Holiday – Page 3

Dill pickle soup. Vegan. GF.

October 10, 2019 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Brunch, Gluten Free, Holiday, Soups, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free

When I saw my favorite Instagrammer, Erin Ireland, make this soup I knew I had to give it a whirl. It was so good I wanted to share with you all.

I know it may sound super weird… dill pickle soup!?! However it’s a potato base, very thick and creamy with a dill twang. Seriously, it’s everything. I made this soup on Sunday while Sydney was home on fall break. My girls are dill pickle fanatics! She, and her lovely boyfriend, really loved it as my taste testers. Everyone else followed suit. It was a warm and comforting dish all week for dinner. Perfect fall dinner idea.

Ingredients:

1 tbl of vegan butter or olive oil in a large stock pot (use a large pot, I had to change it out mid way through as I needed more space)
1 medium sized onion, diced
4 dill pickles, chopped
4 large white potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup of pickle juice
4 cups of vegetable broth (reserve 1/2 cup to blend with your sour cream)
1 container of Tofutti or vegan sour cream
Fresh dill for garnish
Salt and pepper

Method:

In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add your butter or olive oil. Once hot, add your onions and cook for 4-6 minutes until translucent. Then add your remaining ingredients through broth (reserve 1/2 cup to blend in a separate bowl with the sour cream) and bring to a boil. Lower temp, cover and allow to cook for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. In a separate bowl mix sour cream with broth. Whisk to combine – then add to the soup. Stir. Using a stick immersion blender or an actual blender in batches, blend until creamy. Return to the pot. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with a sprig of fresh dill. Enjoy!

This soup will easily keep in the fridge for 5 days making it a great meal prep idea. Reheats beautifully as well as freezes nicely. I hope you enjoy and if you’re on Instagram check Erin out… she is simply incredible.

— Knead to Cook

Double chocolate Chobani muffins. Vegan. GF.

January 28, 2019 by Knead to Cook 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.

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

The BEST Cheesy Tofu Scramble. Vegan and GF.

December 9, 2018 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Breakfast, Easter, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Holiday, Tofu, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

Bill & I went to a vegan diner in Philly a few months ago & dubbed their tofu scramble the best we’ve ever eaten… ever! The Tasty remains one of our favorites to hit up when we have a day off. Inspired by their tofu scramble, each Sunday, post workout, we would work on perfecting our tofu scramble and this recipe is IT!

I’m so excited to share this very cheesy and delectable scramble with you all. Warm, satisfying and oh so decadent. Cannot wait to hear your reviews!

Ingredients:

One container of sprouted tofu (see the pic of my absolute favorite brand)
Drizzle of olive oil for your pan
1/2 of a medium yellow onion, diced
1 small jalapeño, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
Chopped tomato (I used 8 cherry tomatoes halved)
2 cups of baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup of Nutritional Yeast
1/2 cup of freshly grated Daiya cheddar

Sauce mixture:
1/2 tsp of Celtic or Himalayan salt
1 tsp of each: garlic powder, cumin, turmeric and smoked paprika
1/4 tsp of chili powder
Pinch of red pepper flakes
4 tbl of water to make the sauce

Topping:
Fresh cilantro

Method:

Add a few drizzles of olive oil to your cast iron pan over medium heat. Promptly add your onion, jalapeño & bell pepper. Sauté until softened (about 4 minutes). Prepare your spices in a bowl and set aside.

To add your tofu, remove from package and drain. No need to press it. Then start to crumble the tofu (see pics below) into the pan. Cook for about 6 or 7 minutes until the water from the tofu evaporates.

Take your spice mixture and add water. Whisk until it a sauce-like consistency (thicker) and pour over the tofu. Stir to combine and allow to cook for another few minutes. In the meantime, grate your cheese. Then add that and the nutritional yeast to the pan. Stir thoroughly. Add your spinach & tomatoes cook until wilted. Top with fresh cilantro and promptly devour. Enjoy!

— Knead to Cook

Vegan Eggnog Bread with a Spiced Rum Glaze.

