Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

Almond Meyer Lemon Cherry Biscotti.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Cookies, Desserts, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Italian-inspired, Nuts, Party Foods, Snacks, Vegetarian 3 Comments

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Growing up Italian, I think I was given biscotti as a teething cookie while a toddler.  I always remember them being around in a big glass jar.  The adults would imbibe in a dark coffee dipping their crunchy biscotti in between gulps.  This crunchy cookie is the favorite of kids (especially when dipped in chocolate) and adults.  The crunchier the better.  They are so versatile too.  You can add whatever your favorites are from nuts to fruits and chocolates.  My Meyer lemon tree is bursting with lemons and I wanted to use them as the fresh essence in these delectable cookies.

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— Knead to Cook

Turkey Sausage Cioppino.

by Filed Under: Gluten Free, Italian-inspired, Pork, Seafood, Soups 2 Comments

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My husband wanted to cook on Sunday, while I was running errands and I have to say after a busy weekend, I really appreciated a night off from making dinner.  We had turkey sausage that we purchased locally and he thought it would be fun twist on cioppino – which is typically made with seafood.  My kids, unfortunately, aren’t fans of seafood so he modified this soup so that everyone would love it.  You can always add some peeled and designed shrimp if you like.  Serve this soup up with some good crusty bread and a glass of wine and you have the perfect dinner on a cold fall evening.

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— Knead to Cook

Grilled Whole Wheat Naan.

by Filed Under: Breads, Italian-inspired, Vegetarian, Yogurt 3 Comments

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It’s Friday and I’m starting to think that instead of me cooking and baking today I should be fashioning an ark!  We’ve been having quite a bit of rain, which I normally don’t mind, but now it’s impacting my running schedule which makes me antsy.  So after my trip to the gym, I came home and starting prepping for our homecoming dinner party tomorrow night and planning for our pizza night (our tradition) tonight.  I wanted to make a whole wheat naan (I have another naan recipe here) but wanted a really thin version for my pizza crust tonight.  This version is quite easy, took no time to whip up and is a modification on a traditional naan that  is cooked in a tandoor oven.

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— Knead to Cook

Perfectly roasted spaghetti squash.

by Filed Under: Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Italian-inspired, Pasta, Side dish, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wheat Free 3 Comments

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I’ll be honest, I’ve always stayed away from the spaghetti squash for some reason, not sure why but it scared me.  My self psycho-analysis is I had this fear because anything that replaces pasta could never compete with the real deal.  But since my new found love of everything healthy, avoiding as many processed foods as possible- one night I bought one and roasted some tomatoes and figured I would suppress my Italian pasta girl and try this with my sauce.  Funny, when I served dinner I asked my husband if he wanted to try it too with sauce and he obliged.  He did half pasta and half squash.  He actually loved it.  YES!  These little victories make me happy.  Another foodie fear conquered.

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— Knead to Cook

Simple Chardonnay Red Sauce.

by Filed Under: Gluten Free, Italian-inspired, Pasta, Sauces, Vegetarian, Vitamix, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

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Yesterday I noticed the bag of tomatoes that my husband had purchased at the farmer’s market for me to roast -last week.  Insert a crazy week and I never got around to it. I was debating between salsa or sauce and opted for sauce.  I was going to pair it up with my spaghetti squash (in lieu of pasta) that I also needed to roast (thank God for two ovens) and I had dinner set.  The unique twist on my standard sauce was that I grabbed a bottle of chardonnay instead of the red that I had on the counter and before I knew it – about a cup of the white wine was in my beloved roasted tomatoes.  Why can I see my grandmother and aunt rolling in their graves observing my mistake.  But mistake it was not!  I pureed the tomatoes and wine and was blown away by the unique flavor the chardonnay added to the sauce.  Hello my newest creation… I think I’m quite smitten with you.

