Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

Berry Avocado Chobani Smoothie.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, No bake/cooking required!, Smoothies, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

Breakfast is served!  This power packed breakfast will be well-received by both adults and children.  So easy to make, so utterly delicious.  You can’t go wrong!

Ingredients:

1/2 of an avocado, pitted, flesh removed
1/2 c of almond milk, or orange juice
1/3 c of vanilla Chobani
1 c of frozen berries
1 tsp of chia seeds
1 tbl of honey

Directions:

Blend on the smoothie or highest setting on your blender.  If too thick, add additional milk or juice to loosen it up.  Enjoy!

— Knead to Cook

No Bake, Gluten Free Chocolate & Peanut Butter Dessert/Energy Bites.

by Filed Under: Desserts, Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Valentine's Day, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

I thought it would be fun to do a spin-off of my energy balls with a dessert-ish type of variation.  I made two batches last night (almost gone) and one batch this morning to test the recipe out again.  LOVE them!  They are rich and quite decadent!!

Ingredients:

1/4 c of creamy or crunchy peanut butter (I used Smart Balance crunchy)
1/3 c of dried tart cherries (I’m thinking pitted prunes would also be wonderful – I’ll be trying those next)
3 tbl of roasted unsalted or salted peanuts
1/4 tsp of salt (you can omit this if you decide to use salted peanuts)
1/8 tsp of vanilla extract
2 tbl of shredded and toasted coconut
2 tbl of dark cocoa powder
1 tsp of chia seeds (optional)
1/4 c of chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:
In your food processor, blade attached, blend all of the ingredients until they form a ball.  Looks similar to dough.  This takes about 1-2 minutes or until completely blended.  I then refrigerated for 10 minutes to chill.  Then roll into balls and store in an airtight container on your counter.

— Knead to Cook

Spinach Basil Pesto.

by Filed Under: No bake/cooking required!, Sauces, Vegetarian 2 Comments

Happy National Spinach Day!  Who would’ve known?  Ha!  I love spinach and try to eat it as much as I can.  The color, the vitamins… so good for you!  So I thought on this Meatless Monday that I should do a mainly spinach (with a tiny bit of basil) pesto.  My oldest can’t get enough and has been asking me for it daily.  I indulged.

Ingredients:

4 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 c of baby spinach leaves (regular are fine)
1/2 c of fresh basil leaves
1/4 c of olive oil
Palmful of walnuts
1 tbl of grated parmesan
1 tbl of lemon juice
1 tsp of salt

Directions:

This recipe is so easy!!!  In your food processor, pulse up the garlic cloves.  When finely minced add spinach and basil.  Let the machine run.  When everything is chopped up drizzle into the pour spout, the olive oil.  Only use what you need to make the mixture into a creamy consistency.  Then add your walnuts, parm, salt and lemon juice.  Pulse to mix.

Boil  your pasta according to package directions.  Then toss with the pesto.  Coat to cover.  Garnish with either walnuts, pine nuts or some extra parmesan.  Whatever you like!  Enjoy! If you have extra, freeze it and use it later :)  Makes a great dip, topping for chicken etc.

— Knead to Cook

Cilantro lime jalapeño hummus.

by Filed Under: Condiments, Dips, No bake/cooking required!, Vegetarian 16 Comments

If you love hummus with a kick… this is a must try!  Best made ahead of time & refrigerated.  Serve this with pita chips or veggies.  Packed with flavor, this is sure to be a favorite!

Ingredients:

5 cloves garlic, peeled
2 – 15 oz cans of garbanzo beans, I used low sodium version — drained and rinsed.
4 tbl of fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c or so of good olive oil
1 c of fresh cilantro leaves
1 jalapeño, stem removed

Directions:

In your food processor, place the cloves of garlic and pulse until finely chopped.  Then add the beans, lime juice and salt.  Puree for about 1-2 minutes.  It will look like a chunky oatmeal texture.  Then through the spout, finely pour a stream of the olive oil.  This will blend with the bean mixture and make a smoother, hummus type texture.  Then add the jalapeño & cilantro and pulse again until incorporated.

You can serve right away or refrigerate for 1-6 hours and then remove before serving, allowing enough time for it to return to room temperature for optimum flavor.

— Knead to Cook

Mango balsamic salsa.

by Filed Under: No bake/cooking required!, Salsas & Guacamole, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

 

 

I could eat this by the spoon!  So fresh, so delicious with just a hint of kick from the jalapeño.   This recipe screams spring and summer to me!  I love this over grilled chicken or fish.  Or you can simply serve it with tortilla chips as an appetizer.  So versatile.  So delish!

Ingredients:
3 mangoes, ripe and pitted, sliced into small chunks
1 smaller red pepper, diced (or yellow/orange peppers)  Whatever you have on hand :)
1 green onion, chopped
1 jalapeño, finely diced
2 tbl of chopped cilantro, fresh
2 tbl of aged balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl and then cover and refrigerate for 2-6 hours.