December 6, 2018 by Knead to Cook 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 14 Comments

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!

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— Knead to Cook

Whole roasted cauliflower. Vegan. GF.

November 15, 2018 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Holiday, Potatoes, Thanksgiving, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations 2 Comments

Happy Thursday. Now my next statement will either evoke one of two responses… I’ll let you guess mine. It’s snowing outside. (Insert eye rolling here). Okay, shaking my dismay and focusing on my to-do list.

So I’ve been testing out a bunch of new recipes for Thanksgiving dinner. Not only a beautiful presented dish (with minimal effort and clean up). It’s either the perfect side dish or main attraction depending on your dietary preferences. It’s flavorful and my current favorite. I hope you try this one!

Ingredients:

1 larger head of organic cauliflower
2 tbsp Dijon (I prefer Maille)
3 tbl of veg broth
2 tbl water for mixture
1 tbl oil (I used avocado but olive would work well too) + more for the pan
1 tsp of smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp tumeric powder
Salt (per your taste) I used two pinches
I added new potatoes around the cauliflower but large chunks of carrots would be fun too! Just wash/slice into larger pieces and toss with a bit of oil. Season with salt and pepper and add around the cauliflower (once prepared).

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Wash and trim the leaves off of your cauliflower head. Be careful not to cut any florets off. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the bottom of your pan or small baking dish (whatever you’re using). Into a bowl, add the Dijon, 2 tbl water, oil and seasonings to a bowl. Whisk to combine. Then brush the mixture all over your cauliflower head. Place your prepared cauliflower into you pan or baking dish. Pour the 3 til of broth into the bottom of the pan not over the cauliflower so it can steam and cook quicker (Thanks to Minimalist baker for the tip). Bake for 35-60 minutes or until fork tender. The cooking time is dependent upon the size of the cauliflower.

All my love,

— Knead to Cook

The easiest vegan pesto sauce. Gluten free.

June 29, 2018 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Brunch, Dips, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Holiday, Italian-inspired, Party Foods, Raw, Sauces, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

This recipe is so easy. Pesto is one of our favorite sauces to make because we grow so much basil in our garden. Pesto is perfect in lieu of marinara sauce on pasta or on pizza crust. It’s also great on new potatoes in a salad, drizzled on roasted veggies or as a condiment on a sandwich or panini. So versatile and unbelievably easy to make.

If you’re new to cooking… try this recipe out. Seriously. We also use this as a dip for raw veggies. Plus with no dairy, it’s a great summer bbq recipe idea. I can go on and on… but I won’t. Take the recipe amounts as mere guide. I typically do handfuls versus cups. I do want to share this tip before I get into the specific recipe… when using this as a sauce on pasta, reserve some cooking liquid from the noodles. Once you’ve drained the noodles, add the pesto to toss along with 2-3 tbl of the cooking water to thin the sauce out. That’s it folk. Love you, enjoy!

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— Knead to Cook

S’mores Popcorn. Vegan. Gluten Free.

June 14, 2018 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: 4th of July/Patriotic, Desserts, Gluten Free, Holiday, No bake/cooking required!, Popcorn, Snacks, Sponsored, Wheat Free 2 Comments

S’mores popcorn.

Hi friends! I’m excited to say I’m starting the next chapter of my life, an exciting job I’ve been dreaming of for along time. With that being said.. I’m promising to posting one new recipe per week as I’m not ready to step away from blogging and enjoy the interactions with you all. Recipe creation. The creative outlet. All of it. I hope to still educate, share and inspire you in the kitchen to eat whole, real vegan foods.

This week’s recipe is a fun take on s’mores. We’ve been in a serious Seattle-ish band of weather with quite a bit of rain. S’more in our fire pit have been far and few between. I thought this would be a super fun take on what we all love – popcorn, chocolate, roasted marshmallows and graham crackers. You can make as much as you need, perfect for a party or movie night, and I promise… leftovers will not exist. Even my 80 year old father devoured it!

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— Knead to Cook

Pumpkin Protein Pancakes. Vegan. Gluten Free.

