Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

Vegan sausage veggie soup. GF.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Giveaway!!!, Italian-inspired, Soups, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vegetarian, Wheat Free 2 Comments

Vegan sausage veggie soup.  Gluten free.

Spring has sprung and I’m steadfast in my soup mode.  Our weather has been a bit psychotic to say the least.  One day is warm and springy with the next cool, damp and a bit miserable. I made this soup several days ago and my dad, our steadfast carnivore, commented to me how much he loved it.  Wow!  I normally get the disclaimer that it was good BUT he knew there was vegan “meat” in there.  This time… nada!  Okay, good. Progress.

This recipe makes a nice batch of soup, half of which I ended up freezing for a client.  It froze perfectly.  I’m thinking of adding cooked quinoa or gf pasta to add more substance the next time I prepare it.

So this soup was made with Tofurkey’s vegan sausage links.  They have a bit of spicy kick to them but you can easily add another flavor profile if you wish to go with a more mild flavor.  This recipe, like most of mine, is super forgiving allowing you to add or subtract what you have on hand or love.  This also is a recipe that you can prepare and then just allow it to simmer on a low heat all afternoon long (like I do).  I serve it with crackers or a crusty French baguette.  Hope you enjoy!
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— Knead to Cook

Spinach and basil ricotta baked lasagna. Vegan. Gluten free.

by Filed Under: Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Italian-inspired, Pasta, Sauces, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vinaigrette, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

Spinach & basil ricotta baked lasagna.  This recipe is both gluten and dairy free – along with being completely vegan.

As you all know, I’ve been experimenting quite a bit with vegan lasagna lately.  I made my own tofu ricotta here and as wonderful as it turned out – this one has taken first place.  I recently tried Kite Hill nut-based ricotta that I picked up at Whole Foods.  I was so excited to try it.  My first recipe was this Ricotta Mousse.  My daughter devoured the entire thing!   My faith had immediately been restored in ricotta that wasn’t dairy based.  Next up, I started pondering my next recipe, after all I had bought a case of it because we loved it so much.  What to do?!

Spinach and basil ricotta is very classic combination in Italian cooking.  I knew I wanted to go down that road but stuffed shells or lasagna.  My family voted… & lasagna it was.  And from there this super easy recipe was born.  Don’t stress the quantities, but taste as you go and adjust to your preference.  The joy of cooking is the flexibility that you have unlike in baking, which is more exact.
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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

Potato Pizza Crust. Vegan. Gluten Free.

by Filed Under: Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Italian-inspired, Pizza, Sauces, Sponsored, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations 13 Comments

 

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Potato Pizza Crust. Vegan. Gluten Free.

THIS recipe!  I’ve finally cracked the gluten free/vegan pizza crust code & this recipe is it!  No more quinoa or cauliflower crusts that are just… okay.  Seriously… this crust is EVERYTHING!  Doughy not cracker crispy like most gf crusts.  It holds up to toppings.  Browns up beautifully as seen in my pictures.  The secret? Potatoes!

Nutrient dense…

Potatoes are packed with vital nutrients like potassium, Vitamins C & B6, iron and calcium.  The starchiness acts like gluten in the dough making the cooked consistency on par with it’s gluten counterpart but without any allergy issues.  Plus this recipe takes no time to make and is super easy.  Freezes perfectly for future use.  Okay go & enjoy pizza again!

This recipe is so easy to make & honestly takes no time to get it prepared.  I’m so excited to share this with you all.  I’ve made it countless times already and we cannot get enough.  It also freezes perfectly if you have leftovers.   This recipe make 2 medium sized pizzas – think 2 people or 3 personal sized.
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— Knead to Cook

Lentil Bolognese. Instant Pot. Vegan. Gluten Free.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Gluten Free, Italian-inspired, Lentils, Pasta, Pressure Cooker, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free 35 Comments

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Lentil bolognese.

A few months back I purchased an Instant Pot for a large food/chef job.  I’ve been creating & testing many recipes out in this amazing contraption and love it more each time.  This time I wanted to create a nice Bolognese sauce incorporating a vegan protein (and no oils) for both my client and my family. It turned out so beautifully!  Packed with veggies, protein from the lentils and a wonderful flavor.  Plus the cooking time was literally minutes.  Perfect weeknight dish. I also love dipping my baked potato fries in the sauce. We paired this up with a gluten free pasta I purchased at Eataly linked here.  It was incredible!
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— Knead to Cook

Dream Ultimate Almond Creamy vegan Alfredo Sauce.

by Filed Under: Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Italian-inspired, Pasta, Sauces, Sponsored, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free 1 Comment

 

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Dream Ultimate Almond Creamy vegan Alfredo Sauce.

