Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

Easy Pickling Recipe for Veggies with a seasoning packet.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Condiments, Gluten Free, Pantry, Side dish, Snacks, Vegan, Wheat Free

While exploring one of my favorite little markets this past weekend I noticed packets of pickling spices. I haven’t used them before but we have quite a crop of cucumbers in our garden and I thought it would be fun to make my own pickles…the way we like them. Using a seasoning packet makes pickling very fast and easy needless to say. This recipe is extremely flexible and so easy. These little jars will sit in our fridge for about 2-3 weeks before consuming. Also, make a great hostess gift if you’re attending a party or bbq.

Tip: Save any glass jars you have in your pantry. My favorite are my artichoke jars that are empty. Perfect for overnight oats or pickles!

Ingredients:

Packet or two of pickling spices
3 cups of vinegar (white or apple cider vinegar are perfect)
3 cups of water
5 tbl of organic white sugar
2 tbl of salt
4 small/medium sized cucumbers
2 large beets
3 jalapenos
1 small red onion
5 cloves of garlic
Dill or your favorite herbs
Other veggies that would work well:
Green beans
Okra
Asparagus
Carrots
Radishes

These are all estimates of portions. Depending on your jars, you can fit more or less. I just prefer to cut the veggies thinner so more surface can be pickled. Place the herbs in the bottom, garlic if using and 1 tbl or so of the spice blend. Then pack in the veggies along with another 1 tbl or more of the spice blend. Then top off with more veggies. Pour the liquid over the top and fill to the top of the jar. Once cooled, place the lid on top and store in the fridge for 2-3 weeks prior to consuming. The longer you allow to pickle, the more intense the flavor.

So for my batch of beets I added no herbs but just the pickling spice and liquid.

The cukes got dill, garlic, jalapeño, spice blend and liquid.

I then pickled the red onion with just the spices/liquid.

I did one jar of jalapeños with spices/liquid.

Add what you love. Have fun with this food project. 🙂


Method:

Into a saucepan, add your vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Turn the heat up to medium and whisk to combine. The sugar and salt will take about 2 minutes to melt. Once done, turn the heat off and allow to cool a bit.

Into you jars, pour the liquid carefully over your veggies filling to the top of each jar. Allow to cool a bit and place the lid on. Refrigerate for at least 2 weeks. The longer, the more intense the flavors.

If you’re pickling beets- my tip is after slicing them add some coarse salt to the palms of your hands and “wash” to remove the red color from your skin. Then wash with soap and water.

Can’t wait to hear what you pickle!

~ox

— Knead to Cook

Vegan Mongolian Beef with Soy Curls.

by Filed Under: Asian inspired, Gluten Free, Sauces, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free

If you haven’t tried soy curls, what have you been waiting for? They are the vegan version of chicken but so much better! Much like chicken, soy curls, once rehydrated, take on any flavor you throw at them. Here is one of my favorite recipes. They are so easy and unbelievably good! I took a stab at my favorite dish, Mongolian beef (minus the beef) and this recipe came out beautifully. As noted, you can bake or pan sauté the soy curls to cook the water out of them and get them nice and golden. The recipe is quite adaptable too, so add more or less of what you love. ~ox

Ingredients:

2 lbs or about 2 bags of soy curls
Water for soaking
Avocado oil

Sauce:

1 tbl of cornstarch mixed
1 tbl water (you’ll need more water to thin out the sauce later)
1/3 cup of liquid aminos or soy sauce
1 tbl of chili paste
1 tbl grated ginger
3-5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tbl of Hoisin sauce
1 tbl coconut or brown sugar
1/3 cup of water
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:
Black sesame seeds
Green onions

You can cook the soy curls on the stove top or in the oven. Regardless, toss with some kind of oil and cook until lightly golden. For this recipe I cooked them in the oven as I had it on from prior baking. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Begin by dumping your dried soy curls in a big bowl. Cover with hot tap water and allow to sit for 8-10 minutes. Once hydrated, I dump the curls into a large colander and allow to drain for a few minutes. Then I push them down firmly into the bowl to release any extra water. Drier soy curls work best! Once most of the water is out, spread evenly onto a baking sheet and spray with oil. Toss to coat. Bake 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden checking on and tossing occassionally.

Every time I look at this picture I realize I need to make my garlic knife cuts more precise.