June 5, 2018 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fitness., Gluten Free, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Lucy Let's Go Post, Vegan, Vegan proteins 7 Comments

I know, it’s summer Robin (or almost) but the one ingredient I never stop using is pumpkin! Pumpkin is chock full of vitamins and is very low calorie. Vitamin A, potassium and antioxidant rich. Plus vitamin C & fiber which help promote a healthy blood pressure & heart. So many benefits in this vibrant-colored ingredient. Plus along with everything else that grows, it has protein. Protein! Never has one ingredient been so controversial for people. If you’re vegan like me – the typical question is… “Where do you get your protein?” to “How much is necessary in a diet?” At the vegfest this weekend…. this was a very popular question on the panel I was speaking on.

So how much protein do I need?

The US Department of Agriculture recommends that all men and women over the age of 19 should get at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (or 0.37 grams per pound). That means a woman who is 130 pounds should get at least 48 grams of protein but some recommend 70-80 grams if you’re athletic. Depending on your daily activities, you still may not be getting enough to help your muscles recover from your workouts.

If you get too little protein, you can suffer from fatigue, weakness or muscle loss. Your metabolism slows down and you put yourself at risk of gaining weight. It also weakens your immune system. This breakfast can be made ahead on the weekend so that you can refrigerate or freeze them and defrost as needed. Plus this makes a perfect quick & healthy breakfast for your kids too. And let’s face it… homemade trumps store-bought daily. These are vegan & gluten free.

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— Knead to Cook

Green Pea Ricotta Spread on Baguette. V. GF.

May 14, 2018 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Appetizers, Brunch, Cheese, Easter, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fitness., Gluten Free, Holiday, Italian-inspired, Party Foods, Side dish, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free 5 Comments

Green pea ricotta spread. Vegan. Gluten free.

Happy Monday friends. I hope your mother’s day weekend was incredibly fun, food-filled and joyous. This weekend we hosted Kira’s friends for her 17th birthday party. Then after a trip to the gym early Sunday, we went to Philly for brunch and shopping. It was the best. My heart was filled along with my stomach.

I’ve been recreating a bunch of old Lucy Activewear recipes that were lost since they merged with North Face. This is a big favorite for summer, outdoor dining with friends. Easy and prep-ahead! It’s light and filling. Great appetizer or side for dinner or soup. Great for parties too! All of the ingredients can be found at Whole Foods or local specialty food markets. Vegan and gluten free!

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— Knead to Cook

Last minute Mother’s Day Gift Guide. Vegan.

May 6, 2018 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Gift ideas, Holiday, Vegan Leave a Comment

||1. Ella & Mila nail polish collection. Beautiful summer colors perfect for manis and pedis this summer. 2. Drunk Elephant Baby Facial is seriously everything. This is a perfect treat for mom, or yourself. One of the best masks I’ve used in the past 2 years. 3. I don’t know about your momma, but this girl always needs a new set of summer pajamas to replace my ratty old tee and boxer shorts. Cute, summery and super cozy. 4. The Vitamix! I get it, this one is an investment but one she will use daily for years! I absolutely adore my Vitamix and use it daily, multiple times from sauces, soups to smoothies. Even banana ice cream. Cannot live without! 5. These sweet Anthropologie measure cups are perfection! Sweet, pretty and a lovely update for her kitchen or yours (not judging). 6. Another investment however another item I own and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! It dries my super thick hair in 3-4 minutes. I’ve owned for 1.5 years now and it’s the best dryer ever. This Dyson is not only a powerhouse but it’s actually pretty too! 7. Milk Boss Skincare set is a great way to sample some incredible products and these are perfection for summer. Comes with a sweet little bag to boot! I have and love. 8. A piece of jewelry needed to be on my gift guide list and this delicate bracelet with her initial is a classic, cherished gift item. 9. What mom can’t use a fresh new summer bag? The lighter vegan leather color is so beautiful for summer. Plus the cross body style is great for all those summer day trips or vacations she has planned.||