Party Foods Archives - Page 15 of 16

Peanut Butter Oat Walnut Chocolate Bars. {clean snacking}

July 2, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Cookies, Desserts, Gluten Free, Holiday Baking Ideas, No bake/cooking required!, Party Foods, Product Review., Snacks, Vegetarian 3 Comments

These little bars are NOT a big mistake… well maybe they are if you DON’T eat them! They are clean! Hard to believe by the way they taste. NO added refined sugars, corn syrups or anything junky. Now they do have chocolate in them (and dark chocolate is good for you) and I used a fair trade dark chocolate but you can use what you have (either a dark bar chopped up or chips). Heart healthy! My friends at Oh Nuts! sent me a bag of some huge, gorgeous, fresh walnuts and I thought of this recipe instantly! Their nuts and dried fruits are to die for! You can sub out your favorite nut or whatever you have on hand. Be prepared… your family will descend quickly on these sweet bars. Love that you can make these ahead of time too… perfect for parties, or just to prepare to have for better snacking options for your family v. store-bought, overly processed treats.

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— Knead to Cook

Corn, Quinoa, Cilantro and Avocado Salad.

July 1, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Cheese, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Party Foods, Salads, Side dish, Vegetarian 8 Comments

Happy Meatless Monday!

I’ve been sharing my healthy journey with everyone for quite some time. I’ve been focusing on eating more and more vegetarian dishes because I just haven’t had a taste for meat. This salad is one of the reasons why… all fresh ingredients, I just don’t miss the meat. This salad encapsulates summer with all of the freshness without any heavy ingredients to weigh you down. Perfect to make ahead for a party too! You can make this vegan by omitting the cheese if you wish as well. I wanted to try out some new Cabot lactose free cheddar and decided to use it in this salad – it was so good. You can also sub out fresh mozzarella if you wish. And if you are a staunch carnivore… this is the perfect side dish to pair up alongside fish, pork, chicken or beef.
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— Knead to Cook

Vegetable Pasta Salad with Balsamic Dijon Dressing.

June 20, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Featured, Party Foods, Pasta, Salads, Side dish, Vegetarian, Vinaigrette 3 Comments

This pasta salad reminds me of summer. Light, packed with veggies and would make the perfect lunch, dinner or side with some grilled chicken, pork, fish or steak. My kids love to snack on it before swim meets. Packed with vegetables and I used whole wheat pasta to bump up the nutritional value. You can use whatever veggies you have on hand – it is also perfect to make for a picnic or party. I like making this ahead of time to let the dressing have time to flavor all of the components and make it even tastier. Perfect weeknight meal too!

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— Knead to Cook

Homemade Sprinkle Chobani Cookies.

May 16, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Cookies, Party Foods, Valentine's Day, Yogurt 4 Comments

It’s been a long week. The month of May always seems to be. End-of-year activities, birthdays, projects, swimming etc. etc. The list could go on forever. Today, while my website was getting a much needed facelift, I whipped up, in no time I might add, these fun Chobani-filled sprinkle cookies. They are very reminiscent of funfetti cake batter. My kids, and husband, loved them. How could you not? They are jammed-packed with lots of colorful sprinkles and that can make even this crazy-busy mom smile.

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— Knead to Cook

Pesto egg a la baguette.

May 9, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Breads, Breakfast, Brunch, Cheese, Easter, Egg dishes, Holiday Baking Ideas, Party Foods, Vegetarian 8 Comments

This is such an oldie but goodie recipe and I haven’t made it in about a year. My family loves it for dinner and then for breakfast the next morning. I added some leftover kale pistachio pesto (from last week) into the eggs – click here for that recipe and this was over the top. The pesto adds so much flavor to the eggs it will make them unbelievable good. Thankfully I made enough for leftovers this morning which made the start of the day seamless (love when that happens).

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— Knead to Cook

Kale, Spinach & Pistachio Pesto.

May 3, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Italian-inspired, No bake/cooking required!, Nuts, Party Foods, Pasta, Sauces, Vegetarian, Vitamix 5 Comments

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

Vegetable Orzo Salad with a Chobani Basil Dressing.

May 1, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Holiday Baking Ideas, Party Foods, Pasta, Sauces, Vegetarian, Vinaigrette, Yogurt 2 Comments

This was one of those recipes that purely came to mind while I was meandering through the farmer’s market on Tuesday. The freshness of all of the spring vegetables inspired me. I was beyond thrilled to find some golden beets, that are incredible if you get a chance to buy or taste them. And off I went to my kitchen with my bags in tow to create.

