced on a mandolin
2 large red bell peppers, sliced into small pieces
1/2 to 1 cup of dry roasted organic peanuts or Marcona almonds
4 green onions, finely chopped
Garnish: 2 tbl black sesame seeds

Method:

Into a very large bowl, add your rice vinegar, aminos, tahini paste & syrup. Whisk to combine. Then add your remaining ingredients. I used a mandolin to slice the cabbages and Brussels sprouts for really thin slices. Toss to coat prior to serving. Enjoy!


This salad is the perfect summer lunch or dinner idea. Again: If you wish, you can always add the dressing ingredients to a Mason jar and keep separate if you aren’t eating that day. Just dress prior to serving. Enjoy!






— Knead to Cook

Banana Blueberry Muffins. Vegan. Gluten free.

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

Being inundated with blueberries this time of year, they inevitably end up in breads, muffins or pancakes. I absolutely love berries and all the fresh fruit. Blueberries are a great source of fiber, vitamins A, C, K1 and manganese. Along with being antioxidant rich, they encompass the following plant compounds:

Not only are they packed with healthy goodness, they are the perfect summer treat! This recipe yielded 13 average-sized muffins.

See recipe below…

Ingredients:

2 large bananas, mashed till creamy
1 flax egg (1 tbl ground flax mixed with 3 tbl water – allow to sit 5 minutes until thickened)
1/3 cup of a neutral oil (avocado, refined coconut etc.)
1/3 cup of a nut based milk
2 heaping cups of oat flour (make sure they are certified organic)
1/4 cup of coconut sugar
1 1/3 tbl of baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup of blueberries (see notes)
1/3 cup of walnut pieces

Method:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line your muffin tins with a liner or spray with oil.

Into a bowl add your bananas and mash until a creamy consistency. Add your flax egg, oil and nut based milk (I used almond and oat and both worked nicely). Mix until incorporated. Then proceed to add your oat flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Blend. Wash your blueberries and toss with a tablespoon of oat flour – this will help suspend the blueberries in the muffins v. having them sink to the bottom. By hand mix and proceed to add the walnut pieces (I normally top each muffin with additional walnut pieces). Spoon into your muffin tins (3/4 of the way full). Bake for 24-28 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and allow to cool before eating.

Life remains really busy between work, family, home and working out. I’ve been enjoying weightlifting, limiting my cardio and hot power yoga. Although limited in some moves with my knee, I’m embracing all that I can do along with looking inward and challenging myself.

I hope you’re enjoying summer and embracing all the lovely fruits and veggies that come along with the warm weather. Sending you all my love,

— Knead to Cook

Banana-free protein smoothie. Vegan.

by Filed Under: Beverages, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fruit, Gluten Free, Smoothies, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins

Happy May dear friends. We’re back from Italy and had the best time. Happily also brought oldest home (she was studying abroad this semester). So this momma is happy to have all my chicks under one roof again… especially in the same timezone!

I’ve been working a lot and not blogging at all… sorry for that! I did shoot this smoothie a few weeks ago and neglected to post. I have a lot of people who can’t eat bananas and want a good vegan smoothie. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I am lately.

Ingredients:

1 cup of unsweetened vanilla nut based milk
1/4 cup of water
2-3 cups of organic baby spinach
1 tbl of your favorite nut butter
1 scoop of your favorite plant-based vanilla protein like Vega Sport
1 tbl of chia seeds
1 tbl of raw cacao powder
1/3 cup of crushed ice

Topping:
Cacao nibs
Chia seeds
Hemp hearts
Granola

Into your blender add all of the ingredients (minus toppings). Blend until creamy. Pour into a big glass and top if desired. Enjoy! This smoothie often goes to work with me and fills me for about 4 hours. 🙂


— Knead to Cook

Double chocolate Chobani muffins. Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fruit, Gluten Free, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Muffins, Product Review., Quick Bread, Sponsored, Valentine's Day, Vegan, Wheat Free, Yogurt, Your Life Edit Foundations 2 Comments

Hello dear friends! A few years ago, I worked extensively with my favorite yogurt brand, Chobani but then I migrated to my plant-based diet. With that, I moved away from dairy based yogurt and that included Chobani. Well, much to my wonderful surprise, they reached out to me a few weeks ago asking if I would be interested in trying their new plant-based yogurt… ummm hell yes please & thank you! Well it arrived last week, amidst my crazy work schedule, and I couldn’t wait to try it & bake with it.

The yogurt and drinkable yogurts are coconut-based. They aren’t overly sweet yet perfectly balanced. The flavor options are heavenly and seriously, this is the best plant based yogurt I’ve eaten yet! They didn’t disappoint.

So today, being a day off, I jumped at creating a new recipe using their yogurt. First, the flavors are insanely awesome! I’m obsessed. Elated. In love. Smitten. You get the point. Then I baked this recipe up & the muffins are so moist and soft. Packed with healthy goodness. Seriously, these aren’t going to last very long. I hope you get to try these as soon as you locate some vegan Chobani in your area.

Ingredients:
Wet ingredients…
2 flax eggs (2 tbl ground flax meal plus 6 til water – mixed & allowed to sit for 8-10 minutes)
2 medium, spotty bananas
1 container of vanilla Chobani vegan yogurt
1/4 cup of maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
Dry ingredients…
2 cups of oat flour, gluten free
2 tbl of raw cacao powder
2 tsp of ground cinnamon
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 pinch of salt (1/8 tsp)
By hand: Add 1/3 cup or more of vegan chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Spray your muffin wells or use liners. Into you stand mixer, paddle attached, add your flax eggs, bananas, Chobani yogurt, syrup and extract. Blend well. Then add your oat flour (blend oats in your blender until a flour is achieved), cacao, cinnamon, baking powder, soda and salt. Blend again until incorporated. By hand, blend your chocolate chips. Spoon into your prepared muffin pan. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Allow to cool completely for 15 minutes.


Drinkable and conventional dairy free yogurts are brand new from Chobani.


The yogurt I used in this recipe.


Thanks Chobani for sending me this epic care package. I wholeheartedly love this yogurt and plan on enjoying this often. I haven’t found this in any local stores yet but I’m keeping my eyes peeled.

-ox


— Knead to Cook