In the meantime, add the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Whisk to combine then add that along with the other sauce ingredients to a small pot over low heat. Whisk to combine. If the sauce thickens too much, simple add some water and whisk. I probably added 1/3 cup of additional water as it thickened.

Remove the soy curls and add to a large bowl. Pour the sauce over top and toss to coat. Serve over rice or your favorite grain. I topped with black sesame seeds and green onions.



I’ve linked where I buy my organic soy curls with my Amazon affiliate link. But you can also purchase at an Asian market.

You’re looking for them to get slightly golden but avoid over cooking as they can become too tough.

I hope you enjoy! ~ox

— Knead to Cook

Crumbled skillet spicy tofu.

by Filed Under: Gluten Free, Tofu, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free

I’ve been a long time fan of tofu and yes, I know, there are so many bad tofu dishes out there however there are many great ones! I’ve found that extra firm, requiring no pressing, always works best for this type of recipe. It’s firm, holds up well baking or air frying and is perfect in my salads. Today I was in a rush and opted to crumble the tofu and put in my marinade. It worked out so well. It absorbed the marinade completely and sautéed up perfectly. I’m excited to use this in tacos.

The recipe took minutes to make and sauté in a cast iron skillet. Super easy and a great meal prep idea. I hope you give this one a whirl!

Ingredients:

1 block of extra firm tofu (I prefer Wildwood), drained and crumbled
1/4 cup of chili paste
2 tbl of ground or chopped fresh ginger
1/4 cup of liquid aminos or soy sauce
2 tsp of smoked paprika

Method:

Whisk in a large bowl, the chili paste, ginger, aminos and spoked paprika. Then add your crumbled tofu and toss to coat. It will take about 10 minutes to absorb all the marinade. Get your cast iron skillet hot and spray a small amount of oil in your pan. Add your tofu and sauté until golden. Serve hot or at room temperature. Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight containers.

*The grated ginger looks to add “hair-like” strands to the dish. It doesn’t impact flavor or texture.

— Knead to Cook

Nut and Seed Breakfast Cookies. Vegan & GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Cookies, Desserts, Gluten Free, Nuts, Snacks, Vegan, Wheat Free

I’ve been transitioning away from making breads for the weekly snack as the temperatures rise. They always get too moldy too fast with the humidity (despite my a/c running non stop) so I’ve been whipping up some breakfast cookies. I morphed this recipe to work with what I have on hand and what I wanted to use.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
6 tablespoons filtered water
1 cup rolled oats (certified GF and organic is a must)
¾ cup almond flour
1 tbl ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup chopped pecans (whatever nuts you prefer go ahead and use those)
Sesame seeds for the topping
¼ cup of coconut oil (whatever neutral oil you have you should be able to use)
¼ cup smooth peanut or almond butter
⅓ cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method:
Prepare the flax egg by mixing the water and ground flax. Allow to thicken for several minutes. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. If you have, use a baking mat on your baking sheet.

Once your flax egg is ready, add to you mixer along with your oats, flour, cinnamon, salt, & baking soda. Blend well. Then add your oil, nut butter, syrup and vanilla. Blend. Finally add your seeds/nuts – omitting sesame seeds as I prefer to use them on top of the cookies.

Using a small or large scoop, scoop out the dough and place on your sheet. I sprinkled the sesame seeds on top. Bake for 24-28 minutes – my cookies are large. If you are making tinier cookies, bake for about 12-14 minutes but check them occasionally. Remove and allow to cool and firm up.

Enjoy!

— Knead to Cook

Balsamic Kale and Tomato Pasta

by Filed Under: Beans, Gluten Free, Italian-inspired, Pantry, Pasta, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free

This week I’ve been working more days, still restricted hours, but early- I mean EARLY mornings. I’m running on fumes at this point and I needed a quick and easy dinner. This came together in under 15 minutes flat, protein and fiber packed…. and oh so good!

Ingredients:

1 box of lentil pasta (I used fusilli but any short pasta will work)
5-7 cloves of garlic, smashed and roughly chopped
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbl of dried Italian seasoning OR I used a palmful of fresh oregano and thyme leaves roughly chopped
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
1/2 cup of good balsamic vinegar
1 cup of frozen spinach or kale
Red pepper flakes

Method:

Cook the pasta according to package directions in salty water. Drain and set aside.