 

 

 

— Knead to Cook

Horseradish sweet & spicy pickles.

by Filed Under: Condiments, No bake/cooking required!, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

I had lunch on Friday with some of my favorite friends ever.  We went to this awesome, trendy cafe style pizza bakery and I noticed horseradish pickles on the menu.  I had to try them!  I’m a freak for spicy, hot, knock-your-socks-off food!  I then came home to make my own easy version and honestly… mine are better :)

I simply took a jar of sweet & spicy pickles with the juice that I already had in my pantry and added 3 tbl of freshly ground horseradish.  Place the lid back on the jar and give it a really good shake.  Store in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours (or days/weeks).  Then enjoy these on a sandwich or a burger.  I had them on my bean burger tonight and they were so good!  I can’t wait to try these this summer when we grow little pickle cukes.

 

— Knead to Cook

Devilish Oreo Truffles.

by Filed Under: Desserts, No bake/cooking required!, Valentine's Day Leave a Comment

Happy 100th Birthday Oreo!  Seriously, 100?

In honor of Oreo’s 100th, I decided to put my spicy, devilish side to work on transforming this simple, yet beloved cookie, into something a hot!

Meet the darker side of the Oreo 😉  (insert evil laugh here)

Ingredients:

1 package of Oreo cookies (I used the less fat version)
1 8 oz cream cheese brick (again, low fat), room temperature
6 oz of dark chocolate chips (for melting)
1-2 tsp of cayenne pepper

Directions:

To make the truffles –

In your food processor, blend all of the cookies down into a fine crumb mixture.  This takes about a minute or two.  When done, add the room temperature cream cheese brick and cayenne and blend again.  When it’s completely blended, it will form a ball inside your food processor (my visual clue it’s done).

Remove that and refrigerate for about 20-30 minutes.

I then melt the chocolate chips in a microwaveable safe bowl.  My microwave has a melting chocolate setting so I follow that option.  You can melt them slowly over a double-boiler or melt them in your microwave, checking often so it doesn’t burn.

Give that a good stir and set aside.

I line my cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper and then use my tiny scooper to scoop out the truffle filling and roll into balls.  Once complete, I toss them into the yummy chocolate pool for a coating and then place on the cookie sheet. If you opt to top your truffles with additional cayenne, as I did, dust them while they are wet from the chocolate.  This is my indicator for which type of truffle I’ve made – if I make a variety of flavors.  Then they head back into the fridge or freezer to set up for 15 minutes.  They can be served right after that or stored in a tupperware container for 3-4 days.

Watch out… they’re spicy!

 

 

— Knead to Cook

Pucker Up! Meyer Lemon Chobani Spinach Smoothie.

by Filed Under: No bake/cooking required!, Pasta, Smoothies, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

I adore a good smoothie!!  I decided to use up some of my many Meyer lemons that I have on hand and I’m so glad I did.  The result is a tart, yet vitamin-packed smoothie that will curb your hunger for hours.

Into the blender, add…

4 ozs of freshly squeezed Meyer Lemon juice
1 individual cup of Chobani lemon yogurt
1 handful of baby spinach leaves
2 kiwis, peeled
1 tsp of flax seed meal
3 ice cubes
Blend on your smoothie setting and let it works it magic.  Pour into your glass and enjoy!  It is tart but so refreshing!

 

 

— Knead to Cook

No-bake Energy Balls.

by Filed Under: Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, No bake/cooking required!, Snacks, Vegetarian 30 Comments

 

 

Okay these are insanely good!  I made two batches, one with dark chocolate and one with white (hubby is allergic to cocoa) and my kids and I cannot stop eating them!!!  I made these about a year ago and just stumbled on the recipe again.  I have NO idea why I stopped making them.  Who needs dinner, right?

These will make a great snack or a fast breakfast!  Pack them in your kids lunch for a yummy surprise!

1 c of old-fashioned oats
1 c of toasted coconut flakes
1/2 c of chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate)
1/2 c of almond butter (you can use whatever nut butter you have in your pantry)
1/2 c of flaxseed meal
1 tbl of chia seeds
1/3 c + 1 /4 tsp of honey (I used raw)
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 pinch of salt

Mix it all together in a bowl and then refrigerate for 45 minutes.  Remove and make into balls.  I used a small scooper (1-1.5 inch) to press it in and then eject it.  Rolled it with my hands to get a ball shape all around and then place in a airtight container to refrigerate.  Will last 5-7 days but most likely they will be long gone before that!

 

 

 

 

— Knead to Cook

Olive tapenade.

by Filed Under: Appetizers, No bake/cooking required! Leave a Comment

 

I love olives!  They are my biggest weakness… I made this yesterday for our Super Bowl party that we were having.  It is always a hit and leftovers only get better the next day!

I take a baguette and slice it on the bias (fairly thin).  Spray with olive oil and broil until golden brown.  Keep a watchful eye because it will burn quickly.  Remove and flip – repeat on the other side.  Set the bread aside.

In your food processor add olives (about a cup but this recipe doesn’t have to be exact).  I use pitted kalamata & green olives stuffed with a garlic clove.  3 garlic cloves peeled and left whole.  1/4 c of olive oil.  1 tbl of capers. 1 tbl of fresh parsley.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Process until finely chopped.  You can add extra olive oil if needed.  You can either top the bread slices with the tapenade or serve in a bowl along side the bread.

— Knead to Cook