Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

Pecan Blueberry Muffins. Vegan. Gluten free.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Gluten Free, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Muffins, Nuts, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

Ahhh my rainy day photos continue.  At some point, I’ll look at my pics again and love them.  I digress, happy Monday and almost the end of February.  Crazy!  It was a very rainy, yet productive weekend.  My husband finally committed to ordering another (thanks Tesla for the 1.5 yr delay in production) fully electric car.  It should be here by Wednesday.  Dog vet appointment done.  We also checked another box off the to-do list of ordering a piece of furniture we so desperately needed.  Good, yet expensive weekend.  By Sunday, my stomach was feeling a bit off and I knew I needed a snack for the week for the fam.  I normally make muffins or oat bars so they have a snack, breakfast or dessert when needed.  I found a great recipe from The Glowing Fridge and adapted it accordingly. The came out great, not overly sweet but just enough.  Filling.  Gluten free and vegan so I’m happy.  With that, we begin our Monday.

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— Knead to Cook

Soaked and roasted almonds.

by Filed Under: Appetizers, Breakfast, Gluten Free, Nuts, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free 10 Comments

This recipe came about when I had soaked too many almonds for nut milk.  They don’t taste good post soak but I thought I would roast & see how they came out.  Well, they are completely addictive and the best way to eat almonds – well minus almond butter.

So why soak almonds?  Well soaking almonds helps to release enzymes which aid in digestion.  It’s also beneficial with the the digestion of fats.  Monounsaturated fats help curb your appetite and keep you full.  Help to reduce bad cholesterol and increase the good.  Great source of vitamin E, which helps prevent agin and inflammation in the body.  Soaked almonds contain B17, vital in fighting cancer.  Flavonoids present help suppress tumor growth.  Aid in lowering glucose levels and regulate blood pressure.  Yes, food is medicine!  It turns out, they taste better after roasting v. the raw form.  We can’t stop eating these… the only problem.

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— Knead to Cook

Almond butter cookies. Vegan. Gluten free.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Cookies, Gluten Free, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Nuts, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free 4 Comments

I had this recipe bookmarked forever from the Healthy French Wife and I finally got around to making it today (well for the blog/photographing).  My family loves these cookies.  A bit of sweet and salty for the perfect flavor combination. Snacking, lunches, dessert – we survived the day kinda cookie!  I won’t lie, life is better with a cookie in it. All great ingredients and nothing processed from a package.  So let’s get started!

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— Knead to Cook

Rosemary Roasted Almonds. Vegan.

by Filed Under: Appetizers, Breakfast, Brunch, Gift ideas, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Nuts, Party Foods, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations Leave a Comment

The holidays can’t be filled with sweets only, right?  Right!  I love giving a healthy alternative for food gifts or treats during the holiday.  Each year I seem to make some variety like these, these or these.  These are so simple yet packed with a beautiful Rosemary flavor.  Plus putting an extra sprig of Rosemary when you pack them adds a bit of holiday flare.  And maybe you prefer to stick with sweet treats to giveaway… I get that.  But you need some salty snacks when family and friends gather so add these to your appetizer platter or charcuterie board, vegan of course.

Once cooled, these nuts pack up nicely and do ship perfectly as well in a care package.
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— Knead to Cook

Easy Skillet Apple Crisp Bake. Vegan. Gluten free.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Desserts, Fruit, Gluten Free, Halloween, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Nuts, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

Happy Fall? As I sit here typing up this recipe it’s a sweltering 90 degree day.  Funny enough, it’s been really hot here since fall arrived.  BUT this weekend… THIS weekend the weather cools down.  I’ll refrain from jumping up and down until I’m putting on my cozy sweaters and leggings.

To jumpstart my fall feelings, I ran over to my local farm stand & grabbed some apples.   I immediately knew I would try this recipe out (adapted from my berry recipe here) .  I made a few changes but it was heavenly.  The aroma is truthfully all I needed today, alongside cranking my air conditioning up, to be quite honest.  Please note my tips below to ensure that the apples cook nicely.  Okay, let’s go!

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— Knead to Cook

Easy pumpkin spice roasted nuts. Vegan. Gluten free.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Fitness., Gluten Free, Holiday Baking Ideas, Nuts, Snacks, Thanksgiving, Vegan, Vegan proteins 3 Comments

Fall is slated to arrive later this week & I’m so excited for cooler temps, all things pumpkin and cozy sweaters.  I’m a simple girl.  I had opened a can of pumpkin for another recipe and had some leftover & wasted to use it.  Roasted nuts are perfect and they ship nicely if you need a care package idea.  Whatever nuts you have on hand work nicely but cooking temperatures need to be monitored as some nuts have a higher fat content and may burn easier.  The trio of nuts I used were walnuts, cashews and almonds.

This recipe is super easy and I’ll give measurements but you can adjust what nut or seeds you use.  You can also add some cayenne if you want a sweet/heat combination too.  These are great for Thanksgiving as a snack or on our cheese board.  And place some of  these in a ziploc baggie and stash in your car for when hunger hits!  Let’s get this started…

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— Knead to Cook

The Easiest Broccoli Cheddar Soup. Vegan. Gluten Free.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Easter, Gluten Free, Nuts, Soups, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free 2 Comments

I’m not sure if today, Tuesday, is another round of Monday or what but I somehow erased the card with all of my images from making this soup.  So prior to dinner, as the sun was setting and natural light was fleeting – I plated & grabbed my camera.  Sadly, no prep pictures but I promise to be super descriptive in the recipe below.  Let me give you a bit of history… I’ve been struggling with a broccoli cheddar (vegan) soup that’s creamy and decadent sans dairy.  Then I found this recipe online and was enamored with it.  I’m so glad I had all the ingredients on hand because this is, hands down, one of my favorites ever!  Seriously… it’s incredibly good!