Now, onto the recipe…
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— Knead to Cook

Whole Wheat Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sage Sauce.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Cheese, Italian-inspired, Pasta, Vegetarian 1 Comment

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I love gnocchi.  Always have.  It was the one pasta I always ordered when we went out to dinner with my family as a child and now even as an adult.  Funny, now my kids love it too!  I thought I would mix it up and not make the traditional red sauce and opted to do a brown butter sage sauce.  I have a ton of sage in my garden that I want to use it before the chilly weather takes it away from me.  The pasta, using whole wheat flour, definitely yielded a heavier gnocchi versus a traditional all-purpose flour that is lighter and airier so I will leave that up to you.  Buon appetito!

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— Knead to Cook

Red wine braised short ribs.

by Filed Under: Beef, Gluten Free, Italian-inspired, Wheat Free 2 Comments

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My family is comprised of total carnivores!  My daughter is so bad that I swear she would suck the marrow right from the bone.  I’m more of a boneless kind of girl… and now, I’m more of a vegetarian, which is funnier I suppose.  This recipe is so forgiving… super easy, basic and I promise you will impress your dinner guests every time!  This is a must try recipe if hosting a dinner party, having family over or the quintessential Sunday dinner.

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— Knead to Cook

Spinach Pistachio Orzo Salad with Greek Yogurt Balsamic Vinaigrette.

by Filed Under: Italian-inspired, Party Foods, Pasta, Salads, Side dish, Vegetarian, Vinaigrette, Yogurt 3 Comments

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Today was a very special day for my oldest daughter.  After three years, and two rounds – her braces finally came off before she started school.  She is thrilled and rightfully so.  So while grocery shopping, she asked for an orzo salad and it was a perfect idea because we have an open house at my youngest daughter’s school tonight.  I happily made this earlier in the day, letting the flavors mingle while it chills in the fridge and can be served at room temperature or straight from the fridge.  I’m serving this along with some grilled chicken tonight.  Leftovers also make a great lunch for tomorrow.

Ingredients:

 

Dressing:

1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
1 tablespoon of good quality olive oil
2 teaspoons of a good quality dijon mustard (I use Maille)

Salad:

I package of whole wheat orzo, cooked to package specifications
1 cup of fresh spinach leaves, roughly chopped
10 cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
1/4 cup of red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup or more if you prefer, shelled pistachios

Directions:

Dressing:  Whisk all of the ingredients together.

Salad:  Once the orzo is fully cooked, about 9 minutes, rinse with cold water.  Drain.  Place the pasta in a large bowl and toss with the other ingredients minus the nuts. Dress with vinaigrette and give a good toss.  Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for at least one hour or more to let the flavors mingle.  Add the pistachios prior to serving.  Serve along side fish, chicken or pork – or whatever protein you are having.  Serve up leftovers as lunch the next day.

 

— Knead to Cook

Tomato Basil Vinaigrette.

by Filed Under: Condiments, Dips, Gluten Free, Italian-inspired, No bake/cooking required!, Salads, Salsas & Guacamole, Vegetarian, Vinaigrette, Vitamix, Wheat Free 4 Comments

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This is like a fresh burst of garden flavor. I just love the flavors.  Now I know the color may be deceptive (thanks to the yellow tomatoes I used and the dark balsamic) but don’t be swayed.  The flavor is incredibly summer.  Packed with freshness that will make your tastebuds dance!  Great for topping your favorite greens, proteins or for dipping veggies into.  I keep dipping my veggies into it… so good!  Easy, clean and vegan!

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— Knead to Cook

Roasted red pepper balsamic vinaigrette.

by Filed Under: Condiments, Gluten Free, Italian-inspired, No bake/cooking required!, Salads, Vegetarian, Vinaigrette, Vitamix, Wheat Free 11 Comments

 

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I have always loved making my own vinaigrettes.  I use them for topping salads, veggies, meats – whatever!  This one is a favorite as my family really loves the flavor of smoked paprika.  This dressing has a dark, earthy flavor – which pairs up beautifully with greens or mixed vegetables.  I prepared a mixed green bean salad and topped it with this dressing last night for dinner.  It was so good.  In fact… everyone kept dipping veggies into the dressing despite my efforts to photograph it for this post.

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— Knead to Cook