Broiled Spicy Cherry Tomato Appetizer.

by Filed Under: Appetizers, Party Foods, Snacks, Vegetarian 2 Comments

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Tomatoes are just starting to become ripe in the garden.  We sit on the precipice of a deluge of tomatoes ripening and my kitchen overflowing with these incredibly flavorful fruit (yes, a fruit).  I wait all year for them.  Sweet, flavorful… I use them in so many different ways.  These little cherry tomatoes are perfect for appetizers on a hot summer night.  Even better for an appetizer at a party.  You can use whatever cheese you love, I had on hand some lovely extra sharp Cabot cheddar and I knew I had to use it on these.  Gruyere or a spicy jalapeño jack would also be fun!

Along with the important cheese decision, I had some delectable spicy Panko breadcrumbs that Firefood just sent me and I knew it would be a perfect topper.  Start to finish these took about 5 minutes to prepare.  I was eating and enjoying them within minutes.

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— Knead to Cook

Haricot Vert Salad. {green bean salad}

by Filed Under: Brunch, Gluten Free, Party Foods, Salads, Vegetarian, Vinaigrette, Wheat Free 6 Comments

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Haricot verts are a thinner green bean to the domestic green bean.  I found these beauties at our farmer’s market and I thought they would make the perfect salad (dinner for me) side dish for my family.  Easy to make.  I used my roasted red pepper balsamic vinaigrette dressing to dress it.  It a great dish for these hot days of summer when you don’t want to eat anything super heavy.  Can also be prepped ahead of time and leftovers taste better the next day after absorbing lots of the flavors.  Again, I encourage you to use what extras you have on hand to add to your salad to make it your own.

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— Knead to Cook

Mango Raspberry Zoku Popsicles.

by Filed Under: Desserts, Frozen Pops, Fruit, Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Party Foods, Vegetarian, Zoku Popsicles Leave a Comment

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Clean eating and knowing what you are giving your children and family to eat is so important.  Most of the frozen treats in the grocery stores are filled with preservatives and funky ingredients that I prefer not to serve my family.  Last week I finally bought a Zoku popsicle maker.  An investment but you can certainly use regular popsicle molds if you have those on hand (they just require freezing time).  Plus, kids of all ages love making their own versions of their treats.  This is my daughter’s 3rd or 4th popsicle that she’s made.

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— Knead to Cook

Peanut Butter Oat Walnut Chocolate Bars. {clean snacking}

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

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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.

by Filed Under: Cheese, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Party Foods, Salads, Side dish, Vegetarian 8 Comments

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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.

by Filed Under: Featured, Party Foods, Pasta, Salads, Side dish, Vegetarian, Vinaigrette 3 Comments

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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.

by Filed Under: Cookies, Party Foods, Valentine's Day, Yogurt 4 Comments

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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.

by Filed Under: Breads, Breakfast, Brunch, Cheese, Easter, Egg dishes, Holiday Baking Ideas, Party Foods, Vegetarian 8 Comments

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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.

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

Vegetable Orzo Salad with a Chobani Basil Dressing.

by Filed Under: Holiday Baking Ideas, Party Foods, Pasta, Sauces, Vegetarian, Vinaigrette, Yogurt 2 Comments

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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.

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— Knead to Cook