So I am excited to share this recipe with you… let the fall weather & comforting food commence.

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— Knead to Cook

The best easy almond cookies. Vegan. Gluten free.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Cookies, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Nuts, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations 5 Comments

Hello there my friends!  The weekend is in sight & I’m so ready for it to arrive.  It happens to be our last weekend, sadly, with our oldest before she heads off to college.  She moves in early because she’s part of a early job program and then 5 days later all of the students arrive for their week long orientation.  As excited as I am… the sadness is creeping in a bit.

So what better way to nurse some sadness than with cookies 😉  Ha.  I’ve been making this recipe for a good long time, originally found here, but with a modification.  They are vegan, gluten free and paleo.  Simply one of the best cookies you will ever eat, simple ingredients and they seem to be virtually impossible to screw up.  Winner!

These cookies freeze nicely and I’m stashing this recipe aside for a future care package or two this fall.  Are you a fan of Italian almond cookies?  If so, brace yourself for a healthier version.

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— Knead to Cook

Cookie Monster Blue Energy Bites. Vegan. Gluten free.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Gift ideas, Gluten Free, Holiday, Nuts, Raw, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

Hi there my friends!  I wanted to get this post up yesterday but I got hit with a crazy 24 hour flu/craziness & so here I am posting it today.  This is one of those recipes that just doesn’t photograph the color as beautifully as it is in real life but this is a must make recipe 🙂 with tons of health benefits.

So if you follow any forms of social media – you’ve seen the onslaught of blue hued foods/drinks/bowls etc.  Where do they get that lovely color?  Well Blue Majik is the answer.  Here is the low-down on this magical powder:

Pop Sugar shares: Derived from spirulina, Blue Majik is a proprietary extract of the blue-green algae Arthrospira platensis. Much like green spirulina, Blue Majik is prized for being nutrient dense; full of vitamins (especially B12), enzymes, and minerals, it gets its bright blue hue from C-phycocyanin, a type of storage protein rich in amino acids. C-phycocyanin is also what puts the blue in Blue Majik and so much of the value in the trendy ingredient. Studies show C-phycocyanin to be rich in antioxidantswith anti-inflammatory properties, and it may promote brain health.

I’ve been experimenting with this blue powder for the past two months.  I’ve been diagnosed with an auto-immune disease and anything anti-infammatory is my focus.  Plus, it is a powerful pain reliever (natural) which I prefer versus OTC pain relievers.  Lastly, this powerful powder does have a strong odor in the bottle however is undetectable in recipes.  Seriously.  I find this absolutely crazy how it has no flavor but I enjoy it in smoothies, bowls and these bites.  Plus that color… is everything.

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— Knead to Cook

Blue Majik Algae Cashew Nut Based Milk. Vegan. Gluten free.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Fitness., Gluten Free, Nuts, Raw, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix Leave a Comment

I’m back friends!  We had a lovely holiday in South Beach Miami for a week (albeit humidity bordering a torturous) but so much fun.  My oldest wanted a quick trip to a beach and this is where we picked.  Tons of wonderful changes down there (I’ve been to South Beach so many times since I was her age) and the vegan scene was top notch.  I’m going to be doing a city guide for  you all within the next few days.  Stay tuned.  For now, I’m sharing a new recipe for an adaptogen I’ve been using & this is simply everything.

I’ve been battling some disturbing blood work results for several years.  You know the kind that everyone scratches their head and cannot figure out?!  I’ve been to several blood specialists and finally have gotten some answers, albeit not what I wanted to hear.  My cbc apparently looks like someone receiving aggressive chemo but I’m not. I’m super healthy, never sick and it perplexes every doc I see.   I won’t get into the results right now, not ready to share, but I’ve been researching natural, healing foods & this E3Live Blue Majik has been consistently coming up on my radar.  With that… I’ve added it to my diet daily and this recipe has become my staple.  Let me start with their product description:

Blue Majik is a proprietary, chemical free extract of Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina), a Nutrient Dense AquaBotanicalTM. Its stunning blue pigment contains both phycocyanin (PC) and non-PC compounds. This unique combination is not seen in standard Spirulina powder. PC is clinically shown to relieve physical discomfort, which means consumers feel better, can do more activity, and enjoy an overall better quality of life* 

Blue Majik Fine Powder is derived from the highest quality, Organic raw material. Perfect for your beverage or raw food creation.

Sounds amazing, right?  I’ll admit I hate the smell of any Spirulina/green algae and the taste I despise even more.  This powder does have a funky smell however it is absolutely flavorless.  I’ve been drinking it in water, mixing it in my tofu bowls but this cashew milk… it’s the perfect, easy way to get this superfood into my body.  This post is NOT sponsored but something I’m quite passionate about.  I hope you check this out.  I purchased it from Amazon here.

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— Knead to Cook