Into a skillet, add a glug or two of olive oil and get that heated up. Add garlic and the herbs. Stir often and cook for 2 minutes or so. Add tomatoes, greens and vinegar. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Then add drained pasta. Stir to coat and reheat the noodles. I added a pinch of red pepper flakes but that’s optional. Fresh basil would also be perfection. Serve with a nice crusty bread.

Options: If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, sun-dried would be lovely.
You can use regular pasta and add 1 can of cannelloni beans for protein/fiber.
Artichokes (jarred or canned) would also be lovely in this dish.
Cooked mushrooms would be great!
Use what you have on hand and roasted leftover veggies would be a great addition.

~ox

— Knead to Cook

Mexican Instant Pot Black Lentils. Vegan.

by Filed Under: Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Lentils, Mexican, Pressure Cooker, Side dish, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free

Since I received a preview copy of my friend’s first book, Fiber Fueled, I’ve become very conscious of eating way more fiber in each meal. Lentils are, of course, the king of the fiber world so I thought it was fitting to share my lunch today considering tomorrow is the epic Taco Tuesday with Cinco De Mayo on the same day! These lentils can easily be a replacement for you taco “meat” or a lovely addition to your taco bar.

These lentils are super easy to make in your instant pot and store beautifully in your fridge all week. I love to add leftover lentils to my salads or tofu scramble. Okay so let’s get started!

Ingredients:

1 cup of Beluga black lentils (green or brown would work)
1.75 cups of water
Pinch of salt
1 tbl of ground cumin
1 tbl of smoked paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp of chili powder
Lime juice from one lime

Method:

Add all of your ingredients to your Instant Pot insert and swirl around to mix. Set the manual timer for 6 minutes allowing it to release pressure naturally. Once its done, stir and adjust your seasoning per your taste and add your citrus juice. I added additional salt.

Endless ways of using these lentils. I added to Romaine boats and made tacos that way. You can use as a protein for your salad. Add these to nachos.

Hope you love these as much as I do!
~ox

— Knead to Cook

Chickpea Mushroom Quinoa Skillet Dinner.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Gluten Free, Pantry, Side dish, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free

This is simply the fastest dinner you can make especially if you have leftover quinoa on hand. Start to finish you’re done and plating in about 12 minutes. Plus, right now, using pantry ingredients is key!

This recipe is very flexible, add more or less spices if you like. Hot sauce would be a lovely addition, but hey – when isn’t it? Serve it up in bowls with some crusty bread and tuck in!

Ingredients:
1 tbl olive oil
2-3 cups of mushrooms (use what you have on hand), rough chopped
1 small yellow onion, diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbl of smoked paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
Salt and pepper
1 – 14 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups of cooked quinoa
1 cup of frozen spinach or kale
2 tbl liquid aminos or soy sauce
1 handful or more of roasted cashew nuts

Method:

First prepare your quinoa according to package instructions. I cook mine in my Instant Pot 1 cup quinoa to 1 cup water, cover and cook for 1 minute. Natural release. Set that aside.

Into a skillet add your oil of choice. Once hot, add onions and mushrooms and cook for 6-8 minutes. Add garlic and stir often to avoid burning. Add your spices, stirring often again. After cooking for about 11-12 minutes, add your chickpeas, quinoa and greens of choice. Stir well to combine and then add your liquid aminos. Stir and taste. Adjust spices as needed. Right before serving, add your cashews – mix in and serve piping hot. Enjoy!


— Knead to Cook

Vegan Skillet Sausage Peppers and Roasted Potatoes

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Gluten Free, Italian-inspired, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free

It’s definitely comfort food time. Once a week I seem to gravitate to making this skillet for dinner. My dad, who lives with us, is not vegan although eats vegan 95% of the time, loves this dish so I indulge. Then the leftovers are repurposed with some Just Egg sheets for an sausage & egg sandwich for breakfast or lunch. It’s also great toss with pasta. Versatility is key. Plus when cleaning out your fridge, its a great way to use up onions and peppers you have on hand.

Let’s get to it!

Ingredients:

1 package of Beyond Meat sausage (I prefer the spicy)
1 to 2 yellow onions roughly chopped
4-6 cloves of garlic, chopped
2-3 bell peppers, any colors
1 tablespoons of fennel seeds
3-4 Yukon potatoes, cubed
Olive oil

Method:

First, I begin by roasting my potatoes in a 350 degree oven on a baking sheet. I simply put my potatoes on a baking sheet and spray with olive oil. Toss around and bake until golden brown for about 35-45 minutes – tossing occasionally.


