Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

Nutty Oat Bran Bread.

by Filed Under: Breads, Nuts Leave a Comment

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Yesterday was Worldwide Vegetarian Day and I whipped up a huge batch of seasonal roasted veggies and quinoa for dinner.  I wanted to make a loaf of bread to also add some bulk to the meal (along with much needed protein).  This recipe was adapted from an old whole wheat bread recipe I have and love.  This recipe, like many of mine, is very versatile and can adapt to your favorite add-ins.  This is a super easy bread to make, especially if you have never delve into bread making.  Take a risk… I promise, you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to make.

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— Knead to Cook

Pumpkin Pie Energy Bites.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Cookies, Desserts, Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Nuts, Snacks, Vegetarian, Wheat Free 7 Comments

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If you’ve followed my blog long enough, you know I’m all about energy balls/bites!  They are a great pre or post workout snack.  Great breakfast or snack on the go!  They are also great in lunch boxes.  Any time I can get extra protein and fiber into my kids – I’m all over it.  This week I made another pumpkin recipe and had some leftovers in the fridge that I wanted to use up.  I thought energy bites would be awesome.  These take about 5 minutes of prep, 30 minutes of chilling and then rolling them out.  They keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks.  Bite-sized goodness!

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— Knead to Cook

Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk.

by Filed Under: Beverages, Breakfast, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Nuts, Vegetarian, Vitamix, Wheat Free 14 Comments

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I’ve never really been a fan of cow’s milk, even when I was a child.  Now cheese – I love and often proclaim that I can eat my body weight in it!  When almond milk hit the scene a few years ago, we switched over to that and my family enjoyed and actually preferred it.  Because I’ve cut out most sugar in my diet, I switched over to the unsweetened milk.  I’m not a cereal eater but I do make overnight oats for breakfast and eat that everyday and use the milk to soften the oats in the recipe.  I started making my own almond milk about a year now, since I got my Vitamix machine and I love it.  First, it is so easy to do and two, it costs less to make it at home – win, win!  It also only contains three ingredients, which I clearly can pronounce.  Now, if you want to sweeten the milk you can easily add some maple syrup or honey versus using a refined sugar (start with a 1 tablespoon) and add to your preference.  Okay now onto the recipe…

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— Knead to Cook

Almond Butter Banana Bread.

by Filed Under: Breads, Breakfast, Desserts, Fruit, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Muffins, Nuts, Quick Bread, Snacks, Vegetarian, Yogurt Leave a Comment

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I have an abundance of ripe bananas in my kitchen right now.  I’ve whipped up some smoothies and next up with a healthy banana bread as an after-school snack.  This bread is packed with protein, courtesy of my favorite Greek yogurt, healthier oil instead of butter and a reduced amount of sugar.  Pipping hot from the oven, my family couldn’t wait to dig in and it was well-received by all.  Think of this as breakfast, snack or dessert!  It is so good.

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— Knead to Cook

The best clean eating granola bars.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Nuts, Snacks, Vegetarian 27 Comments

 

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My youngest starts her new school on Tuesday!  Wait, where did the summer go?  Ha!  Well I’ve had healthy snacking ideas on the brain as this time of year approaches and whipped up a batch of these clean eating granola bars that you can customize to your taste or exactly what your kids love!  Face it, granola bars from the grocery store are packed with ingredients that you can’t pronounce or don’t want to eat.  So why eat it?  These bars take minutes to make and last all week or longer (in the freezer).  These are the best tasting granola bars you’ll taste, I promise!!  Snacking, breakfast on-the-go… perfect.  Mine are chilling now and I can’t wait to have one.

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— Knead to Cook

Stone fruit gratin.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Nuts, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

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Peach season is upon us and I couldn’t be happier!  I seriously get so excited with fresh fruits and veggies of summer.  Plus my husband is allergic to cocoa so I love making a dessert he can enjoy too.  This recipe is as clean-eating as I can get it.  Very little sugar, fruit is sweet enough after all, and I used coconut oil which is more heart-healthy.  I hope you enjoy this recipe.  It takes minutes to make and pairs up perfectly with some French vanilla ice cream.

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— Knead to Cook

Overnight Peanut Butter and Banana Oats. {no cooking or baking.}

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fruit, Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Nuts, Vegetarian 11 Comments

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I need to add more oats to my diet.  I am a total creature of habit.  I pretty much have the same breakfast and lunch every day.  I needed to mix it up – variety is the spice of life, right?  I kept seeing overnight oats everywhere I looked – like a subliminal message, I thought I would make a batch last night (after three days away in three states for a short holiday) and see how it tasted.  Well as you may or many not know, I’ve been clean eating for about 8-9 months.  Avoiding pretty much anything processed, loaded with preservatives, meat and striving to be as clean as possible.  Okay enough about that!  So I wanted to add only clean ingredients to my overnight refrigerated oatmeal.  It took me about 2 minutes to assemble and have in the fridge.  I anxiously awaited the morning and the taste test… to be continued.

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— Knead to Cook

Clean Cherry and Walnut Granola Bars.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Cookies, Desserts, Gluten Free, Holiday, Nuts, Snacks, Vegetarian 5 Comments

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My friends over at Oh Nuts!  sent me a care package of some of their products.  I’ve been a long-standing customer, I love their nuts/dried fruits, and was thrilled to start making some favorite recipes with their goodies.  I’ve been meaning to whip up some granola bars that are very clean and wanted something that would have a good consistency and not be overly sweet.  I’ve been eating clean,  no refined sugars amongst other things for eight months now with huge changes to my body and the way I feel.  PLUS, I prefer my family eat non-processed foods/snacks and they love granola so it was a must.  These make a great road-trip snack idea too!  We are headed out for two trips this week and I will have these on hand for the beach!   [Read more…]

— Knead to Cook

Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies.

by Filed Under: Cookies, Nuts, Vegetarian, Vitamix, Yogurt 3 Comments

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Actually these cookies are NOT a “big mistake” – I just loved the plate and couldn’t resist.

I’ve been eating very clean for the past 8 months.  I’ve been searching and creating recipes that are better tasting, healthier options not only for me but for my family.  These cookies are healthier than your average oatmeal chocolate chip cookie – but are packed with flavor.  These are made with Greek yogurt and coconut oil, which adds protein and healthy fats to your snack.  They are moist and oh so good!  I made about 38 cookies with one batch – I make smaller cookies, and they are mostly gone.  My kids right up to my father (75 years old) loves them.

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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