I love do to a few meatless recipes for my carnivore family a week. Just to let them see that they can be sustained without meat and enjoy it. Everyone loved this dish! Glad I got a few shots of it before they descended. Ha ha. This recipe is very flexible – you can add whatever veggies you have on hand. Optional ideas: olives, cherry tomatoes, jalapeños, green beans, edamame… the list goes on and on.

Ingredients:

1 package of whole wheat Orzo pasta
2 softball sized beets (golden or red are fine)
1/2 of an English cucumber, sliced in half and then quartered
3 ears of corn on the cob, kernels removed and cooked on the stovetop to brown and carmelize
4 spring green onions, sliced
1 bunch of asparagus, steamed or pan fried with a tiny bit of olive oil for 4 minutes to make a bit tender
1 large bell pepper (I used red)
1/3 cup of shelled pistachios

Dressing:
1 handfull of fresh basil leaves
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup of Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and Pepper (I used LoSalt with is a low sodium alternative)

Directions:

Start by roasting your beets. Here is a recipe on how to do this simply. If you have golden beets, no gloves are required but if they are red, gloves to protect your hands are a must. Click here for my recipe. Let them cool and then slice into 1/2 inch rounds and then quarter.

Cook your orzo according to package directions and drain. Because this dish needs to be refrigerated for a few hours to let the flavors blend, I drizzled some olive oil atop of the pasta and gave it a good stir. Let it cool.

In a saute pan over medium heat, add a touch of olive oil and the corn kernels. Let cook without stirring for 4 minutes or so and then give a good stir. Let them brown up and then remove from the heat and let cool.

Into a large bowl add your vegetables. Then add the cooled orzo pasta.

To whip up the dressing, simply add all of the ingredients to a food processor or Vitamix and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust spices accordingly. Then add to your salad.

Once the dressing is mixed in to the salad, coating everything nicely – cover and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours. Before serving, give the salad a good stir to incorporate the dressing again and enjoy.

— Knead to Cook

Roasted Red Pepper & Garlic Hummus.

April 25, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Condiments, Dips, Gluten Free, Party Foods, Side dish, Snacks, Vegetarian, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

This week I took a foray into baking up pitas. I have to admit, I knew hummus would come along shortly after. I mean seriously, how can you eat pitas without it?! Ha ha. Well my family gobbled up the first batch of pitas so I’m whipping up another batch. Click here for that recipe. Hummus is very easy to make and tastes so much better than store-bought versions. Plus with this, you control the olive oil (even though it’s a healthy fat I still like to limit the quantity in the food I eat) and I have a little trick on exactly how to do that.

Ingredients:

2 cans of low sodium chick peas (both drained and rinsed)
2 red bell peppers (jarred in water) – reserve the water
4 cloves of garlic (use less if you aren’t a fan)
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of chipotle chili powder (or regular chili powder if you have that on hand)
Salt
Pepper
Lemon juice – from half of a lemon
1 tablespoon of olive oil

Directions:

Into your food processor, add the chickpeas, garlic, two roasted red peppers, cumin, chili, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Puree into well-incorporated. While the machine is running add the tablespoon of olive oil. If you need it creamier, most likely you will, add a tiny bit (1/2 teaspoon at a time) of the reserved liquid from the roasted red peppers. This will not only infuse the hummus with more of the red pepper flavor, it will keep the calories down because you aren’t using more olive oil. Puree until smooth or desired texture is achieved. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Serve with chopped veggies, pita slices etc. Also works well on a sandwich instead of mayo or mustard.

— Knead to Cook

Turkey Quinoa Mini Meat Loaf Muffins.

April 3, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Ground Turkey, Italian-inspired, Party Foods, Turkey 4 Comments

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

Mango Jalapeño Salsa.

February 26, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Appetizers, Chicken, Condiments, Fish, Fruit, Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Party Foods, Pork, Salsas & Guacamole, Side dish, Snacks, Vegetarian, Wheat Free 1 Comment

*Stamped spoon can be found at: http://www.etsy.com/people/pumpernickelandwry

Sometimes you need to lighten up a gray day with some tropical salsa. Today, is a bit gray and going to be rainy… I thought this would be the perfect way to brighten up dinner. I make this salsa early and let the flavors blend in the fridge until dinner. Top over grilled chicken, pork or fish. Or eat it straight up with tortilla chips. Perfect for a party!

Ingredients:

2 mangoes, peeled, pitted and diced
2 green spring onions, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup of cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1 jalapeño, seeds removed (or left in if you like the heat), finely diced
1-2 tablespoons of a better quality balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Add all of the ingredients to a mixing bowl. Give a good toss and let the flavors develop for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. Remove right before serving and add additional balsamic if necessary.

— Knead to Cook