Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

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 13 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

Homemade roasted tomato garlic pizza sauce.

by Filed Under: Gluten Free, Italian-inspired, Sauces, Vegetarian, Vitamix, Wheat Free 5 Comments

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It’s our little family tradition.  Friday nights are normally laid back, time to regroup and have pizza together, watch a movie and spend some time letting the craziness of the week go.  Decompression is good!  Now that summer is here, we’ve moved our pizza-making outdoor to the grill.  I really despise canned tomatoes, there are some brands I will use if I must, but prefer to use fresh tomatoes.  I love roasting them for hours low and slow to bring out the flavor but sometimes you don’t have hours.  With that in mind, here is my quick roasted tomato pizza sauce recipe.  Adjust the seasonings, garlic etc. to your taste – we, in our house, love garlic and aren’t afraid so I load it up!

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— Knead to Cook

Turkey Meatballs with Lemon Basil Spinach Pesto.

by Filed Under: Italian-inspired, Pasta, Turkey 4 Comments

 

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Despite having photography issues, I will forge on.  This was such a well-received meal last night – my kids were still talking about it this morning.  No, no leftovers so someone may be disappointed  tonight.  Meatballs & pasta are always a hit with kids or adults.  Great because you can make these ahead of time and just boil your pasta and toss with the pesto before serving.  Super easy.

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— Knead to Cook

Kale, Spinach & Pistachio Pesto.

by Filed Under: Italian-inspired, No bake/cooking required!, Nuts, Party Foods, Pasta, Sauces, Vegetarian, Vitamix 5 Comments

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Huge, I mean HUGE fans of pesto in my house.  It is also a very easy way to get everyone to eat their veggies without a battle (this is a good thing coming from mom).  Pesto is so good on pasta, eggs, fish, chicken, on pizza crust – the options are endless.  It can be made ahead of time – stored in an airtight container in the fridge for weeks.  Frozen in ice cube trays for months.  A little goes a long way and it’s an economical dinner.  So many reasons to be a fan.

Now traditional pestos, in my humble opinion, tend to be overly oily – which I know olive oil is a heart healthy oil but I’m not a fan of anything greasy/oily.  This recipe is super clean and doesn’t have a ton of oil but just the right amount.

Benefits of kale include:  Low in calories.  High in fiber (helping to keep you regular).  Zero fat.  High in iron.  High in vitamin K which protects against a myriad of cancers.  Anti-inflammatory food.  Supports cardiovascular system by lowering cholesterol.  Vitamin A for vision and beautiful skin.  Vitamin C for supporting your metabolism and adds to hydration.  It has more calcium than milk.  It also helps to detox the body by aiding in liver health. That’s just the kale!  Spinach and pistachios are also huge powerhouses!  I could go on and on…

So back to the recipe.

Ingredients:

2 huge handfuls of kale and spinach (equal parts or not)
1/4 cup of nuts (walnuts, pinenuts, almonds or pistachios work best)
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
Juice from one large lemon
Zest from said lemon
Grated parmesan (about 1/3 cup light and fluffy and not packed down)
1/4 cup of olive oil
Salt and pepper
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

Into your food processor or Vitamix, add the garlic and process until chopped very finely.  Then add the spinach/kale through grated parm.  Blend well.  Through the opening spout, while the machine is running, add the olive oil.  It should change the texture although it will still be mildly course.

Taste and season accordingly.

If topping pasta, always make your sauce first (pesto) and then the pasta.  Never have pasta wait for the sauce.  Into a large mixing bowl, add about 1/3 cup of pesto and then top with your pasta (and a tablespoon or so of the pasta cooking water).  Toss.  Add additional pesto as needed.  Cover and store in the fridge or freezer as mentioned above.

— Knead to Cook

Turkey Quinoa Mini Meat Loaf Muffins.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Ground Turkey, Italian-inspired, Party Foods, Turkey 4 Comments

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Tuesday night was a busy night for us.  One kid going in one direction and the other going in the complete opposite.  My husband and I were running equally split with them.   I needed a fast and easy dinner my father could throw in the oven for me that would be ready when we all got home. This one worked perfectly, especially with my leftover quinoa and shredded zucchini I had in the fridge.

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs of lean ground turkey (94% lean)
1 cup of quinoa (cooked)
2 shredded carrots
1/2 shredded zucchini (skin on)
1/4 onion, diced finely
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce
1 egg
1/4 cup of panko or bread crumbs
2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and Pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon parsley (dried)

Directions:

Blend all of the ingredients in your stand mixer.  If the mixture is too wet, add additional bread crumbs.  Spray your mini muffin pan with olive oil and scoop the meat mixture into each well.  Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or more.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Bake these for 25-30 minutes or until no longer pink on the inside.  Serve with veggies, a salad or whatever you like.

— Knead to Cook