After the potatoes have cooked, remove and set aside. Let the oven on.

Into a cast iron skillet, add your onion and peppers until cooked down and the onions start to brown. Add your chopped garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Then add you fennel seeds. Cook for another minute or so. Add your sausage, cut however you prefer. Cook until golden over low/medium heat. This normally takes 10-12 minutes, stirring often.


Once cooked through add your potatoes into your skillet and stir well. Place the skillet into your oven for 10 minutes.



Serve immediately & enjoy!



— Knead to Cook

Hearty Lentil Stew. Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: Gluten Free, Lentils, Soups, Stews, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free

Right now, I’m finding using up pantry essentials for our dinners quite cathartic. I feel like I’m hoarding my fresh veggies for my salads and focusing on beans and lentils with quinoa or rice as our main meal. Plus saving money where we can, during this unsure time, is necessary.

I’ve been off from work recovering from yet another knee surgery. My husband is still going into work daily. Both of our daughters are still doing classes online and working outside of the home as well. In fact our oldest remained at school in her apartment to remain at work. Such a weird time. I’m hoping you are getting into the kitchen to whip up some good comfort food even if you aren’t a cooking fan. This dish is very easy and forgiving. A great place to start 🙂 I served it with some fresh homemade dinner rolls which everyone loved.

Ingredients:

Olive oil to coat your pan
1 yellow or red onion, diced
3 large carrots, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped (keep the leaves and add them as well)
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large potato, I used a purple sweet potato but a white potato will work as well*
2.5 cups of green lentils, washed and drained
1 tsp of dried oregano
1-2 tsp of smoked paprika
1 tsp of smoked or regular salt
A few cracks of fresh pepper
1 tsp of liquid smoke
8 cups of vegetable broth
2 tbl of tomato paste
1 tbl of apple cider vinegar
1 cup of frozen kale

Method:

Into a large stock pot, add a drizzle of olive oil to the bottom of the pan over medium heat. Add your onions, carrots and celery to cook for 6-8 minutes stirring often. Add your garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add your potato, lentils, seasonings, smoke, broth and paste. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer and cover your pot. Cook until the lentils are softened throughout. Prior to serving add your acv and frozen kale. Stir to combine. Taste and add additional s&p as desired.

*When choosing your potato the sweet version will add a slight sweetness to the dish. The purple potato also makes the stew dark. A white or Yukon will not add sweetness and will keep the stew more red/tomato colored.

I hope you enjoy this dish. It’s better the day after as the flavors will develop more. We served over basmati rice along with some fresh dinner rolls.

Sending you all of my love~

— Knead to Cook

Sweet & Spicy Sticky Soy Curls.

by Filed Under: Beans, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Sauces, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free

I was recently introduced to soy curls and I’m fully addicted. I mean they freakishly have a vibe of chicken but not in that off-putting kinda way but oh my gosh they absorb marinades and flavors! I’m so excited for the limitless recipe ideas. This recipe is very easy. Takes only 15 minutes to prep. I store in the fridge and use on salads or in bowls all week.

In the midst of food prep here so I’m going to get this recipe up so I can share the goodness with you all.

Ingredients:

1 bag of soy curls (I buy them on Amazon here)
Water for soaking
1/4 cup of corn starch
Salt
Olive Oil for the pan

Sauce:
1/3 cup of chili sauce (you can use 3 tbl if you prefer less spice)
1/4 cup liquid aminos or soy sauce
2 tbl of maple syrup
1 tsp of toasted sesame oil

Optional: green onions, black or white sesame seeds

Method:

Soak your soy curls in fresh water for about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse. I allow to dry out in the colinder for a few minutes. Place them in a bowl and toss with your corn starch. Coat well. In the meantime, heat a pan with either spray olive oil or drizzle a few glugs in your pan and allow to heat over medium heat. Once hot, add your soy curls and stirring occasionally to ensure browning. While cooking, whip up your sauce in a bowl. Once the soy curls are browned, add in your sauce and toss to coat. Turn off heat. I garnished with black sesame seeds and chopped green onions.

Serve in a salad, bowl or atop of brown rice.

This dish is perfect in a bowl, salad or atop rice or quinoa. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. And be aware…. you’ll stand at your stove eating it straight from the pan! 🙂

— Knead to Cook