Eating a plant-based diet can be perceived by many as very restrictive. Favorite creamy foods that are dairy-based are no longer an option.  But honestly, any traditional recipe can be recreated into a wonderful, healthy vegan option.  This recipe is my case in point.  I’ve never gravitated towards dairy-based sauces but this sauce… it was creamy, garlicky heaven.  It was light and beautiful and packed with protein.  The Dream Ultimate Almond added the luscious, thicker texture and nutrients without a caloric overload. Made with four times more California almonds in every cup, you can immediately see and taste the difference. This beverage is rich, creamy, and packed with 5g of natural protein from almonds. I used the unsweetened version and it paired perfectly with my spice selection.

As with all of my recipes, feel free to add more or less of the spices to work with your preferences. Being Italian, my family loves garlic so I was a bit heavier handed with that.  This recipe is ready in the time it takes you to boil your pasta.  Seriously.  The perfect weeknight dish and to speed up your preparation – you can steam your cauliflower beforehand so you have it when you’re ready to whip up this sauce.  I hope you enjoy!

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— Knead to Cook

Let’s Go Lucy Blog Post Mediterranean Summer Salad. V. GF.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Dressings, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Italian-inspired, Lucy Let's Go Post, Salads, Side dish, Sponsored, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vinaigrette, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

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Summer is here! I’m so excited.  Warm, sunny longer days.  All the fresh local fruits and vegetables. Farm stands.  Gardening and get togethers with friends and family.  After what seemed to be an endless winter, as it always is in the Northeast, I’m so ready for carefree summer days.

We love eating dinner outside in the summer.  Weekends are made for slow-paced evenings with friends- eating, laughing, time by fire just enjoying special moments.  To be honest… food is always on my mind.  I love hosting and my food always needs to be easy, fresh and seasonal.  Because so many people have various dietary restrictions, and with most of my family being plant-based, I love to infuse my menu with food that is allergy-free for most.  No nuts, seeds, meat and dairy-free.  This salad is a twist on a classic salad that is protein-packed and infused with the brightness of fresh lemon.  This salad is great on it’s own for lunch or an easy dinner or to take to a pot luck or pool party.  I also will share tips on how to keep this salad crunchy and fresh without it getting soggy after a few hours.  This recipe is very flexible with the ingredients so you can get creative infusing flavors you love.  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.

Click here to view the recipe.
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— Knead to Cook

Buckwheat Groat and Almond Pizza Crust. Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Italian-inspired, Nuts, Pizza, Running/Races, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations 3 Comments

Buckwheat Groat and Almond Pizza Crust. Vegan. GF.

Buckwheat Groat and Almond Pizza Crust. Vegan. GF.

Oh pizza I love you so however gluten free pizza… you leave me quite despondent.  Gluten free items, although better than years ago, are still typically lackluster.  Since my daughter gave up gluten and dairy 3 years ago, I gave up gluten as well.  Admittedly, her cystic acne cleared up  and I’ve never felt better.  Gluten is an inflammatory in the body and how it manifests can vary from acne to severe stomach issues and everything in between.

I’ve tried every type of pizza crust out there.  Quinoa.  Potato.  Gluten free pizza crusts.  Is it too much to ask for a crispy crust that can hold up to toppings if I so desire?  Well I’ve been working on this crust for about a month or two and finally got all of the details down pat.  I even managed to get the crust paper thin per my daughter’s request.  I hope you give this recipe a try.  I made 4 good sized personal pizzas out of this recipe or 1 large and two smaller personal for reference.  Another great use for this crust — roll it as thin as you can, top with some Himalayan sea salt. Slice into bite-sized squares and bake.  ANDDDDDDD ~~~~~This crust makes a great crispy gluten free cracker for dips, hummus or just plain snacking.
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— Knead to Cook

Vegetable Chickpea Soup. Vegan. Gluten Free.

by Filed Under: Beans, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fitness., Gluten Free, Italian-inspired, Pasta, Soups, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations 3 Comments

 

Vegetable Chickpea Soup. Vegan. Gluten Free.

Vegetable Chickpea Soup. Vegan. Gluten Free. Knead to Cook.

Happy September! It is my favorite month of the year… well it may rival December but I’ll go with it for now.  Both of our girls are back to school now.  I get to focus more time in the kitchen and blogging – which also makes me happy.  Plus all things pumpkin (yes, it’s coming) and soup.  Now I realize it’s 90 outside but I’ve been craving a big bowl of vegetables and needed a quick dinner idea yesterday and viola.  I expected my kids to complain about soup when it’s so hot outside but it was well-received and everyone loved all of the fresh veggies/herbs from the garden.
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— Knead to Cook